“Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go. There was no effort. There was no struggle.” ~ Safire Rose
I remember discovering the practice of yoga nidra quite by accident. It was 2009 and I was at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health for a much–deserved rest and relaxation weekend. Up at the crack of dawn, I made my way to a 6am gentle yoga class. Little did I know the last 20 minutes would transform not only how I taught yoga but also how I approached my own self care.
The instructor, master Kripalu teacher Jennifer Reis, sprinkled yoga nidra on the entire class as we laid in shavasana. I don’t remember much of the practice but I do remember how I felt when I left the great hall. I felt at peace. I felt lighter, as if the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders. I felt amazingly calm and deeply relaxed. What I didn’t expect was to feel this way for days after 20 minutes of this practice. I knew that if I felt this good that I couldn’t keep this to myself. I needed to learn more and bring this practice to as many people as I possibly could.
What exactly is yoga nidra?
Yoga nidra is a state of consciousness. It is sleep with trace awareness or conscious deep relaxation. Yoga nidra is sleepless sleep and occurs between waking consciousness and dreaming consciousness.
While this sounds complex, the practice itself is simple. If you can lie down in shavasana pose, perhaps with a pillow or bolster under your knees, you can practice yoga nidra. The benefits of this practice can be profound and transformative. I’ve been high on this practice for over ten years—both as a practitioner and as a yoga nidra teacher.
5 Key Benefits of Yoga Nidra
- Deep rest. Enjoying 45-60 minutes of yoga nidra is the equivalent of 4-5 hours of restful sleep. This is what attracts the majority of my students who find sleep elusive due to stress, worry, menopause, or ruminating thoughts that don’t shut off at 10 PM. Raise your hand if you could benefit from a practice that has this type of effect on your body and your mind.
- Recharge. Yoga nidra allows you to refill your cup and recharge your internal batteries. It’s the one practice that allows you to completely release your muscles, allow your bones to settle heavy on your mat, and deeply relax your mind.
- Reduce anxiety & stress. When you practice yoga nidra, you engage the relaxation response in your body. Your brain literally shifts from lots of activity (beta) to a state of calm (alpha). Allowing your brain to downshift into a deep state of relaxation helps calm and reduce anxiety and stress. Our bodies become deeply relaxed and go into a rest and restore mode – achieving theta and delta states. Thoughts dramatically slow down in these states. You may see images or receive random thoughts. You may also experience profound insight.
- Health benefits & spiritual insights. Numerous physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga nidra include stimulating the rest and digest response, decreased stress, lowering high blood pressure, improves circulation, reduces pain, improves and stabilizes mood, and improves your overall sense of well-being. There are times when things bubble up during yoga nidra like long held fears or anxiety and this practice allows you a safe place to process and release. Yoga nidra may even lead you to profound spiritual insight.
- Easy to do. Yoga nidra is easy to do. You don’t need to be skinny or tall, touch your toes or lick your elbow. You simply lie down and fall awake.
The most common feedback I receive from my students is that this practice leaves them feeling rested and energized at the same time. They feel relaxed and at peace. One of my students uses this practice to reduce back pain. Another has seen her creative side appear. Many of my students are peri-menopausal and this practice helps reduce insomnia and hot flashes. Even my students who came to this practice with the belief that they can’t stay still discovered that they can sink deep into silence and stillness.
One of the most common experiences is that most of my students lose track of time during yoga nidra. When the practice ends, I often hear, “that was 60 minutes?” Time and space seem to drift away when you’re in between wakefulness and sleep.
For me, this practice is a blessing. I have received a number of critical, what I call “yoga nidra downloads.” The one to paint surprised me. My practice reignited my creativity – especially my writing – and encouraged me to release my old stories as they no longer served me.
As a yoga nidra teacher, now more than ever, I’m compelled to bring this practice to as many as I can – the tired, the worn out, the stressed out, and to those who are seeking their own answers.
If you’re curious about yoga nidra, feel free to try it. Find your peace and quiet with this free 15–minute recording.
