There are many ways to promote relaxation with yoga, including specific styles like Restorative Yoga and Yin Yoga, as well as components of the practice like meditation and savasana.
At its core, yoga is relaxing. It calms the nervous system, alleviates stress, and provides a respite from the demands of everyday life. You can pick almost any style of yoga and expect to feel more relaxed after practicing.
However, if you are seeking rest, nothing compares to Yoga Nidra.
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What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra, or “Yogic Sleep”, has been used for thousands of years to reach deep, transformative rest. It is usually led by a teacher, either in person or from a recording, but can also be self guided.
Yoga Nidra is practiced lying down, with the goal of getting as comfortable as possible. Once comfortable, the practitioner is guided into deeper and deeper states of relaxation with a series of cues.
When practicing, you are asked to let go of thinking/planning and shift into listening/sensing. As you relax and release into deep, restorative rest, you drift towards the edges of sleep, without actually falling asleep.
45 minutes of Yoga Nidra is believed to be equivalent to three hours of sleep.
A deeply healing practice, Yoga Nidra rewires your nervous system, reboots your brain and provides rest that rivals sleep.
Non Sleep Deep Rest
Lately, this simple yet powerful practice has gained popularity due to extensive clinical research and mainstream media attention.
One of the most prominent advocates for Yoga Nidra is Dr. Andrew Huberman. Dr. Huberman is a neuroscientist, a teacher at Stanford University, and the host of the extremely popular podcast “The Huberman Lab”.
Dr. Huberman practices Yoga Nidra daily, and passionately shares the benefits based on personal experience and highly credible, scientific evidence.
Professionally, Dr. Huberman refers to Yoga Nidra as “Non Sleep Deep Rest” or NSDR, a term he coined in an effort to make the practice more accessible to a wider audience.
Check out this informative video of Dr. Huberman explaining the practice and benefits of Yoga Nidra:
If you are interested in hearing more from Dr. Huberman, he has talked about Nidra/NSDR multiple times on his own podcast, and he has a few videos on YouTube guiding his own version of the practice.
Traditional Yoga Nidra
I love that Dr. Huberman is bringing Yoga Nidra to the masses, and backing up ancient claims about the benefits of the practice, with research and his own credibility within the scientific community.
However, it’s important to acknowledge the lineages and teachers who have been guiding students through traditional Yoga Nidra practices for many years.
One of those teachers is Tracee Stanley. Tracee brings a level of depth and expertise to her teaching that stems straight from her own, embodied experience. Her teachings honor the sacred tradition of Yoga Nidra that has been passed down through generations.
Inspired by 28 years of deep practice and study in yoga and tantra, I share practices that will inspire you to remember who you really are and tap into that which is eternal, powerful, wise, and worthy. I create space for sacred containers that inspire clarity, self-devotion, and momentum to help us transition away from unhealthy patterns and to live in alignment with the whispers of our soul.
Tracee Stanley - Website Bio
I discovered Tracee through her book “Radiant Rest”, a masterwork of wisdom gained through years of practicing, studying and teaching Yoga Nidra. I highly recommend “Radiant Rest” to anyone interested in Yoga Nidra.
You might also enjoy Tracee’s guest appearance on Julie Piatt’s podcast “For The Life of Me”.
If the Huberman video I shared earlier evokes the power of Yoga Nidra, Julie and Tracee’s conversation invites us into the mystery of Yoga Nidra. Both are essential to understanding the practice.
Here is a link to the podcast episode:
Unlocking Super Powers With Yoga Nidra w/Tracee Stanley
Put it Into Practice: Part I
Let’s start with some practical tips.
Nidra Nest : Your Yoga Nidra nest is the space you create to cocoon yourself in comfort for the duration of your practice.
Here is a video from Tracee Stanley with examples of how to create your own Nidra Nest…
Morning, Noon, or Night : Yoga Nidra is wonderful any time of day. Many people love to practice before bed and swear it alleviates insomnia.
For me, Yoga Nidra is a morning practice, essential for coping with lack of sleep. I typically practice for 20 to 45 minutes, a time frame that reliably elevates my mood and leaves me feeling well rested.
Occasionally, when I’m really exhausted, I sneak in a Yoga Nidra session mid day. It’s like a nap, but better.
Falling Asleep : Speaking of naps, it can be tempting to drift off to sleep. Resist that urge. Yoga Nidra is a restorative practice that gives the same benefits of sleep, but it’s not sleep.
If you do fall asleep, it’s okay and very common. Just keep showing up and do your best.
Practice : The more you show up for your Yoga Nidra practice, the easier it gets. It’s like your physical yoga practice. Remember how hard the poses felt when you first started?
I’ve been practicing Yoga Nidra for about five years now. When I first started, I struggled to drop in and lie still. I could barely make it through a twenty minute practice.
Start small and work your way up. You will be surprised how restorative a few minutes of Yoga Nidra can be!
Movement : It’s a good idea to sneak in some movement before you practice Yoga Nidra. Stretching releases excess energy and prepares your body to lie comfortably still for the duration of your practice.
Put it Into Practice: Part II
Okay, ready to try it?
Today, I’m not giving the usual synopsis for each class. I’m simply offering a variety of classes, from a variety of teachers, in a variety of lengths and setting you loose! Try one, try a few, try them all. See what resonates.
Shorter Practices (Less than 30 Minutes)
Beginner’s Guided Yoga Nidra For Anxiety | Brett Larkin
20 Minutes
A Cleansing & Relaxing Yoga Nidra Meditation w/ Tracee Stanley
28 Minutes
Yoga Nidra For Peace | Allie Boothroyd
15 Minutes
Longer Practices (More than 30 Minutes)
30 Minute Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest | Allie Boothroyd
30 Minutes
Yoga Nidra for the Heart Chakra | Ally Boothroyd
37 Minutes
Winter Solstice Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest | Allie Boothroyd
37 Minutes
Final Thoughts
I hope you find some time to practice Yoga Nidra this week.
Let me know how it goes in the comments. We’re there any specific classes or teachers you resonated with?
As always, please share this post! Everyone can use a little Nidra in their life.
I’ll see you next week for a new, rest themed issue about Savasana, everyone’s favorite pose….to skip. Tune in and find out why you need more Savasana in your life.