What is Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice with nearly 3 centuries of history. It’s a holistic way of resting. Here is a rough translation of the 2 Sanskrit words:

Yoga- meaning union or ‘to yoke’, implying a full sense of presence in body, heart, mind etc.

Nidra- sleep

Together they refer to an integral sleep practice. Where Yoga Nidra is both a practice and a state of consciousness.

In the west there is heavy emphasis placed upon waking consciousness, though in the Eastern traditions wisdom is also realised in the other states of consciousness like sleep and dreaming.

The practice is about resting in liminal space between waking consciousness and sleep consciousness and is like accessing a field of infinite potential, creativity, clarity and truth. Yogic sleep takes us to a place of deep relaxation where we can soothe the nervous system, feel relaxed, restore energy and bring our whole being-ness into greater harmony. Yoga Nidra brings us into union with the present moment. It feels like arriving home.

Benefits of the practice

The practice has countless benefits and the benefits one receives from the practice is very individual. The practice adapts to you and your needs. This practice offers an internal software upgrade. For me, when my kids are sick or I’m sick, when exhaustion hits, when stress levels rise, I practice yoga Nidra. It gives my immune system a boost (also shown in research studies). It’s my jet lag remedy. I use yoga Nidra techniques to fall asleep at night when I have too many thoughts buzzing in my mind. I use yoga Nidra to find creative solutions for my work or studies and use it to receive the answers to life’s big questions. Yoga Nidra brings me clarity and is a healing modality for stress, trauma and anxiety. Healing happens in the present moment and Yoga Nidra is a way of resting to become awake and aware of the beautiful now. I use it for literally everything and to be more clear I practice daily, at least once.

Yoga Nidra and the brain

Sustained learning happens through rest. The cycle of learning has two parts: the active part and the resting part when the learning from the active part gets integrated while we sleep or practice Yoga Nidra. What we’ve learned get’s integrated into the brains circuitry and the whole body’s muscle memory during rest states. Rest is as much of an important part of the cycle of learning as is the active learning part. There is incredible research about Yoga Nidra for learning and the research studies are growing in number and it’s no wonder, it’s truly wondrous what happens on a brain and nervous system level when practicing regularly. This meditation practice invites you to experience all brain wave states, including the deepest brain states which normally we reach when in the non REM state of sleep. And we can experience these brain waves while remaining aware. Those deeper states of brain waves are where deep healing happens.

intuition

Listening deepens with Yoga Nidra. The meditation is a systematic process to drop into being layer by layer. As we reach the layer ‘Vijnamaja’ or wisdom and bliss layer, we connect with intuitive wisdom in the body. This layer of the body is deeply connected to all of life. In this state we may feel free: free from labels, thought, emotion and can experience a deep sense of knowing. Accessing the wisdom layer of the body, we grow our self trust. The word confidence relates to self trust since it translates as con=with and fide=trust. In life’s moments of self doubt and low confidence, a short practice of Yoga Nidra can bring one back that sense of inner trust and acceptance and shine a light on the next steps.

unique experience

Yoga Nidra is a unique experience. It has been called an adaptogenic practice meaning that each time you practice the experience will give your body, mind and heart just what is needed. The practice adapts to you and your needs. When practicing in a group, each individual hears the same voice guidance and yet the experiences are each unique. When attending the once a month online Yoga Nidra which you can access from this site, it’s really incredible to hear the variety of experience when practicing the very same practice. This sharing part of the community or group Yoga Nidra is vital, and offers a sense of being seen and heard and the possibility to be touched by others experience. We as humans are hardwired for connection. And that connection arises from recognising and celebrating our sameness at the same time as our individual uniqueness.