happy 2011 new year consciousness!

The New Year of 2011 is arriving! A joyous one to all! Every year around the Solstice and New Year, like many of you, I naturally take stock, reflect, reminisce. In that reflection this year, I find how much gratitude and joy are present in my life! The flow of these qualities grow, as I flow into deeper alignment with my hearts passions. It seems there are cycles of clearing and being present with what has stood in the way of flow, alignment, passion and then new space is created for more fullness of being!

The practice of becoming more and more conscious is indeed a part of this magical cycle. How can it be that one day I am unaware of the blocks and the next, they are staring me in the face? It has gotten to be sort of a humorous game to see what shows up next, what is calling me to awaken just a bit wider from the slumber of living life unconsciously. Yet, I follow the lead of who, what and how the awakening is to happen, remain present and before long enter into freedom.

It is being said that in 2011, as we move toward 2012, it is increasingly important to be mindful of the consciousness we are living in and with. What we surround ourselves with, creates our sense of reality, it creates the quality of our lives and even the health of our bodies. The quality of energy that pulsates through us, will be the qualities of energy we bring into our lives, forming our perceptions of reality.

Howard Thurman's quote always rings true, and it rings loudly for this coming year.
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come ALIVE. Because what the world needs is people who have come Alive!" When we really listen to the heart's song and passion, we become lifted up and we are met with the aid of the Universe. This doesn't mean we won't hit a bump or two. The bumps, the temporary dances with our own shadow, refines and purifies the degree of aliveness we are coming into.

I try to stay away from placing labels of 'good', 'bad', 'right' or 'wrong'. I have found that even the 'bumpiest' pages or chapters in my life's ongoing book, have been sacred times. It is how I hold them, think and feel about them. Becoming conscious of life's experiences and not automatically jumping to conclusions based on fear, cultural programming, or labeling what should or should not be happening, I have the freedom to see the lessons in what is actually presenting itself. Many of my greatest moments of finding great freedom within has been from hanging out with what 'heavier' energies, like a depression, sadness, or a judgment, are trying to teach me. This is very different than wallowing in 'darkness' out of a habitual way of living with this energetic quality. We can learn to bring consciousness, awareness, presence to any and all qualities, explore where and why they are visiting us, and in doing so we help to set them free.

Once we allow a healing on any level, by bringing conscious awareness to what has felt more 'dense', we then cultivate the 'lighter' energy that rises to meet us! That lightness is always within us, sometimes we just need to take the time, space and quiet to do a little housecleaning.

The key word is consciousness. Setting our course in this next year to become more aware of what our energy 'pulls' are revealing to us. What is holding us back, what is calling us forth, and how to balance between the light and shadow of our own being. How our reality is created by what consciousness we surround ourselves with and what we feed ourselves in all the energetic forms. This awareness is the first step to move out of habits that keep us from feeling our fullness, our brilliance, our selves as love! When we have the courage, commitment to grow into this fullness, as Mary Anne Williamson says, 'we give others the permission to shine'. This helps us, this helps the world!

2011 will be an amazing year to inquire within, explore any of those areas where we feel we are not living our lives to the fullest and revamp our energetic relationship to Life! Become awake, conscious to our hearts dreams, and clear whatever blocks it's song. If we choose to believe that all the energies in the Universe are simply waiting to meet and greet our Inner Light, we can choose to feel we are not alone in this new world forming to uplift each of us, individually and collectively. However we have to align our energies and clear, heal CONSCIOUSLY, whatever old energies of beliefs, thoughts, subconscious attitudes which stand in the way of our own inner freedom, peace and joy!

So, here's to a Happy, Transforming, 2011 New Year!
Align your intentions and energies with what your heart sings for!
As we each shine our individual Lights, our collective Light grows!!

SPECIAL OFFER FOR THE HOLIDAYS

To remain in alignment with the holiday spaciousness, Inner Journeys is offering a special introductory rate for new clients. Please choose from which modality you would like to experience in order to bring a sense of centeredness and Peace for the month of December.

USUI REIKI, a form of energy healing, is provided both in my studio and also through distant treatments. It brings your whole being into harmony, calm and balance!

AMRIT METHOD YOGA NIDRA, is a guided meditation, dropping you into the deepest states of silence within. It is a powerful method to sooth the nervous system and to bring your deepest intentions for this season into manifestation. Yoga Nidra serves as a direct connection to Spirit!

UNVEILING SOUL YOGA, is a deeply meditative form of hatha yoga. It brings all of your awareness within, anchoring you to your true alignment, releases tensions and anxiety. Most important, it slows you down, bringing a heightened sense of clarity, Peace and Joy!

