Yoga Nidra or Yoga Nod Off!

Yoga Nidra is a lying-down meditation. It is where the body sleeps, the mind rests, and consciousness is alert; in yogic terms, it is a psychic sleep. You don't have to be a Yoga student to practice it. It's easy, mostly because it can be practiced anywhere: lying down on a bed, on the floor, or reclining in a chair.

The main thing to be aware of in this practice is not to fall asleep. There are techniques to use if this happens, and it does happen to most people at some point during the practice. If you fall asleep, it is simply an indication of tiredness or exhaustion. Even though you may have the best intentions to stay awake, your body gets its needs met by drifting into and out of a sleep state.

When you fall asleep in the practice, you are doing Stage 1. This gives you powerful healing and rejuvenation; however, it doesn't provide you with the full potential that Yoga Nidra can give. On a lighter note, we can also call it "Yoga Nod Off".

There are many stages in the complete Yoga Nidra experience.

Three main stages are:

Stage One. Rest, recover and rejuvenate.
Stage Two. Master your old patterns, negative memories, emotions and desires.
Stage Three. Awareness of your deeper, true self.

When you consistently practice Yoga Nidra, you eventually disconnect from your exhaustion that keeps you at Stage One. When you remain awake through the entire practice, deep releasing of long-held tensions and anxieties begins to happen.

Yoga Nidra Stages Two and Three often require additional instruction and guidance. You can find many Yoga Nidras here under ‘Free Resources’ , it’s an effective practice for rest and recuperation, for the management of negative mental and emotional patterns, and for awakening your Sankalpa, your resolve, that which you desire in life.

With Gratitude

Kate-Nirlipta