My introduction to yoga nidra came through research I was doing for a client. The more I learned about the practice, the more I wondered whether embracing it was a lifestyle choice rather than just an activity someone did a few times per week. Here is what I learned: it can be both.
Yoga nidra is a branch of yoga that helps practitioners achieve a state between wakefulness and sleep. It is a deep, calm, and meditative state that promotes both physical relaxation and being in tune with one’s own body. As an activity practiced for 10-30 minutes at a time, it can be very beneficial in the effort to reduce stress. But it can also be embraced as a lifestyle.
Yoga Nidra’s Basic Principles
Yoga nidra is intended to be a form of guided meditation. However, advanced practitioners can go through the exercises without a guide. The goal is to focus on the body and its sensations in a systematic manner. As body and mind relax, the practitioner experiences a deeper understanding of self-awareness and consciousness.
It is important to note that yoga nidra embraces the spiritual aspects of yoga. Yet it is possible to embrace the guided meditation aspects of the practice without getting into the spiritual. Practitioners and mobile apps focusing primarily on sleep meditation and guided visualization do just that.
Yoga Nidra as an Activity
As an activity practiced several times per week, yoga nidra can help reduce stress, improve overall well-being, and improve sleep quality. Based on my research, I am guessing that those are the very reasons people get into yoga nidra to begin with. Some also appreciate the spiritual aspects while others focus exclusively on the guided meditation portion.
Interestingly enough, I found the suggestion to take up yoga nidra in a Yahoo! Life article discussing three simple things people could do to radically change their lives. Yoga nidra was mentioned alongside exercising and eating a plant-based diet. That’s what got me thinking about yoga nidra as a lifestyle choice.
The Yoga Nidra Lifestyle
My brain made the lifestyle connection because regular exercise and dietary changes are both considered lifestyle choices. If you are going to exercise to improve your health, it’s something you’re going to do on an ongoing basis. Likewise for modifying your diet. It doesn’t help to eat healthy food one day per week and continue eating junk on the other six.
So what does the yoga nidra lifestyle look like? Scott Moore, a yoga nidra expert and sleep meditation teacher, says the simplest way to understand it is employing the principles yoga nidra teaches across other aspects of one’s life. For example:
- Daily Integration – Practicing yoga nidra for just 10-30 minutes per day brings consistency. It can be practiced during breaks, before bedtime, or even as part of the morning routine.
- Reduced Stress – Daily practice can reduce stress and calm the nervous system, making it possible to handle stress more effectively at work and at home.
- A New Mindset – Mindfulness is a key component in yoga nidra. Practicing mindfulness throughout the day encourages self-awareness, clarity, and calmness. It is a mindset that can be practiced in virtually any circumstances.
Even without a guide present, a person experienced in yoga nidra can stop, step back, and relax. He can regain his composure under stress. Imagine having that kind of control over your body and mind in a hectic world that can be quite disruptive.
Some people embrace yoga nidra as an activity practiced regularly. Others embrace it as a lifestyle. Both choices are completely valid.
