Yoga Nidra: 5 Practical Tips to Help You Rest, Meditate, And Feel Less Stressed

Especially during difficult days when your mind is busy and refuses to switch off

How often have you woken up feeling groggy, clenching your teeth, and nitpicking with loved ones?

Like most people, I also find life too fast and too demanding.

Pulled in too many directions.

Finding time to unwind, let go of worries, rest, and sleep well after a stressful day is challenging.

We know we are stressed.

We know we need to rest.

We have recited the mantra, “You must look after yourself first, “ a thousand times to others, yet we fail to do so.

Unfortunately, we are so socially and culturally indoctrinated to be Good Girls and Good Women and, in the words of bell hooks, in her classic book “Sisters of The Yam—Black Women and Self-Recovery” to be the “omnipotent caregiver,” that for many women, self-care is often the last thing on our list.

And that’s why I love yoga nidra meditation.

The practice is simple and easy.

After a short practice, I am deeply rested and revived, ready to be present, gentle on myself, and focused on my next task.

However, starting and sticking to any meditation practice is the hardest part, like most wellness habits.

Like me, you probably find that when you try to meditate, your mind goes into overdrive and won’t shut off.

With that in mind, here’s a quick checklist of five things to have thought about and have in place before starting a guided yoga nidra meditation.

That way, you can easily rest and benefit from this timeless practice with less effort. Bliss.

These five tips are based on my personal practice and fifteen years of professional experience teaching yoga and meditation.

What is Yoga Nidra Meditation?

Yoga Nidra is an easy form of guided meditation, often called “yogic sleep.”

The practice effortlessly helps ease the day’s frustrations and offers a path to deep rest, inner clarity, and stillness.

In this state, you can connect with deep-seated emotions and gain clarity and insight into things you weren’t sure about.

You can read more about the physical and emotional benefits of yoga nidra in my article, “Why Yoga Nidra Meditation Should Be A Part Of Your Daily Routine”.

Click here to read and bookmark the article for future reference.

Here are five practical tips to help you prepare for your practice.

Find Your Quiet, Cosy Space

Yoga Nidra is an incredible healing technique that enhances inner peace, self-love, and self-awareness.

The beauty of the practice is that it invites us to lie down and rest on our backs while we listen to a guided yoga nidra meditation.

In our busy days, between family responsibilities, meeting due dates at work, and putting out fires at home, it is easy to get sidetracked and dragged away from our desire to be peaceful and present with loved ones.

Even though practicing yoga nidra helps you enter an inner space of calm, creating an environment and finding the time to practice uninterrupted are challenging.

Before you begin meditating, take a moment to observe your home environment and surroundings and think about where you can safely and easily practice undisturbed.

Look around your space and ask yourself...

“How convenient is this location, and how comfortable do I feel practicing here?"

Finding your ideal, quiet, cosy space can take a while, especially if you live with others, work from home, and care for loved ones.

So, be patient.

Keep an open mind.

Be curious.

Try different locations and see which one works best for you.

Some people like to create a Sancturay, a corner in their home dedicated to their Sacred Rest Practice; they light candles, read inspirational poems, burn incense, surround themselves with cushions, cover themselves with blankets, and practice there.

Others practice sitting at their desk, a cosy chair in their room, or their car once it is safely parked and the engine is turned off.

Over the years, I have meditated in my car, on the floor in the corner of my front room, on the side of my bed, in ashrams, yoga, and meditation centres.

When my girls were little, I sat on the bottom of my staircase and meditated as they watched TV.

And, these days, as a full-time caregiver for mum and dad, lying on my bed is the perfect and easiest way for me to practice.

The main thing is to experiment and see what and where is most restful for you in this season of your life.

Befriend Your Inner Critic

Switching off our busy minds is one of the hardest parts of any meditation technique.

Our minds are always buzzing and ruminating.

Our brains are hyper-vigilant, scanning the horizon for danger, filtering out irrelevant data, and replaying old stories and memories.

So, suddenly, expecting our minds to turn off when we decide to listen to a yoga nidra meditation is a high order.

Sometimes, I catch myself berating my mind.

I am in my cosy, quiet space — resting on my bed.

I have a clear diary; mum and dad are safely engaged in another activity; everything is peaceful and calm, but my mind insists on chatting and playing a solo game of ping-pong.

It is soooo frustrating.

The last thing my ego mind wants to do is “stop thinking and be still.”

The more I force my mind to be quiet and focus on a chosen point of concentration, the more tension I create in my body.

I feel my jaw clench even tighter, and that knot in my right shoulder blade decides it is time to pulsate and add another layer of discomfort.

At the same time, I berate myself for “being a failure at meditation," and the gremlins join in the batting game. It isn’t fun.

Nowadays, since learning loving-kindness and compassion meditation practices, I draw that philosophy and teachings into my heart.

I smile and acknowledge that I am human; it is OK to have a busy mind. My mind’s job is to think and ask questions.

I gently remind myself to be patient, recognise that I am doing my best, hug myself, and turn my attention once more to the calm external voice of the yoga nidra facilitator.

I then follow their prompts to soften and ease the tension in my body and mind.

You might even be in tears and feel physical pain from holding tension and chronic pain in your body.

Yoga nidra recognises this pattern, and the meditation’s initial settling in and orientation allow space for it and permit you to move, adjust your body, release tension, and ground your energy.

