Yoga Nidra

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Yoga Nidra

Yoga Alliance-Approved Advanced  Studies and
Continuing-Education Yoga Teacher Training

Dates: March 20 - 22, 2026
CEC: 22 Hours (19 Contact, 3 Non-Contact)
Location: Lakeville

Register

This activity has been designed to meet the Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education requirements. The nurse is responsible for determining whether this activity meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education.

Yoga Nidra: Evidence‑Based Meditation for Insight and Well‑Being

Yoga Nidra, also known as yogic deep sleep or sleepless sleep, is an ancient meditation practice that has proved to affect areas of the brain that foster deep insight. It supports the release of limiting thoughts, emotions, feelings, and beliefs about self, while helping to resolve traumas that obstruct well-being and vitality.

Rooted in ancient yoga wisdom and enriched by modern, well-researched, and documented techniques, this Yoga Nidra training offers a fresh and transformative perspective. Accessible and effective, it has become a trusted therapeutic technique embraced by yoga teachers, nurses, and other medical professionals, psychologists, social workers, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and educators - each weaving it seamlessly into their professional work.

 

In this immersive, experiential weekend you will:

  • understand the influence of Yoga Nidra on the physical and emotional bodies at every level

  • apply the practice in trauma-healing by guiding people toward their inner resource

  • design practices and workshops ranging from 15 to 45 minutes, whether in private instruction, group settings, or abbreviated class formats

  • craft both long- and short-form versions of the practice with confidence

  • learn to use your voice as a resonant, well-paced, and finely tuned instrument

  • cultivate connection to your own inner resource for authentic teaching

  • learn how to establish and maintain healthy boundaries with Yoga Nidra students

  • experience the practice deeply through five immersive group sessions (30–45 minutes each) offered during the training weekend

 

Yoga Nidra works.

It is a proven practice. Backed by rigorous contemporary research from respected universities and government organizations, it is now being applied across the country in diverse settings including:

  • VA hospital and clinics

  • schools

  • businesses

  • sleep clinics

  • recovery programs

  • at-risk programs for children and teens

  • prisons

  • psychology practices

  • and at Green Lotus where hundreds of people have benefited and are regulars at our Yoga Nidra workshops and classes 

 

Is this training for you?

We invite certified yoga teachers (200-hour), nurses, and a wide range of medical and wellness professionals, including psychologists, social workers, acupuncturists, massage therapists, and educators.

Yoga Nidra Training Faculty

Marcia Appel, creator of this training, together with Dawn Schaefer-Stump, both faculty members of Green Lotus’ teacher-training school, bring firsthand experience of Yoga Nidra’ effectiveness. They look forward to sharing their insights and guiding you through a weekend of experiential learning and community connection.

 
Featured
Marcia Appel, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Marcia Appel, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Marcia, senior faculty member of Green Lotus's school, says yoga deepens her connection to herself and to others. Marcia encourages all students to try many class styles and deeply believes that yoga asana (poses) are an extension and beautiful expression of breath and meditation. In May 2013, she completed a two-year study of the integration of yoga and mindfulness meditation at Spirit Rock Retreat Center in California. The faculty included Dr. Richard Miller, Anne Cushman, Janice Gates, Mark Coleman, and Phillip Moffett. Her other certifications include Judith Lasater’s Relax & Renew® (restorative yoga), Baptiste Power Vinyasa (Level One), and iRest ® Level One (Yoga Nidra).

Dawn Schaefer Stumpf, C-IAYT, BS, MS, E-RYT 500, YACEP
Dawn Schaefer Stumpf, C-IAYT, BS, MS, E-RYT 500, YACEP

Dawn (she/her) is an MS-licensed educator and a 500-hour Green Lotus–certified yoga teacher with additional credentials in Yoga Therapy, Functional Yoga Therapy, Sound Healing, Reiki, Mindfulness for Schools, and Lifeforce Yoga for Anxiety, Depression, and Trauma. She teaches yoga history, philosophy, and pranayama in Green Lotus’s 240-hour YTT. She offers Body-Mind Therapy (also called Yoga Therapy) private instruction for adults and children, including those with special needs such as autism and ADHD. She co-authored Journal of an ADHD Kid with her son, Tobias. Dawn is guided by the mantra lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu, which translates to “May all beings be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way.”

Required Books and Materials

Students are required to read the following book prior to the training:

  • Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing

  • Please bring a notebook or journal to capture notes, questions, and observations

Schedule

Yoga Nidra Training is held at our Lakeville center over the weekend and virtually via Zoom the following Wednesday. Hours are as follows:

  • Friday: 12 - 6 p.m.

  • Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

  • Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

*No make-up sessions will be available. All sessions must be completed to receive a certificate of completion for Yoga Alliance.

Fee $475

Green Lotus alumni receive a 10% discount.

Because our training sessions frequently develop a wait list, refunds will be made to your personal Green Lotus account with less than two-weeks advance notice when you cancel.  Cancellations made with less than a 48-hour notice will not receive a refund.