All of these modalities bring Spaciousness! They allow you to bring the best of who you are to all you meet! You become the Spacious truth of your Being!

This month, I will be sharing these vehicles of Peace with you a special rate of
$35.00. It is an honor to offer tools that help facilitate the Light of the season that it may illumine all! Please contact me with questions or to schedule. I will begin seeing new clients for this introduction special, December 6th!

I look forward to working with you and so thankful for all that I have been blessed to work with! Peace & Joy to Each!

holiday spaciousness

'Tis the season to be Jolly! The holidays are upon us and often this brings a mix of anticipation, joy, anxiety, sharing and stress. Family and friend gatherings are on the way. So how can we move through this season remaining connected to the intention and Spirit of this time with our loved ones? I imagine we all want to feel that sense of connectedness with those we love, especially during this time. There are many people that we may only see on this occasion, and rarely do we set out with the intent on feeling contracted or on edge. Yet this often happens if we do not remain centered and clear as to what this holiday means for us. That being said, I don't think we all have the same understanding or needs from the holidays. Knowing if we have expectations and what they are, is a wonderful starting point. As long as we are present with this inner meaning within ourselves, we can bring a sense of sacredness to this occasion.

It is important to recognize before the hustle and bustle begins, what it means to us. Is it a time to celebrate our connections with our friends and family? Is it a religious experience for us in reverence of the birth of Christ or do we recognize it from the spiritual connection to the Earths circling back into Light with the Solstice? Are we looking forward to the giving of gifts? Sharing meals? Reconnecting with others? Do we give permission to opt out of activities and go within, if that is the inner call?

What ever meaning we identify with in our hearts, we can then go about creating the holiday form this inner sanctuary. If we have clarity within, then we can begin to determine what activities are in alignment with our truth. This is the foundation from which we then connect and act outside of ourselves through. When we can honor our own truth, we are more able to enter into even challenging situations with more awareness, spaciousness, and ability to interact from this conscious intention.

Whether we are looking to create Joy, Peace, Enthusiasm, Sacredness, Celebration, or Gratitude, we must first have a clear intention of that experience. This doesn't mean that we seek to control the experience, but enter into each situation looking through those eyes.

For instance, a few years ago my intention for the holiday was to bring everyone together and create a wonderful meal and simply to share my love for my family. Now, anyone who knows me, knows I do not cook, so I admit, I had the help of my partner in some of the preparation. I had been feeling so much love for everyone, that even during a couple hurried and harried moments, in the small space of our home and lack of any formal eating space; AND two family's(mine and my partner's)joining together for the first meeting, I found I was able to maintain this space of love within. Now, though I did whatever I could to make everyone as happy and comfortable as possible, I can not guarantee everyone had as good of time, filled with a sense of connectedness as I did. I did my best to be a considerate hostess and created a peaceful and warm environment, yet I also had to let go of my expectations as to how this was experienced by my guests. As far as I could tell, everyone had a wonderful time and at the end of the day, I felt such a deep satiated fullness, and not from the food! I felt fed by the sharing I wished to offer and in my reality, love was all I felt.

So once we know what we are intending to create, contribute, or experience, it is always good to do what is needed to keep ourselves in a nourished space. Of primary importance, don't let go of your spiritual practice as the pace of the holidays escalate! This is what allows you to come to the table, whatever form it takes, clear and open, ready to be present and loving. If you don't have a practice or something that grounds you, do what you can to cultivate an inner clarity. For example, hot baths, music that brings you into your fullness, exercise that makes you feel energized, maybe a massage or energy work. In other words, keep your self in alignment with YOU, first! Then cultivate a calm nervous system. When the nervous system is calm, your moods, reactions and 'internal' stories can be managed. This means it is easier to remain open-hearted and aligned with your intention! You don't have to take my word for this. Simply notice that as you become tense, what happens to your breath and your emotions. Usually agitation sets in, meaning your being is becoming contracted. In contraction, not as much energy can flow through you and the heart becomes more shut off from others and life. Notice too, how you feel when you are relaxed, maybe after meditating or yoga. The breath flows freely, you feel softer, more open, more in the flow of whatever is present. This is spaciousness and the place where Love streams freely from!

Gifts to others can come in many ways, and some of the most powerful ones are acceptance, acknowledging who others are, letting go of expectations or control, really listening to others, not needing things to be other than they are. When we are settled in our own inner peace, inner joy, inner gratitude, whatever happens around us can have much less impact on us, and we become a source of those qualities of Being to those we love.

