Yoga nidra (meaning "yogic sleep" in Sanskrit) is a sleep based meditation practice that takes you on a journey through the different layers or "koshas'of your body using techniques such as body scans, breath work, visualizations, and more. In yoga nidra we are harnessing the healing power of deep sleep while maintaining a trace of awareness.

During yoga nidra, you appear to be asleep but really you are in a state between wakefulness and sleep where the mind is very receptive and open.  In this state, your brain wave patterns progressively slow down, just like when you fall asleep. 

Part of why yoga nidra is so easy to practice is because it is based on something you body already knows how to do so well- SLEEP.  

Yoga nidra is a practice of non-doing.  In today's busy world of go, go, go, it is time to rediscover rest.  You don't have to do anything in yoga nidra but lie down, relax, and listen to the teacher's voice. No yoga experience is required and anyone can do it, regardless of physical ability. Even first time meditators can enter into a state of deep relaxation through yoga nidra.

There is no right or wrong way to practice yoga nidra.  Yoga nidra takes you on a personal, inward journey so everyone's experience is different. 

Yoga nidra meets you where you are depending on how you are feeling that particular day or your level of experience with the practice. All you have to do is lie down and listen. 

 As my teacher Karen Brody says, "Yoga nidra is rest medicine." When you practice yoga nidra, you are getting all the benefits of a nap plus the benefits of a deep meditation practice. Relearn how to deeply rest and break the cycle of constant "doing" that can lead to exhaustion.

Among its many benefits, a consistent yoga nidra practice may help you:

reduce physical stress

finally feel rested

resolve sleep issues

heighten your creativity and focus 

manifest your intentions

release emotional blockages 

balance your energy centers 

explore your inner world

rediscover your true self