"Yoga Nidra Made Easy" book notes
Last updated 11.10.2025
These are my personal book notes of Uma Dinsmore-Tuli's and Nirlipta Tuli's "Yoga Nidra Made Easy". They are for myself, but I hope they might be useful to you too.
Table of Contents
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is not just a practice, but a form of awareness. It is a cyclical process for entering and inhabiting restful and creative states of consciousness. While it literally translates to 'yogi sleep', Yoga Nidra is not about sleeping, but about awakening. It is an experience of being at the limits, on the edges, where one state of consciousness meets another.
Many describe their experience of Yoga Nidra's liminal state as full of paradox: "I was asleep but could hear just as if I was awake," or "I felt like I was fully present, but I was really somewhere else." This practice brings liberation from the illusion of time and welcomes paradox as a key ingredient for its healing power. Fundamentally, Yoga Nidra is the conscious cultivation of arising states of human consciousness.
To rest in yoga nidra can be seen as an act of resistance to the patriarchy and its capitalist 'grind culture' that prizes being overworked as a virtue.
Above all, Yoga Nidra brings us home to a state of rest and self-acceptance.
Preparing for Practice
- **Find a consistent spot:** It's recommended to find a place where you can practice by yourself in the same spot each time.
- **Any time is good:** The best time to practice is whatever time you have available.
- **Settle in gently:** The instruction to "just relax" can sometimes increase tension. Instead, use a gentle reminder: "There is nothing more that I need to be doing right now. It is more than enough simply to be here, breathing and noticing the process of settling."
- **Eyes open or closed:** You do not need to close your eyes. If you feel more comfortable with them open, keep your gaze soft and unfocused.
- **Create your space:** Give yourself this time and space. "Choose to be here and now. There is nowhere else you need to go right now."
- **Get comfortable:** Use pillows or cushions for support under your head, knees, or thighs to feel more comfortable.
- **You can't do it wrong:** A helpful reminder is: "This is my practice of yoga nidra, and I cannot do it wrong, because there's nothing to do."
- **Take your time:** It can take a long time to settle at the beginning and a long time to come around at the end. There is no need to rush.
The Process of Yoga Nidra
After settling, the next ingredient is inner listening. The practice involves a systematic rotation of awareness through different parts of the body, which can help distribute energy and attention evenly. This has been shown to support recovery from brain injuries. It's best to become familiar with one itinerary for the journey around the body.
Pairs of Opposites
Yoga Nidra often uses pairs of opposites to create powerful energy by bringing together contrasting experiences, such as feeling heavy and then light, or huge and then tiny.
Imagination
You can connect to your imaginative capacity in various ways:
- Do nothing; simply feel or watch.
- Take a stroll in your imagination.
- Invite in colors and light.
- Visit a friend.
- Hear music.
- Invite in a dream scenario.
- Ask a question.
- Meditate or pray.
- Commune with the ancestors.
Effortless Practice
Because Yoga Nidra is an effortless practice, there is no need to set a specific intention. Sometimes it is more appropriate to simply listen curiously and welcome whatever arises. With practice, Yoga Nidra becomes a method of conscious yogic self-hypnosis. Trance is a natural phenomenon, and in Yoga Nidra, we cultivate conscious awareness of this process.
Coming Out of Practice
The process of returning from the practice, or externalizing, is as important as entering it. It may need to take the same amount of time, or even longer.
- **Be patient:** Kindness and patience are crucial to ensure you are completely externalized before completing the cycle.
- **Time varies:** The time it takes to come around varies. After a 15-20 minute practice, most people return to alertness quickly. Longer practices of 30-40 minutes might leave you feeling groggy or spacey for up to 15 minutes. If you are very tired, even a short practice can lead to a sleepy state that is hard to awaken from.
Closing with gratitude: Try these thankful reminders:
- "I thank myself for choosing to resource myself."
- "I give thanks that I have been able to restore my rhythmic cycles by taking the time to rest in yoga nidra."
- "I am grateful for the immense privilege that I have today: the freedom to choose what I want to do with my time."
Common Questions and Troubleshooting
- **Am I doing it wrong?** There is no way to do Yoga Nidra 'wrong'. Each practice is your own experience, and however it turns out is perfect. You are just being in the state of awareness which is Yoga Nidra, and that is more than enough.
- **What about thoughts?** It's common for lots of random thoughts to appear. Let them come! There is no need to control them; watching them arise is part of the practice.
- **Do I have to follow every instruction?** No. Keep a soft and easy connection to the voice. The instructions are invitations. If any don't land well with you, simply let them pass.
- **What if I fall asleep?** There is no way to do Yoga Nidra wrong. The intention is to rest and be, witnessing whatever arises, including falling asleep. To avoid falling asleep, ensure you are well-rested before you begin. You could even do two practices in a row; you'll likely stay awake during the second one. Keeping your feet slightly cooler can also help you stay awake.
