As we start to wind down summer (yes it officially lasts until the fall equinox but folks I know are already talking about it being over — we hurry everything in our culture), I wanted to share with you a resource meant to be used again and again: a recording of my leading a session of yoga nidra at Recharj earlier this month. As the late great Toni Morrison said: You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down. Yoga nidra can be a useful tool in letting aforementioned shit go.
Yoga Nidra refers to both the state of conscious relaxation that occurs between wakefulness and sleep and the matrix of guided meditative techniques that helps you get there. I teach a weekly yoga nidra class and recorded this one on August 1st, 2019, which is 34 minutes long.
To practice yoga nidra, find a time and place where you won’t be disturbed. Maybe it’s instead of your afternoon nap or after-work bevvie. Turn off your devices, and find a comfortable and sustainable position — many people like to practice lying down with a pillow under their knees to ease their lower back. This could even be in bed! Feel free to use an eye mask. Your only job is to listen, but you may find yourself coming in and out of awareness, which is fine: your brain isn’t actually sleeping, and you’ll still get full benefit out of the practice. You might want to keep a journal nearby to jot or sketch anything that comes up after you’re done.
Enjoy and please let me know if you have any feedback — or requests for future meditations.
