Resting into Loving Awareness: Trauma-informed Yoga Nidra Practice
Happy Winter Solstice. It’s the darkest time of the year, arguably the perfect time for rest — so here’s another invitation to rest, from me to you. By the time we wake up in the morning, the light begins to increase, day by day.
This rest practice starts with some movement and breath, which may be helpful for settling if you’re not ready to lie down right away.
Here are some general instructions for yoga nidra:
Yoga nidra means “yogic sleep” and it is both a practice and a state of consciousness. The practice involves a multi-stage guided meditation designed to guide you to a resting place. The state of consciousness is described as somewhere between waking and sleeping, where deep healing can occur.
For your practice it is important to get as physically comfortable as you can, so please — go all out. Whether you’re practicing on a yoga mat, a couch, or in bed — feel free to grab all the pillows and blankets you can get your hands on. Even an eye pillow (or a towel) if you’d like. We’re embracing softness over here. Your body temperature will often drop in this practice, so please dress warmly.
While yoga nidra is generally a practice of horizontal stillness - you are not stuck. Move and adjust at any time. If laying down isn’t available to you right now, feel free to sit up while leaning against a wall or some other kind of support.
