This has been 2 years in the making!!!
I recorded a set of meditations sometime in 2013 (I don’t even remember when it was!), but the sound quality just wasn’t right. I tried recording them again in the spring of 2014, but again, I couldn’t get the sound to turn out. I bit the bullet and went into a recording studio to get them professionally recorded in the fall of 2014, and I’ve sat on them since then.
Let me tell you, the process of creating is a lesson in patience.
There were so many times when I was just ready to give it all up. In fact, I spent a ton of time and energy figuring out how to get a physical CD produced and then shipped around the world. That did turn out to be too much, which is why I sat on these recordings for so long.
Up until about a week ago, I was still figuring out the whole shipping thing for my CD.
Considering my personal mantra this week is to keep it simple, I decided the best way for me to get these meditations to you is to offer them as a digital download for now.
So, without further ado, I present to you my first (almost physical) product:
To go straight to the purchase page to access the recordings, click here.
Why I did this
In a world where the more you work, the more you get rewarded it’s no wonder stress is a problem.
In a world where “I’m so busy,” “Busy,” and “Fine,” are the automatic responses to the simple question: “How are you?” it’s no wonder we feel like we’re lacking connection in our lives.
And in a world where the hours that we should be sleeping are instead spent constantly trying to catch up, it’s no wonder that we are sicker, more obese, and have lower life expectancies.
If you are stressed, busy, and suffering, then you need yoga nidra.
But wait, let me guess? You don’t have time.
Yoga nidra even you can do
I knew it. That’s why I created my digital download with short yoga nidra sessions of varying lengths so you can choose what you need when AND fit it into your busy schedule.
First, let me give you a little refresher on what yoga nidra is.
Yoga is commonly translated to mean union. It’s about the union of our selves with the rest of the world and the union of our body, mind, and soul. But yoga can also be interpreted to mean “to awaken.” To practice yoga is to awaken to our fullest potential, to our soul, to the things we really want more then anything else in the world.
The biggest lie the world has told us is that we need to reach outside of us to get what we need to succeed.
The truth is you already have everything you need, you’ve just forgotten where it’s hiding. Yoga nidra can help you find it.
Nidra translates to sleep, so Yoga Nidra could be translated as Awake Sleep. It sounds like an paradox and it’s intentional. The practice of yoga nidra puts your body to sleep, even tricks your brain into thinking you’re alseep, while your mind stays alert and focused through a multi-layered process leading toward meditation.
How yoga nidra works
So what’s the secret process?
First, we start with your body. In the recordings on this digital download, you’ll go through guided relaxations to become more aware of your physical body.
Then we work with your breath. You’ll use different techniques to focus on and deepen your breath as a means to stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your brain that helps you calm down and release stress.
From there, we work into some mind games. We play with pairs of opposites to help you get more familiar and more comfortable with your feelings and emotions. Most of the time we’re told that emotions are good or bad and that we shouldn’t express ourselves, lest we be judged. Yoga Nidra teaches you to be comfortable with feeling all emotions just as they are so that they can pass through you rather then get stuck inside. Ever held a grudge for 30 years? It’s so not helpful for your mind or body.
After you become more comfortable with feelings and emotions, you can start to look at certain beliefs you have about yourself. If you think you’re not enough, what would it feel like if you were enough? Sometimes we just need to be nudged to help us remember we are worthy.
At the end, it’s always nice to leave some room for silence so your body and mind can digest the practice. Besides, we could all use a little more silence and stillness in our life.
It’s time to take care of you
In this practice you’ll feel all kinds of emotions, feelings, joy, sadness, anger, happiness, contentment, peace, calm, and irritation. And I want you to feel all those things because we are humans and we have the capacity to experience all of these emotions. This practice releases these emotions so you can build a healthy relationship with feelings and emotions in the comfort and privacy of your own mind and body.
Yoga Nidra is about entering into a relationship with you.
These practices are perfect to download onto your smartphone or computer so you can have easy access on the way to work (assuming you ride public transportation), at your lunch break (lock the door and turn off the lights!), right before bed (yoga nidra is perfect for initiating a deep, restful sleep), or even in those moments when you feel like you’re going to lose it (take a deep breath or two and step away from the craziness for a moment – it’ll still be there for you when you come back).
Science backs me up
One of the amazing things about the modern world is how much scientific research is coming out about how mindfulness meditation and yoga nidra benefit the body and mind. For so many of us, we don’t believe something works or is “for real” until we can be backed up by scientific evidence. So, here you go.
Research shows that yoga nidra reduces cortisol. Cortisol is the stress chemical released into our blood stream when things in our life start to get out of control. At Ohio University, scientists compared mindfulness meditation, yoga nidra, and another relaxation activity (listening to an audio book), to see how much these activities lessened cortisol in college students. Yoga nidra and mindfulness meditation came out on top, with significantly more students feeling less stressed, anxious and depressed when practicing meditation then listening to the audio book.
Scientists at University of Missouri also found that practicing yoga nidra reduces stress, worry, anxiety, and depression in college students.
And in case you’re afraid that this practice only works for college students, a group of scientists in Washington D.C. found that yoga nidra also helped reduce chronic pain in combat veterans that had experienced a brain injury and developed associated musculoskeletal pain.
If you’re interested in reading even more scientific research on how yoga nidra can help develop resiliency, reduce pain, overcome addiction, and assist in healing trauma, click here.
How yoga nidra complements every other self-care practice in your life
You can practice yoga nidra on its own, or as a complement to any yoga, meditation, or mindfulness practice you’ve developed over the years.
For me, when things start to get really busy and stressful, yoga nidra is my saving grace. It feel so nice to just lie down and forget about everything.
You can practice yoga nidra seated or lying down or even standing. You don’t need a yoga mat or any props, although props make it more comfortable.
This practice is for you and your sanity and these recordings were designed specifically with the busy, overworked, stressed-out woman in mind.
Think of yoga nidra as a subtraction practice. You take out the garbage every week right? Why not take out the garbage of your mind and body. And if you really want to be good about it, you can think of it as recycling.
Yoga nidra isn’t about adding something else to your life. It’s about getting rid of all the things you no longer need but can’t seem to get rid of!
Purchase the digital download
When you buy this digital CD you’ll be asked to create a free account in my online studio. Once in my online studio you’ll be able to buy the CD and have access to the recordings every time you log into my studio.
Please send me feedback via email, so I know how I can best serve you and your needs moving forward with future classes, products, workshops, and information.
You can purchase the digital CD here.
Thanks so much for supporting me on my yoga journey. I humbly welcome you to yours.
Namaste,
ashley