So, I send out warm and peaceful wishes to all! May your holidays be perfect, in whatever way that is meant for you. May we all have the inner peace to bring that Peace and Light to all in our midst! Spaciousness is Love. Love is what we are all seeking ~ and that Love is what we are!

Peacefully Merry~

maybe ~ maybe not

This is a sweet story that illustrates attachments, reactions to circumstances and just allowing to be, without creating stories around how things should be different. It also is a reminder that we don't always know what is 'good' or 'bad', when situations arise in our lives. Often this way of remaining neutral is easier said than done, which is why we have these wonderful stories, to help us remember!

Once in a far away place, there was on old farmer. He had a small farm, one horse and a son. One day the farmer awoke in the morning to find his only horse had run away. When the neighbor caught wind of the news, he came over to see the farmer with sincere apologies about the bad luck that had befallen his friend.

"Oh my friend, I am so sorry to hear the news! Your only work horse has escaped. What will you do about your fields? This is such terrible luck!"

The farmer, very patiently listened to his neighbor and replied, "Maybe. Maybe not."

The next day, the farmer awoke to another event. His horse had returned with a mate. Now he had two horses. When his friendly neighbor heard, he rushed right over with congratulations.

"Oh my dear friend! Good luck has shown upon you! You now have two horses! This is wonderful!"

The farmer simply replied, "Maybe. Maybe not."

Since the new addition, this new horse was wild, it needed to be tamed. The farmers son set out the next day to begin to break this new horse. It didn't take long in this process before the son was thrown from the horse, badly breaking his leg.

The neighbor rushed over with his condolences about the bad luck of the injury to the farmers son.

"Oh, I am so sorry to hear about your sons misfortune trying to tame this wild beast! And now your son will be indisposed for quite some time. Who will help you on your farm? This is a horrible happening!"

The farmer, once again upon hearing the distress of his neighbor, calmly replied,
"May be. Maybe not."

The next day, while the farmers son was just beginning his recovery process, the army arrived at the farm to recruit young men, of eligible age for service in the army.

The neighbor, had of course spied the soldiers along the road and rushed over as they departed. He found out that the son would not be joining the service, due to his leg being on the mend.

"Oh friends and neighbors! This is great news. Your son will not be put in danger, risking his life in battle! What good luck has come upon your household!"

The farmer standing ever in state of equilibrium replied once again, "Maybe. Maybe not."

Love & Peace~

lessons from a jumping mouse

There is a little story about a jumping mouse, that some of you may or may not have heard. It goes something like this ... There once was this unusual little mouse that had the ability to jump high into the air, above the fields and trees. The rest of his community and companions, however, did not believe they had this ability and thought their friend was a little freaky. They felt that by his jumping he was putting himself at risk to the larger predators including the birds that circled, hunting for prey. You see, the rest of the community spent the majority of their time traveling from place to place in their underground tunnels. This they believed kept them safe and out of harms way.

Their risk taker buddy, on the other hand, would rise up above the earth, would see the expanse of the blue sky and the earth below, taking in all the beauty there was to behold. He didn't seem to have much fear of the predators and was always encouraging the others to test out their jumping skills, so that they too, may share in the vision of our jumper! The rest of the mice refused. When our little jumper would come back from his adventures and share of the sights he had seen, the others thought he was simply crazy! They didn't really believe in the existence of all the clouds, the wide array of colors from the flowers and trees. They only knew the dark, constriction of their tunnels and the long stems of grass that helped to keep them secluded from other creatures. Their view was quite limited. They couldn't even imagine the scenes, since they didn't have anything to compare it to.

The jumping mouse, once he began to see and learn from this spacious vision, could no longer be hemmed into the dark tunnels of fear, disbelief, and survival for his life mentality. Though he often felt alone and separate, he could not find it in himself to return to the old ways of his community. His journey had begun, and he followed the horizon, jumping his way into a new paradigm!

I love this story. It often becomes a guide for my perception, calling me to check into where my vision is. Am I running around in the dark tunnels of my mind's stories, fears, insecurities? Or am I jumping up to get the big expansive view, free from identification with my little self.

Along this journey, the majority of us most likely fluctuate between these two perspectives. But there are many in our world, who may not even be aware that they live whole lives in these tunnels of darkness and tunnel vision. I have found there are levels of programming that we are all indoctrinated in. These may be societal, religious, familial, or nationalistic. All of these, if they are from indoctrination, rather than ones own personal inquiry and experience, stem from the lower centers of our consciousness. All of these keep us in a tunnel, unaware of the vastness of choices, expressions and visions which expand our mind and hearts.

