Can’t remember the last time you felt rested? Give this 30-minute yoga nidra practice a try to remember how good it feels. Yes, you can do it in bed!
How did that feel for you? It’s ok if you found it hard, it’s ok if you didn’t feel relaxed, it’s ok if you fell asleep- all of these experiences are normal, and expected.
The biggest question is- would you like to learn how to relax and rest more easily?
I’m Kerry, a senior yoga teacher- and that’s my speciality.
Do you know how to rest?
What comes to mind when you think about rest might be sleep, binge-watching your favourite shows, scrolling social media or enjoying a glass or two of your favourite tipple- there’s nothing wrong with all of these. However, aside from sleep they’re all very stimulating activities- which in an overstimulating world can be a problem.
Many of us today spend a fair amount of time in a state of high stress, and we do need stress in our life- it’s what propels us forwards and gets things in motion. Sometimes though, we need a break from it and lots of us aren’t quite sure how to do that- because we’ve never been taught.
does this sound like you?
You know you need to do better when it comes to taking time to unwind
You find it difficult to “switch off”
You’ve perhaps tried to meditate, or been to a yoga class at the gym but didn’t feel like it quite did the trick
You’ve struggled to make habits stick in the past
The real problem?
It all comes down to learning the tools, and having the accountability. I believe accountability doesn’t come from an online course, or from a series of emails- but from a person stood in front of you guiding the way. A 1-1 practice allows for tailoring to ensure maximum results.
What’s the solution?
Having taught for many years I realised the reason people came to yoga was changing, or perhaps it didn’t change but people felt more able to discuss it openly. When I first began teaching, many were drawn to yoga for the asana practice- the standing on heads and pretzel poses and what not. But that’s never what kept people coming back, they came back because they slept better, they didn’t feel quite as grumpy with their children/partner, they were more productive at work. So much of this is simply down to our yoga practice providing much, much needed rest and headspace.
My teaching and methods developed throughout the years as I tweaked what worked for clients and what saw the biggest result- it wasn’t more movement, it was less. It wasn’t fancy sequencing or practices that left them breathless, they didn’t need tutorials on how to do the splits or put their feet behind their head- what they needed was to be taught how to rest.
my method
There’s three techniques I use across all clients- breathwork, movement, guided meditation. This framework guides most of my teaching- it’s simple, because life is busy and complicated enough as it is. If you choose, you can practice some techniques between sessions from a pre-recorded library, but there’s no requirement for this, simply do what you can. I work 1-1 as it’s the quickest way to achieve results.
What does the science say?
Plenty of scientific evidence supports the stress-relieving benefits of yoga. According to a 2018 study, yoga had a positive result on women who practiced Hatha yoga 3 times a week for 4 weeks. After 12 sessions, they experienced significant reductions in stress, depression, and anxiety (1Trusted Source).
A small 2020 study in adult men suggested that yoga stretches reduce cortisol levels and have a positive effect on parasympathetic nerve activity, which encourages relaxation (2Trusted Source).
Researchers in another 2020 study found that people who did an 11-minute yoga nidra meditation for 30 days reduced their stress levels, enhanced their overall well-being, and improved their sleep quality. Practicing yoga nidra also boosted mindfulness and reduced negative emotions. These benefits stayed the same at a follow-up 6 weeks later.