Carl G. Jung*, Farah Jindani¹, Steven Hughes^2*

1Professor and Academic Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Community Mental Health and Mental Health Intervention Programs, Seneca College, King Campus, Canada.

2Education Specialist, Education Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Canada.

*Corresponding Author: Steven Hughes, Professor and Academic Program Coordinator, Bachelor of Community Mental Health and Mental Health Intervention Programs, Seneca College, King Campus, Canada, Tel: (416) 854-2269; Fax: (416) 854-2269

Citation: Carl G. Jung,Farah Jindani, Steven Hughes (2020) Creating the neural pathways of healing through yoga nidra. Addict drug sensitiz 4: 122.

Received: March 22, 2023; Accepted: April 06, 2023; Published: April 09, 2023.

Copyright: © 2023 Farah Jindani, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

“The attainment of wholeness requires one to stake one’s whole being. Nothing less will do; there can be no easier conditions, no substitutes, no compromises.” Carl G. Jung – Swiss Psychiatrist (1875-1961).

Program Description

In this program, participants will be introduced to the mind-body-spirit practice of yoga nidra [1,2]. This practice comes to us from a syncretic variety of sources: primarily the Yoga tradition with influences from Advaita Vedanta, Samkyha metaphysics, Kashmir Shaivisim and tantric Buddhist practices extending back in time for over two thousand years [3,4]. Yoga nidra is a meditation practice that brings people to a deeper state of relaxation and awareness. This Yoga Nidra program is based upon the Integrative Restoration or iRest®   protocol that was developed by Dr. Richard C. Miller [5].

Yoga nidra has the potential capacity of enhancing self-awareness and facilitate expanded states of consciousness leading to the experience of interconnectedness and unity [6-8]. In this program we will be connecting the ancient yoga nidra practice within the current context of modern contemplative neuroscience and its research pertaining to resilience, well-being and the cultivation of a safer and healthy attachment [9-11].

The Yoga Nidra Practice

The foundation of the practice begins by accessing the relaxation response by activating the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the stress-response system and reduce emotional over-reactivity by turning down the set point of hyper-vigilance and anxiety [12].

The healing effects of yoga nidra are based upon the principles of neuroplasticity – creating new neural pathways that promote safety and well-being, and weaken neural pathways that maintain hyper-vigilance and chronic stress [13-16].  Yoga nidra promotes self-directed neuroplasticity of the brain in specific ways through the different stages of the practice. These stages include setting an intention, finding an inner resource, awareness of breath, body scan, welcoming feelings, witnessing thoughts, the experience of joy, connecting with the observing self (meta-cognition), and ongoing reflection on the practice. Each of these stages are experienced at different levels of conscious processing as one is guided into different brain states that supports healing in both body and mind [17-19].

This practice provides a conscious and self-directed practice to navigate the ebb and flow of affect regulation [20,21]. Regulating the activation and deactivation of the emotions supports self-agency by expanding one’s “window of tolerance” or the enhanced ability to be with “feeling the emotions” without being triggered into hyper-arousal or shutting down into hypo-arousal [15,22,23]. This process supports a more healthy rhythm between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems resulting in integration, flow and coherence in the mind-body-spirit-field.

We know that in clinical populations in addictions and mental health, the prevalence rates of trauma is at 90% or more [24-27] and it is reported by Mathieu [28] that 60% of clinical staff working in Canadian healthcare environments report histories of trauma before  they enter the helping profession (p. 13). The Canadian general population has the highest prevalence rate of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in the world at 9.2% [29].  In this program we will be working from a trauma-informed practice which engages an approach that recognizes that trauma is ubiquitous in our global society. As a result, we utilize “universal precautions” … we assume everyone we encounter has some form of trauma in their personal and/or family background [30]. The origins of trauma can be from one’s current life history of experiencing adverse life events as well as the transmission of intergenerational traumatic impacts [31]. “The Adverse Childhood Events (ACE) study, is the largest epidemiological study ever done in the United States. The ACE study has documented extremely strong relationships between childhood trauma and a whole range of consequences in adulthood, including health conditions, mental health and substance abuse disorders, a higher risk of experiencing trauma and abuse including domestic violence, and premature death.”

