Meditation can be described in MANY different ways. There isn’t a neat little box that we can put ‘meditation’ into and call it a day.

My favourite definition of meditation is… ”to bring the body and the mind into the same place at the same time.” When we focus our attention on the fullness of our physical, mental and energetic experience, we immediately drop into the present moment. This quality of presence opens us up to an awareness of the reality of our experience—right here, right now. Ultimately, we drop into the deep NOW. The Now is our only true reality and the place where our attention is most needed:

“Realise deeply that the present moment is all that you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.” Eckhard Tolle

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is quickly becoming a very popular meditative practice. And for good reason! Yoga Nidra offers unique insight into our multi-layer, multi-dimensional Self. The practice also provides deep relaxation and opportunity for reworking belief patterns that are limiting.

The wisdom teaching of Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation practice that leads you on a journey of expanded consciousness. Yoga Nidra provides you with a direct experience with all layers of Self.

The deep relaxation offered by Yoga Nidra creates a quiet and receptive brain state, which is fertile ground for revealing and releasing deeply held limiting beliefs. Through use of a Sankalpa or personal resolve, the practice provides space to rework the inner programming we create through our lives. The Sankalpa is typically linked to a limiting belief that we are reworking. A limiting belief is a belief that we hold that is no longer benefiting us. Through Yoga Nidra, when we see that we hold limiting beliefs, we can offer them up for change so that we operate from a more open and honest way of being. Sankalpa is a Sanskrit term in yogic philosophy that refers to a heartfelt desire, a solemn vow, an intention, or a resolve to do something. It is similar to the English concept of a resolution, except that it comes from even deeper within and tends to be an affirmation. This term comes from the Sanskrit roots san, meaning "a connection with the highest truth," and kalpa, meaning "vow." Thus, it translates to denote an affirming resolve to do something or achieve something spiritual.

This term comes from the Sanskrit roots san, meaning "a connection with the highest truth," and kalpa, meaning "vow." Thus, it translates to denote an affirming resolve to do something or achieve something spiritual.

With clear and achievable targets, you’ll be more motivated to actually fulfil them. After all, motivation is the only way you’ll achieve your goals.

The Benefits Of Yoga Nidra Practice

Beyond the obvious benefits of Yoga Nidra Practice including deep rest and relaxation, Yoga Nidra has also been found to:

• Improve sleep
• Decrease anxiety and experience of depression
• Alleviates stress
• Direct experience with all layers of self
• Gain clarity and focus
• Greater experience of presence
• Helps to rework limiting beliefs, patterns and habits

When you learn about the practice of Yoga Nidra, it may not seem to fit into the traditional definition of meditation. And that’s ok - meditation is about so much more than silent sits and focusing on your breath.

What makes Yoga Nidra unique from traditional seated meditation?

The 3 Unique Qualities Of Yoga Nidra:

1. Practices Laying Down, whereas Traditional meditation is practiced seated.

   Yoga Nidra is practiced in the posture of Savasana—laying down on your back with as many comfort items and as much support as needed. In this posture, you maintain complete stillness throughout the practice so that focus is on your inner experience.

2. Fully Guided Practice

   Whereas Traditional meditation involves placing your attention on an anchor, such as the breath, a mantra or other focal point. Much of the practice is then self-guided—everytime we lose track of the anchor, it is up to us to guide ourselves back to it.

   For the full length of Yoga Nidra practice you are guided by voice. The meditation guide speaks through the practice, helping you to maintain connection to the outer world while exploring the depths of your inner layers of Self.

3. Exploration of The Layers of Self

   Whereas whereas Traditional meditation is most often experienced in the ‘waking state’, associated with the Beta and Alpha wave brain states.

   Yoga Nidra explores the deeper layers of Self, moving beyond the waking states into the more subtle layers of Self. When asking ourselves ‘Who am I?’ we often focus on one aspect of Self. It might be the physical, mental or even spiritual. These identifications lack integration and fail to explain the full experience and breadth of Self.

   A full Yoga Nidra practice includes guidance through all of the layers of Self. Before even beginning, we set up a Sankalpa. Then, guidance begins with the outermost layer of Self and moves inwards.

Physical Layer

Every stress we feel emotionally takes it´s place somewhere in our bodies. In Yoga Nidra we engage with our body through the rotation of consciousness and letting go of tension. This practice helps us develop sensitivity to our body and re-awaken the feeling of presence that is easily lost in our busy lives.

Energy Layer

The positive energy in the body is typically explored through breath and visualizing movement of light or other symbols of dynamic energy. As energy in our physical body is essential for health, being the source of physical life and governing our biological processes, when we gain direct experience with divine energy itself, we gain wisdom on the movement, growth, creation of life.

Mid Layer

In the Yoga Nidra practice we utilize opposite sensations to experience the mind in it’s fullest capacity—by awakening thought, exploring its seeming opposite, and then harmonizing the experience through acceptance and release.

Creative Layer

Through visualization and imagery, we access deeper parts of Self that are beyond limited thought patterns. Visualization is a powerful tool to help us release old limiting patterns/beliefs and to see with clarity. Engaging with layer of Self through Yoga Nidra helps us to realize liberation of mind/consciousness and understand the transformative and creative fire that exists within us.

Bliss Layer

In the timeless moment of Now, we take our seat as the Witness. Only truth, only Unity, exists within this deepest layer of Self. The more that we practice Yoga Nidra the more we experience the realization of our purpose as Beings of the Divine.

Find Calm, Relaxation & Clarity

Each step of the Yoga Nidra practice takes you deeper and deeper into your innermost layers of Self. The practice offers us the opportunity to work with a personal resolve (Sankalpa). We can implant this personal resolve deeply into our subconscious. Beliefs are formed in the subconscious, and when we make changes at this level, we effectively create new belief patterns and ultimately new experiences in our life.