When people think of yoga, they often think of a practice with lots of flow and movement—and sometimes lots of sweat. For some, that can be a wonderful and healing practice, but if that’s not your thing there’s another type of yoga—Yoga Nidra. Similar to other yoga classes, Yoga Nidra has an instructor to help guide you, but rather than being guided through chaturangas and down dogs, you’re guided through rest.
Yoga Nidra has been described as being among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness (not being asleep). It has some similarities to a guided meditation, but instead of focusing singularly on your thoughts, you’ll be guided through different visualization techniques and body scanning. You might be asked to visualize a goal, to connect to your breath, and to set an intention. Apart from the deep relaxation, there are wonderful benefits to Yoga Nidra, which has been found to reduce tension and anxiety with regular practice, and has been used to treat Army veterans with PTSD. You can learn even more about the practice in the book Radiant Rest by Tracee Stanley.
If you want to give it a try, check out the 20-minute guided Yoga Nidra session below. First, find a quiet place to lie down. If you’re not comfortable on a yoga mat on the floor, you can lie on a couch or bed. You can bring a blanket along for added coziness as well.