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This was originally written for and posted on the Phoenix Yoga Putney blog.
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In the modern world, where stress and anxiety often rule our lives, the quest for relaxation and inner peace has become more crucial than ever.
Yoga Nidra offers a transformative journey into a state of deep relaxation and heightened awareness. It’s often referred to as “yogic sleep,” but Yoga Nidra isn’t about falling asleep. It’s a practice that enables us to explore different states of consciousness, in between being fully awake or asleep.
It is a form of guided meditation that facilitates a profound state of relaxation while maintaining a trace of awareness. It allows you to access the subconscious mind and delve into the hidden realms of your inner self.
A brief history of Yoga Nidra
The roots of Yoga Nidra can be traced back to ancient Indian scriptures, including the Upanishads, which are some of the oldest texts in the world. It was first mentioned in the Mahabharata to describe Vishnu’s sleep between the ages of time. In many of the ancient texts, the term wasn’t used to describe a practice or set of techniques, but a place or state of consciousness, beyond words.
The modern practice of Yoga Nidra is a set of techniques pulled together from Yogic, Buddhist, and Western sources. It was made popular by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the 1970s and has continued to evolve and develop. There are many different schools of Yoga Nidra, and new ways to practice are being developed all the time for different purposes. This has made Yoga Nidra an accessible and relevant practice with benefits that can have a profound impact on our lives.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
There are a number of benefits of Yoga Nidra, and I’ll cover some of the main ones below. But everyone’s experience of Nidra is unique, so the best way to benefit from it is to practice!
One of the most significant is its ability to alleviate stress and anxiety. Practicing Nidra activates our parasympathetic nervous system which promotes the relaxation response, leading to reduced levels of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Another benefit of Yoga Nidra is it helps to clear mental clutter and offers a space for creative insights to surface. As the mind settles, it can improve our problem-solving abilities and enhance our mental clarity. It can also help to increase our ability to make good decisions, concentrate, and retain information. Practicing Yoga Nidra before and after studying can help us to remember more information.
Getting enough sleep has huge benefits for our bodies. Good quality sleep leads to a decreased risk of anxiety and depression and a decreased risk of a range of chronic diseases. While Yoga Nidra is not a substitute for sleep, it can enhance the quality of our sleep. By consciously relaxing the body and calming the mind, the practice can help some people to fall asleep and stay asleep. Over time, learning this practice and the techniques can help with insomnia and other sleep-related issues.
Setting up for Yoga Nidra
A Yoga Nidra practice requires a small amount of preparation. At home, you need to find a quiet space where you can lie down comfortably and are not likely to be disturbed. This could be on a yoga mat, or even in bed. You may want a pillow under your head, and to cover yourself with a blanket. An eye pillow is a lovely addition. You could also wear headphones, to improve the quality of sound.
In the studio, we set up using bolsters, blocks, bricks, and blankets to create a truly restorative experience, that will allow you to float away on a sea of bliss.
Practicing Yoga Nidra
A Yoga Nidra practice begins with an opportunity to arrive on the mat, in the space, and prepare ourselves to enter the Nidra state. At this point, you may have the opportunity to set a clear intention for the practice- a Sankalpa- which is often something you want to cultivate or create in your life. This is positively framed, in the present tense.
We then transition through the different stages of the Nidra. This often includes a body scan or rotation, a focus on the breath, and an exploration of opposing physical senses and experiences. The final stage is often a section that focuses on imagery. This could be a guided walk in nature or a journey through your day. In each stage of the practice, you’re encouraged to focus on and create your own experience, setting aside judgement and going with the flow.
Why Yoga Nidra?
It’s easy to understand how an asana practice can make you feel good, but is a class lying in savasana for 45 minutes worth it?!
In short, yes. I know I teach Yoga Nidra, but it’s a practice I strongly believe can help you feel better, and improve your resilience and ability to cope with the fast-paced London life. And I love teaching it!
I’ve suffered from varying levels of disturbed sleep since I was a teenager. When I discovered Yoga Nidra, it was like a salve for my soul. I couldn’t believe what a profound impact such a short practice could have on my state of mind, and how I felt in my body. I used to completely fall asleep in the practice, waking up right at the end. This is common for beginners (especially if you suffer from insomnia) but I still felt the benefits. Having a regular practice has improved how I approach sleep and cope with occasional insomnia- I also practice Nidra to help me get to sleep. It’s a tool in my box of self-care that I know I can rely on to provide me support. I teach it to help others access this transformative practice.
Yoga Nidra, the art of conscious relaxation, encourages us to step away from the chaos of our daily lives and immerse ourselves in our inner world. It’s a powerful tool for holistic well-being. By dedicating time to this practice, we can discover a treasure trove of benefits that extend far beyond conventional relaxation techniques.
So, why not embrace the transformative potential of Yoga Nidra?
Join me at Phoenix Yoga in Putney, on Monday evenings, 20.15 – 21.00 for 45 mins of blissful relaxation where you can come and truly rest.
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