If someone had told me 5 years ago that I would be highly advocating to teach people how to give their bodies rest through Yoga Nidra, I would have given them “the look” (can you recall the one your mom used to give to signal a warning of… don’t even think about it!?). Growing up in a culture of do do do, going to a class to specifically learn and experience how to consciously sleep was so foreign yet the every kind of “oh so good” I never knew my body and my mind needed at the time.
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation for conscious sleep. It is said that about 30-45 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to roughly 4 hours of sleep. For my insomniacs, my workaholics, and the likes, shout out to you and respect for still standing. Here is a gift you might have never known you’ve ever needed before. I promise, you will thank the heavens later :).
The open and discreet demands of this day and age are constantly at play, so it is no wonder that anxiety is so prominent.
Speaking as a woman who also happens to come from a family of extremely powerful women, I understand the subtle pressure of “joining the pack” and not feeling like the weakest link. We feel this unknown desire to multitask. It’s a monkey see monkey do technique that has worked for long periods of time, so we think. We, unfortunately, rarely got to see our mothers and grandmothers openly share how exhausted they were from the action figure Heroin role we saw them play.
Your Sankalpa, which is a heartfelt prayer, is a simple sentence that is framed in a present and positive manner. Examples are: my body, mind and spirit are healthy. Repeat this to yourself 3 times, each time feeling it to be true.
This is mentioned before you begin the systematic rotation of scanning the body through visual cues, whilst feeling an energetic touch that will not only ground you and rejuvenate you but will heal the parts of you that feel guilty for resting.
So this Women’s month, with a golden bow attached, enjoy the gift of rest through Yoga Nidra queen and princess. You deserve to rest🙏