iRest® Yoga Nidra Level 1 Training
Gold Coast, Australia
10–14 June 2026 | In Person
Trainer: Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota
Senior iRest® Trainer
This iRest® Level 1 Training offers a structured and experiential introduction to the iRest Yoga Nidra protocol. It provides a strong foundation for both deepening your personal meditation practice and integrating iRest into professional settings such as yoga teaching, therapy, health care, education, and coaching.
Participants will learn the essential principles and practical application of the iRest protocol through instruction, demonstration, guided practices, and structured exercises.
This training is the first step in the iRest® Teacher Certification pathway.
To support a focused and interactive learning environment, this training is limited to 10 participants.
The training is led by Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota, Senior iRest Trainer with over 15 years of international teaching experience.
Dates
Wednesday 10 – Sunday 14 June 2026
Location
Prema Yoga Studio
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Tuition
Early Bird (until 30 April 2026)
AUD $2,150 (incl. GST)
Regular Tuition
AUD $2,450 (incl. GST)
This training is limited to 10 participants to support a focused and interactive learning environment, and places tend to fill quickly.
If you have any questions about whether the training is suitable for you, you are very welcome to get in touch.
What Participants Say
“This training was beyond my expectations. It was personalised, comprehensive and rich in material… Fuyuko is a rare gem and her wisdom and energy gives incredible depth to this program.”
— Sarah Oxenham
Who This Training Is For
Participants typically fall into one of the following groups:
Self-practitioners
Individuals who wish to deepen their personal meditation practice and explore iRest as a path of self-inquiry, resilience, and inner well-being.
1-on-1 practitioners
Professionals such as yoga therapists, psychologists, counsellors, health practitioners, and other helping professionals who wish to integrate iRest into their work in a secular, trauma-informed, and client-centred way.
Group facilitators
Yoga and meditation teachers, educators, and facilitators who would like to offer iRest Yoga Nidra in group settings such as classes, workshops, retreats, or wellness programs.
No prior experience teaching meditation is required. Participants join with a wide range of personal and professional backgrounds.
What You Will Learn
• The core principles and 10-step protocol of iRest® Yoga Nidra
• How to integrate iRest into your personal meditation practice
• How to guide iRest sessions for individuals and groups
• Practical skills for facilitating iRest in professional settings
By the end of the training, participants will have a clear understanding of the iRest protocol and the confidence to begin integrating it into their own practice and work.
Training Fees
Early Bird (until 30 April 2026)
$2,150 AUD (incl. GST)
Regular Price
$2,450 AUD (incl. GST)
Limited to 10 participants
All fees are in Australian Dollars (AUD).
Fees do not include travel, accommodation, or meals.
Training Schedule
Wednesday, June 10
Registration: 8:00–8:15 am
Programme: 8:15 am – 6:00 pm
Lunch: 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Thursday – Saturday, June 11–13
Programme: 8:30 am – 6:00 pm
Lunch: 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Sunday, June 14
Programme: 8:30 am – 12:30 pm
Important Note
To receive a Certificate of Attendance designating you as an iRest® Level 1 Teacher, participants must attend all sessions and arrive on time each day.
Venue
Prema Yoga Studio
2 Butterfly Court
Benowa QLD 4217
Australia
Payment Terms
A $300 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your place in the training.
• For Early Bird registrations, the remaining balance is due by 30 April 2026.
• For Regular registrations, the remaining balance is due 14 days prior to the training start date.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your registration, the following terms apply:
• More than 30 days before the training
The balance of your payment will be refunded, less the $300 non-refundable deposit.
• 14–30 days before the training
50% of the remaining balance (excluding the deposit) will be refunded.
• Less than 14 days before the training
No refund is available.
Your place may be transferred to another person at any time.
In exceptional circumstances, partial refunds may be considered at the organiser’s discretion.
About Fuyuko Toyota
Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota is a certified iRest® Senior Trainer, Retreat Leader and Supervisor/Mentor. For nearly 30 years she has been deeply committed on the path of Yoga and ancient Nondual wisdom. She is also a qualified Hatha Yoga teacher since 1996.
She incorporates iRest and Self-Inquiry in her teachings of Yoga, Somatic body awareness and meditation at her yoga studio “Prema Yoga” on the Gold Coast, Australia and internationally.
In 2007, Richard Miller, her spiritual mentor, brought to Fuyuko a deeper understanding of living life in a nondual way. From a life of ever deepening joy, astonishment and Stillness, a heartfelt desire to share these precious teachings has sprung forth.
She teaches and hosts iRest trainings and retreats in Australia and New Zealand. She has been assisting iRest trainings in North America for Richard Miller and other senior trainers.
Read Richard Miller’s Endorsement of Fuyuko Toyota
“I deeply respect Fuyuko for how she integrates her grounded presence and deep passion for truth, beauty, love and community when teaching yoga and iRest meditation practices …
Attendance Requirement
To receive a Certificate of Attendance designating you as an iRest® Level 1 Teacher, participants are required to attend all training sessions and arrive on time each day.
Required Reading
Book | Audio
Please read Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing and listen to the accompanying audio. The book provides access to digital downloads of the audio tracks.
Recommended Reading
Book | CD
Additional iRest resources that may be helpful as you prepare for the training include:
- Meditations to Accompany the Book: The iRest Program for Healing PTSD, a collection of 42 audio recordings walking you step-by-step through the entire protocol. The scripts for these recordings are found in The iRest Program for Healing PTSD: A Proven-Effective Approach to Using Yoga Nidra Meditation and Deep Relaxation Techniques to Overcome Trauma
by iRest Founder Richard Miller. - Integrative Restoration iRest Yoga Nidra, a collection of 6 audio recordings available in download or CD.
