5 REASONS YOGA NIDRA SHOULD BE PART OF YOUR WELLBEING PRACTISES
In a world which seems to move at an incredibly fast pace, you all deserve a little time to find a place of deep relaxation and let go of that heavy weight from your shoulders, so come and discover what yoga nidra is all about and the benefits of this practise with Co-Founder, Jenny Stewart.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga nidra comes from the Indian yoga tradition. The technique could be described as a lying down form of meditation that uses the whole body as a focus of awareness. The theory behind yoga nidra is that it works on something called our body of energy or life force. In India this energy is known as prana, and in China it is called chi. It’s a state of deep relaxation, it will feel a bit like a conscious sleep.
In classic yoga nidra practice, you lie on your back with your arms away from your body, palms turned upwards. Your feet should be hip width apart, with your toes falling outwards. Your eyes remain closed throughout the practice. Yoga nidra puts a strong emphasis on the way your body is laying. Your relaxation posture influences your consciousness, and that this supine position prepares you for letting go and helps to balance the flow of life force in your body.
How Does a Class Work?
I will guide you through becoming aware of your breath, a ‘rotation of consciousness’ - basically rotation awareness through your body through the practise of tensing and releasing different body parts, At this point, you may begin to feel softness and lightness in your body, or feel as if you are melting into the floor or floating.
After the rotations, I will help you to further calm your mind. This often involves bringing your awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath. Other techniques may include visualising energy or light flowing through your body or being guided into an imaginary place of beauty and serenity.
Yoga nidra practice often includes a technique for realising a resolve in your life, something you want to achieve. Your guide invites you to repeat your resolution several times to yourself before you move into deep relaxation and immediately after you come out of it.
Your resolution could be as simple as wanting to be more loving to someone in your life, or kinder to yourself. Or it could something very specific, like resolving to give up smoking on a certain date. By repeating your resolution to yourself when you are in this state helps it take root in your unconscious, almost like post-hypnotic suggestion.
My Top 5 Benefits (although there are so many more!)
Stress Reduction - Yoga Nidra has an incredibly calming effect on the sympathetic nervous system, shifting you from the ‘fight-or-flight' mode to the relaxation response. This lowers elevated cortisol levels and promotes emotional self-regulation. As a result, we feel more in control of our thoughts and less reactive to the many stressors we encounter in daily life.
Improves sleep quality and combats insomnia - Yoga Nidra induces a sleep-like state, stimulating the brain waves that occur during deep sleep. This makes nidra an excellent exercise for people experiencing sleep disorders. If you often have difficulty falling asleep or if you often wake up during the night, you'll start to notice a difference in your sleep quality once you start a regular yoga nidra practice.
Trains your brain to accept mental relaxation - The conscious relaxation that yogic sleep promotes creates space in your mind removing all the repetitive thoughts that create that familiar feeling of brain fog. With improved mental clarity, you'll experience greater concentration and memory.
Improves self-awareness - Nidra helps to facilitate personal growth by allowing you to gain a deeper awareness of yourself. This occurs through the Sankalpa setting stage, where you reflect and set a specific intention for yourself. It also helps you connect more to the present moment, maintaining awareness of your body and the world around you.
Helps to treats chronic pain - Because yoga nidra releases bodily stress and tension, many people with chronic pain notice their symptoms lessen after regular yoga nidra practice. As you enter a state of deep relaxation, you can fully relax your physical body, which breaks up energetic blockages, lowers inflammation, and stimulates the immune system.
Won’t I Just Fall Asleep!?
One of the main questions I get asked!! You may fall asleep but don’t worry you’ll still get some of the benefits and the more you practise the more you get better at this practise. The aim of the practise is that you stay awake and as the teacher I’ll be guiding and communicating to you throughout the practice. The idea is that you just follow my verbal communication which allows you to stay in a state of consciousness.
Where do I find Yoga Nidra Practises?
We have many Yoga Nidra recordings on The Online Studio. From 10 minutes to 45 minutes, you can choose from yoga nidra for deep sleep, grounding, calm and much more. You can discover the amazing selection of classes with our 7 Day FREE trial to The Online Studio, just sign up here.
This Winter we’ve also launched our Sleep Better 7 Day Yoga Plan on The Online Studio which includes brand new Yoga Nidra practises.
This programme of yoga classes has been curated to teach you how to relax so that you can unwind, sending your body into sleep cycles smoothly at night. In doing these classes regularly, you'll be training your body and mind to be a little more still with each practise. Cosy up, settle in, and gain the necessary tools for a deep and restful nights' sleep.