What is Yoga Nidra and Why Practice?
What is Yoga Nidra and Why Practice?
Yoga Nidra, ‘The Yogic Sleep’ is a great way to unwind and help restore the body from the stress.
Yoga Nidra is a guided relaxation practice that is different to meditation, usually around 10 - 30minutes. It can take us to a state of consciousness between sleeping and waking that we enter through becoming still and drawing the attention towards the body. Yoga Nidra is practiced with guidance from a trained practitioner so you can drift off in a held and supported space. It’s helps us connect to the parasympathetic nervous system which is our calm, resting state.
Nidra will usually take you through a body scan, then depending on the intention of the practitioner, perhaps guide you through some visualisations, becoming aware of the breath and perhaps allowing space simply letting whatever comes to mind to flow. Like our dreams, the Nidra space can be great for creativity. One of my favourite experiences was imagining a beautiful deck of cards, each one being dealt as the next instruction was given… I’d completely lost track of what was actually being said, but not to worry about that, it can be fun and interesting to stay with your own visuals.
It’s easy to leave the Nidra state if anything makes you feel uncomfortable or anxious, simply open your eyes and / or move your fingers and toes. If you have anxiety or any reservations about Nidra then have a chat with your practitioner beforehand so they are aware and can offer some tools to help you through.
Two of the most challenging things about starting a slow or quiet practice, are being still, and focusing the mind. So what I love about Nidra, is that it requires less physical effort than a seated practice and you can take time to make your space as comfortable and cosy as possible. With guided instructions, the mind has something to follow which makes it easier to keep coming back to the practice. You can do this practice when you’re tired and even just before bed with the intention of going to sleep afterwards. You will find Nidras designed especially for sleep.
Like many things it can be a challenge to introduce a new practice into our routine, however much we enjoy it. It’s like flexing a new muscle until the nervous system starts to notice and remember the benefits, over time we start to feel less resistance as we become more familiar with the practice. We can feel a lot of resistance to being still and observing the body, so instead of fighting that can we come from a place of curiosity instead?
Here are some tips that really helped motivate me and still do:
1. Check in with what you need. At some point in the day, make sure you have a break (or many!) from what you’re doing to check in with energy levels and what you might need from the rest of the day. It’s so easy to ‘keep going’ and not notice how we may be feeling. The more we connect to our body through these practices the easier is to notice energy shifts throughout the day.
2. Remember what is good for you! I’ve had so many ‘down days’ where I’ve questioned everything that I do and found it hard to feel positive. I have now learned that these days I really just needed a nap! And the following day, had a chuckle about what all the fuss was, but it can be so hard to see the bright side when we’re in a funk.
3. Knowing your self care and trusting that. It took me a long time to work out what the meaning of self care really meant. It’s easy to think that perhaps a nice bath is the answer, and although it can help, it’s so much more than that, and to be honest, a bath can actually feel like a lot of effort when energy is low! Self care, is talking to ourselves with compassion, not overfilling the diary, saving time for ourselves and our relationships, being creative, letting go from toxic situations or people… the list goes on! Self care is a way of life that takes time to navigate and trust. Similar to my last point, knowing what works for you and TRUSTING that is key, as we won’t always feel like it. What self care means to you is an ever evolving journey that will keep changing throughout your day and seasons of the weeks, months, years, and your whole life.
4. Create a warm and inviting space to practice in. Especially when practicing at home, it doesn’t always feel like the right vibe to do yoga and meditation so I love having a good tidy up beforehand! Practicing at home can be challenging especially when we have pets or children and perhaps in a shared living space, so it may not always be possible to create a ‘studio vibe’. But we can certainly try our best to make the room cosy and warm perhaps with a soothing aroma, to help us feel more invited to relax into the space. Knowing that you won’t be disturbed is also great, so find a time that suits and put your phone on silent.
5. Write a list / journal. If there’s a lot on your mind then writing it down before practice or in the mornings is a great way to help create some mental space. Take peace in knowing that we can be much more efficient coming from a more relaxed state and clear mind.
5. Be kind. Not every Nidra will be the same and not every time do I sink into the space between waking and dreaming. The practice is about showing up and being kind to what arises.
When I started practicing Nidra I noticed a significant difference in the quality of my sleep, feeling a lot deeper than usual and sleeping longer aswell. We know that good quality sleep has been scientifically proven to have huge beneficial effects on the body as this is the time that the body digests, processes and restores from the day. A lot of what we learn sinks in overnight too so whenever I learn a new trick or something in my acro or handstand practice I always look forward to trying it again the next day after a good sleep!
How often do I nidra? Almost daily!
I hope that this has been useful and inspiring and that you enjoy the practice of Yoga Nidra :)
NB. Please note that Yoga Nidra may not suitable for anyone with schizophrenia or similar illness so please consult your doctor first.