From Overwhelm to Ease: The Power of Yoga Nidra

Season 2: Episode 25: From Overwhelm to Ease: The Power of Yoga Nidra

⁠The Power of Yoga Nidra: Deep Rest & Nervous System Healing

In this episode, Kristin explores Yoga Nidra, an ancient practice often called “yogic sleep.” While it may look like simply lying down to rest, Yoga Nidra guides you into a powerful state between waking and sleeping where deep healing, nervous system regulation, and subconscious shifts can occur.

Kristin explains how this practice helps restore the body in ways traditional rest often cannot, making it especially powerful in today’s overstimulated, always-on world.

In This Episode:

• What Yoga Nidra is and why it’s so powerful

• How it regulates the nervous system and slows brainwaves

• Why deep, intentional rest is essential for healing

• How the practice plants intentions (Sankalpa) in the subconscious

  
  

Kristin also pulls a collective oracle message from The Divine Feminine Oracle Deck, featuring Saint Perpetua, the Saint of Authenticity, reminding us that when we are rested and connected to ourselves, we naturally return to our true nature.

✨ Your invitation this week: create space for deep, sacred rest.

And remember, you are abundant by design.

⁠⁠⁠⁠

💻 Visit  ⁠Kristin’s website⁠ or connect via Instagram @kristinsvetscoaching⁠ 

🎧 Subscribe to the Abundant By Design Podcast for weekly inspiration and energetic alignment tools.

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Transcript

Season 2: Episode 25- From Overwhelm to Ease: The Power of Yoga Nidra

 Hello, my beautiful friends. How are you? I hope that you have had a great week, and I'm so excited I got the idea for today's podcast episode because I was facilitating one of my absolute favorite practices to lead, and that is yoga nidra. And honestly, this is one of the most transformative and powerful and impactful experiences that I get to witness in my work. And of course, I embody it and practice this myself, and I really want more people to embrace this in their lives. And so I thought we'd do a quick deep dive today so that you can understand what it is and how powerful it could be in your life as well.

So I know if you have heard of it, you might think like, oh, that's just like taking a nap, right? Aren't you just laying down and relaxing? And on the surface that is what it looks like. Yes. And of course the goal is for some deep sacred rest, but what is actually happening in this practice is so much deeper than relaxation. It is more like restoration at this cellular level. It is the nervous system recalibration that we all need and it's so cool because it's accessing states of consciousness that most of us never touch in our just busy and overstimulated lives. And when I lead yoga nidra on my retreats, which I always do. It's really the experience that absolutely blows people away because they didn't know what to expect. Like, you know what to expect in a sound bath to an extent, right? But they think yoga nidra is just like this lying down meditation and it's gonna feel nice. And all of those are true, but it is so profound and so yes, I love everything else about retreats. I love my sound baths. I love, you know, doing a powerful flow, physical practice. And of course I love the beauty of the nature and the cultural immersions that we go to. But every retreat has a yoga nidra session in it, and I'm going to start incorporating more and more because it creates such profound shifts when I just even do it at a local studio.

The way that people, you know, kind of wake up from this experience, they're so peaceful. They're so. Restored and renewed. And you can see it. You can see it in the energy of the room. And I've probably shared this story before, but even on retreat, I specifically had one woman who didn't know what it was going to be at all, and when it was over, she was emotional, but in a beautiful way, right? Like she felt this sense of being connected to this, more than inner peace, but actually the state of bliss. And she was blown away and she actually just wanted to soak in that feeling and soak in the nature afterwards, and it was so incredibly powerful to be able to witness that. And I was so happy for her.

And that's what I want you to know is there is power behind intentional rest and yoga Nidra takes it to that next level, right? We live in this world that just glorifies busyness. It glorifies hustle and productivity and you know, we're just constantly doing stuff and we're constantly stressed out. So living in this version of the world that we're living in, these practices of yoga nidra and of course meditation and sound bath, they're so revolutionary.

