I recently discovered Athena Laz’s books The Alchemy of Your Dreams and The Deliberate Dreamers Journal. What she shares in them, and perhaps even more the way she shares, really caught my attention. Speaking with Athena it became even more clear that her orientation and spiritual history were a perfect fit for our discussion on the awakening power of sleep and dreams.

I first met Dharma Mittra in the early 1980s in New York City. I had no interest in spirituality at the time but would regularly walk past the corner of 14th Street and 6th Avenue, where, if I looked up above the sidewalk level, I’d see a glowing neon sign that flashed “Yoga” above the busy noisy corner. One day, out of curiosity, I walked up the two flights of stairs to take a peek and to see what this center was, and was met at the door by a sweet humble man with a funny sense of humor–Dharma–who invited me into the studio.

Rosalie e’Silva teaches yoga nidra with a unique emphasis on how it can act as a gateway to astral travel. I wanted to speak with her about the awakening potential of sleep and dreams because of all the yoga nidra recordings I’ve found, hers are the ones I’ve responded to most strongly.

Cheryl Van Sciver has been practicing yoga for several years and in many styles. Like many people, she first came to yoga for its physical benefits. After committing to a regular practice, she began to incorporate yoga philosophy and teachings and has seen firsthand the benefits that a regular yoga practice can bring to a person’s life.

Marcee Ballantyne is the owner of Fountain of Health Yoga Studio. She earned her first certification at the Shambhava School of Yoga in 1996 and began her Anusara certification process three years later. In 2006 Marcee began her certification courses in Hatha Tantra through Para Yoga with ParaYoga founder, Rod Stryker. She leads trainings based on the book by Rod Styrker, The Four Desires. She is a ParaYoga Nidra certified teacher as well.