The practice of yoga nidra helps to break self-limiting patterns that are held in the body and mind after trauma. In recent years, there has been accumulating evidence that the practice of yoga nidra is demonstrating therapeutic benefits in helping trauma survivors manage and support their healing and recovery journeys [5]. Research on the iRest protocol in particular demonstrates in one study that war veterans can begin to successfully manage their Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and easing the symptoms of depression and anxiety [32].

Exploring the Edges of Self-Healing: The session will provide an overview that positions the practice within an embodied discipline that supports healing [33]. Participants will begin to develop a comfortable stance of welcoming for all feelings/sensations, emotions, and thoughts [34,35].

This experiential session will provide an opportunity to create an imaginal inner sanctuary of safety [36]. Developing a safe sanctuary provides a platform for us to dynamically apprehend the emergence of the rarified realms of pure awareness, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and planetary connectedness; joy and love [7,14,37-40].

1) Guidelines for co-creating a trauma-sensitive and psychologically safer learning environment.

2) Increase self-agency by enhancing distress tolerance capacity and to skillfully respond to all thoughts, feelings, and sensations and to distinguish between these qualities.

3) Distinguish between “thinking” and the “felt-sense of sensation” – sensing the flow of breath and the radiant sense of energy in the body.

4) Experience the imaginal environment via guided imagery to create an internal sense of safety and an enhanced self-efficacy by creating an inner sanctuary that can be accessed at any time as a way to ground and center one’s self.

The healing perspective surging underneath this session is in congruence with Carl Jung’s conception that we are all on a path seeking wholeness. This self-organizing process seeking expression, Jung referred to as individuation [41].This unfolding process posits that each of us is on a journey seeking the integration and healing of all of the “parts of ourselves” that have been alienated, repressed, or dissociated [18,42-44]. This session provides a potential path for this unfolding psycho-spiritual odyssey.

Transformative Learning and Integration

The program is guided by transformative learning principles … this means that the program can serve as a catalyst for further inquiry and life-long learning. The transformative learning process can be triggered by a “disorienting dilemma” that challenges an individual’s meaning structure and worldview [45]. This could be in the form of a real-life crisis or a growing sense of dissatisfaction. The yoga nidra practice provides a crucible to encounter this dissonance and through critical reflection, understanding, working through, and then, one is able to integrate the experience [46].

We encourage participants to follow-up their experience in today’s session by completing the suggested “practice enhancements.” The practice enhancements will help you process, ground, and integrate your insights and learning by drawing a mandala … a visual symbol of your inner experience [47,48]. Through the process of “expressive writing” participants will be able to make meaning of past events and situate past traumatic experiences within a life narrative, fostering the potential for post-traumatic growth and an enhanced depth of our individual resilience capacities [9,49-55]. The program will conclude with a plenary group discussion to process the experience and allow time for grounding and re-centering, questions, discussion, learning integration, and explore potential next steps.

What to Bring?

Please bring a yoga mat; soft blanket or sheet; and a selection of coloured pencils, gel pens and/or pastels for your mandala creation. Traditionally, yoga nidra is practiced lying down, however, participants can also practice from a seated position. Wear loose and comfortable clothing in layers … body temperature can drop during the practice. An eye mask is optional. Water bottles will be provided.

The facilitators will work towards co-creating a collaborative and psychologically safe, inclusive, and welcoming learning environment. However, due to the experiential nature of the session, the program may be potentially evocative for some individuals who have experienced trauma (especially hyper-arousal and dissociation) and who have significant challenges in managing anxiety. These experiences are not necessarily contraindications for participation—however, self-screening is important. Participation should be discussed with one’s therapist if one is currently in psychotherapy.

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