Yoga Nidra for Sleep
Practicing Yoga Nidra is more likely to help you sleep better than keep you awake. It acts as a sleep supplement rather than a replacement. Nirlipta, one of the authors, overcame 30 years of insomnia by discovering Yoga Nidra. It calmed his frazzled nervous system and helped him get back to sleep.
Sleep Science
Sleep scientists have identified two forms of sleep: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement).
- **NREM 1:** Light sleep (hypnagogia).
- **NREM 2:** Muscles relax, breathing and heart rate slow. We spend about half our sleep time here.
- **NREM 3 & 4:** Deepest rest, least mental activity.
- **REM:** Dreaming sleep, when the brain is most active.
In Yoga Nidra, consciousness remains active while the body and mind are deeply resting, similar to REM sleep, but you are in a state of trance, not dreaming.
Sleep Patterns and Insomnia
Biphasic sleep (sleeping in two parts) is natural for humans. The expectation of eight hours of uninterrupted sleep is a recent development driven by industrial capitalist systems. Insomnia as a widespread medical issue is a modern concept. Yoga Nidra is a practical tool to improve sleep under these adverse circumstances.
If you feel more tired after a practice, it might be revealing deep levels of exhaustion you were unaware of.
Techniques for Better Sleep
- **Settle into rest:** When you go to sleep, notice where your body touches the surface beneath it and consciously give your weight away. Work from head to feet, exhaling and releasing the weight of each body part.
- **Welcome rest:** Consciously and kindly invite every part of your body to 'welcome rest', moving your attention from head to toe.
- **Review the day:** Before sleeping, mindfully review your day without judgment, like watching a movie. This helps file away the day's activities and can lead to clearer dreams.
- **Choose the right recording:** Use a recording designed not to wake you up at the end, or guide yourself through the practice.
- **Supplement your sleep:** A short 7- or 11-minute Yoga Nidra can feel as restorative as a much longer rest and can supplement a lack of sleep.
Yoga Nidra for Stress and Pain
Yoga Nidra invites freedom from stress by restoring the natural rhythmic cycles that support all life. Being well-rested makes us more resilient. The practice gives us time to observe ourselves without judgment.
Stress is experienced in all five dimensions of our being: physical, vitality, mental, emotional, and intuitive. We cannot always control our surroundings, but we can manage our response. Daily practice helps keep us nourished and less hungry for rest, which makes stress feel worse.
Breathing Away Stress and Pain
A long exhale is a powerful antidote to stress and pain. In the state of trance in Yoga Nidra, the restorative powers of the breath are more readily received. A simple practice:
- 1. Settle into your practice and notice any areas of stress or pain.
- 2. Inhale and carry your attention to one of those areas.
- 3. Exhale with the conscious intention of releasing that stress or pain.
When in pain, finding a comfortable position is key. It's important to acknowledge the pain and allow for movement if necessary.
The Science Behind Yoga Nidra: Brainwaves
By becoming aware of how different parts of the practice evoke certain brainwave states, we can learn to replicate these shifts when we encounter stress.
- **Beta Waves:** Our normal waking state. Low-range beta is for cogitating, mid-range is for being alert and engaged, and high-range is for high focus. Living in a constant high-beta state is depleting.
- **Alpha Waves:** A slower "flow state" of relaxed, effortless ease. We are alert but calm. Breath observation helps to enter and sustain this state.
- **Theta Waves:** Even slower waves, creating a threshold state often entered during Yoga Nidra.
- **Delta Waves:** The slowest and most powerful waves, associated with deep meditation, NREM 3 sleep, and restorative healing. Yoga Nidra facilitates the transition into delta wave states.
Yoga Nidra for Creativity
The cyclical process of Yoga Nidra can support all stages of the creative cycle: inspiration, development, manifestation, and editing. Flashes of inspiration often arise during and after the practice, so it's a good idea to keep a notebook handy.
By letting go of usual cognitive thought patterns, Yoga Nidra can be highly effective for innovation and problem-solving. You can state a problem at the beginning of the practice and invite a solution to arrive by the end.
Making the Practice Your Own
- **Embodied knowing:** With practice, you will effortlessly recall your Yoga Nidra "recipes".
- **Don't rush:** This is a skill for life.
- **Use a timer:** You can use a timer for short, self-guided practices to track the different ingredients of Yoga Nidra. This helps you learn what you can recall and what you have forgotten.
Final Thoughts
Regular practice of Yoga Nidra helps us navigate different states of awareness, becoming more lucid in all aspects of life—awake, asleep, or dreaming. Often, people discover Yoga Nidra when they feel they have given up hope, only to be astonished by the potent healing potential of this simple practice.
Remember that there is no way to do yoga nidra wrong, because there is nothing to do.
E-Mail your comments to paul@nospam.buetow.org :-)
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