Yoga nidra or yogic sleep is often referred to as deep relaxation or guided meditation but it is so much more. As with every yoga practice there are many descriptions of it, but it is our experience that counts.

Yoga nidra in Ingrid’s words
An ancient practice that guides us into a conscious state between waking and sleeping. A practice where the body is fully supported and relaxed yet where we are very receptive and aware. This state allows body, mind, and spirit to process experiences and heal on a deep level. Yes, it is a paradox.

How?
When our body is supported and we feel safe most people are then able to relax body and mind and surrender ourselves to ourselves. Depending on where we are in life, at this stage when there is no guide to help us often the mind will start to either play games with us, or we will guide our mind, or we will fall asleep. How often have we been at the stage in bed just before sleep either lying awake mulling things over and feeling restless or falling asleep? Are we aware of that link between body, mind, and spirit?

With yoga nidras a teacher helps us to settle, to feel safe, to relax, to surrender, and gives us directions to follow which connects us to our Self. These directions might include sound, breathwork, visualisation, or feelings hopefully leading us from beta to alpha brain waves, from alpa to theta, and maybe from theta to delta brainwaves which is where magic happens. This all depends on our surrender into the practice. We aim to be in a deep sleep but also still conscious which is associated with delta brainwaves.

Directions can be created for a 'general' purpose such as releasing anxiety or becoming relaxed, or they can be tailored to an individual working with whatever it is the person wants to work on. For example, someone might want to release tension in the mind, feel happier within themselves, shift a self-limiting belief, accept difficult feelings, improve their self-love, or simply wants someone to help them relax and be in the present for that moment without having others present.

Possible benefits
Benefits differs per person because no one has the same experience during yoga nidra and we all carry different baggage. Possible benefits of practising yoga nidra regularly are: Feeling calm and relaxed, reduction in blood pressure, better sleep, releasing of tension in body and mind, feeling creative, improvement in sleep, better understanding of our Self, sharpening of senses, increasing energy levels, living in present, and deep healing of body and mind.

Tips
When sitting down or lying down be comfortable but not too comfortable. When we are too comfortable there is a big chance to fall asleep and the aim is to stay awake. Do not practise in bed unless the aim is to sleep afterwards, and if we do not need that pillow then do not use it. Lying down on a yoga mat with a blanket is comfy for most but if that is not possible then sit in a reclining position. Make sure the body is supported by placing for example a blanket underneath the knees and place a pillow behind the head or back. There is a difference between needing and wanting, know the difference! Do try different positions and notice what effect they have.

Switch off any distractions like doorbells or phones and if not living alone let others know to not disturb you. If the weather is lovely practise outside but make sure to apply sunscreen or lie in the shade!

Try a few yoga nidras to get to know which style you enjoy, please do not give up after one try. Look for yoga teachers you resonate with. As a human being I do not resonate with everything and everyone and neither do you. Having said that, sometimes it is great to experience a session with someone we do not resonate with. All teachers are different and how yoga nidras are delivered and how they impact us differs depending on the teacher, on what they intend to achieve, on their voice, on the style they use, on our own experiences, and on our own intentions. It is not always easy to lie down and be vulnerable when we do not feel supported which is why it is so important we practise with professionals and know they will be there for support.

Let teachers know if there is anything that could activate horrible memories. For example my teacher used gunshots and dead bodies in his yoga nidras which could be extremely horrible for some. Please realise it is our responsibility to communicate to the yoga teacher if there is anything that could upset us and we want to avoid that or maybe we want to face it and work with it. Yoga teachers are there for support so make use of it. Communicate and if we want to work with something within then find a teacher for tailored sessions.

Use friends, family, or fellow yoga students for support. Yoga nidras might stir nothing up but they might bring suppressed issues up. Make sure to observe feelings and when you recognise you need support, take action. Reach out to that friend or family member, reach out to a yoga teacher, or go for a walk. Whatever it is you need, listen to your feelings.

Personal experience
In 2015 I joined an intensive Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) at Ashram Yoga in New Zealand and every day we were fortunate to receive a yoga nidra, even though at the beginning it all sounded alien to me. Lie down, be comfortable but not too comfortable, and listen to someone's voice and try to do what the teacher suggests. Hmmm ok... Instead of allowing my mind to be sceptical I chose to give it a try with an open mind and observe what happened during the course. WOW!

Some sessions were intense and others peaceful, some I could connect with easily and with others I struggled, sometimes I nodded off and sometimes I was hyper aware. Long term I started to notice it was easier to step back in situations and observe what was happening, to take a moment and then respond instead of reacting. I also noticed I had a lot of energy after the practice, not straight after but during the day I had more energy than usual. I started to live more in the present instead of in the past or future. I started to treat myself in a different manner because I was gentler with myself instead of criticising all the time. It became easier to let go of difficult feelings and maybe the most important shift of all was that I started to connect with myself on such a deep level it is hard to explain. I did not feel lonely within myself as often anymore. I am very aware that self-love is a term that is thrown around so much but that is exactly what yoga has given me and is giving me, with yoga nidra being a mirror. It has not been an easy journey and sometimes it is still difficult to look into that mirror, but I am very grateful to have the 'tool' of yoga nidra in my toolbox. I wanted to share this practice with others because it has been such a powerful and supportive journey for myself which is why I joined Dawn's Wright Yoga Nidra course in 2020.

Go for it!
Never try never know. It might be a practice that does not do anything for you, or it might be a nice way to simply relax, or it might shift something that needed shifting.


Yoga nidra. Magic!


If you tried one of my yoga nidras, enjoy my style, and would love to dive deep then I am available to provide tailored yoga nidras.