Yoga Nidra is a practice of deep rest that helps counter modern stress, improve recovery, and enhance mental clarity. Unlike traditional meditation, it guides you effortlessly into relaxation, making it ideal for those of us who find it a little tricky to slow down. This article explores its benefits, history, and how to get started.
Words by Rachel Lingham | 15th March '25
Yoga Nidra. Doing not very much at all | Photography by @malvalorensson
Life is a bit relentless — emails, notifications, and never-ending to-do lists pulling you in every direction. Your brain is always on, your body never quite rests, and stress feels like the default setting. Enter Yoga Nidra: the practice of lying down, shutting up, and giving your body the reset it desperately needs.
Yoga Nidra — aka ‘yogic sleep’ — isn’t about dozing off mid-savasana. It’s a guided relaxation that drops you into that delicious space between awake and asleep, where your body heals and your mind resets. Unlike meditation, which can sometimes feel like a battle to clear your thoughts (spoiler: that’s not actually how thoughts work), Yoga Nidra is effortless. You just lie down, listen, and let your nervous system do the heavy lifting.
Like most good things, Yoga Nidra has been around for a while. It comes from ancient yogic traditions, but Swami Satyananda Saraswati made it a structured practice in the 20th century. Inspired by tantric techniques, he put together a system that helps with everything from stress and burnout to deeper self-awareness.
Now, you’ll find Yoga Nidra being used in therapy, neuroscience circles, and even the military for PTSD recovery. Turns out, lying down and listening to a calming voice is more than just a nice treat.
Your brain has different gears. Most of the time, you’re stuck in fifth — juggling tasks, overthinking everything you’ve ever done, spiralling into a YouTube deep dive on whether pigeons are actually government drones.
(There is a website about it. Don’t go there if you need to get things done.)
Yoga Nidra helps shift it down, moving from beta brainwaves (thinking mode) to alpha (relaxation), then into theta and delta—the same deep rest states you get in sleep.
It’s like a power nap without fully switching off—you stay aware while your body gets the benefits of true recovery. Stress levels drop, muscles relax, and you emerge feeling refreshed, as if you’ve had a full recharge.
Meditation requires effort. You sit, focus, and try to rein in your monkey mind. Monkeys are tough to restrain though, turns out.
Yoga Nidra? No effort required. You’re flat on your back, eyes closed, just listening. It’s the lazy person’s way to deep relaxation, and frankly, that’s part of its charm. If you’ve ever felt like meditation is ‘too hard’, Yoga Nidra is your answer.
It's like napping, but better | Photography by @joeliooo
Surfers get battered. Between paddling, wipeouts, and holding your breath in situations you’d rather not, it’s a full-on experience. How can Yoga Nidra help?
If a neuroscientist backs it, you know it’s worth paying attention to. Andrew Huberman (the brain guy from Stanford) is a big fan of Yoga Nidra, calling it a top-tier tool for non-sleep deep rest (NSDR - his science-y term for Nidra).
He’s highlighted how it:
In short, if you want to perform better—whether in the lineup, at work, or just in life—this practice has serious backing.
Deep rest. Sounds lovely, right? | Photography by @islameraliphoto
Whether you’re a surfer, a stressed-out city dweller, or just someone who enjoys a good lie-down, Yoga Nidra has something for you:
If you’re new to Yoga Nidra, try guided sessions. A few solid options:
Yoga Nidra is hands down one of the easiest, most effective ways to recharge. No effort, no weird postures—just deep, glorious rest. Whether you’re a surfer needing recovery, a stressed-out human trying to cope, or just someone who likes lying down, this practice is worth adding to your life.
Want a quick taste? Try this - you'll probably want to record yourself saying the below so you can listen back and rest, rather than read along. Depends on how much you like the sound of your own voice.
Lie down, get comfy, and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in... and exhale.
Feel your body sinking into the surface beneath you. No effort, just gravity doing its thing.
Now begin a systematic journey of sensory awareness throughout the body. Move your awareness to different parts of your body as soon as you hear them named. Please say the name of the part to yourself and feel that part of your body but do not move any part. The practice begins on the right side.
Right hand thumb ... 2nd finger ... 3rd finger ... 4th finger ... 5th finger ... palm of the hand ... back of the hand ... wrist ... forearm ... elbow ... upper arm ... shoulder ... armpit ... waist ... hip ... thigh ... knee ... calf ... ankle ... heel ... sole of the foot ... top of the foot ... right big toe ... 2nd toe ... 3rd toe ... 4th toe ... 5th toe.
Left hand thumb ... 2nd finger ... 3rd finger ... 4th finger ... 5th finger ... palm of the hand ... back of the hand ... wrist ... forearm ... elbow ... upper arm ... shoulder ... armpit ... waist ... hip ... thigh ... knee ... calf ... ankle ... heel ... sole of the foot ... top of the foot ... left big toe ... 2nd toe ... 3rd toe ... 4th toe ... 5th toe.
No go to the back of the body ... right heel ... left heel ... right calf ... left calf ... right thigh ... left thigh ... right buttock ... left buttock ... lower back ... middle back ... upper back ... the entire spine ... right shoulder blade ... left shoulder blade ... back of the neck ... back of the head.
Top of the head ... forehead ... right temple ... left temple ... right ear ... left ear ... right eyebrow ... left eyebrow ... middle of the eyebrows ... right eye ... left eye ... right nostril ... left nostril ... right cheek ... left cheek ... upper lip ... lower lip ... both lip together ... chin ... jaw ... throat ... right collarbone ... left collarbone ... right side of the chest ... left side of the chest ... upper abdomen ... navel ... lower abdomen ... right groin ... left groin ... the pelvic floor.
The whole right leg ... whole left leg ... whole right arm ... whole left arm ... the whole face ... the whole head ... the whole torso ... the whole body ... the whole body ... the whole body.
Now, feel the gentle rise and fall of your breath. Each inhale brings ease… each exhale releases tension.
Picture yourself floating on calm water, completely supported. With every breath, you drift deeper, surrendering to stillness.
Stay here for as long as you like. When you’re ready, slowly bring awareness back, wiggle your fingers and toes, and open your eyes.
