Yoga Nidra to calm the chaos
Since January, I’ve been working at a small Jewish day school teaching art and P.E. to children between the ages of 5-11.
The school is small, but full of personality.
With the weather being very characteristically spring-esque (in like a lion, out like a lamb and all), we had a beautiful day on Wednesday, so I decided to take the children to a nearby park.
The first group of children (the eldest of them all) played kickball, fought with each other furiously about the rules of the game, and had a great time.
The second group of children (2nd and 3rd graders) frolicked on a hillside plucking grass and daisies and throwing it in the air like confetti—fantastic.
The third group of children are kindergarteners and they were a more fickle crowd to please.
Kindergartener #1: Terrified to the point of paralysis about the dogs in the park.
Kindergartener #2: Wanted to go play with all of the dogs.
Kindergartener #3: Refused to play and clung to my hip.
Kindergartener #4: “If she’s not playing, then neither will I.” Clung to my other hip.
Kindergartener #5: “I have to go to the baph-room.”
Kindergartners #6 & #7: Held hands and ran amok.
Kindergartener #8: Aloof af.
Kindergartner #9: Deeply desires to direct all of the other kindergartners and me too.
Wooooooooooof, I was exhausted by the end of that day.
That's when I turned to my trusty stress-buster, Yoga Nidra.
It's like a magical reset button that helps me find my inner calm after a day of kindergarten chaos.
If you've ever felt like you're on the brink of pulling your hair out, Yoga Nidra might just be the mental massage you didn't know you needed.
In this week’s episode of Baptiste Power Vinyasa Flow Yoga with Kari, I offer you a Yoga Nidra practice.
Yoga Nidra is a powerful technique that helps to induce deep relaxation and facilitate the release of tension and stress from the body and mind.
It's often referred to as "yogic sleep" because it allows you to experience a state of consciousness that is similar to the moments just before you fall asleep.
During a Yoga Nidra practice, you lie down in a comfortable position and follow the guidance of my voice, which leads you through a series of relaxation techniques and visualizations.
The goal is to enter a state of complete relaxation while remaining aware and present.
This practice might be nice to do before bed,{{first_name}}, but it also might be nice in the middle of the day.
If you find yourself needing a mental break, but don’t want a full blown nap-time, this Yoga Nidra practice is an excellent in-between option.
This Week’s Episode:
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I hope you enjoy this week’s Yoga Nidra practice.
If you find yourself needing a break from anyone or anything, it’s a simple practice that you can lie down for.
No special equipment required, just a time to rest your eyes and your mind.
I’m gonna try the park again with the kindergartners this week, goddess help me.
As they say, it takes a village... and sometimes a Yoga Nidra session to survive the playground politics!
Have a wonderful week, {first_name}. If it’s been a while (or never) since I’ve seen you for a yoga class, there’s always a spot in class with your name on it.
With love,
~Kari
