The ego comes and goes, but there’s something here that does not come and go, something that’s untouched by trauma and challenges, that’s complete just as it is-even if your personality finds things to fix and change. We’re not separate, even though we can celebrate the diversity in our personalities. It’s the same wholeness that gives rise to everything in the universe-the trees, the clouds, other human beings. Our essential nature is spacious, timeless, ever present, and unchanging. How would you describe that essential nature, in contrast to personality or sense of self? It’s ultimately a way of living life, of navigating challenges and questioning core beliefs of “I’m not good enough” or “I’m not lovable” as you awaken to your essential nature. It helps us to build our best selves-kind, loving, authentic, intimate-and, at the same time, deconstructs our sense of separation from the rest of the world. It’s very accessible and applicable to everyday life-something that anyone can learn and apply right away. Richard has created a simple yet profound 10-step meditation practice, in which the steps can be practiced together or individually. It’s been used in homeless shelters, in hospices, with kids ages five and six up to end of life. It gives practitioners a sense of control, something to come back to that’s unfailing. Because it’s trauma sensitive by its very nature, it’s been shown to benefit those with PTSD, anxiety, insomnia, and chronic pain. It’s not just cognitive remembering, it’s visceral-a felt sense.Īnyone who is open to meditation, from beginners, to those who want to build focus and concentration, to longtime meditators who are looking to energize their practice. When you practice it incrementally throughout the day, over time, you establish a biofeedback mechanism. In stressful situations, when you’re angry or frustrated, all of a sudden the inner resource will kick in with a deep sense of okay-ness in the body. And, eventually, we don’t have to go looking for the inner resource-it will find us. When we establish the inner resource, we establish the relaxation response. The work happens through toning the parasympathetic nervous system, balancing the fight-or-flight response. The final two steps involve recognizing our ground of Being, and then integrating this understanding back into life. We then open into body sensing, breath sensing meeting emotions, beliefs, and memories and feeling into our innate sense of joy. It is a simple 10-step protocol, starting with setting an intention, tapping into the heartfelt desire that gives us a sense of purpose and meaning in life, and touching into our inner resource. The practice is one of turning inward, inquiring into different aspects of the body, mind, and senses. That anchor will always be there-you can tap into it at any time, regardless of what’s happening in the mind. When we tap into our ground of Being, we recognize the aspect of us that is always whole, timeless, spacious, beyond lack or need. The ultimate inner resource is “Being,” which refers to our inherent existence or presence. In that way, it gives us a sense of control and self-regulation. Once that is established within us, it’s unchanging, no matter our life circumstances, and we can always come back to it, like a touchstone, in the midst of any challenges we might be facing. Through iRest, we establish a foundation of wholeness, what we call the “inner resource.” It’s not a place that we go to in the mind, but rather a felt sense in the body of being grounded, whole, and at ease. How does iRest work? What makes it so impactful? Stephanie-now a Senior iRest Trainer, psychotherapist, yoga therapist, and meditation teacher-spoke with us about the principles and practice of iRest. Based on the ancient technique of yoga nidra, iRest has been subjected to a wide range of studies, and has been shown to decrease stress, boost happiness, improve sleep, and strengthen resilience, among other benefits. This powerful moment inspired her to investigate nondual teachings and practices, which eventually led her to Richard Miller’s iRest® methodology. She remembers feeling that she had become one with everything around her-the river, the sky, the other people on her path. Some 25 years ago, Stephanie Lopez was out running when she had what she describes as her first transcendent experience.
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