What is Yoga Nidra & Why do I love it So Much?

Yoga Nidra is at once a practice of deep relaxation as well as a potent system for mental & energetic refinement. Of all of the yogic meditation practices, Yoga Nidra is the one where many speak of it as in terms of a love affair. Yoga Nidra has affectionate names such as ‘Sleep of the Gods’, ‘Divine Rest’, ‘Effortless Ease’ or ‘Yoga Nodra’ - each of these names reflect an element of the transcendental qualities in this practice, and the affection that people have for this simple system of self restoration.

I am a deep lover of so many yoga practices, I practice a lot of hatha yoga/asana, and I do a lot of pranayama/breathwork as well as practicing seated meditation practices of Ajapa Japa (mantra) & Antar Mouna (mindfulness). I hate to pick favourites, but if I had to give all of my yoga toys back, and keep just one, I think that one would be Yoga Nidra. (I’m not giving them back by the way, I do love them all too much, and the thought of a life without all of those practices, sounds very angsty and bleak.)

What I teach people with Yogic Meditation is a system of yoga, a system of developing the personality & evolving our capacity of awareness - this is a system where all of those practices work together in symphony, a set of tools to manage your body, mind & spirit, that can be adapted for every lifestyle in every season.

All of the practices of yoga are wonderful, however Yoga Nidra has a special quality that makes every other practice work better - it is like the ‘Special Sauce’ that makes everything else taste good. As I describe in the video belong, Yoga Nidra is like a ‘glue’ that binds everything together.

In this video, I explain what Yoga Nidra is, as well reflecting on my own journey with the practice & reflecting as some of the reasons that I love the practice so much.

Screen Shot 2021-04-14 at 8.45.01 am.png

If you haven’t tried Yoga Nidra, you really should, there are lots of ways to practice, I teach regularly at Bamboo Yoga, running weekly classes & regular courses - I’ve also got some practices on Insight Timer, you can connect with me & listen to the practice here.

For those interest in learning to teach yoga nidra, you should check out our Meditation TTC - it is a fundamental part of this course.

Featured
Meditation, Yoga Nidra & Breathwork Retreat & Teacher Training - Bali - Level 1 - 50Hr
May 22
Meditation, Yoga Nidra & Breathwork Retreat & Teacher Training - Bali - Level 1 - 50Hr

This 50hr Meditation & Breathwork Teacher Training Pathway is a life defining experience for anyone seeking to dive deeper into the wisdom of meditation and the yoga tradition as well as learning the personal & practical skills to share meditation, yoga nidra & breathwork with others.

Meditation & Breathwork Teacher Training - 120 Hr Online
Jun 12
Meditation & Breathwork Teacher Training - 120 Hr Online

This 120 hr Meditation & Breathwork Teacher Training Pathway is a life defining experience for anyone seeking to dive deeper into the wisdom of meditation and the yoga tradition as well as learning the personal & practical skills to share meditation & breathwork with others.

200HR Bali Yoga Teacher Training
Sep 1
200HR Bali Yoga Teacher Training

This 200hr Yoga Teacher Training Pathway will be run in Bali Indonesia and is led by senior, experienced teachers delivering a framework based on traditional yogic wisdom and modern science. This course is a life changing experience for anyone who takes the journey, providing a sound knowledge of vinyasa, hatha and restorative yoga as well as comprehensive training in anatomy & physiology, yoga nidra, meditation and yoga philosophy,


Kundalini Tantra - 7 Day Retreat & Teacher Training
Oct 1
Kundalini Tantra - 7 Day Retreat & Teacher Training

Kundalini Tantra is an ancient system of personal empowerment that seeks to evolve our personal energy field to enhance the quality of our mind and personal prowess. Practiced with intention and skill Tantric technique has a the capacity to elevate our experience of yoga asana and meditation towards another dimension of possibility.

