Yoga Nidra, also known as "yogic sleep," is a form of guided meditation that is most commonly practiced lying down. It's a powerful practice that can help you relax, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. In this blog post, we'll explore what yoga nidra is, its benefits, and how to practice it. What is Yoga Nidra? Yoga nidra is a type of guided meditation that takes you into a state of deep relaxation. It's similar to the state you experience just before falling asleep, but with the added benefit of being aware and conscious. During a yoga nidra session, you'll be guided through a series of visualizations and relaxation techniques, with the aim of reaching a state of complete relaxation.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
1. Reduces Stress and Anxiety: Yoga nidra is known to reduce stress and anxiety by calming the mind and promoting relaxation. The body drops into the parasympathetic nervous system, supporting relaxation, and repair in the body.
2. Improves Sleep: Yoga nidra can help improve the quality of your sleep by calming your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep.
3. Boosts Immunity: Studies have shown that regular practice of yoga nidra can boost your immune system, helping to prevent illness and disease. When our body is able to move away from the stress response that we so often live in day-to-day, and into the state of relaxation, we are better able to move into the nervous system responses that we need to. This in turn will mean that the body is rested when it needs to be, ready to fight any attacks on the immune system.
4. Reduces Chronic Pain: Yoga nidra has been found to be effective in reducing chronic pain by promoting relaxation and reducing stress. I regularly have clients, some with chronic health conditions, reporting that when they practise yoga nidra, it is one of the few times where they are without pain during the day. This deep conscious relaxation can be a powerful tool in supporting the body-mind connection, releasing tension in the body, and helping to strengthen neural pathways to find ease in the body. In the past, when I experienced nerve damage, I used the rotation of consciousness used in yoga nidra to help to rebuild my connection to parts of my body that were affected, helping to strengthen sensation and body awareness.
5. Improves Overall Well-being: Yoga nidra can help improve your overall well-being by promoting relaxation, reducing stress, and improving sleep.
How to Practice Yoga Nidra
1. Find a comfortable space: Find a quiet, comfortable space where you can lie down without being disturbed. 2. Get into a comfortable position: Many find that lying down on your back with your arms and legs slightly apart works, but the most important thing is to make sure you're comfortable and that your body is fully supported so that you can remain as still as possible once you begin. Feel free to use a light layer like a blanket. I find it helpful if using a blanket to tuck it in to help contain your sense of where your body is. If you want to give yourself the best chance of staying awake, you may want to have your head supported so it is slightly lifted (resting back onto a bolster can be good to do this, or pillows under the head and shoulders).
3. Follow the guided meditation: You can listen to one of my recorded nidras on my yoga nidra page, hop on over to True2u.co, or join my monthly live Yoga Nidra Circles - on the 1st Sunday of the month at 6PM UK time, and 1st Thursday of the month 7.30PM UK time.
4. Stay present: Try to stay present and aware throughout the meditation. If your mind starts to wander, gently bring it back to the present moment whenever it has wandered.
5. Take your time: After the meditation, take your time to slowly come back to the present moment. You may want to stretch or move your body gently before getting up.
When should I practise yoga nidra?
Traditionally, yoga nidra would be practised not long after waking up - this is the time when there is the minimal "mind chatter" and the practise sets you up for the day ahead. However, in today's busy go-go-go culture, many favour practising in the evening as a way to wind down from the day. While some may think they may not sleep as well having spent time resting already in the evening, I always hear reports of clients sleeping better after nidra - it is almost as if you have reminded your nervous system how to relax, so it is primed when then you go to bed.
Personally, I regularly practise a short 15 or 20 minute nidra when I have a space in a busy day - the busier the day, the more it is needed, and the greater the benefit. On the days when I am working particularly long hours, I find a short nidra practise during the day energises me, and helps me to keep perspective amidst the commitments.
What if I do it wrong?
The brainwaves will move into a theta state - the same as you experience just before you wake up or fall asleep. Because of this, it is possible for many that you will slip into sleep, and some experience moving between these states during the practise. As with any other form of yoga or meditation, each person will experience this differently, and the same person may have different experiences on different days as well. The good news is that you can't do yoga nidra wrong! It is individual and experienced in many different ways. Your body, nervous system, and mind will benefit from this practise in the way that it needs each time, and sometimes that may be settling into the deep rest provided by sleep itself! Your subconscious will still benefit from the practise.
Are there different types of yoga nidra?
There are a number of different schools of yoga nidra, each with a different approach and structure, with some practitioners blending elements from each school. When sharing my nidra circles, I tend to use the Bihar School of Yoga Nidra as this tends to be the most accessible to those who may not have explored nidra, or even meditation, before. There are no longer pauses, which gives you the best chance of staying awake during the practise!
Be aware that some styles of yoga nidra are designed to jolt the system between triggering imagery. While this is a proven and powerful technique to support recovery from e.g. PTSD, I do not use this approach during my open sessions as these spaces do not allow for more therapeutic discussions and nuanced support needed around this style. The recordings I provide here and those in my open nidra circles will always use intentionally neutral language.
Yoga nidra is a powerful practice that can help you relax, reduce stress, and improve your overall well-being. It's easy to practice and can be done anywhere, anytime. So why not give it a try and see how it can benefit you?
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