From the Heart to the Crown:
Yoga Nidra & the Upper Chakras Training with Mona Anand

A journey through the upper chakras, from the individual self to universal awareness - moving from connection and expression toward insight, stillness, and deeper consciousness. Yoga Nidra invites us inward. In a retreat setting, we have the opportunity to step out of our daily lives and create the time and space to stay there - to rest, integrate, and experience the practices more deeply.

Part 1: Sept 24 + 25, A 2-Day Yoga Nidra Retreat in the Hamptons

“Mona’s knowledge of Yoga Nidra is incomparable to anyone else’s in the field.”
- Sarah Finger

Join us for a 2-day immersive retreat exploring the upper chakras through Yoga Nidra, restorative, and subtle body practices. Each day will focus on a different energetic center - Anahata (heart chakra) on Thursday and Vishuddha (throat chakra/ communication center) on Friday. 

Step out of the rhythm of daily life and give yourself the gift of two days devoted to the deeper practices of Yoga Nidra. Set in the restorative surroundings of Southampton, this intimate retreat weaves together in-depth study of Anahata and Vishuddha chakras with extended Yoga Nidra and restorative practices, creating the rare opportunity to remain close to that profound state of stillness, reflection and insight rather than immediately returning to everyday life.

The days are intentionally spacious. We’ll gather for practice and study, share beautiful home-cooked meals prepared for us at the house, and leave time in between to journal, reflect and simply absorb the experience—whether that means sitting quietly by the pool, walking to the bay, heading to the beach or into town. The first evening will close with a silent sunset by the bay, followed by dinner and a fireside conversation about the deeper experiences of Yoga Nidra. The following morning, we’ll return to practice with Vishuddha chakra, allowing what has unfolded overnight to carry naturally into another day of practice, reflection, community and study.

More than a training, this is an opportunity to immerse yourself in the experience of Yoga Nidra—to step away from your usual routine, stay with the practices over two uninterrupted days, and discover what can emerge when we give ourselves the time and space to go deeper.

The arc of the full training mirrors the inner ascent:
From the relational intelligence of the heart,
through expression and insight,
into intuitive knowing,
and finally into the luminous field of the crown.

It is both deeply personal and profoundly expansive, a return to the self beneath identity, and a remembrance of the consciousness that is not limited by it.

Retreat Structure
(Sept 24+25, 2026)

DAY ONE

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Welcome & Opening Circle
10:00 AM–1:00 PM
Yoga Nidra Training / Anahata (heart) Chakra 
1:00–2:00 PM
Lunch
2:00–4:00 PM
Free Time
Rest at the house, walk to the bay, visit the town or spend time at the ocean.
4:00–6:00 PM
Restorative  / Yoga Nidra Practice - Anahata (heart) Chakra with live sound bath
6:00–7:30 PM
Silent Integration + Sunset
Rest quietly at the house or take a silent walk to the bay.
7:30 PM
Dinner + Fireside Conversation


DAY TWO

9:00–11:00 AM
Restorative  / Yoga Nidra Practice - Vishuddha (throat) Chakra with live sound bath 
11:00 AM–12:30 PM
Free Time
12:30–1:30 PM
Brunch
1:30–2:00 PM
Rest + Transition
2:00–5:00 PM
Yoga Nidra Training / Vishuddha (throat) Chakra 
5:00 - 5:30 PM - closing 

Email Rumika@ishtayoga.com to place your deposit

Regular pricing: $649*
All meals included
(brunch & dinner on Thursday; brunch on Friday; refreshments and snacks throughout)
Accommodations not included
(hotel recommendations with distance from retreat location are listed below)

Hamlet Inn
(0.5 miles)

Hampton Maid
(2.1 miles)

Southampton Inn
(3.5 miles)

*$599 for Yoga Nidra Training graduates and ISHTA Gold, Silver, Bronze, & Acharya members.

"Thank you, Mona. The scope of the series is so comprehensive, expansive and seamless and the depth of knowledge and wisdom informing the artful teaching is so integrated that I am in awe. The experiential workshop was a master class in teaching various modules. In my experience, the depth of their understanding made their connection clearly manifest. In gratitude."

Shailly Agnihotri

A training rooted in Mona’s lifetime experience with Yoga Nidra

This training is grounded in Mona’s 40 years of relationship with Yoga Nidra — beginning with her first experience of the practice as a teenager growing up in India. Over the past two decades, she has devoted herself to studying, practicing, and refining this work, co-creating the nine-step system of Yoga Nidra developed by Mona and ISHTA founder, Alan Finger.

This method supports deep rest, expanded awareness, and the release of past, present, and even future impressions. Students often describe feeling lighter, clearer, inspired, and more deeply connected to their own inner guidance.

“My Yoga Nidra practice has transformed my life, I am able to calm down and sleep better, as well as be more present in daily life. I am so grateful that this training is offered.”
- Jenny Bloom

How the Training Works

Each chakra module includes:

Experiential Workshop (2 hours)
A guided practice integrating asana, restorative yoga, pranayama, visualization, and Yoga Nidra, allowing you to directly experience the chakra.

Training Session (3 hours)
We explore the chakra in depth, including:

  • The nature of the chakra and its role in body, mind, and behavior

  • The energetic qualities of inertia, activity and balance, tamas, rajas, and sattva as they relate to that chakra

  • How to recognize specific imbalances

  • How to design practices using asana, restorative poses, pranayama and visualization

Yoga Nidra Methodology
A core focus of the training is learning how to design Yoga Nidra practices using the nine-step method developed by Mona and Alan in Mona’s ISHTA Yoga Nidra Training. You will learn how to adapt each step to address specific chakra imbalances and create short, medium, and long practices.