What exactly are these tunnels constructed of? In general, it seems much of this 'material' can be classified as our attachments and internal stories. Attachments to our likes and dislikes; to our opinions; to our judgments; to our fears and projections of others; our addictions and secrets; to our dogma; to our buying into mass fears of the 'other' and the beliefs the 'other' holds. We also build these tunnels or box ourselves in through false stories we believe about ourselves. These are often stories about our lack of's: worth, loveability, capability, importance . . . and not to forget, our perception overall that we, as human beings, are just our ego-identified selves. We believe we are only these bodies, the stresses, the emotions and all of our crazy thoughts, the personality.

If we stop to think about each of these categories, I have no doubt each of us has felt stuck and trapped in this kind of awareness, at some time or another. Doesn't it feel like we are boxed in? or only seeing tunnel vision and scurrying around trying to get free from the cause of these experiences or ourselves? Don't we feel as sense of constriction and tightness in our bodies? Isn't there some sort of survival mechanism that is kicked up within us? I don't know about you, but I get an overwhelmed sense of being limited in my options, powerlessness and all I can see and feel is the pain of my problem. My heart is not open and I feel like I am walking around in some sort of blindness, even though my eyes are wide open.

Our task is, or I will go even further to say our responsibility to our Self is to jump! As ever evolving spiritual beings, it is our responsibility to rise above the limited, programmed, boxed in, tunnel visioned perceptions. We must call on that jumping mouse, to be brave and raise our consciousness and awareness to a higher level.

One of the first steps in doing this, is to realize when we are living in a box, when we are traversing the same tunnels of darkness. We have recognize our actions which to lead to repeating patterns that continue to create constriction in our being and of our vision. Recognize when we are not merely having a preference, which soon passes, but when we are stuck in a preference, expecting and demanding that preference be met. Or, when we are in a judgmental state, creating discord in ourselves or maybe others, based on some idea we refuse to let go of and insisting others hold the same belief. Unless we realize our boxes, we can't break the walls of it down.

Once we begin to 'see' clearly and have examined our self, we are learning to jump to a higher view point. When we begin to 'let go' of what we are clinging to, in whatever form that takes for each of us, we are jumping even higher! And once we truly let go, we have reached the vantage point of our jumping friend! Our internal sky becomes blue, colors are brighter, we breathe easier, and our bodies and minds begin to expand! This is the taste of freedom. Freedom from the entanglements of the mind and it's limited ideas!

Like the jumping mouse, we see there isn't as much to be fearful of as we may have thought. The more time we spend catching our moments of tunnel vision, the easier it becomes to rise out of it.

These repeated experiences of seeing clearly and letting go, allows us then to identify more with our expansive, spacious nature of witness consciousness. We become more aware of the reality that we ARE NOT any of these stories, dogmas, fears, emotions or our body!

Although it is often difficult and sometimes carries it's own sorrow, we can not refuse to learn to jump based on our companions and community. These points of growth, in connection to those close to us, are slippery places where we need to stay even more diligent in our awareness to not get stuck in the tunnel. In the larger part of this picture still, it is our birthright and ultimate purpose of these Souls, in these bodies, to grow, evolve and return to Truth. We will all find it when we reach it, this Truth. Many paths and many languages, all bring us to this Truth. This realization can not be had when we are scurrying around unconsciously in our tunnels or sitting safely in our boxes. As we each evolve, the timings may be different from those close to us, yet, we must move forth as our higher Self calls. It is another lesson in learning, we are not these personalities we identify with, nor our feelings. So while we need to address these along the way, we need to do so with a sense of higher awareness and consciousness.

So, here's to our little mouse teacher! May we all be jumping, jumping, jumping along our evolutionary spiritual journey!

XO~

the joy of discipline

The topic of spiritual practice has been alive and well in conversation and in personal reflections. The word discipline, often associated with spiritual practice, can have a tricky affect on some of us. Often times there is reactivity to it, fear of judgment, feeling controlled, not being at choice, or fear of failure. Especially for those just stepping onto a spiritual path(at least consciously!) there are ideas and questions about how a spiritual practice should look, what it really means, and for some a questioning of it's importance. And for many, understandably, there just doesn't seem to be enough time!

