Yoga Nidra isn’t just to help you fall asleep! It can be a great way to start your day, resting in the liminal space between being asleep and being fully awake. This practice brings some spaciousness and energy to your morning. Listen as soon as you wake up in the morning.

This yoga nidra practice helps us cultivate compassion, for ourselves and others. This is often a challenge, as we find ourselves listening to our inner critics and speaking harshly to ourselves. The practice incorporates two different Buddhist compassion practices: Tonglen, which is a breath-based practice where we breathe in the suffering of ourselves and others, and breathe out compassion and healing; and the metta bhavana, where we cultivate compassion for a good friend, ourselves, and all beings.

This soothing yoga nidra practice was designed to help you relax before drifting off to sleep. It features self-compassion and gratitude for the body, and some gentle breathwork to help you settle.

This practice works with apana vayu, one of the movements of vital life force or prana in the body, and it governs the downward and outward flow of energy. Physically, it is associated with the pelvis and elimination. Energetically, it’s associated with the root and second chakras. And spiritually, it’s associated with the ability to surrender and let go, forgiveness, and trust.

Take some time after the practice to reflect on how you feel.

This Yoga Nidra relaxation practice was inspired by my recent visit to the Knepp Estate in Sussex, the first area of lowland to be rewilded in England, over 20yrs ago. Most of the imagery in the practice comes from my experience of visiting Knepp, and the things I saw there.

The practice invites us to “rewild ourselves”, removing the veil of delusion through which we see the world, and to see our true nature with clarity. It features a Tibetan Buddhist practice which involves breathing in the delusion of ourselves and all beings, so that we might see the true nature of reality.

I hope that you enjoy the practice.

The Celtic festival of Lughnasadh takes place in high summer, and marks the start of the harvest. It is the six-week period of abundance leading up to the Autumn Equinox. In this yoga nidra practice, we call in abundance for ourselves, and then radiate it out to all beings.

This practice features Himalayan singing bowls at the start and end, to facilitate your deep rest and relaxation.

This "Wild Yoga Nidra" was recorded late on a summer evening by a stream in the English countryside. You can hear the birds getting ready for sleep. In Chinese Medicine, summer is the time of maximum yang energy, the strong sunshine and the abundance in nature. It is especially important to take rest at this time. Traditional Chinese Medicine tells us that the emotion associated with summer is joy, and it is also time to let go of things in life that no longer serve us, to make way for more happiness.  

You can listen to this practice in summer, or any time you feel the busyness of life around you and need to take rest.

This Yoga Nidra will help you relax and fall asleep. It features three gentle breathwork practices which bring about deep relaxation and calm. After the introduction, the first 33 minutes are the Yoga Nidra practice with music, and the remaining 27 minutes are just music, giving you plenty of time to fall asleep.