Featured
7 Breath Techniques to make your Yoga Practices more Meditative 🌬️
7 Breath Techniques to make your Yoga Practices more Meditative 🌬️

Breathwork is the key to open to door towards meditation, through the exploration and subtle manipulation of the breath, we have the capability of supercharging our practice, intentional breathwork practiced correctly can settle the nervous system and the mind, cultivating a deeply meditative state of being, supporting Mindfulness and Focussed Awareness, aka, Meditation.

How to Make your Yoga Practices more Meditative
How to Make your Yoga Practices more Meditative

The idea that 'yoga' is a practice that has been abjectly separated from the practice of meditation is absurd, if not concerning. Where have we ended up? And how do we possibly get back on track to the destination that we were seeking? For any of you who are curious, to help navigate this journey I have collated a list of my top recommendations on how to make your yoga practice more meditative.

I am No-one, I come from No-Where
I am No-one, I come from No-Where

In my journey as a yogi, I have steadily cultivated the art of dis-identification, the idea of being qualified  by my post-code seems disingenuous at best. Indeed the idea of being qualified by my skin colour, nationality or opinions about politics has become steadily more distant. As my meditation practice has progressed, the inclination to define myself by anything other that my kindness towards others has been gracefully softened.

YS4.jpeg
Yoga Teacher Training - There's Gold in those Hills...✨🕉️💛

I had been a student of yoga for over a decade before committing to formal teacher training, yet I always felt that I knew the time would come. I didn’t study yoga to become a teacher, teaching was a byproduct. I studied yoga because I really wanted to understand the way the world worked, and how I could live peacefully within it. I intuitively knew that yogic philosophy and practice had the answers that I was seeking, I just needed to commit to the journey of discovering what those answers were. I knew that there was gold is those hills, I just needed to start digging. 🧘🏼‍♂️

The Yoga of Positivity... ✨
The Yoga of Positivity... ✨

My teacher Swami Satyadharma was very fond of reminding me that the very definition of a yogi is the ability to be positive with whatever circumstances arise… always thinking what can I learn in this situation? how can I evolve? How can I improve karma & make these circumstances better for myself & those around me?

2 Definitions of Yoga that You Should Know 🤓
2 Definitions of Yoga that You Should Know 🤓

There are 2 core definitions offered through the classical teachings of yoga that every aspirant should know;

9 Things that I have Noticed from 20 years of Meditation Practice
9 Things that I have Noticed from 20 years of Meditation Practice

I have been engaged with a practice of meditation and self awareness for nigh on over 20 years, make that 25 years if I include the first five years of 'asana only' practice. It's a useful thing to be able to look back and reflect upon the journey and consider what insights that I have garnered along the way.

So here it is, my list of 9 things that I have noticed from 20 years of meditation practice;

The two all encompassing approaches of the Yoga tradition: Viyoga and Samyoga
The two all encompassing approaches of the Yoga tradition: Viyoga and Samyoga

There are 2 broad concepts that encapsulates every concept and technique that we engage with upon our journey of yogic meditation. Samyoga and Viyoga are ultimately the two essential parts of any system of meditation within the yoga tradition and well worth consideration by any aspirant.

Breathwork the Boring Way
Breathwork the Boring Way

Every time I see an advertisement for Breathwork training - I can't help but think that Breathwork must be EXCITING. Transformational, rebirthing, orgasmic, these are the profound adjectives that are applied to the curative powers of the natural breath.

The thing is, this is all true, practiced in a particular way, the breath can indeed be a tool to transcendental realms. HOWEVER, this is only a part of the truth, and not even the best part!

What does Yoga Consider to be ‘the Mind?’
What does Yoga Consider to be ‘the Mind?’

When yogis speak about the ‘mind’ they are talking about much more than the brain. The Mind in Yoga is what is sometimes called the 'Body Mind’, references the idea that our memory and trauma is stored within the body, in the form of 'samskaras’ and that our pathway for improving our mental condition is to harmonise the chitta and release any trauma that is stored as varsanas & cause vrittis.