Hello, I’m Jodie. A Yoga teacher & creator. I write about life post burnout with themes of rest, living slower, healing & generally navigating life with self compassion. Subscribe for free posts, or join the Slower Space community to access exclusive content, the Monthly Journaling Club & EMDR Diaries. We’d love to have you here!
Rest, by definition, is “free from labour or activity.” When it comes to allowing rest and really leaning into it, I think for most of us, it’s not always so easy to free ourselves from the doing. To be free from the commitments, to-do lists, societal pressures… It takes an active conscious choice (for me atleast), to push through the resistance to keep going and settle, allow rest to feel comfy!
For me, this is where rest practices like Yoga Nidra come in.
A gentle, guided practice that brings us back to Self, soothes the nervous system and has a myriad of other benefits.
Outside of the studies supporting the benefits for overall wellbeing, sleep and a reduction in anxiety and stress. The origins of the practice can be linked to different cultures and indigenous groups that have continued to practice for centuries. It’s rooted in a philosophy called Sankhya which was first written down around 700 BC! For me, this speaks to how powerful a practice it is. This is something that’s been passed down for centuries and continues to be so healing for many.
Last September I started a Yoga Nidra course. I’d been teaching Yoga for a year at that point and noticed myself leaning towards offering more accessible, slower practices that really focus on rest.
I started practising Yoga Nidra myself and realised it did just that. The sense of relaxation and peace felt unmatched for me, with lasting benefits throughout the day. The only thing I can liken it to is that sense of peace and harmony you experience whilst being in nature, or after a long hike. Complete stillness.
What Is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra (also known as yogic sleep) is a form of guided meditation, allowing you to access a transitional state between wakefulness and sleep.
You can practice seated, but ideally lying down comfortably in savasana (corpse pose). The process occurs through a series of stages. Gradually during these stages while practising you will experience a quieting of the overactive conscious mind, before moving into a meditative state and gradually finding the state of “ultimate harmony”, in which the brain waves slow down and a subtle euphoria emerges.
A few others things you note…
There’s really no right or wrong way to practice Yoga Nidra. I find doing some stretches or simple grounding techniques useful before coming into the practice to help me settle, but ultimately, as you lie down, all you have to do is follow the voice that is guiding you.
It’s a practice, you probably won’t remember certain elements of the meditation as you drift between the different states of consciousness - that’s okay. Typically it’s a new experience every time you come to it.
Make sure the body is warm and comfortable. Use support under the head and lots of layers, being cold or uncomfortable is one of the main things that can disrupt the process.
Falling asleep is okay. Ideally you will follow the recording, but, if you’re tired and fall asleep, chances are you need that deeper sleep and rest, allow it, all is welcome
Below, I’ve shared a 10 minute Yoga Nidra recording to get you started… With the idea of practising this daily and noticing the changes each time.
If you’d like to join me live, I’m hosting my next Rest & Reflect workshop at the end of the month where I’ll be sharing a 20 minute Yoga Nidra practice alongside mindful movement and some journaling. You can book onto this here.
Enjoy ❤️