What to do when you’re stressed but too worn out for a physical yoga practice ? Or your mind is too chaotic to slow down and focus? Yoga Nidra is the Answer. It was my first love in yoga , and it’s still on high rotation in my practise today- “Yoga you can do lying on your back with your eyes closed? Yes, please!”
Nidra translates to sleep, and Yoga means union. So what could Unified Sleep imply? Perhaps a merging of different states of consciousness: waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep. Navigating these inner states consiously we can begin to understand through expereince a little of how the mind works. Knowing where your mind is and what it’s doing is a very under-rated power that can make a huge impact on every aspect of your life.
The Secret of Chilling Like a Yogi
Modern science is just beginning to grasp the power of the mind that yogis discovered centuries ago from within. You have to experience it to discover for yourself; no one can enter your mind and do it for you. This consciousness that is being explored goes beyond the intellectual grasp, it’s what the intellect is contained in or rather perceived by.
When we feel overwhelmed and stressed we often want to tune out, watch some TV Read a book or listen to some music. Of course these can be useful at times but if we are always just distracting our mind, where are we going to learn how to use it wisely?
Stepping out of your usual stream of thoughts is crucial for discovering new flows. Directly perceiving consciousness opens the mind to expansive states beneficial for processing life experiences. Yoga Nidra integrates all levels of mind and consciousness, inducing all brainwave states while maintaining a healing Theta state.
Meditation made Easy
We all know the benefits of meditation, but sitting still and upright can be super hard right? After 10-20 minutes all you can think about is your back or your knees! In Yoga Nidra we make the body as comfortable as possible so you can forget about it for a while and focus on the mind.
And then there’s the challenge of trying to stop your mind from Wandering in 10000 different directions? Well this monkey mind problem isn’t really just a modern thing, This ancient technique of yoga Nidra consists of very precisely guided instructions so there’s clear direction the whole way through the process.
And okay so you might fall asleep for parts of it, it happens, no problem. There is an inner guidance at play that will ensure you hear the bits you need to hear and rest deeply through some other bits, drifting in and out of awareness is normal and not a cause for concern.
The Real Jewel in the heart of Yoga Nidra practice lies in engaging the Super power of the heart’s longing, the yogi’c call it Sankalpa. Regularly taking time to clarify and affirm what truly matters to your heart is profound soul medicine.
If you adore Savasana, (The little lie down at the end of class) but feel it’s never quite long enough, treat yourself to a full 40-minute Yoga Nidra immersion to uncover the truth of who you are.
Yoga Nida
LINKS FOR FURTHUR READING
The Science Behind yoga nidra
What no-ones telling us about yoga nidra
The mysteries of dreamless sleep
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