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yoga nidra

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yoga nidra can help build capacities for relaxation and expanding awareness. most often it is done by lying on the floor/a yoga matt while listening to a recording of someone talking you through the experience.

yoga nidra helped me access deeper states of relaxation in short amounts of time, especially when i felt stressed beforehand, and i did not have time or capacity to explore where this stress was coming from - i just needed to function, quickly. it also helped me carve out physical energies after feeling physically exhausted and i also feel that improved my sleep in general.

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i found that this practice was a good starting point for other bodywork practices, too, since it trained me in being more aware about how I feel (in) my body. 

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below i have listed recordings that i have enjoyed so far. a thank you to all of the readers doing such amazing work and make it accessible for free. the ones i have listed below speak in a matter of fact voice, have little music/sound in the background, occasional moments of silence and a clear intention to make me stay awake. the recordings vary in length, between 20 and 45 minutes.  

depending on your nervous system, maybe you prefer having more music in it, or respond better do other voices than the ones listed below. other recordings can be found on youtube, spotify, etc. 

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if you want to get more deeply into it, a book that might be interesting is 'radiant rest' by Tracee Stanley. (she also has a podcast)

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my checklist before the session:

  • am i warm enough? do i need a blanket to cover my body?

  • is it too light in the room? do i want to cover my eyes?

  • have i put my phone on flight mode to avoid being distracted?

  • if there are people around, do they know not to distract me?

  • do i want to place a cushion under my head or feet for more comfort?

  • do I have access to the recordings without ads/other tracks interfering?

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general instructions for a session:

  • i lie down on the floor, on the yoga matt.  here i am more likely to stay awake, and more receptive to feeling the weight of my body. if this is uncomfortable i lie down on a softer surface.

  • i lie on my back, feet hip-width apart, turned out to the sides; my arms are on either side of my body with the palms facing up (if comfortable)

  • as i follow the voice, with my eyes closed, it is perfectly ok if i fall asleep if it happens. there are always some parts of my body who will listen, no matter what state i am in. i gently try to stay awake where i can, though.

  • i try to not intellectualise or analyse the instructions, switch off my mind where i can

  • i do not influence my breathing, but observe the breaths

  • i try to go into each sessions without expectations, i try to observe what is happening to/in my body

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recordings:

 


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