You may have noticed that every now and again there is an Emma's Yoga Hut event that includes a Yoga Nidra; for example our Soothing Restorative Sundays or the Relax and Unwind Yin and Nidra class, and you may be wondering what on earth this actually is. Yoga Nidra is a very specific form of guided meditation, you can do it virtually by listening to a recording, but nothing, I repeat NOTHING beats an in person Yoga Nidra, for some reason it is a totally different experience. Recordings are very nice, soothing and relaxing, but an in person Yoga Nidra can be absolutely transformational!
So, what is it that makes a Yoga Nidra different to any other form of guided meditation or relaxation? Yoga Nidra works with the layers of our consciousness and body – in Sanskrit these are called Koshas. Ancient Yogis identified 5 “layers” or “sheaths” of our human existence. These are the physical body, energy, mind, intuition and bliss! They link into the 5 elements earth, water, fire, air and space. And, guess what? A full Yoga Nidra has 5 parts, one for each of these layers and elements.
We start with the physical body with a body scan. We take out attention around the body; you may have noticed that we often connecting to the physical body when arriving for yoga classes, we do so because it helps to quieten the mind, we spend so much time in our heads that simply moving our attention to the body redirects our attention to something more solid, and less flighty and changeable than our thinking minds (hence the link to the earth element!)
Next in Yoga Nidra, we move we move onto breathwork. This is always a simple guided breath, often a count or just holding awareness – this takes our attention to the next level of our body – the energy body. Our breath impacts out central nervous system and can change how we feel, I am sure we have all found ourselves breathing shallowly when we are anxious, or notice that our breath is slow and long and deep when we are resting. The breath is the only automatic bodily function we have any influence over, and as such we can shift our energy through our breath.
Then we get a little more abstract, we work with what our thinking mind and emotions. Our thoughts and emotions affect us and the energy of our body, you can see this with people you know well, you can immediately feel their energy if they are tired and drained or if they are happy and excitable. We access this layer by giving ourselves a focal point to help us allow our thoughts and emotions to just be without pushing them away. We often do this by focussing on opposites, like heavy and light or hot and cold and by allowing ourselves to sit in the space between.
More abstract still we move into the intuition layer – this is the home of our inner knowing and wisdom – it is where we find our instinctive responses, our gut reaction. This is such an abstract part of being human, it is impossible to tie it down to a singular image or description, but we have all had those gut responses, when you simply know without being able to explain how. We explore this with guided visualisation, allowing the intuitive mind to create its own thoughts and images and seeing what emerges. This can sometimes be hugely informative.
Finally, the layer of our being known as bliss! This is the layer of our consciousness that, if we are lucky, we may recognise as that quiet and absolute stillness of deep inner peace which every now and again we get to access for a few moments. If you have a regular yoga practice and manage to stay on your mat for Savasana you are likely to have caught glimpses of this, that deep sense of peace and calm which is what draws so many of us to yoga! There are periods of quiet throughout the Yoga Nidra which allow you to drop into this bliss layer.
So, a full Yoga Nidra guides you through each of these layers, relaxing them, soothing them, gently nourishing them. You will be unsurprised to hear that these layers of our being are not linear, we are not like an onion! They interact and overlap, we cannot access just one without that impacting the other, so starting with our easiest layer to tune in to and working through to our most abstract allows us to benefit at every level.
Word is that a Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 4 hours sleep so deep and profound is the rest we experience, this is also why it is often translated as "yogic sleep." It is a beautiful act of simply being – surrendering all our doing and allowing ourselves to simply exist just as we are.
So, here is a transitioning into Autumn Yoga Nidra for you to enjoy. It is not designed for sleep, but you can certainly use it for sleep, there is no ending bell, so I suggest an alarm if you need to be up and about again. Simply find a quiet place, tell anyone you live with to leave you alone for half an hour, put your device on do not disturb, make yourself comfortable and enjoy! I personally particularly like a pillow under the knees, a lavender eye bag and a fluffy blanket – and don’t forget nice warm socks, cold toes are never conducive to relaxation! Autumn and winter call us inward as the days get shorter and cooler, giving yourself permission to rest and unwind becomes a valuable tool in aligning with the seasons which can help us feel settled and in tune with our world. It is a way of gathering what you need to keep you well, balanced and happy, and it also gives you space to let go of the things you do not want to carry with you into this season where self care steps up! Apologies for the questionable looking link, it is absolutely legit - just too large a file to put directly on the blog!
If you want to enjoy an in person Yoga Nidra then come along to our Friday relax and unwind Yin and Yoga Nidra evening at the Earley Crescent Resource Centre. Or book yourself in for a calming treat at one of our monthly Soothing Restorative Sunday classes which combine restorative yoga and a Yoga Nidra at Emma’s Yoga Hut, in theses classes every prop you need is provided, and you get to enjoy the beautifully calm sanctuary of the yoga hut, overlooking the garden with a class of just 3 people!
Sunday 22nd September 5pm Soothing Restorative Sundays: Restorative and Yoga Nidra
Friday 11th October 615pm Relax and Unwind: Yin and Yoga Nidra Evening.
Sunday 20th October 5pm Soothing Restorative Sundays: Restorative and Yoga Nidra
Check out the classes and events pages if these are calling to you!
Hope you enjoy your autumnal Yoga Nidra!
With love,
Emma x
(Emma runs Emma’s Yoga Hut in Earley. A tiny garden studio for small group yoga tuition. She is a yoga student and yoga teacher and has practiced yoga for nearly 30 years. She trained with the Traditional Yoga Association right here in Reading between 2016 and 2018 to achieve her 500 hour yoga teaching accreditation. She has additional teaching qualifications in Yin Yoga and Yoga Nidra. She is an accredited Sound Bath Facilitator and specialises in crystal singing bowls. She teaches Chair Yoga classes at local community centres where there is often a coffee and a chat after class. She is passionate about getting the beautiful benefits of yoga out to as many people as possible, Emma tries her best to practice yoga every day, and lying down for half an hour listening to Yoga Nidra definitely counts as yoga practice!)
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