how to practice

* At a minimum, you’ll experience deep relaxation. You may not even realize how much tension you’re carrying around.

* Use the bathroom prior to practicing

* Have your journal next to you so when the practice is over you don’t need to get up

*Practice boundaries with people you share space with. Express your needs in a way that is appropriate.

* Play with props to support your body to be in your best comfy cocoon, remember it’s personal

* Be aware you’ll be in the same position the entire time. Set your body in a shape that is best suited for your body in that moment.

* Set the lights on a dim setting if possible

* Tell other members in your household you’ll be practicing and would appreciate a quiet atmosphere

* Fidget as much as you need to in the beginning to help your body settle

* You can play your own meditation music while listening to Yoga Nidra / NSDR. Keep the volume on a soft setting. As you deepen into the practice the volume will seem to get louder as your awareness becomes more internal.

* Yoga Nidra / NSDR is a practice of ‘being’, not ‘doing’. There’s nothing more for you to do except lay still and listen to the sound of my voice. The benefits occur in the stillness. Allow me to guide you.

* Its normal to loose track of time and space. It’s also normal to twitch as the body slowly drifts.

* If you loose your place, don’t try to “catch up” and do all the things I previously said. Simply come back to where my voice currently is, and begin again.

* Journaling after your Yoga Nidra / NSDR can help you discover the other gifts Yoga Nidra / NSDR will give you. This is such a personal practice that those gifts for you will be a part of your own personal discovery.

* Yoga Nidra / NSDR is the practice of 4 things: Stillness (SO hard), Listening (to the sound of my voice), Noticing (What sensations do I feel in my body? Can I describe them? Where do I feel them in my body?) and the toughest piece… ALLOWING (can you allow the sensations, whether pleasant or unpleasant, to be there without engagement. No stories of why you feel the way you feel. Simply watching and listening to what is occurring in your body.

Technically no. The state is the hypnagogic state or the state between. Staying in that zone IS the practice.

However, with as many people struggling with quality of sleep, if listening to a Yoga Nidra / NSDR helps you to drift off to sleep, like me, I say use what works. Sleep is the foundation of all physiology. It is the King player. I find Yoga Nidra / NSDR as a great way to allow myself to slowly drift away.

With that said, I believe the cueing of your environment is crucial if you are both practicing Yoga Nidra / NSDR or using it to guide you to sleep. What I mean by that, is I ONLY use Yoga Nidra / NSDR to guide me to sleep in my bed. When I practice I practice on my yoga mat.

Use it as part of your practice! Can you learn to not label the sounds you hear? Is it possible for you to be ok with these sounds? This is what practicing Yoga Nidra / NSDR will teach you. To be at peace with how life is, as it is.Keep practicing and you’ll be a smooth operator before you know it.

Being still amongst all sensations, including the yucky ones, are a part of the practice. The practice is to remain still. Yet if you’re so uncomfortable you need to move, move. Yoga Nidra / NSDR is a very personal practice where you are in charge of your body. YOU get to Choose and Cultivate the experience.

No worries. It’s time to try a different teacher. Some voices annoy or trigger us. Yoga Nidra / NSDR is a very personalized practice. If my voice doesn’t cut it, cut it out, but don’t cut out Yoga Nidra / NSDR. Find another Yoga Nidra / NSDR teacher. I won't take it personal. Get a teacher that gives you the sensation of safety so you can properly relax. (Hint: That’s where the juice is)