Yoga Nidra

The Art of Conscious Relaxation

Give yourself permission to relax and rest, while setting intentions for personal growth and exploring the deeper self.

Use this guided relaxation and visualization practice to reduce stress levels, sleep better, and elevate well-being.

Read more below.

Yoga Nidra will meet live on Zoom Second Sunday of each month at 4pm, unless otherwise listed

Stay tuned for Yoga Nidra with Singing Bowls events in person coming soon!

Yoga Nidra: The Art of Conscious Relaxation
Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self. -Bhagavad Gita

Yoga Nidra Zoom, Sunday May 14th at 4pm EDT

rsvp

Feel free to DONATE to keep monthlyYoga Nidra on Zoom sessions going!

One-Time
Monthly
Yearly

Make a one-time donation

Make a monthly donation

Make a yearly donation

Choose an amount

$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00
$5.00
$15.00
$100.00

Or enter a custom amount

$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

Your contribution is appreciated.

DonateDonate monthlyDonate yearly

What students are saying about Yoga Nidra Sessions:

Leslie R., director of Ann Arbor Film Festival

“I usually revisit the sessions, and find them very helpful. Helpful all around. For feeling better balance, and more present, and also a good antidote to insomnia.” – Leslie R.

“When I practice Yoga Nidra with Ann Grace, it feels like “the pause that truly refreshes.” Ann Grace’s calming voice, her singing bowls and her clear, non-judging words help me settle into being in this present moment. The semi-sleep state that soon arrives in my body and the spaciousness of my breath give my body and mind an opportunity to rest from whatever the day may have brought. By the recording’s end, I re-enter the world differently, more settled and refreshed. A daytime yoga nidra practice often gives me an added bonus:  I sleep better that night! Thank you, Ann!” – Karen D.

Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to receive monthly recordings!

A little more info:

Research: A randomized study of 500+ participants published in Current Psychology in 2020 found that Yoga Nidra decreased stress levels, improved sleep quality, elevated well-being, and increased the mindfulness of the control group, who practiced a short Yoga Nidra over the course of 30 days. All effects remained stable at a follow-up six weeks later.  Overall, a large, heterogeneous sample showed that a very short dose of meditation can positively influence stress, sleep, and well-being. 

It’s for everybody: It’s done while lying down, with support and blankets to allow the body to fully relax. Yoga Nidra contains a systematic sequence of body awareness and breathing exercises that can activate the parasympathetic nervous system and increase the amount of alpha-waves in the brain (e.g., Mandlik et al. 2002).

Setting an Intention: At the heart of Yoga Nidra is a personal resolution, or sankalpa, that addresses a topic important to the person. Practitioners will repeat their intentions at the beginning and end of each session. Studies that used such intentions during meditation have shown that cognitive restructuring processes are stimulated.

  • A Guide to Intention Setting If you’ve ever been asked to form an intention during a yoga class or meditation exercise, and found yourself floundering or resisting the request, you’re not alone. Me too, friend. Once I tried Yoga Nidra, however, I was hooked on intention-setting. I learned that the purpose is not to manifest your wishes out of thin air,… … Read more

The results: Yoga Nidra can reduce stress levels, help you sleep better, and improve overall well-being. Participants often report that they felt more relaxed after Yoga Nidra than they have in a long time. (“My body turns to jelly,” says one private client.) Some may even fall asleep while practicing, and while that is not the goal of Yoga Nidra, it may be much needed rest – trust that the teacher’s instructions are still being heard on some level.

History: Yoga Nidra was developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in 1976 as a relatively easy-to-learn meditation to be used by people of various backgrounds and cultures and independent of previous knowledge. His renowned book, Yoga Nidra, is the textbook most often referred to, and used by the Yoga Therapy Training program at Prema Yoga Institute in NYC. 

Resources: