What is Yoga Nidra?
A state of consciousness between waking and sleeping induced by guided meditation.
Benefits
- Induces profound physical and mental relaxation
- Accesses the hypnagogic state between waking and sleep
- Reduces anxiety, stress, and chronic pain
- Supports integration of difficult emotions and experiences
- One hour of practice is said to equal four hours of sleep in restorative value
What to Expect
You'll lie down in savasana — completely still — for the entire session. A guided voice leads you through systematic body rotation, breath awareness, pairs of opposites, and visualisation. You may drift toward sleep; this is normal and beneficial. The practice asks nothing of you physically. Sessions usually end with a gradual return to full waking awareness. Bring a blanket and eye mask for comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it just a guided relaxation?
- Yoga Nidra is more systematic than general relaxation. It uses a specific sequence to move awareness through different layers of being (koshas), producing states that go deeper than ordinary rest.
- What if I fall asleep?
- Falling asleep is common and not considered a failure — the practice works at subconscious levels even then. With time, most practitioners learn to hover at the threshold without fully sleeping.
- Can it help with insomnia?
- Yes. Yoga Nidra is widely used for insomnia and sleep disorders. It retrains the nervous system's ability to rest deeply.