Even though actually they're ancient. They're the first things that we had around right. And. When you know this and understand this, it's so much easier to start bringing this kind of deep, sacred healing rest into your own life. And I love for people to practice this in the evenings because you are so settled that hopefully then it just really relays into like a beautiful evening routine and then you have really deep restorative sleep that night. Which we all need, right? Again, we're all running on empty. Hopefully not but we, we can be sometimes, right? It's just this overstimulation, and because of that, we are disconnected from our bodies. And so what we typically do is we try to fix that disconnection. And what we typically do is we try to fix that disconnection through like more caffeine or more hustle and pushing through or more willpower. And what we actually need is deep, sacred, intentional rest, real rest.

So let's dive into what this is. So what is yoga nidra? It translates as yogic sleep, and it's not actually sleep. It is this state of consciousness between being awake and sleeping. So it's this beautiful like deeply. Resting but still awake. So it's like conscious dreaming almost right, where your body is completely relaxed, but your mind remains conscious and receptive. So it is truly the most profound rest that you can experience while still being awake.

Now that being said, some people do fall asleep during the practice and that is totally fine. Oftentimes people go in and out, and of course that's because we are sleep deprived, right? And rest deprived. And so that's what our body does when we start to slow down, and that's totally fine. There's also more westernized versions of this in terms that you may have heard about called Non's Sleep Deep Rest, as well as, there's one guy named Dr. Richard Miller who refers to it as I Rest, and, you know, they've trademarked those different versions of it. And that's great. I love that everybody's making the more westernized version of it so that more people have access to it. When you hear yoga nidra, you know, that's speaking to a specific crowd where I rest or non-sleep deep rest, everyone's like, oh, what is that? I want a little bit of that. So I do use that in my marketing sometimes, but know that true yoga nidra is so much deeper. It takes you. To a deeper place than some of the Western type versions because this is a ancient process that was passed down through, you know, the yoga lineage. And I'm so grateful that I learned about it in my yoga teacher training. And then I learned about it in my meditation teacher training. And so then I've done some additional training specifically in this. So also you will hear people say yoga nidra versus yoga nidra. And again, that's just the westernized interpretation and the, a lot of people say yoga nidra. And I go back and forth too. I might say yoga nidra in this podcast. And the correct term is yoga nidra.

And so let's get into like some of the nerdy parts of understanding what true yoga is and why this is even called yoga. Because you're not doing any physical practice in this. You are actually laying still for. The entire practice of yoga nidra. So when you hear yoga and you're thinking down dog and you know, warrior one and sun salutations, that is the physical practice of Asana, and that is one piece of the much larger yoga system. So classical yoga is built on the eight limbs of yoga. They were outlined by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutras, and these are from thousands of years ago. So the eight limbs just really quickly are yama, which is ethical guidelines for how we relate to each other in the world. NEMA is about personal observations and self-discipline. Asana is the physical posture, so western yoga that we know of that is asana. So that's just one limb of the eight pranayama is the breath control and breath work. That is the version I teach. There's a lot of other breath work schools out there. I teach pranayama the yogic based versions of breath, and I do pull that into a yoga nidra experience as well. Then there is prya hara, which is the withdrawal of the senses. There's Ana, if I'm saying that correctly, which is concentration and focused attention. There's Deanna, which I also might be saying wrong, which is meditation and sustained awareness, like a focus. And my favorite number eight is Samadhi, so that is union enlightenment, bliss consciousness. So. I really like the bliss part of that, and I think in a nice long yoga nidra practice, you can get to a state of bliss.

Like the example of the woman on my retreat, I think she got to a state of bliss and a feeling of oneness, and that's such a gift to be able to do. So what's so cool to me about that is that the yoga nidra practice. Brings in multiple parts of those eight limbs of yoga. So while there is not any of that physical movement, the asana there is the prya hara, which is the withdrawal of the senses, which is really cool and amazing to do. I love to have people cover their eyes with an eye pillow when you're doing it but you can just have your eyes closed. The Ana, which is focusing your awareness as you're guided through the body. 'cause there's always a deep body scan in yoga nidra. There's the Deanna, which is the meditation and sustaining that meditative state. And again, I bring in pranayama with some breath work at the beginning and even throughout and. Then when you give yourself enough time in yoga nidra and your practice is really deep, you can touch that feeling of bliss, samadhi. It is that state of pure consciousness and it's amazing. So what're doing is like, while you're just lying there, you're moving through these beautiful different parts of yoga. And you're doing the inner work that the physical practice that we're accustomed to is what that is preparing you for. So the whole part of doing the physical postures in Asana is to be able to get to these deeper states of yoga.

