Does rest debt need to be resolved before practicing Yoga Nidra?

BY Indu Aroa2 min read • January 18, 2023

Just as it's difficult to appreciate a 5-star Michelin restaurant meal if one hasn't eaten for days (and the body is just desperate for any nourishment), Yoga Nidra is best practiced when one has fortified the body with the physical/mental rest it needs prior to a Yoga Nidra practice.

Yoga Nidra is not only a practice, but a state of consciousness. With certain preparatory practices, sankalpa, and kindness toward ourselves, we can attain this state, which can bring with it a feeling of deep rest. However, the goal of Yoga Nidra is not to replace or induce sleep. It takes persistent attention and effort to hold on to consciousness as the body moves into a state of deep relaxation. Just as it's difficult to appreciate a 5-star Michelin restaurant meal if one hasn't eaten for days (and the body is just desperate for any nourishment), Yoga Nidra is best practiced when one has fortified the body with the physical/mental rest it needs prior to a Yoga Nidra practice.

At times like this, consider instead the practice of Shavasana, which helps rejuvenate the body and mind and provides an important foundation for the practice of Yoga Nidra. Shavasana gives the opportunity to set the stage for Yoga Nidra by regulating the circadian rhythm, reducing rajas, adding balance (samatvam) and contentment (santosha) and increasing our sensitivity to pranic flow.

By satisfying these basic needs of the body, we prime the body and awareness to move more easily into deeper levels of consciousness when we do practice Yoga Nidra. It's essential that we listen to the conversation of the body and respond with the practice that fits the needs of the moment. When we recognize and attend to these needs, we set the scene for the body and mind to settle and truly welcome rest.

Enjoy the contentment of knowing that by attaining rest, you have already taken the first step toward reaching Yoga Nidra.

PREPARE FOR YOGA NIDRA WITH THESE PRACTICES

Shavasana Collection: Rest as Practice

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