Integration & Teaching Practice

  • Work in small groups to design practices

  • Develop Yoga Nidra sequences for real-life applications

  • Reflect on your own experience of the chakra

Optional Q&A (1 hour)
A space to ask questions, refine your understanding, and receive guidance on your personal practice or teaching.

What You Will Gain

By the end of each chakra module, you will have:

  • A deep, experiential understanding of the chakra

  • The ability to recognize imbalance in yourself and others

  • Tools to restore balance using asana, breath, visualization, and restorative practices

  • The ability to design Yoga Nidra practices tailored to specific needs

  • A framework for integrating these teachings into both personal practice and teaching

Each module (chakra day) stands on its own, offering a complete and transformative experience. Together, they form a journey, moving from the heart to the crown. 

From this place of connection, we begin to align with something deeper, bringing clarity, inner transformation, and inspiration into how we live. Ready to sign up? Email rumika@ishtayoga.com to sign up or with any questions.

The next two chakras - Ajna and Sahasrara - will be held in-studio in NYC. Each training includes a Restorative/Yoga Nidra workshop, a 3 hour training session, and a 1 hour Q & A.

  • Ajna, Oct 29 + 30 (Thurs 6:30-8:30pm and Friday 2-5pm; Q & A the following Saturday on zoom)

  • Sahasrara, Nov 19 + 20 (Thurs 6:30-8:30pm and Friday 2-5pm; Q & A the following Saturday on zoom)

Individual chakra training price: $199.
Registration Coming Soon

Testimonials

  • “I highly recommend Mona Anand’s ISHTA Yoga Nidra training to anyone who wants to learn more about this powerful practice. Mona’s knowledge of the science, energetics, and healing qualities of Yoga Nidra is incomparable to anyone else’s in the field. Her love & passion for yoga is only surpassed by her generosity of spirit. Learning from Mona is an absolute delight.”

    ~ Sarah Finger, ISHTA co-owner and Yogiraj

  • ” Words cannot express the gratitude I have for your training this week. You encompass such great wisdom, and you are a true yogi. You opened my eyes to the magical wonders of Nidra.”

    ~ Michael Ryan, Massage Therapist

  • ”What a great training! Packed with well rounded information about Yoga Nidra. Fun, inspiring, and easy to incorporate into my teaching and my own practice. And FUN, did I mention fun?! Mona is a fantastic teacher. ”

    ~ Mark Waterman, Massage Therapist, Marma Trainer, Yoga Teacher

  • “I am so grateful for having taken Mona’s Yoga Nidra training at ISHTA! I have a regular practice of yoga nidra, both when I take her classes and in my own practice. So, being able to delve more deeply into the practice was a gift for me. Mona’s training is immensely beneficial to yoga teachers, who want to incorporate yoga nidra in to our classes, as well as students who simply want to incorporate yoga nidra in to their own lives. In the training, we were given a lot of really helpful information on the individual steps that make up yoga nidra, as well as scientific reasons behind why and how it works. All fascinating! Also, Mona offers a lot of sequencing options as well as suggestions for shorter and longer practices. I was so happy to learn more about how to use yoga nidra in the context of energetic imbalances as well as therapeutic applications like PTSD, chronic pain, and emotional and sleep issues. We had lots of opportunities to practice on each other, which was so helpful. We also had daily yoga nidra practices, which allowed us to experience all we were learning first hand… Plus they were led by Mona, which is a treat unto itself. Mona manages to. weave all of this wonderful information together in a fun, practical, and very creative manner. Her brilliance in her knowledge of all these areas is so profoundly inspiring and her enthusiasm and presence are always a sheer delight. Thank you, Mona”

    ~ Dionyssia Fillios, ISHTA Yoga Teacher, RYT-500

  • “The Yoga Nidra Teacher Training is the most valuable speciality teacher training I have taken. As a yoga teacher, the tools offered by Mona Anand in this training have been very important in many parts of how I structure my classes, from how I bring my students into a state of focus and good feeling, to the final relaxation. My Yoga Nidra practice has transformed my life, I am able to calm down and sleep better, as well as be more present in daily life. I am so grateful that this training is offered.”

    ~ Jenny Bloom, ISHTA Yoga Teacher, RYT-500

  • “When the yoga nidra training was announced, I couldn’t sign up quickly enough. After having completed the 300hr ISHTA training with Mona as my mentor and having a taste of “Mona Anand’s ISHTA Yoga Nidra” technique as part of that training, I was eager to spend more time with both. The transmission of this work from Mona to her students is nothing short of magical. Her tremendous knowledge and insights of yoga coupled with her well-known humor is a potent combination. However, when the transmission is yoga nidra there is something almost other-wordly that occurs. Her passion for this work is in every word she speaks, whether one is being guided through a yoga nidra by her or is in the midst of learning this powerful technique from her. The class content was interesting and thorough and Mona creates a warm and engaging environment that allows for an even more satisfying learning experience.”

    ~ Tisha Ford, ISHTA Yoga Teacher, RYT-500

This immersion blends ancient yogic wisdom with modern science to explore the subtle body, sleep cycles, and the profound restorative state experienced in Yoga Nidra. You’ll learn to inhabit the hypnagogic state — the luminous threshold between wakefulness and sleep — a state that offers access to the subconscious and unconscious - to release physical, mental, and emotional holding.

Questions? Ready to register? Reach out to rumika@ishtayoga.com.