March 7th, 2007

Just relax!' So easy to say, so hard to do...without a little help. And that's exactly what Yoga Nidra can do. It can help you to relax, help you to sleep and help you to reduce stress. It can help you be calm in a frantic world. It can help you find more energy for all the things you need to do...and want to do.

So what is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a special kind of yoga that focuses solely on relaxation - specifically 'guided relaxation'. If you have attended yoga classes, you may have experienced something a little like it if your teacher has asked you to lie down and to listen to their voice while they talk you through visualisations for example. Although this doesn't take you as 'deep' as yoga nidra, for many, it is still the highlight of their yoga session - guided relaxation is a wonderful, calming experience. Whether you are highly stressed or not, yoga nidra can make a huge difference to your life, helping you make the most of every day.

However, there are some people for whom yoga nidra can be particularly powerful: that is people who suffer from high stress or who have problems sleeping.

Sleep and stress are inextricably linked. The more we are stressed, the harder it is to sleep. The less well we sleep, the harder we find it to manage stress. It's a vicious cycle that many find hard to break. (continued...)