Noa Vodnizky
Noa Vodnizky supports writers at all Write Across New Zealand retreats, offering enlivening yoga in the morning and Yoga Nidra (deep relaxation and intention-setting session) in the afternoon.
About Noa
Noa's Yoga journey began in Rishikesh, India, in 1995 and has been deepening ever since. She has completed a two-year teacher training programme through the Academy of Yoga Science, which is based in Mangrove Creek (New South Wales, Australia), gaining a Diploma of Yogic Studies. Noa has been teaching yoga since 2008. Having has also completed Vinyasa and Yin style yoga teacher training, she is an experienced teacher of different modalities, including Satyananda Yoga.

Noa also enjoys teaching yoga to children and teens. Her program Mindful Tamariki and Mindful Teens, based on Mindful Schools curriculum, was successful in Hira School and Nelson College for Girls.

In Noa's experience, a regular yoga practice is one of the best maintenance practices one can adopt, as it improves strength, flexibility and provides balance between body, mind and emotions. She feels that the awareness gained on the mat can translate into every aspect of our lives. She believes the practice is like exercising any other muscle group; repeated relaxation results in better capacity of, and access to, relaxation. Heightened awareness in one aspect will lead to increased awareness all-round. Noa thrives on watching positive results with her students and clients.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a deep relaxation practice, bringing the state of consciousness to the space between being awake and being asleep ('nidra' is the Sanskrit word for sleep). The practice is done lying down comfortably, with eyes shut, while listening to verbal instructions that are followed mentally. By systematically relaxing the body completely, and withdrawing inward all senses but hearing, away from external stimulation, the practitioner gradually becomes more and more aware of their inner world. Yoga Nidra is a unique practice of deepest possible state of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness and therefore has profound lasting effect on the autonomic nervous system, as well as the mind/emotional body. It has been found to reduce tension and anxiety, headaches and menopause symptoms and has been found effective helping people suffering post-traumatic stress disorder, to name a few effects.

Different stages of Yoga Nidra allow safe access to the subconscious and unconscious mind, where one can plant new seeds of intention and nourish existing hidden ones. It is a similar state to the hypnogogic state, but without the control of the therapist and not localised – MRI images of practitioners show simultaneous increased activity in multiple regions of the brain. Rooted in Tantric practices, further developed by Swami Satyananda and later the psychologist Richard Miller (who renamed the practice iRest), Yoga Nidra has become a common modern-day practice not only among yogis and yoginis but also in schools, corporate environment, hospitals and even jails.
"I love Noa's yoga classes for many reasons... they make me feel good, give a different perspective, temporarily clear the mind, make me conscious about things like breathing and parts of the body etc. Your classes are marvellous. Your style (I find quite original and new), and your voice is amazing."

— Charlie