What is the sleep of the yogis?
Curious how you can be neither awake nor asleep and your body is at rest? Yoga nidra “sleep of the yogis” means sleep with full awareness. It’s a type of yoga used to focus, as well as physically seek deeper levels of consciousness through meditation. It’s a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. This state of consciousness is different from meditation, in which concentration on a single focus is required.
Anyone can practice yoga nidra. You don’t need any experience or special skills to practice yoga nidra. In a class, the teacher will guide you into the state as you simply lie down and listen. It will feel effortless. It is a deep relaxation and meditation technique for body, mind, and soul that leads to psychological, physical, and spiritual healing and well-being. Yoga nidra will give incredible calmness, quietness, and clarity on a mental, physical, and emotional level. It helps with better sleep, stress relief, and improves concentration, creativity, and intuition. Experience this in one of our Hatha Yoga & Yoga Nidra classes.
As you lay there, it can feel like if you are half day-dreaming half sleep-dreaming, perhaps you can remember how good it felt to be aware but not thinking. A moment for you where you don’t have your to do list popping up all the time and no stressful thoughts about had to do, or get or be. Your brain settles into a meditative state. There is a part of you that is always satisfied. Sometimes you receive an insight, resolution or you get reminded to your deepest level of rest. Just by taking this moment, laying there, you feel whole, connect and so much better which helps you to continuing living your life. Don’t get discouraged when your mind wanders. It’s a practice. No right or wrong in how you do it.
According to “the sleep of the yogi”, half an hour of practicing is equivalent to three hours of sleep. You can see the benefit of adding this into your regular yoga practice. Especially when burnout, stress, anxiety, physical pain and insomnia sounds familiar to you yoga nidra can be one of your remedies.
Very often relief can be as simple (and as difficult!) as finding a way to stop, rest and be. Listen to our podcast with Hilary Brown (owner Yoga Moves) and James Reeves (iRest and Yoga Nidra trainer). In this intimate conversation, they talk about rest, restlessness, and the process of learning ‘to be’ with yourself, life and doing less.
Also James is coming to Yoga Moves in September to lead an iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher Training. Learn more about teaching iRest Yoga Nidra.
Give Away | Free Meditation
This yoga nidra practice led by James Reeves is designed to help transport you to the land of nod, whether that’s as you take yourself to bed or if you wake up in the middle of the night and are unable to drift back off. Practice lying in bed, ready to sleep. Get Free Meditation.