But that being said, you can come to Yoga Nidra with no experience. It is so accessible, effortless, powerful because you're guided the entire time. And I do also like to share the example of thinking of it. So there's Koshas that you're moving through, which is energy bodies. So it's a different type of energy framework than the chakra system. And I like to think of the koshas as like Russian nesting dolls. And so you're going deeper and deeper from the physical body to the mental body, to the breath body, to the wisdom body, and then the bliss body. So you move through these stages and. You do need to be guided to do that, right? We're not gonna just naturally know how to do that. And that is what is so beautiful about the scripts of yoga nidra. And then what's happening in your body is your brainwaves are slowing down, so you're moving from that beta active thinking mind, and then you get into alpha, a relaxed awareness, and then you get into the deeper theta state.

So most people can get there, and you're right on the edge of sleep, but you're still in that conscious dreaming state. So it's this deep meditation and in all of these states, your nervous system gets to switch from that fight or flight, which is the sympathetic part to rest and digest, which is parasympathetic and that is where healing happens. That is where your body can do physical repairs. It is where emotional, mental, spiritual work can be done. And it's where your nervous system gets to recalibrate.

A big part of yoga nidra as well is using an intention. Which is what we call a San Copa in the practice of yoga nidra. And that's a really important piece. And so people who practice yoga nidra regularly or even every day might have one intention that they're working with. And so like, I think this is really powerful if you're recovering from surgery or you have a physical issue going on. Set this intention of healing around that and do the practice every day with this sans culpa. I don't think that the English language has enough words to explain because it's more than an an intent. I don't think the English language has the right words to explain San Copa. It is a deep, heartfelt, heart seated. Intention, and they're so incredibly powerful, and so you are planting the seeds of that intention, planting the seeds of your San Culpa directly into your subconscious. When the conscious mind's resistance is offline. That's why it works. You get to actually rewire your mind in that moment and. It's so great.

So how is this different from what Sound Baths do? Because all of you listening to me probably know I love my sound baths and uh, that's what I'm known for more locally and I do love that. And they actually really can be combined. I think the perfect combination is like a 45 minute yoga practice with a 15 minute sound bath at the end. Although that would really have to be like another 15 minutes to come out of that deep of a relaxed state. But generally, they really do go very well together and as you know, sound baths are this immersive like listening vibrational experience. So when you've already taken your mind in yoga nidra to this conscious dreaming state, and then the frequencies get to do their work and literally vibrate and shift your cells because this is not metaphysical, this is physics, your body is water sound, it's vibration, it's moving your body. So. It can hit those different parts of your body and your energy system that much more deeply. So I love them together.

And of course, they each work beautifully on their own. And just know that with both of them, that they are taking you to that place of ease and bliss, that deep sacred rest that you get in both experiences is what will help you with the overwhelm of life, and that is why I truly believe that we need this now more than ever. I am so passionate about this because we are in this collective overwhelm, right? The world is at a intense state that we have not seen in my lifetime anyways, in our society, here in America, in the world, there's just so much to handle and process. And on top of that, we were already living in a state of being overstimulated, we have the twenty four seven digital access, our phones, our TVs, our, you know, connection to our computers. We're overstimulated, and that creates this constant state of anxiety and stress and feeling overworked and feeling under rested. And then that creates this cycle, right? We spend our days scrolling, consuming, reacting, and, and hopefully producing. Like it's great to have work and feel purposeful, but when our nervous systems are stuck in overdrive. That creates this sense even with work of, you know, we can't sleep and we're anxious and we're disconnected from our bodies and from ourselves, and that creates more disconnection with people around us.

