Understanding the Sleep of Yoga: Embracing Deep Rest Through Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is often described as the sleep of yoga, a guided meditative practice that carries you into a deeply restorative state where healing becomes possible. When people ask for a Yoga Nidra definition, I often say it’s like being cradled by an ancient tradition in the sleep of yoga. This practice has its roots in South Asia and has been lovingly tended by teachers, scholars, and communities for thousands of years.

In its essence, Yoga Nidra brings you into a state of conscious rest. Here, the mind slows to just a few gentle thoughts each second. Your brain slips into delta waves, usually touched only during the deepest stages of sleep. The body softens its grip, and cellular repair begins. Many people feel that one hour of Yoga Nidra offers the restoration of three or four hours of sleep. I think of it as a sleep supplement for weary nervous systems - a way of replenishing what our modern world so easily drains.

The Ancient Origins of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra originated within the yogic and tantric traditions of South Asia. I hold deep respect and gratitude for this lineage, which has brought it to us today. This practice has travelled through the hands and hearts of many devoted teachers who have preserved its depth, symbolism, and subtle intelligence. Offering Yoga Nidra today is a privilege that calls for humility, gratitude, and careful honouring of its origins.

My training in the Daring to Rest method has shaped how I share this practice. Karen Brody’s work has been a guiding light, particularly in understanding rest not simply as self-care, but as a path toward healing, sovereignty, and liberation. I bow to the lineage that has made this practice accessible to those of us who long to reclaim rest in a world that rarely grants it.

Rest as Resistance: The Influence of Tricia Hersey

As my relationship with Yoga Nidra deepens, I also feel the powerful influence of Tricia Hersey and the Nap Ministry. Her teachings remind us that rest itself is a radical stance, a refusal to surrender to grind culture, exhaustion, and systems that treat the body as a machine. When I guide people into Yoga Nidra, this spirit of rest-as-resistance is often with me. It feels like an echo of the ancient practice itself: an invitation to reclaim your time, your softness, and your sacred inner world.

The Wisdom of Nidra Shakti and Uma Dinsmore-Tuli

Yoga Nidra is guided by the presence of Nidra Shakti, the creative and dreaming intelligence that flows through consciousness when we rest. I honour her and the profound mystery she carries. I also give deep thanks to Uma Dinsmore-Tuli, whose Yoga Nidra: The Encyclopedia of Rest and Dreaming is an extraordinary offering. Her work lays out the roots, the variations, and the full cultural context of nidra with so much love. She also speaks beautifully about the Celtic equivalents of nidra, seasonal dream incubation, winter stillness rituals, and the threshold practices that echo the liminal landscapes of Yoga Nidra. These connections have helped me understand how rest sits at the heart of many ancestral traditions.

The Celtic Weaving: How Yoga Nidra Speaks to My Lineage

As I continue listening to the land around Buxton and deepening my relationship with Nemetona, guardian of sacred groves and boundaries, something tender has been happening. The South Asian roots of Yoga Nidra and the Celtic dreaming practices of my own ancestors seem to recognise one another. Both honour rest as a doorway into healing, intuition, and connection to something larger.

When I guide Yoga Nidra now, it feels like weaving: the ancient practice, the wisdom of this land, and the quiet voices of my Celtic lineage all meeting in that liminal space where rest becomes ceremony.

Why Yoga Nidra Matters Today

We live in a world that glorifies urgency, productivity, and constant stimulation. Yoga Nidra gently disrupts that pattern. It invites you to lie down, close your eyes, and trust your body to guide you back to a place of safety and ease.

This is not indulgence. This is reclamation. This is healing.

And perhaps this is why Yoga Nidra is becoming one of the most sought-after rest practices in holistic wellbeing, because it reminds us how to return to ourselves.

The Transformative Power of Deep Rest

Deep rest is not merely the absence of activity; it is a state of being where we can reconnect with our true selves. In our fast-paced lives, we often forget to pause and listen to our inner voice. Yoga Nidra offers a sanctuary for this reconnection. It invites us to explore the depths of our consciousness and rediscover the stillness that resides within.

As I guide others through this practice, I witness transformations. People emerge from their sessions with a renewed sense of clarity and purpose. They often express feelings of lightness, as if a weight has been lifted from their shoulders. This is the power of deep rest, an opportunity to shed the burdens we carry and embrace the present moment.

Creating a Sacred Space for Rest

To fully embrace the benefits of Yoga Nidra, it is essential to create a sacred space for rest. This can be a physical space in your home or a mental space you cultivate within. Consider dimming the lights, lighting a candle, or surrounding yourself with comforting objects that bring you peace.

As you prepare for your practice, take a moment to set an intention. This intention can be a simple word or phrase that resonates with you. It might be “peace,” “healing,” or “release.” Allow this intention to guide you throughout your session, anchoring you in your experience.

The Journey of Self-Discovery Through Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is not just a practice; it is a journey of self-discovery. Each session invites us to explore the layers of our being. We may encounter emotions we have long buried or memories that surface unexpectedly. This is all part of the process.

As we navigate these depths, we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities. We discover that it is okay to feel, to be human, and to seek rest in a world that often demands more from us than we can give. In this journey, we find resilience and strength.

Ready to Experience Yoga Nidra?

If something in this writing stirs a longing for rest, you’re warmly invited into the spaces where I hold nidra in real time. Each offering is crafted with deep care, weaving lineage, land, and the soft medicine of lying down.

The Rest Nest

A sanctuary for those seeking one-to-one support, held either in person or online. The Rest Nest is a cocoon of personalised restoration, a place where you can arrive exactly as you are and be guided into a practice shaped uniquely for your needs. Think of it as a private retreat for your nervous system, your dreams, and your inner quiet. Perfect for life transitions, overwhelm, creative blocks, or simply a desire to rest more deeply than sleep allows.

Nap Club in the Workplace

For organisations that want to nurture the wellbeing of their staff, Nap Club offers a simple, powerful shift: making rest part of the working day. These sessions support calmer nervous systems, sharper focus, emotional regulation, and healthier workplace culture. Whether delivered as a one-off wellbeing moment, a monthly ritual, or part of a wider staff-care programme, workplace Nap Club invites teams to pause together and return replenished.

Nap Club in Studios & Community Spaces

Held in yoga studios, wellbeing spaces, and restorative community venues, these gatherings offer a gentle doorway into Yoga Nidra for anyone craving a deeper exhale. Studio Nap Clubs blend nidra, soft ritual, and seasonal wisdom, creating a shared resting field where you can surrender, restore, and reconnect with yourself. Suitable for all bodies, all levels, and all life stages.

Whether you’re longing for personal support, seeking to bring rest into your workplace, or wanting to join a community of people choosing restoration over depletion, there is a resting place for you here.

If you feel called to begin, I’d be honoured to welcome you.