I remember about 15 years ago, when I began trying to meditate, I had no idea what to do, how to do it, or why I was doing it. I simply started feeling and inner urge to check it out. I would sit in this lovely room my partner and I had created in the upstairs of our home. It was specifically held as sacred space, yet neither of us entered that room much. We were both equally at a very beginning stage of exploring our selves in this way. Usually I'd last about 15 minutes, feeling fidgety, and trying to make my mind stop thinking. Every now and then, I'd have this sense of some reprieve, and find myself a little more relaxed than when I had started. I made it into our sacred space maybe a handful of times over a 3 year period. Never consistently and most likely, never two days in a row.

It seems these dilemmas are common for many. I wasn't alone. I have also found that entering into a disciplined practice, even if that entrance is simply through entertaining it's idea, has a myriad of intentions behind it, as diverse as the individuals.

There are those who just want to find some peace and quiet, yet once they become still and silent, inside it is anything but peaceful or quiet. Some are genuinely interested in deepening themselves spiritually, which means something very personal to each individual. Others intend for a prayerful, contemplative time, but are not aware how to transition from the prayer to simply being receptive.

These potential roadblocks then create more tension, to the actual setting of a routine, to enter into this experience, whatever the personal experience may be, on a regular basis. And mind you, this doesn't necessarily need to be meditation. There can even be a struggle creating that same routine with a home yoga practice,a chi gong or tai chi practice. Hence, it is often easier to find a class that is enjoyed, which helps motivate. However, I am talking about those practices that we are called to, which invite us into a deeper, more silent, energy withdrawn inwardly place. I am specifying meditation though, primarily, because it does seem to be the most difficult and yet its benefits are unending!

I have found disciple to be magic when it comes to this arena. This is not to say I have great discipline, that it comes at all naturally, or that it stays consistent.
I struggled on my own for a couple of years, with a deep desire for this disciplined practice to develop. I had this idea that it should just come effortlessly. I felt that I shouldn't be so easily swayed by the day to day distractions or wants that would come my way. I was still at the command of all my impulses, my fun and instant fixes. It wasn't always conscious, but it was much easier to go do whatever, or to "be in the moment" and enjoy what that moment had to bring, than to try to get quiet!

Finally, there came the refuge for me, which was an introduction to the idea of meditation techniques. I was fortunate to be aligned with a teacher who helped me to understand more clearly what I was attempting to do. The alignment with that technique allowed me to drop into a space that wasn't affected by all the ramblings of this mind. I was taught to connect to the breath and always return my awareness to the breath, when I noticed that my focus had disappeared and my attention was all mixed in with the ramblings!

Most of us who have been traveling this path for a while, realize there are different techniques which help us to 'slip' into those empty spaces within. Yet, there are those who struggle and give up, even though there is a great desire to find this inner stillness.

After awhile, I merged my yoga practice into my meditation practice, followed by a sitting meditation. This practice was learned from Yogi Desai. I experienced how to use postures to enter a meditative state, which enabled a new ease in a sitting meditation. I felt even more blessed, and as I embarked on this new practice, I set up my regimen for myself. I established the ideal scenario for my new beginning. Up at 5:00 a.m. practice for an hour and a half, then in the evening for another hour and a half, starting at 7:00 p.m. Of course there were other ideals I attempted to uphold as well, but were met with the lack of a strengthened foundation which grows with time. And thank goodness PRACTICE!

Needless to say, it did not hold and I felt guilt. At times I let go of my practice all together. Discipline was so challenging, even though there was a craving for it. But, I want to watch a movie at night? But, I want to go out to coffee first thing in the morning? But I am too tired? But I have to work so early or I get home too late!

These are all events of living a life in this world. And while there are many schools of thought on how to achieve discipline, I have found myself organically creating a routine that feels right to me, with the information of what I have learned about myself along the way. After moving through the phase of coming down on myself when I would slip out of the discipline, I seemed to be able to create more of a floating disciplined routine. I became attuned to my personal rhythm.

I noticed that there were certain times of the day I felt more called or drawn to practice. I made that part of my routine. Knowing that time was optimal, even if I didn't feel particularly motivated on an 'off' day, I engaged the will and stuck with it. Usually it is just making that decision. But if I didn't leave a lot of wiggle room, the decision is already made. Habit forms the bridge getting me onto the mat or cushion! As this strengthened, I found other times begin to show themselves, so I followed. I allow a different flow for the couple of days I work outside the house, than the days I work from the house. I have three aspects of the practice I work with. Most of my days, I have the time I can enjoy all of them together and other times, I feel out what I am most needing. Although I have become fairly structured, I feel a great freedom in the form of the discipline. It is true to my needs and my life, in whatever shifts or flux it goes through.