And this has been a slow build, right? Like we as a society have forgotten how to actually. Rest. And so instead we, you know, collapse in front of Netflix and we probably, we definitely have our phone with us. We might even have our computer on the sofa too. And we've got, you know, the three screens going out. Maybe you're having a glass of wine at night, maybe you're not falling asleep because you're still scrolling and staying up too late. And these practices are the antidote to that. Because when you train your body with this intentional, sacred, restorative rest, it's where your body can heal outside of that practice, so you are less inclined to do all of these.

Self-sabotage habits. It's where you can feel your creativity. Again, it's where your intuition speaks and know that yes, our mind is going to tell us all the things that we've learned, right? That rest is lazy and productivity equals worth. And if we're not hustling, then we're, you know, falling behind and truly this type of rest is not something that you need to earn. It is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human need. And when you start to practice it, you will feel it and you will know it 'cause you're like, oh, the other way I am living my life is like slowly killing me. And this feels like true deep nourishment. So can you invite yourself to start thinking about a better evening practice? Right? Like if you could give yourself just 20 minutes of yoga nidra before bed. Or of course if you don't have that, then the 10 minutes of breath work or bring in like sound bowls, something to reset your nervous system. But I really wanna invite you to try yoga nidra. And so how do you do that? Well, I'm going to have some free recorded Yoga nidra sessions on Insight Timer. I do have my teacher approval there, and then I'm uploading some practices, and so follow me on Insight Timer, the app, and I will have practices up there. I'm not sure if they'll be approved by the time this recording is out, but please come follow me and be a part of that audience as well as I grow that. But there's also hundreds of other insight timer practitioners that have beautiful yoga nidra practices on there. Two of my favorite people to follow is Christie Kutner. She is one of my teachers and Allie Booth. Booth, right? Ooh. I'll put it in the show notes Booth hold Allie Booth, something who, I absolutely love. So I'm dying that, I can't think of her name right now. She's amazing. She's absolutely amazing. She has a huge YouTube following. She is, she's big on insight timer, so there are lots of free recordings and live sessions out there that you can listen to. So go find that. Pick the time that you can commit to and you know, have it like not be complicated and at the same time, if you wanna make it like a pretty little ritual, you could, you could. You know, light a candle, you could make a cozy nest for yourself. That's an important part of yoga nidra, like getting a blanket and getting some pillows and getting an eye pillow, and just make it a lovely little ritual for yourself. And of course, then find someone locally who does it if you're. Here in the Chicago area in Evanston, I am doing monthly sound bath sessions at Yoga six in Glenview, and I'm doing pop-up sessions at other studios that I partner with. So join me. I would love for you to come to one of my classes and. Again, if not, just look for facilitators in your area. Yoga studios host them. Maybe not often, but I feel like this is what we need to be pushing and getting out into the world is more of this deep, sacred rest. We all need it.

So when you do these practices, I would say, you know, give yourself permission first. We all have to retrain our brains, and it might be the hardest one because we're like, what is this? I'm just gonna lay down. But yes, give yourself permission that you are worthy of this practice. Of rest and renewal and healing. And when you do it, then notice how you feel. Notice how your body feels and how your mind feels. And then pay attention to, did you sleep better that night or the next night? How are you acting? You know, in the 24, 48 hours afterwards, are you less reactive? Are you more present? And so just let those results speak for themselves.

What I also decided to do since I had so much fun doing a, the multiple card pull last week for March, is I thought that maybe every week I would just close with one card pull so this week I felt called to use the divine feminine oracle deck by Megan Waterson, all of her work is about the divine feminine and yoga nidra is a divine feminine practice.

So it felt like the right deck to use and I really love it because I've actually learned so much about various like mystics and saints and just holy women throughout history. So of course I asked what does the collective, those of you that are listening to my podcast need to hear right now about coming back to a sense of ease and the card that came through is Perpetua, who is the saint of authenticity? And the mantra on the card is, I am my authentic self in all circumstances. So I thought this was so beautiful because when we are rested and when we are connected to the divine within us, that is how we're gonna feel. We are gonna be able to live our lives connected to being our authentic self in all circumstances.

