Welcome to the Guns and Yoga Podcast. Today I am sharing a conversation I had a while back with Jennifer Boileau. It’s a bit longer than our usual podcast because in the second half Jen leads us through a practice, so keep in mind that at around the 1 hour and 10 minute mark we transition into the practice.
Jen is a trauma informed yoga and mindfulness instructor who teaches to the first responder population. She is married to a now retired police officer so she knows first-hand the stresses the police profession can have on the first responder, but also on the family. Jen shares how the anxiety she felt as a result of worrying about her husband led her to take her first yoga class, and she also shares the impact his job had on their daughter.
As I mentioned, at around the 1 hour and 10 minute mark we transition into a practice that Jen will lead which is called iRest Meditation. It is based on an ancient practice called yoga nidra, one my favorites to both teach and practice.
iRest which stands for Integrative restoration meditation is a 10 step protocol developed by Dr. Richard Miller, a clinical psychologist and yoga teacher. He started the protocol with veterans returning from war in hopes to find success with a non-pharmaceutical intervention for PTSD, chronic pain, and overwhelm. The protocol teaches you that you have everything you need within you and all 10 steps can be practiced in their entirety or can be practiced in shorter sections.
The steps are:
- Connect to your heartfelt desire
- Set an intention
- Your Inner Resource
- Feel your body
- Become aware of your breath
- Welcome your emotions
- Witness your thoughts
- Experience joy
- Find lasting peace
- Reflect on your practice
I recommend finding a quiet place to either sit or lie down and enjoy this practice with Jen.
Enjoy the show.
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