Stay Calm During the Holidays with Yoga Nidra
The time in between Thanksgiving and the New Year is notoriously jammed packed with events, on top of travel, family and in-laws. It can be a lot to manage and often feel overwhelming. Before you get to a place of overwhelm may I introduce the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra! Yoga Nidra, also known as "yogic sleep," is a way to give yourself deep relaxation and profound healing.
What is yoga nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice that takes you into a deep place of rest. It is a state between wakefulness and sleep. Derived from ancient yogic traditions, the practice systematically relaxes the body and mind while maintaining a state of conscious awareness. In Yoga Nidra you learn to surrender and to start to get in touch with your innate healing abilities and your inner guidance.
In a typical Yoga Nidra session, you lie down in a comfortable position, such as savasana (corpse pose), and are guided through stages including intention setting, breath awareness, body scans, and visualizations. The practice creates a deep sense of physical, mental, and emotional relaxation, often described as restorative and transformative.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND YOGA NIDRA
Yoga Nidra has been studied for its impact on the nervous system and overall well-being. Here's how it works:
1.aCTIVATES THE PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Yoga Nidra shifts the body from the “fight-or-flight” state (sympathetic nervous system) to the “rest-and-digest” state (parasympathetic nervous system). This helps reduce stress hormones like cortisol and promotes relaxation.
2. ENGAGES BRAINWAVE STATES
During Yoga Nidra, brainwaves transition from the active beta state to slower alpha and theta states, similar to the state experienced right before falling asleep. These brainwave states are associated with creativity, healing, and deep rest.
3. improves neuroplasticity
Research suggests that Yoga Nidra enhances neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to adapt and reorganize itself. This can support emotional resilience and improved mental clarity. While you are practicing Yoga Nidra you are using the left and right side of the brain. This practice helps you to build new neural pathways and come into more coherence.
4. reduces inflammation and enhances healing
When you practice Yoga Nidra you are relaxing and quieting down the body's stress and inflammation. Over time you will reduce inflammation in the body, helping you to resolve stress-related illnesses and chronic conditions.
Components of A Yoga Nidra Class.
Yoga Nidra is accessible to everyone, regardless of experience or physical ability. Here’s what to expect in a class or a self-guided session:
1. prepare your space:
Find a quiet, comfortable spot where you can lie down without disturbance. Use a yoga mat, blanket, or bolster for support.
2. Set an Intention (Sankalpa):
Begin by focusing on a personal intention, such as “I am calm and grounded” or “I trust myself.”
3. Rotation of Awareness:
You’ll be guided through a systematic rotation of awareness to different parts of your body, allowing you to relax more and more at each step.
4. Breath Awareness:
You will bring your awareness to your breath and focus on the inhale and exhale. This helps you to come into the present moment, and slip in between the worlds of wakefulness and sleep.
5. Awareness:
In this part of the practice you will connect to opposites in the body. Moving between two different experiences, feeling your power and ability to move fluidly through different states of being.
6. Visualization:
You will be guided through different imagery designed to connect you to your subconscious and inner knowing.
7. CLOSING
The practice ends connecting to your Sankalp once more. Slowly you come back into your body and return to the room.
Why Practice Yoga Nidra Regularly?
Connecting to your subconscious and allowing the body to dance in a hypnagogic state takes practice. The more consistently you practice Yoga Nidra the better you will get at relaxing and staying present with different sensations in the body. Over time this will recalibrate your nervous system and heal your body. When you regularly practice Yoga Nidra you will build your focus and your attention. Learning to be in the present is an invaluable tool.
Before you reach empty this holiday season give yoga nidra a try. You can find an in person class or listen to a recording on Insight Timer. This will connect you to your subconscious mind and recalibrate your nervous system and find balance. Yoga Nidra is accessible to everyone at any time! You only need to lay down and get comfortable. This practice is an incredible tool to have in your self-care tool kit. From new mom’s to traveling CEO’s Yoga Nidra can help anyone and will meet them where they are at. If you find the practice hard at first, don’t give up… keep practicing. It is going to take some time for you to develop this muscle. Yoga Nidra is more than just a practice—it’s a sanctuary for the mind and body in today’s chaotic world. By dedicating even a few minutes to this ancient technique, you can reduce stress, improve sleep, and find a deeper connection to your inner self.
If you are in Sedona, AZ come to Emerald Waves for an in person Yoga Nidra class.
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