What is Yoga Nidra?
The ancient practice of Yoga Nidra is literally translated as "yogic sleep". It is guided meditation where you enter a state of deep, receptive relaxation of your body and mind. During this progressive guided meditation, you remain conscious and aware. Yoga Nidra consciously follows your brainwaves down towards sleep where thoughts naturally distance from your mind. Here you experience healing release and relaxation in a new way. This creates ease and restoration in the body while promoting insight and stillness in the mind.
What are the benefits of Yoga Nidra?
Some health benefits of regular Yoga Nidra include:
improved cardiovascular health
glandular/hormonal balance and decreased hot flashes
improved memory recall and mental clarity
decreased inflammation and increased immune response
Yoga Nidra provides biochemical support for depression and anxiety. It also helps to counteract insomnia and the effects of stress that permeate our busy culture. It aids in recovery and eliminating addictive behaviors.
What can I expect during Yoga Nidra?
This practice begins by setting your personal intention and incorporating it into your Yoga Nidra session. We start with gentle movement, then move into breath awareness to still the mind. This is followed by a complete body scan, to connect to sensations within, and fully enter into a blissfully relaxing time of visualization.
Yoga Nidra is a practice that can benefit everyone and is accessible in every body regardless of your previous yoga experience. You only need to lay comfortably in a quiet space and allow the healing to begin. The hardest part is not falling asleep.
Leah is trained in the Integrated Amrit Method of Yoga Nidra.
