Free Online Yoga Nidra Tonight!

In honor of International Day of Yoga and the June Solstice, I am offering a free online yoga nidra class to all. The free class will be held tonight, June 20, Summer Solstice Eve at 7:30 pm. The actual Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere occurs late tonight/early morning at 5:14 a.m. EDT. Register here for this free special event as we celebrate the season of light and energy. Yes, it's free! (Donations are welcome.)

This class is offered in place of the usual Monday night Yoga Nidra. Those classes will resume next week.

Yoga Nidra: Breath Awareness

There are several styles of yoga nidra, but each follows a similar outline that adheres to the five layers of being (the koshas). My purpose here is to share a breakdown of the common parts that are handled similarly in most styles of yoga nidra thought.

(Note: You may want to google the koshas or you may refer to my previous blogs/newsletters for more detailed discussion of the five koshas. To make things easier for you, I have linked to the appropriate blogs within the discussion below.)

Breath as a Separate Section of Yoga Nidra

Throughout yoga nidra practice, we return to the breath again and again. From settling in at the very beginning all the way through to our transitions from one section of yoga nidra to another. Also included in the practice is a special section specifically devoted to the flow of the breath. In this phase of the practice, you are generally deep within the energy layer of being (pranamaya kosha). Generally in this section your yoga nidra guide will help direct your breath in a certain way.

What Does Breath Awareness Mean?

It means that your mind and body are so relaxed from the body scan (the previous section) that the direction of the wind inside you can be more easily applied. The breath awareness section readies you for the transition to the next layer of being, the thinking/emotional layer (manamaya kosha, )which I will discuss in a later newsletter/blog). The different patterns of breath introduced by the guide allows you to see within the energy body and begin to direct your breath using the thinking layer.

Any physical sensations you feel are your own observations of your breath. When practicing this phase of yoga nidra, you are retraining, your breath. You retrain your breath to be more controlled, regulated, and specifically directed by your thinking mind. Therefore, you are increasing your inner resources for improved feelings of well-being.

According to Saraswati (2009), awareness of breath promotes concentration, relaxation and awakens energies directed at every single cell in the body. Breath awareness is a very powerful tool in the yoga nidra toolkit.

One example of directed breath awareness in yoga nidra is when you are instructed to breathe downward in through the nostrils, sending air throughout your body. Breath out sending air upward. This directed breathing encourages your vital life force to expand as you channel awareness through these directed breathing practices.

Resources & References

Reis, J. (2018). Divine Sleep(r) Yoga Nidra Teacher Training Manual.

Saraswati, S. (2009). Yoga nidra. Yoga Publications Trust, Munger: Bihar, India.

Ongoing Offerings

Yoga nidra classes continue online at 7:30 ET Monday nights. Join me tonight for a beautiful relaxing journey that will help you to heal, relax, and de-stress for an hour.

Meditation & Yoga for Organizations

Using yoga and meditation techniques, I am available to support an organization's institutional mission and values tailored to the needs of employees. Meditation and yogic exercise have been shown to promote wellness that boosts employee morale, effectiveness, and productivity (Sheelu, Garg, & Rastogi, 2022). If you know someone who may be interested in setting up a meditation or yoga class for a retreat or as a regular amenity or employee benefit in their organization please forward this link to them.

Private Lessons

I continue my availability for face-to-face or online meditation and yoga private lessons. Contact me via the form at the bottom of any page on this website.