Yoga Nidra – Gateway to Samadhi

Dr. Stephen (Stoma) Parker Psy.D.

This year’s theme is Yoga Nidra – Gateway to Samadhi.  Yoga Nidra (or yogic sleep) is a state of deep relaxation in which an individual is in a deep sleep state s/he is totally aware.  Yoga Nidra was first demonstrated in the West by Swami Rama in a scientific experiment witnessed by scientists at Menninger Foundation in 1972.  His brain wave pattern showed delta waves (which are associated with deep steep state), but he was aware of his surroundings and he successfully recounted activities in the room.  This state is an entry way to the fourth state of consciousness known as Turiya. Yoga Nidra is a deeply meditative state.  It is a very creative state during which one is in a state of super learning.  Swami Veda used Yoga Nidra to learn foreign languages in preparation for his discourses which he wished to give in the local language his audience during his global travels.  Within Himalayan Tradition, we are very fortunate to have excellent teachers for Yoga Nidra training. Please join us and experience Yoga Nidra as well as learn the technique and art of practicing it.

We are excited to invite you to join us at Techny Retreat & Conf Center in Northbrook, IL on October 5^th, 6^th & 7^th for our 2018 HYMTA Retreat.

Our guest speaker and retreat host will be Dr. Stephen “Stoma” Parker. Dr. Parker is a Sanskrit scholar and an advanced teacher in Himalayan Tradition. He is an initiate of Swami Rama and a disciple of Swami Veda. Dr Parker is an expert practitioner and teacher of Yoga Nidra.  He is also a practicing psychologist and an expert on neuro-biology of meditation. He is author of numerous papers and he recently published a book titled “Clearing the Pathway” which offers unique insights blending the teachings of Himalayan masters and findings of modern research on meditation. The retreat will feature an Ashram style daily schedule.

The space is limited, please reserve your space now and take advantage of Early Bird registration savings for non-HYMTA members.

Registration

Click one:

• Individual Registration
• Group Registration
• Invite a friend
• Event Description and Form

Discounts are applied during registration.

For your convenience you may register online using the above links, call in with your credit card info, or mail in the registration form below to: HYMC, 109 W. Slade St., Palatine, Il 60067. Whichever method of registration you choose, please include fee/payment.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the Center at 847.221.5250 or email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. See you in Techny Retreat & Conf Center, Techny, IL!

Namaste,

Charlotte Mogensen
Retreat Director

Dr. Stephen (Stoma) Parker Psy.D.

Stephen (Stoma) Parker Psy.D. was initiated in the Himalayan Yoga tradition by Swami Veda Bharati and was given the initiate name Stoma in 1971. Among the first teachers certified by the Himalayan International Teachers’ Association, H.I.T.A., he began teaching hatha-yoga in 1974. During that time he also studied Sanskrit with Swami Veda and South Asian languages and literature for his B.A. at the University of Minnesota.

Stoma-ji is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher at the 500 hour level of the Yoga Alliance (E-RYT 500) and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Council on Yoga

Accreditation International (www.cyai.com). A member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, he was grandparented as a certified yoga therapist in August 2017 and he serves on the faculties of the Meditation Center in Minneapolis and the Swami Rama Sadhaka Gram ashram in Rishikesh, India. He is also a senior faculty member of the Himalayan Yoga Tradition Teachers’ Training Program. He has lectured on yoga, meditation, yoga psychology, spiritual practice, management and the science of yoga in the U.S. and Canada as well as in Caribbean countries, Holland, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Lithuania, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong and India.

In 2004 he helped originate and teach the first course on yoga in an American medical school at the University of Minnesota Academic Medical Center. In 2007 he received preliminary vows of renunciation from Swami Veda and the Shankaracharya of Karvirapitha. Stoma-ji has been a licensed psychologist in private practice in St. Paul, MN since 1985. He also serves as Adjunct Assistant School Professor of Counseling and Psychological Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN. He teaches on the faculty of the Introductory Workshops of the Minnesota Society of Clinical Hypnosis.

In addition to authoring journal articles and book chapters, Dr. Parker edited volume two of Swami Veda’s definitive scholarly work on the Yoga-sutras of Patanjali. He has also recently published a book on the process of spiritual purification in yoga titled “Clearing the Path, the yoga way to a clear and pleasant mind: Patañjali, neuroscience and emotion”. He has been a peer review editor for the Journal of Men’s Studies, the American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, the International Journal of Health and Applied Sciences, the International Journal of Yoga Therapy and Yoga-Mimamsa.

Stoma-ji studied and practiced yoga-nidra with Swami Veda’s mentorship.  He has taught Swami Veda’s yoga-nidra workshops in many countries around the world.  Stoma-ji has participated in scientific neurological studies on yoga-nidra as an accomplished practitioner of yoga-nidra.

Guest Information

Discounts:

All discounts are reflected in fees listed on front page.

Cancellations:

If, after registering you determine you are unable to attend, please let a member of the Retreat Committee know. Prior to September 15th, a refund will be provided less a $25 reservation fee. Cancellations September 15th thru October 1st will be less a $100 reservation fee. Any cancellations after October 1st, early departure

or non-attendance without notification, no refund will be available.

Arrival and Departure:

On Friday, registration will begin at 4:00 pm. After which there will be a supper at

6:00 pm. On Sunday check out at 9:30 am and departure by 2:00 pm.

What to Bring:

For your comfort, we would like to recom­mend that you bring your yoga mat, meditation pillow or blanket, comfortable clothes, walking shoes, a water resistant jacket, a robe, slippers, toiletries, alarm clock, and sun screen (just in case out- doors.) Casual dress is suggested. You may also want to bring bottled water and snacks for between meals.

Bookstore:

Our bookstore will be open to provide books, CD’s, etc. Hours will be posted.

Directions to Retreat Center:

From O’Hare Airport on Interstate 190-East. Take 190-East to Exit 1C, Interstate 90 onto Interstate 294 North (Tri-State Tollway). Exit tollway at Willow Rd East toward Northbrook/ Glenview. Take Willow Rd To Waukegan Rd (Route 43). Turn left (north) on Waukegan Rd to Techny Towers.

From the North via Tri-State Tollway 294/ Interstate 94 East: Stay on 94 East/Edens Express- way to Chicago. Exit at Waukegan Rd (Route 43). Continue two miles South on Waukegan Road to Techny Towers.

From the South via Interstate 94 West/Edens Expressway exit at Willow Rd West. Take Willow Rd two miles to Waukegan Rd (Route 43). Turn right (north) on Waukegan Rd to Techny Towers. Via Interstate 294/Tri-State Tollway exit at

Willow Rd East. Take Willow Rd for three miles to Waukegan Rd. Turn left (north) on Waukegan

Rd to Techny Towers.

RETREAT SCHEDULE