To help you better integrate the material, after the event we will provide a recording of a previous Level 1 Training.
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) /Continuing Education Credits (CEs)
Approximately 30 CPD hours will be available for Yoga Australia, Meditation Association of Australia (MA), International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT) and Yoga Alliance (YA).
ABOUT iRest Institute
To find out more about iRest Institute, please visit irest.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need prior experience in meditation or yoga?
No prior experience is required. Participants come from a wide range of backgrounds.
Do I need to be a teacher or plan to teach iRest to join?
No. Many participants join to deepen their personal meditation practice, while others attend as part of their professional development.
Is iRest religious or traditional?
No. iRest is designed as an inclusive and secular meditation protocol.
Can I take this training if I’m experiencing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression?
Many people find iRest supportive in working with stress and difficult experiences. If you are currently receiving care for mental health concerns, we recommend consulting your healthcare provider before participating.
What does the research say?
Research suggests that iRest can help reduce stress, improve sleep, and support overall well-being. You can read more about the research here.
Retaking the Training
Participants who have previously completed an iRest® Level 1 Training and wish to retake the program for further understanding and integration may do so if space is available.
As places in this training are limited to 10 participants, priority is given to those attending for the first time.
If you are interested in retaking the training, please contact Fuyuko Sawamura-Toyota at
fuyuko@premayoga.com.au
About iRest Institute :
To find out more about the iRest® Institute, please visit irest.org.
More Participant Feedback
In all of my years of education and training in both school teaching and the yoga teaching/therapy space, only a small handful of trainings have had an impact like iRest.
This has opened and awakened me in a way that has changed the course of my life, my relationships and my teaching.
I compel you to seriously consider IRest Yoga Nidra teacher training. Fuyuko taught with a generosity, heart and knowledge that is bone deep. A heartfelt thank you.
A wonderful first training. Ingredients of Hakomi Psychotherapy and also going beyond that. A deep meditative approach, empowering, and stilling simultaneously. What amazed me was the immediate safety that was created – although participants didn’t know each other there just seemed to be a platform from which to go into deep places.
I experienced a holding of space and truthful being emanating from Fuyuko, the trainer, and the assistants. Modelling and signalling of what can be. I have been to many psychotherapy trainings and didn’t expect such deep work from a “yoga” training. Truly amazing and as I continue to puzzle, I also feel myself living into the answers to my puzzles.
My curiosity is awakened and I will take this journey to a next step.
“It is like an upgrading of the software of my life and has been instrumental in helping me to be more at home with myself at all levels of being.”
After 35+ years of yoga/meditation teaching it was a thrill to experience and learn more about this beautiful and effective approach to the traditional practice of Yoga Nidra. As a teacher and therapist I am always keen to further my knowledge and skills and undertaking both level 1 and level 2 training (and now currently undertaking level 3/certification) has provided a quantum leap in what I can offer students and clients. This leap however comes from more than just the ‘knowledge’ gained. It also comes from a most remarkable deepening and enriching of my own personal meditation, which the regular practice of iRest has unfolded and which informs my work with students and clients.
The IRest Level 1 training with Fuyuko gave me all the ingredients needed to feel confident to teach the protocol to individuals and groups.
At the time, I had been on an endless quest and cycle of searching for direction and help with my symptoms of PTSD when Fuyuko introduced me to iRest.
For the first time in my life, I experienced a deep state of calm, comfort and a sense of safety. Practising iRest helped me to gain a sense of self and made me aware of my innate heartfelt desires and inner resources. iRest taught me to self-regulate my emotions (self-soothe) self-validate and practice self-care/compassion. I began to understand my feelings and welcome them as a guide to making better choices and learnt to recognise and face the inner critic holding me ransom.
It hasn’t been lost on me that having the opportunity to discover the power of iRest with a highly dedicated, skilled and authentic master like Fuyuko was a gift that I will cherish forever. I am also deeply grateful to have had Fuyuko as the facilitator for the iRest level 1 teacher training course. The course was life-changing and provided an opportunity to help others in my counselling practice.
Today, as a counsellor, wellness coach and level 1 iRest teacher, I am fulfilling my heartfelt desire by integrating and sharing iRest and the knowledge I have learnt from Fuyuko. I often reflect on how significant iRest has been in providing a safe and practical holistic counselling approach. It gives me great joy to see the positive outcomes iRest provide to my clients in supporting them on their life journey.
iRest changed my life…. I am forever grateful.
This training surpassed my expectations and my expectations were high! I had read some of Richard Miller’s books and listened to his Irest practices. This training really helped me to understand this wonderful practice by ‘ diving in’.
Fuyuko – you are truly inspiring and to the wonderful assistants that were so supportive I thank you.
iRest is a profound tool which can enhance any therapy. My hope is that anyone struggling with his or her own life challenges, or searching for deeper meaning to life, will have the same opportunity to experience this life-giving practice as I have.
I can highly recommend the iRest Level 1 training to anyone who wishes for deep personal growth as well as a professional development activity for clinical psychologists. I am deeply grateful for this course.
The teaching was very valuable, even more profound than expected. It was a delight to be trained by Fuyuko, who was very knowledgeable and likeable.
I would recommend this training to those with an interest in yoga, meditation and psychology. Thank you to the capable staff for a life changing 6 days!
What a wonderful experience filled with moments of awe. Coming home. Finally – that’s why moments. And the journey continues … Thank you.