Yoga nidra calms your nervous system with progressive relaxation. You can create your best yoga nidra by completely letting go, mentally and physically, while maintaining awareness rather than falling asleep. Your brain waves slow down in a yoga nidra session, giving you a break from the world, says Los Angeles yoga instructor Rod Stryker.
Guiding You to Relax
For the most beneficial yoga nidra experience, follow a trained teacher in a yoga class, a private lesson or a recorded session. A full session takes 20 to 45 minutes, as your mind and body sink into the stillness of deep relaxation. Your only goal is to consciously rest, so you can emerge feeling whole and rejuvenated.
The Resting Pose
A comfortable position is needed for an effective yoga nidra session, also known as yogic sleep, writes Stephanie Levin-Gervasi in Yoga Journal. Your instructor will guide you in body scanning or imagery to help you achieve a calm and refreshing inner peace. You can lie on your back on a yoga mat or carpet with eyes closed, as most instructors recommend. If you prefer, you could sit in a chair or lie on a bed. Have your arms and legs resting easily with no unnecessary tension or constriction.
Breath Awareness
Focus your awareness on your breath flowing in and out. Notice where you feel the breath in your body. You can feel air moving inside your nostrils, at the rims of your nostrils and perhaps on your upper lip. The rising and falling of your abdomen is obvious. You might also feel your back muscles, rib cage and collarbones moving slightly with each breath. Enjoy the feeling and imagery of energy flowing in and out as you relax more deeply with each breath.
Sankalpa: Setting Your Intention
You're encouraged to create a sankalpa and repeat it to yourself in a yoga nidra session. This is a statement affirming the realization of your heartfelt desire. "San" means your connection with the highest truth, and "kalpa" is vow or rule in the Sanskrit language, explains Stryker. You can choose a broad, general intention such as harmonious relationships, or a more specific personal goal. As you rest deeply, the instructor tells you to bring your sankalpa to mind, seeing yourself acting from this true intention.
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