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There are moments in life when everything feels like it’s changing at once. Routines change, emotions come up, and the familiar things that once kept us steady no longer feel the same. During these changes, anxiety tends to come up, not because something is “wrong,” but because the nervous system is trying to adapt.
When we move through change, the body naturally looks for safety and predictability. Without it, we may notice overthinking, restlessness, tension, or a quiet sense of unease that lingers beneath the surface. Even if life looks “fine” on the outside, internally we may feel unsteady.
This is where Yoga Nidra can be so supportive.
Yoga Nidra, often translated as “yogic sleep,” is a guided meditation practiced lying down in a state of effortless awareness. Unlike more active forms of meditation, there is nothing to achieve and nothing to control. You are simply invited to rest while being gently guided through layers of relaxation and inner awareness.
For anxiety, this approach matters.
When we’re anxious, trying to “calm down” can actually create more pressure. Yoga Nidra removes that effort. Instead of forcing relaxation, it creates the conditions where relaxation can arise naturally. The body softens. The breath deepens. The mind begins to loosen its grip.
In times of change, this kind of rest becomes essential.
Rather than trying to stop uncertainty, Yoga Nidra helps you build steadiness within it. As you lie down and follow the guidance, your nervous system begins to recognize a different rhythm, one that is slower, quieter, and more grounded than the pace of anxious thinking. Over time, this repeated experience teaches the body that it is safe to let go.
This particular Yoga Nidra was created for moments when life feels uncertain or emotionally unsettled. It offers a gentle space to land when your thoughts feel loud or your energy feels scattered. Through body awareness and guided rest, you are invited to reconnect with a deeper sense of inner stability, the kind that isn’t dependent on external circumstances.
Many people find this practice helpful during transitions: moving through life changes, navigating endings or beginnings, or simply feeling the subtle anxiety that can arise when life is evolving. Others use it before sleep, allowing the body to unwind from the day and settle into deeper rest.
However you choose to practice, the most important thing to remember is this: you don’t need to do Yoga Nidra perfectly. You don’t need to clear your mind. You don’t even need to stay fully awake. Simply lying down and listening is enough.
In a world that often asks us to push through change quickly, Yoga Nidra offers something different. It gives you permission to pause. To soften. To rest inside the unknown.
And in that rest, something quiet but powerful begins to emerge, a sense that even in the midst of change, you are still held. Grounded. Whole.
One of the most supportive aspects of this practice is how it begins, by gently anchoring awareness in the senses. Rather than immediately trying to relax, you’re invited to notice what is already here: the feeling of the body resting, subtle sounds in the space around you, the temperature of the air, even faint impressions of taste or scent. This sensory awareness creates a natural form of grounding, helping the mind shift out of anxious anticipation and into present-moment stability.
From this grounded place, a sankalpa is introduced, a simple inner intention that can quietly take root in the subconscious.
In this practice, the sankalpa is: I am grounded and steady even when change moves through me.
Rather than something you force yourself to believe, a sankalpa in Yoga Nidra is more like a seed. It’s gently planted in the soil of deep relaxation, where the nervous system is more receptive and open
What you’ll need:
- Yoga Mat or soft (yet firm ) surface to lie down on
- 2 blankets (one to cover your body, and another folded blanket to use as a pillow)
- Bolster, cushion, pillow, or blocks to elevate the knees.
- Eye pillow