Yoga Nidra | Guide For Self Practice

A personal,

Daily,

Self-led 10-15 minute yoga nidra practice can be so beneficial for us because the more we enter that state of deep relaxation that yoga nidra puts us in,

The more we can carry to the outside world to be able to deal with all the stresses that life throws at us.

This is a step-by-step guide to give you the confidence to be able to lead your own practice so you can do it by yourself,

Anywhere,

Anytime.

Prepare yourself by getting as comfortable as possible,

Grabbing a blanket,

A pillow,

A bolster for below your knees,

An eye mask,

Anything you need to get as comfortable as possible.

To start the practice,

Start with a simple body scan.

You can just scan from your head all the way down to your toes,

Noticing any feelings and sensations that arise,

Not making any judgment of them,

And then connect to the breath.

Breathe deeply into the belly and just feel it going up and down,

And do that for a few minutes and then bring yourself back to your normal breath,

And select one or two pairs of opposite feelings or emotions.

Could be hot and cold,

Pain or pleasure,

Heavy or light,

And just really try to feel and visualize one of those emotions or sensations before moving on to feeling the opposite of that emotion or sensation.

Then after the opposite feelings,

Come up with and state an intention or affirmation three times,

A positive statement set in the present tense.

Then after you've set your intention,

Sit in silence for a few minutes,

Resting,

But be aware it is in this silence that you will be at your deepest state of consciousness,

The point of stillness within,

And it is in this state of consciousness where true healing can happen,

Where we can change our mindset,

And the more we can enter this state,

The easier it becomes to enter,

And the more we can carry this feeling of calmness into the outside world,

All you have to do is remember that stillness within whenever you get stressed.

So after the few minutes of silence,

Slowly bring yourself back,

Connect yourself back to your body,

Your breath,

Bring yourself back to the room,

Hear the noises outside the room,

Inside the room,

And come back to your normal breath.

The key to this practice is consistency,

Even as little as five minutes a day will go a long way to kickstarting your healing journey,

To becoming a truer,

More relaxed version of yourself.

Good luck.