Yoga Nidra: a space for rest, connection and creativity

Yoga Nidra, a state of conscious deep sleep, is a simple yet profound technique that unwinds the nervous system and induces complete physical and mental relaxation with inner awareness. It doesn’t try to fix anything, instead, through deep heartfelt listening and welcoming it enables a deep connection with your Self.

I have been practising Yoga Nidra for years. As a kid, I used to look forward to lying down in bed and fall asleep through the words of Yoga Nidra. There was something magical, I could reach beautiful places through my imagination and then gently fall asleep. Little I knew that in those moments I was allowing myself to drop into the stillness of my being. All I was interested in at that time was feeling like ‘floating’ and gently moving into a dream-like state to then fall asleep. Over the years I ended up moving away from the practice and returned to it a few years ago as part of my Hatha Yoga practice. I recall lying on the ground in the shala in a retreat in South India and connecting to a vast, silent, quiet space within myself. I found myself being conscious while being in that space of awareness and at the same time feeling like my body wasn’t responsive. It blew my mind. All of a sudden I fell in love again with this beautiful practice.

I started to slowly integrate Yoga Nidra back into my life. I soon realised how deeply effective and therapeutic it is. Being a person who loves thinking and analysing, analysing about the most complex and intricate things, I also find so much joy in resting and immersing myself into silence. I am a meditator as well, however, there is something magical about Yoga Nidra. Possibly what makes it so much more inviting for so many people is the setup. People mostly lie down in Yoga Nidra. They have plenty of pillows, eye bags, cushions, and blankets. Everything is set up to make the practice as restorative as possible. So there is no trying to sit in a tall-crossed-legs manner while meditating (which takes some time to love). The full purpose of Yoga Nidra is to let the body and the mind relax so that we can fully surrender and connect with the infinite and silent nature of our being.

Yoga Nidra & brainwaves

Any Yoga or meditation practice that we use to quiet the mind has an impact on the activity of our brain and its waves. Yoga is the space in which we reside when we drop within and experience this spacious awareness. Nidra, means ‘sleep’. So, through Yoga Nidra we achieve a conscious sleep state, where our brain’s activity is reduced dramatically and we have the opportunity to abide into awareness itself. Ancient Yogis soon realised that it was much easier to have people lie down and practice this type of meditation rather than having people sit. It becomes easier when lying down to let go of the identifications of the mind and support this process of deep relaxation.

In a ‘normal’ state of being awake we experience what we call ‘beta brainwaves’. The activity of the brain is quite high and so it becomes more challenging to experience what lies beyond that and drop in within ourselves. In this state, we are often identified with the ‘character’ we play in life. In contrast, Alpha and theta waves are connected with a deep state of relaxations, Nidra states - the dream state. in these states thoughts exist but individuals are less identified with them. Thoughts are secondary, they fade away and lose their primary role of disturbance that they have in our beta states.

Yoga Nidra and creativity

These days I like practising Yoga Nidra daily or at least 3 times a week. 20-35 min is normally the length of a Yoga Nidra and I have been finding this ritual so important during these COVID-19 times. On one hand, practising Yoga Nidra is a powerful tool for rest and an antidote for overthinking or stress. I personally yearn for rest and relaxation and I make sure I create the time every day for that. It’s a channel to experience a direct connection with my deepest self. On the other hand, I use Yoga Nidra to enhance my creativity. I write poetry and songs and I am always on the lookout or more. Creativity, as many of you might know, doesn’t come by command. It just arises within us naturally. And yes, the state of Yoga Nidra is great for encouraging memories, ideas, and insights. So when I feel tired, or not inspired, I practice Yoga Nidra. Believe me when I say that you can get insights, inspirational ideas even days after your practice.

How and where?

You can find some amazing resources online which offer high-quality Yoga Nidra. My favourite is https://www.yoganidranetwork.org/ a page set up by Uma Dismore-Tuli and her husband Nirlupta Tuli. It’s a collection of ideas of different facilitators around the world.

I personally teach group Yoga Nidra every Friday at Leyton Yoga (all classes are now online) and you can book via the website: www.leytonyoga.com/schedule. I also do 121 therapeutic Yoga Nidra and sound, incorporating singing bowls , voice and gong to work on specific themes with my clients and co-create together a practice that is at the source of their future breakthroughs.

I will also be soon releasing free Yoga Nidra with my newsletter so if you want to stay in touch and receive some of this goodness, sign up on this website.

If you are new to this practice, I couldn’t recommend it more. It’s an entry-level practice, open to everyone that can unfold so many amazing benefits for yourself and your life.