Close your eyes and follow a relaxing, therapeutic sequence of visualizations, breathing techniques, and awareness-enhancing exercises; emerge feeling revitalized and serene.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is an easily accessible, profoundly relaxing guided meditation that can be practiced either lying down or sitting.

A Yoga Nidra session leads you through a carefully crafted sequence of mindfulness-based exercises into a state of deep relaxation and healing, located between sleep and wakefulness. Here, you activate your highest potential, and allow it to illuminate and transform your life. Through Nidra, you learn to identify with your awareness of events, not with the events themselves. You realize that even though you may experience pain, you are NOT your pain; your inner being remains happy and whole. Chaos may swirl all around you, but you are free to remain peaceful and steady in the eye of the storm.

I currently lead a monthly group class at Elevate Yoga that combines a mindful flow of postures (45 mintues) with Yoga Nidra (45 minutes).  Elevate Yoga Studio is located on Colfax, corner Elm, and the class is held on the LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH.  I would be delighted to see you there!

What are the benefits of Yoga Nidra?

Rooted in ancient yogic tradition, Nidra’s positive effects have also been documented by the latest research in neuroscience and other wellness-related fields. These benefits include:

reduced stress
increased resilience
better sleep
healing from physical and emotional trauma
greater clarity and creativity
freedom from undesirable habits and addictions
uplifted mood and freedom from depression
inner peace and freedom from anxiety
focused and directed use of your inner powers to attain your highest goals

Polina’s workshop on Yoga Nidra gave me very tangible tools to use and ways to understand my journey with sleep and anxiety. Above all, it is supporting my spiritual journey. Thank you! ~ Christmas Gainsbrugh, Denver, Colorado

What is a Yoga Nidra session like?

A Yoga Nidra session progresses through a specific sequence of exercises, designed to bring you to a state of peaceful relaxation, both physical and mental. We begin by creating an intention for the practice. Then we move into a comfortable position, lying down or sitting, depending on your needs, and arrange blankets and bolsters for maximum comfort and support. To let go of physical tension, we do self-massage or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). After that, we practice breathing techniques (pranayamah) to calm the mind, eliminating distractions and drawing you deeper into your inner experience. Then we proceed to the core of the practice, which consists of body awareness exercises, guided visualizations, and affirmations of your intention. After silent integration, I guide you out of the practice gently and gradually. You will emerge from Yoga Nidra feeling rejuvenated and serene, and will often gain a new perspective on your challenges and blessings.

How does Yoga Nidra Affect Brain Function?

In Yoga Nidra, your brain waves slow down from the waking frequencies (30-14 cycles per second), to the frequencies of relaxation and drowsiness (13-8 cycles), and then to deep sleep frequencies (4-1 cycles). When brain waves slow down below 5 cycles per second, your body’s self-healing mechanisms activate. Your body re-balances its own chemistry naturally, regulating the following neurotransmitters:

• Serotonin (regulates mood and appetite, sense of satiation, the feeling of “I have had enough”)
• GABA i.e. gamma-aminobutyric acid (regulates muscle tone and general excitability of the nervous system)
• Melatonin (regulates sleep cycles and natural rhythms of the body)
• Dopamine (regulates movement and impulse control, creates a sense of pleasure/reward).

Human growth hormone is also released, enabling repair of soft tissues, which is why Yoga Nidra is so helpful for healing from any physical trauma, from auto accident to sports injury.

With regular practice, you will gain the ability to enter slow brain-wave states at will and receive the benefits of deep relaxation any time you like.

Books about Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
This book closely follows Yoga Nidra’s roots in Indian philosophy and spirituality. It includes scripts for several different Yoga Nidra practices.
Yoga Nidra by Richard Miller.
This book integrates Yoga Nidra with Western psychology, particularly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It includes CD with recorded guided practices.

I currently lead a monthly group class at Elevate Yoga that combines a mindful flow of postures (45 mintues) with Yoga Nidra (45 minutes).  Elevate Yoga Studio is located on Colfax, corner Elm, and the class is held on the LAST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH.  I would be delighted to see you there!