I consciously try not to judge what thoughts and sensations I notice as pleasant or unpleasant, and I whisper, “Drop the Thought” (h/t to Sally Miller, who recently reminded me of this teaching).

Being calm and accepting of who we are and what we are experiencing is the art and practice of the yoga nidra experience.

Yoga nidra is simple because it consists of a series of specific relaxation and meditative techniques designed to systematically relax our bodies and minds by eliciting the relaxation response in our physiology.

So, be gentle, accept and embrace all parts of yourself, and trust that through yoga nidra, as your brain waves slow down, your mind will eventually settle into a more restful state.

Keep reminding yourself that it is OK.

You are OK.

Be Like Tortoise

Finding time to meditate is a delicate balance between your life aspirations and current daily reality.

Be like the tortoise from the Aesop Fables, The Hare and the Tortoise.

Take your time.

Ideally, through practice, we aspire to find that balance—that blend of work, focus, and space in our day—to rest our bodies and revitalise and energise our minds.

Therefore, also adopt the attitude of time-meditating as if it were caring for your pet or new baby.

Be kind and gentle with yourself.

It’s simpler to meditate when you expect snags and surprises to arise and derail your plans.

Remember, be like a tortoise; in meditation, there is no “perfection,” “hustle,” or “rush to the finish line. “

Slow and steady also get you where your body and spirit need to be.

Claim Your Why

A while back, when I was searching for a yoga nidra meditation video to listen to, the video “How Great Leaders Inspire Action” by Simon Sinek popped up in my feed.

Naturally, I got distracted (smile) and watched the video.

The concept Simon Sinek discussed, “Start With Why”, was new to me.

Yet, at that moment, while scrolling through YouTube and looking at the different types of yoga nidra meditation for stress relief, it all made sense.

I paused and asked myself, “Why am I scrolling through YouTube looking for a yoga nidra meditation video to watch? What was I doing?!”

Life is busy.

There are so many other equally important things I could be doing with my time instead of lying on my bed, scrolling, or looking for a meditation to listen to.

I put my phone down and turned this thought into practice.

I sat with the question, practised mindful breathing, and journaled what I noticed and what came up during the reflection period.

The more I thought about “My Why,” the more I realised how disconnected I am, how many years, generations, and layers of hurt, abuse, and pain I keep shoving down to get through my day, and how much tension I hold in my belly as I rush through life.

Practising meditation, specifically yoga nidra, helps me “de-programme” my fears; it invites a sense of softness, loving compassion, and a kinder relationship with myself—and therefore with others; I feel calmer, mentally more assertive, and more sure of myself to make difficult life decisions.

What about you?

What’s your why for choosing a particular yoga nidra meditation?

Explore this as much as you wish to see if knowing your why shifts your motivation or inspiration to meditate.

Be Open and Explore All Possibilities

There are so many resources and ways to practice yoga nidra meditation that it can be quite stressful to know where to start, who to listen to, and what to do.

A personal recommendation from someone you trust is often a good place to start.

Two of my favourite yoga nidra teachers offer guided yoga nidra meditation for free online on YouTube: Ayla Nova (Yoga Nidra and Beyond) and Kristen McCarthy (Yoga with Kristen).

I particularly love the vibe and deep transformative spiritual yoga nidra meditations provided by practitioners from The Amrit Yoga Institute.

However, if your friends or family aren't into meditation, you can Google “yoga nidra meditation for beginners, " “what is yoga nidra,” or " how to do yoga nidra” and see what results appear.

Today, especially since COVID-19, most yoga nidra meditation teachers have a website and offer online lessons and courses.

So go ahead.

Check out their About Page to learn what led them to teach meditation, specifically yoga nidra meditation, where they trained, and what other areas of professional study they have done.

For example, here is a copy of my About Page and training lineage (h/t to Kelly Diels), which shows my meditation journey and the professional courses I took to learn more about teaching yoga and different meditation techniques.

Also, while scrolling through their website, check out:

How long has the teacher been teaching meditation?
Whether they have a personal practice,
Where they trained and
What other areas of professional study have they done to improve their teaching skills?

And if they offer a free yoga nidra meditation or other meditations, sign up for their email list to learn more about them.

When starting, the best way to get a sense of a teacher’s approach to meditation and see if their vibe aligns with your Why, is to try to stick with their teaching style for at least seven days.

However, one of my teachers recommends doing the same meditation for at least 40 days to savour the depth of the practice.

This sounds like a lot, and it is even harder for some.

Still, I’ve found that the more routinely I use the same practice, the easier it is to settle into the practice, concentrate, and notice the subtle shifts in my mood, insights, and energy.

When we are grounded, we are deeply present with the body, the breath, and the world around and within us.

This means it is easier for us to tune in to how we feel, honour our body’s need for rest, and weather any backlash from saying YES to ourselves as we say no to others.

Fortunately, ensuring you have answered the five practical points and pausing to listen to a guided yoga nidra meditation can naturally lift our spirits when we feel overextended.

This allows us to feel rested, refreshed, and equipped to care for ourselves while maintaining our connection to our Why throughout the day.

Give the practice a go, and then kindly let me know in the comments below any points I missed that you would add to help you ease into your next yoga nidra meditation.

Thanks for reading thus far.

Unlock the power of healing words and begin each day with hope.