What was difficult in the early years, has grown into it's own Joy. The benefits of having established my practice as a priority in my life are many. The most important is the emergence the growing conscious connection to the Self, God, Presence within! Another benefit is the how the habit, the discipline, calls me back for more and more. It has become virtually effortless and when I have to miss, I can't wait to drop in once again! The form of the discipline has given me the greatest freedom. I had to just keep sticking with it, returning, being honest with my personal flow. This also means being honest not to let myself rationalize a way out, if on occasion I 'just don't feel like it'. There is a fine balance sometimes. The balance of ones organic flow; honoring the highest desire to connect and commune; awareness of building and inner strength and fire through discipline; and at times allowing oneself to simply be.

I am so grateful that the past conflict over time and energy to make it to my practice just once a day, has blossomed over the last few years, into a deep desire to find that quietude three times a day, as time allows. I realize I am also blessed to have the space in my life in which to do so.

The evolution becomes to take this practice off the mat, out into the world, holding ones consciousness, spaciousness, clarity, equanimity, and peacefulness present through out our relationships and daily lives. I find I can only hone that practice because of the discipline I have honed, returning over and over to the Source within!

In Deep Peace~

the power of intention

As a new rhythm has settled in recently, it has brought with it new freedom and clarity. Although much has remained the same externally, the internal shifts have simply affirmed how much our reality is created from our own inner perceptions, beliefs and stories.

When I sent out invites for the Amrit Method Yoga Nidra dates for September, I was aware of the power of one of the most recent seeds of intention I'd been working with. Experiencing some resistance and irritability to specific aspects of life, I created the intention:

"I am content and appreciative for all aspects of my life. Every moment is an opportunity to enter into LOVE"

With the planting of this seed, my perception of those small agitations began to transform effortlessly. When I caught myself feeling the familiar reaction ready to surface, I brought forth the intention or it brought itself forth, and I was able to get very clear and present in each moment. A new awareness expanded with each moment of Presence. Freedom from the habitual charge has been the reward!

I bring this up to illustrate, not only the power of this practice, but also the quickening in which resolve can take place, on all levels. Creating these intentions does not entail glossing over very real issues that exist within. It does require some effort in self-study, in order to understand why we are reactionary to certain situations. It also requires the willingness to let go of old patterns, which may sometimes feel uncomfortable. But the pearl to be had, is that once we gain new clarity, the old energetic patterns can be cleared quickly when we follow it up with a personal intention.

It has been touched on in the past, both on this blog and in classes, what makes this process so expedient, is that while in the state of 'yogic sleep' or yoga nidra, there is no resistance to what it is you truly desire. There is no need to walk through your life trying to convince yourself of your positive thought, because you are actually healing the origins of defeating ideas and behaviors at the root!

The body and mind become so relaxed and quiet, that it opens and releases effortlessly. The emotions are subdued and calmed which allows the old reactive habits to be interrupted. We become as a graceful hose or flute, simply allowing what isn't serving us, to be ushered out and dissipated! We are completely in alignment with all aspects of our being. One voice is not saying "NO", while another is saying "Well . . . maybe?", and yet another, "Oh~ come on already!" This inner state of conflict, which is alive and well in your waking state, is unified in yoga nidra. Your whole being is in alignment with your personal intention, in it's purist, examined form.

This is a time tested, ancient spiritual practice that holds true to the yogic principles and it's science of energy. The yogi's knew this state. They probably didn't say "Oh~ when I go to the alpha-theta brainwave states, miracles happen!"
Instead they experienced the flow of prana, or life force energy grow in this state.
I can imagine that as they grew in the Witness Consciousness awareness, the potential for their own Self-Realization grew. And we can assume they engaged the yogic principle of Swadhyaya, meaning Self Study, in all that they did, in order to unveil and uncoil the illusions and false beliefs which held even them captive, at some point or another.

It has been experienced over and over again by myself and other students, that it is the change that occurs within that creates the difference in the quality of life we live. This doesn't mean that some external situations don't need to change. But the beauty of this practice, is that it aids in determining the changes required externally from a place of clarity, rather than fear or reactivity!

It is so cool to be able to share this practice with others and watch lives shift, both in class settings and private sessions! I offer much gratitude to Yogi Desai, for bringing this approach to us. It is so applicable and yet it retains the true spiritual depth of understanding, that brings us ever closer in our connection with our True Self, with each consecutive practice! Keep on practicing~

In Deep Peace~