Yoga of Sleep
Yoga Nidra, Sleep, Rest, Pregnancy, Postnatal, Motherhood
Winter 2024
Yoga of Sleep
When Lucca (my toddler) was a few months old, I remember my partner holding him for one of his naps - it meant I could pretty much guarantee myself an hour or two of unbroken sleep. After so many months of broken sleep and the exhaustion and mental toll of motherhood, I was in a state of extreme depletion. And yet, when I slid between the sheets my brain just wouldn’t turn off. Sleep, when it was there for the taking, evaded me when I most needed it. I felt desperate. I went into the room where my partner was holding Lucca and curled up next to them, sobbing, genuinely fearful of how my brain felt in that moment.
I’ve had bouts of insomnia at various points in my life. From feeling uncomfortable in bed to experiencing racing, hyper-vigilant thoughts or just lying awake for seemingly no good reason.
One of the things that has helped me is to practice Yoga Nidra or ‘Yoga of Sleep’. I listen to it in bed if I can’t sleep, or on the floor supported by blankets, cushions and yoga props or lying on the sofa. I’ve listened to them in the middle of the night as well as in the middle of the day. Yoga Nidra works best for me when I can lie down but see what works best for you.
I know that even if I have not slept well I have allowed my body to deeply rest even just for 20 minutes.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra is for everyone - it’s a potent meditative resource to nourish, reconnect and deeply restore your well-being and rhythmic cycles.
Yoga nidra is not meditation. And remember, you can’t be ‘good’ at it and you can’t be ‘bad’ at it. Yoga nidra is an auditory experience where you listen to a guided relaxation designed to allow your body to deeply rest, at a cellular level, and allow your brain to enter into a different state.
How to Practice Yoga Nidra
Begin by getting really comfortable.
Tenderly create a cocoon to fully support your head and body.
Your body temperature drops as you relax so make sure that you are really warm. Are your feet warm? Your lower back? Your shoulders?
When you are ready, listen to a yoga nidra.
Know that you may listen to every word that is said, you may drift in and out of the recording, you may even drift off to sleep. There is no right or wrong way to practice yoga nidra and all eventualities are welcome.
Free Yoga Nidra Audio Recordings
I include a link to one of my favourite and most simple yoga nidra that I recorded a few years ago. You can access this for free. I have had students use this during bouts of insomnia, even a few that listened to it in the early stages of labour.
I also include a link to the absolutely wonderful resources of the Yoga Nidra Network and there are so many amazing audios to listen to with a variety of themes to choose from. I use it regularly.
https://www.yoganidranetwork.org/yoga-nidra-made-easy-audio-files-page/