So then I'm gonna read a little bit about Perpetua for you, because this was so fascinating to me. So she's a Catholic saint and she was living in the third century in the area in North Africa and the Roman Emperor forbade any conversations around Judaism or Christianity. So in celebration of his own birthday, he had several catechumens or Christians being instructed in faith to be arrested. So Perpetua was one of the women arrested and if they would not renounce their faith, then they were sentenced to a public death in the arena. So while she was in prison, she kept a diary called The Passion of Saint Perpetua. I mean, that's not what her diary was called at the time, but when it was published. So it is one of the oldest and such an extraordinary early Christian text. And at one point in it, she describes that her father would come and visit her in prison and he begged her to renounce Christianity. 'cause of course he does not want her to be killed. And she says. See that pot lying there? Can you call it by any other name than what it is? And when her father answers no, of course not. She continues, neither can I call myself by any other name than what I am, a Christian. And so, although he visited her several times, she refused to renounce her faith and she maintained this truth as paramount. So her true authenticity, and this is at a time when women's societal role was defined by her father and her husband, and her prison diary also relates to her relationship with St. Felicia and class structures that Christianity transcends. This was another woman that she was imprisoned with and so even though one was a noble woman and one was a slave, they died in the arena together in 203 CE and as equals and as sisters. And so when our souls receive this card, I will read directly from these paragraphs. When we find the courage to be true to who we are, a vitality returns to us a voice that's both moving and compelling simply because it's authentic Saint Perpetuals words in her very personal and emotional diary were so impactful that 200 years later, the renowned church Father Augustine would write about their beauty and truth.

Saint Perpetual suggests that there is no greater power than choosing to remain our authentic self in all circumstances. She's that person who remained loyal to her soul, and she urges us through her example to embrace the power of being authentic now, even in the face of death, she courageously held fast to her truth that she was Christian. Her right hand is shown an pose of the Christ mudra. She also reminds us that journal writing can be a sacred act of returning to ourselves, of listening to the soul voice inside of us, and of going inward to find our answers. Perpetua is a call to a journal writing practice, even if it's just to record our dreams each morning. The inner voice that greets us as we write strengthens our authenticity and that voice becomes a light, a fire that calls to us and claims us as we dare to live out its truth. So the sole voice meditation suggested is, what is the truest statement I can say about who I. And again, the intention being I am my authentic self in all circumstances.

How beautiful is that? I loved that I pulled this card. There's another card in this deck that is Goddess Hestia and she is like a grandmother Energy and she is the goddess of sanctuaries, and I was so hopeful that I would pull this card for Yoga nidra because it felt so appropriate. But then when I read this one, I was like, oh, that's amazing, because I do always share after every Yoga Nidra session that it's a great time to journal because your brainwaves are in that really open state where yes, you can hear your inner voice, you can hear your soul voice, and so it's a great time to journal and I love that that came up because again, my passion in even sharing all of these practices is so that we can live an authentic and divinely led life. And so it's just a perfect, perfect card. So thank you to Saint Perpetua for showing up for us this week.

In closing, that's my invitation to you is what if this week and this month that you committed to sacred rest. And what if you thought about reclaiming your evenings from the scroll and the endless stimulation to instead drop into a liminal space? You know, see what emerges. And I promise you that while you think it's indulgent the world is not going to fall apart around you in your immediate life. And we all know that the bigger world is in a state so the world needs you rested. Your immediate world, your bigger world. When you are connected to yourself and your body and your intuition, you get to operate from your heart and soul. You get to operate from overflow, and you get to remember that authenticity and a connection to the inner peace and inner bliss is your birthright and a practice like yoga nidra and a practice like a sound bath.

Those are the bridges to getting you there so if you wanna experience this work with me, we can do this in a one-on-one private session as well. I have a nervous system regulation session available, and we can even include cards if you like this whole experience. I would love to do that. And again, check out my website, follow me on Insight timer let me know if you do that and even if you just go and listen to something on YouTube, let me know about your experience. I would love to hear back from you and just hear your feedback and what it was like for you. So thank you so much for spending this time with me today. Have a great week ahead, and of course, remember to always know that you are inherently abundant by design, sending love.