Yoga Nidra
'Yoga Nidra’ or the ‘sleep of the Yogi’ or ‘Yogic Sleep’ as it is known is an incredibly powerful and one of, if not the easiest forms of meditation and relaxation. It is a meditation, relaxation & healing practice all rolled into one! It is an incredibly relaxing, replenishing and restorative practice which will leave you feeling completely rested and recharged.
How does it work?
Yoga Nidra calms the nervous system enabling us to flip the switch from being stuck in
the sympathetic nervous system responses of ‘flight or fight’ and shift into a more restful
peaceful place of awareness where deep healing can occur (the parasympathetic nervous
system).
This is a place of deep self acceptance where we can slow our brain waves down as we journey through the practice, moving from beta
(where we spend most of our time doing, planning, analysing, organising etc) to alpha
(where we are calm, peaceful, anchored, reflective and kind of spacey!), to theta (where vivid dreams are experienced) and eventually reaching delta (the slowest brainwaves normally generated in dreamless sleep - healing and regeneration occur in this state).
Through the practice of Yoga Nidra, practitioners are guided mindfully and systematically into the
delta wave state and then, it is here, in this sweet spot of a brain state, true transformation
and fundamental change can occur. The practitioner is then guided safely back to everyday awareness (beta).
What do you need to do?
Nowhere to go, no one to see, nothing to do, all that Yoga Nidra asks of you is to lie down
comfortably and listen to the sound of my voice. No yoga poses required. Just simply
lying down and profoundly resting. Sounds good right?!
As you rest in the physical body the mind remains alive as it is given little activities to do.
It is all about listening and hearing. Listening to me and maybe hearing your inner voice
too. Yoga nidra progressively releases mental and emotional tensions from the mind,
allowing us to let go of beliefs and thoughts that no longer serve you.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is a powerful, safe and highly effective practice that is medically proven to offer
evidence based benefits for alleviating stress related issues, anxiety, depression, insomnia
and pain. It is therapeutic on every level!
Insomnia: Sends people to sleep - the more regularly you
practice Yoga Nidra, the more consistent your sleeping
patterns become and the more refreshed you feel when you wake up.
Tension relief: Great stress reliever -While other forms of relaxation are
amazing, in Yoga Nidra you’re not only releasing tension in the body,
you’re also releasing accumulated tensions in the mind, which is really
where stress begins.
Exhaustion: you experience deep profound rest.
Premenstrual: tones things down.
Studying: helps keep the mind clear.
Supports immune system: helps balance the system.
Helps you: be more authentically present.
Helps you: regulate your rhythms.
The Art of Sound
There is non organ or system in the body that is not affected by sound, music and vibration. You can look at disease as a form of disharmony. (Mitchell Gaynor)
Sound Healing is all about vibration, resonance and intention … every sound is vibration and vibration touches every cell in our body, every sound that has loving intention is a Healing Sound … therefore we not only hear sound, we feel it physically, emotionally and soulfully. If every sound is vibration and if the vibration touches each and every cell of our body, we can understand that we don't perceive sound only with the ears, but with every cell in our body.
Sound Therapy is so effective because it influences our emotional bodies as well as our physical bodies. Emotional imbalances are at the root of many physical diseases and when we heal our emotional bodies, the physical symptoms disappear. Sound and emotions are deeply connected. Human emotions have their immediate expression through sound, and it is often the repression of the sound of the emotions that creates emotional blockages. Conversely, sound can be used to unlock the blocked emotions and release them with ease and grace. Stress reduction is one of the most important results of receiving sound therapy. Stress is the underlying cause of many physical conditions and it melts away with ease when you are bathed in a sea of sound healing vibrations.
Sound bathing is a simple yet profound way to connect with the core of our being and tune our body at a cellular level through the gentleness of its resonance, using healing sounds of many sacred instruments including Sensual, Vocal Toning, Drum, Tibetan Singing Bowls, Koshi Chimes and Rainstick.
Sara combines the transformative healing power of both Yoga Nidra and Sound into a beautifully relaxing magical experience that will soothe your body, mind and soul. A complete holistic detox that will leave you feeling rested, rejuvenated and uplifted. You are invited to rest and relax as you bathe in the gentle healing sounds, releasing stress and blockages whilst Sara sings the Tibetan Singing Bowl on your body, to support the gentle retuning and rebalancing of your physical and energetic systems.
It's time to rest... and experience the magic of Yoga Nidra.
Come and join me at my classes in and around Lutterworth, Leicestershire.