Yoga Nidra for Winter: Yoga with Melissa 604

Yoga Nidra for Winter

Winter gives us pause to become aware of our own energy reserves and the way we conserve them. Yoga nidra allows us to drop into meditative rest to conserve our energy. This yoga nidra for winter will allow you to contemplate the blessings of rest and the gift that it is to be able to restore our energy reserves with practices like yoga nidra. In this yoga nidra we will embrace the quiet stillness that winter gives us, sending forth prayers of restoration for all those who need rest including yourself.

For this practice all you need is a comfortable place to rest. Maybe a bolster or a pillow for under your knees if your low back bothers you when you lie on your back. A blanket to pull up over you can provide extra warmth and comfort. An eye pillow can align you with the darkness of the winter season. Let yourself be cozy.

I want to acknowledge you for setting aside the time to tend to your energy reserves at this time. For this nourishing self care.

What is the best time to do yoga nidra?

According to traditional Chinese medicine, from 1-3 pm fire element and your small intestine meridian is most active. Your small intestine meridian is often overworked from “sorting the pure from the impure.” This is an excellent time of day to bring in conscious rest, such as yoga nidra, to provide your mind a break from all the mental processing you do through the day.

Winter is one of the best times to practice yoga nidra. According to traditional Chinese medicine, winter is the season of water element and the kidneys which are responsible for your source energy. When we do practices like yoga nidra we can tend to our energy reserves.

What are the stages of Yoga Nidra?

These are the stages of Yoga Nidra that I teach, however I sometimes vary the order and may not include every stage in every yoga nidra.

1. Centering/Permission/Introduction of Theme: Allows students to become comfortable and Prepare for Practice

2. Sankalpa or Intention Setting

3. Body Sensing/Body Scan/Circulating Awareness Through the Body

4. Breath Awareness

5. Awareness of Opposites

6. Resting in Yoga Nidra

7. The Return

What happens if you fall asleep during yoga nidra?

It is not a problem. It means that you need the sleep and I am glad that you got the rest. When your body is rested you will experience yoga nidra as sleep with awareness. Dr. Sarah C. Mednick, a Harvard trained research scientist and a pioneer in nap research found that even if you do “fall asleep” in yoga nidra, you will receive the same nourishment to cognition and wellness as a full night’s sleep.

What happens in Yoga Nidra?

Yoga nidra is a guided meditation that allows you to rest deeply in a state of consciousness that is somewhere between waking, dreaming and sleep. Through this guided meditation your attention is drawn inward a body scan, breath awareness, and awareness of opposites, inviting your mind into a conscious deep sleep.

What is the difference between yoga nidra and meditation?

Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation where you rest back and you are guided into a conscious sleep. With meditation you often practice seated and your awareness is often on a single point, such as your breath. Generally in meditation the hope is that you stay alert and conscious, whereas in yoga nidra you go into a sleep-like state.