Abstract
Social workers, and many of those involved in caregiving professions, are often looking for meditation techniques that can help clients and communities. What is often overlooked is the profound benefit of these same practices for the caregiver. Given the likelihood of burnout and secondary trauma, meditation becomes an essential tool for the social worker. The authors have been exploring the impact of practicing iRest® Yoga Nidra Meditation in their various roles; therapy, supervision, mentoring, teaching, advocacy, and administration. In this chapter, the authors share the ways these practices enable them to be more responsive practitioners, whether working directly with individuals in the therapeutic context, or in an academic setting. They also discuss the ways in which the practice enriches their own lives and by connection, the lives of those they serve.
As you welcome your wholeness, you become a light for those who follow in your footsteps. We are all brothers and sisters on our healing journey together.—Richard Miller
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Notes
- 1.
Please note that I use the word “practitioner” as a personal preference. In yoga the term “student” is often used, but this indicates that there is a learning involved, rather than an internal experiencing that is being facilitated. A psychotherapist who uses iRest in their practice would likely say “client”, and a doctor would use “patient”.
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Peterson, C., Uhll, A.Z., Grossman, S. (2017). Beginning with the Social Worker: Yoga Nidra Meditation as a Means for Self-inquiry, Growth, Effectiveness and Resiliency. In: Northcut, T. (eds) Cultivating Mindfulness in Clinical Social Work. Essential Clinical Social Work Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43842-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43842-9_5
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