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This Yoga Nidra is from Kamini Desai, PHD Yoga Nidra; The Art of Transformational Sleep

When to practice: Whenever you can. In the morning as soon as you get up, either put headphones on if you share the room with someone or move to a room where you can practice undisturbed. You can practice in the late afternoon around when your blood sugar drops as a little battery re-charge. Yoga Nidra will help restore your energy and focus the mind for remaining activities during the day. You can also practice in the evening before bed. This will help release the activity in the body, the mind and the emotional body from the days experiences. Yoga Nidra can provide a deeper and more restful sleep resulting in a rejuvenating slumber that will help you feel more awake the following day.

How to practice: Ideally make a flat bed on the floor with an extra cushion under the body and head as the weight after time will be demanding for the body. I would suggest if you have a wool blanket or sheepskin which will help distribute and regulate temperature. Try not to use your bed, as you associate your bed to sleep. Elevate the head a bit, however keep the face parallel to the floor. When the head is propped up where the face is perpendicular to the floor, it is very stimulating for the nervous system and mind. You can place a bolster under the knees and or both knees and feet. Use a blanket to to keep warm. Palms facing up with nothing touching them. If you use an eye pillow, place it more on the brow rather than the eyeballs as the weight over time can be uncomfortable. If you have low blood pressure, feel dizzy or keep falling asleep and snoring I would suggest elevating the upper body with pillows or props of your choice.

Falling asleep: If you fall asleep, respect the response to the Yoga nidra and support your exhaustion, immune and nervous system and allow yourself to go ahead and sleep. If you want to start to try to stay awake, try setting an intention before practice in which you state aloud “I resolve to remain awake”. If you find yourself chronically falling asleep, I suggest bending your elbow to a 90 degree angle beside the body. If you fall asleep the hand will fall and you will usually awake. Propping yourself up, sitting against a wall or chair may help. However, rest assured that if you do fall asleep there is a deep psyche that listens. Your body listens. You will receive what you need and the words offered will have a deep impact. It just takes practice to dive deep into the depths of consciousness and be awake in effortless rest.

For more in-depth understanding and exploration of Yoga Nidra seek out Kamini Desai, PHD book Yoga Nidra; The Art of Transformational Sleep in paper back or audible. Her book is an excellent resource. This Yoga Nidra recorded is her script written named The Integrative Amrit Method of Yoga Nidra for Health and Healing.