What is Yoga Nidra?

We added Yoga Nidra classes to our schedule this past summer and since have received many questions about Yoga Nidra. So, what is Yoga Nidra anyways?

Yoga Nidra, is an approach to yoga focusing more on the energetic and subtle bodies. Often referred to as a yogic sleep, or an adult nap (yes, we know, sounds amazing!), Yoga Nidra allows practitioners to receive the benefits of rest while exploring the deeper layers of relaxation through guidance of quieting the mind.

General Yoga Nidra position - Some practitioners chose to cover up with a blanket, prop up the knees with a bolster, or offer a blanket under the head for support. — General Yoga Nidra position – Some practitioners chose to cover up with a blanket, prop up the knees with a bolster, or offer a blanket under the head for support.

Yoga Nidra is a sleep based meditation technique that allows effortless disengagement from the thinking mind by entering space between waking and sleeping. It releases the healing potential of the body as in sleep by removing the mind. Yoga Nidra assists in self-realization by experiencing the self beyond the mind- our true state of being.

Your body knows how to allow sleep and with guidance you can remain awake and alert. Using a series of body, breath, and awareness techniques you may be able to disconnect from the thinking mind. This allows the body to deeply restore itself and change your relationship to pain, stressful situations and habits.

“The beauty of yoga nidra to Sandy is that there is almost no one over the age of 12 that can not do it!”

Yoga Nidra is often done from a supine position. Practitioners often take part in this practice laying on their back, but Yoga Nidra can also be done sitting in a chair if more support is needed. No experience with yoga or meditation is required to attend Yoga Nidra classes. Wear comfortable clothes and bring with you just yourself, and an open mind!

During the Fall at Village Yoga, Sandy Brookshire will be teaching Yoga Nidra classes once a week on Wednesday evenings from 6:00 – 7:00pm. Sandy has decades of experience with Yoga, but her first exposure to Yoga Nidra came in 2010 when she enrolled in a 10 day workshop on stress management at the Sivananda Ashram in the Bahamas. The instructor taught Yoga Nidra as the main technique, and she has practiced since that workshop to share the wonderful gift of Yoga Nidra.

Sandy became certified at the Amrit Institute in 2015. Sandy also enjoys incorporating intention setting during Yoga Nidra which students have felt is a powerful tool.