Yoga Nidra: Cultivating Calm, Resilience and Psychological Flexibility
- Lynn Northrop
- Jul 25
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
Yoga Nidra, often called "yogic sleep," is a deeply restorative practice that guides you into a state between wakefulness and sleep. Far from being simply a relaxation or sleep tool, Yoga Nidra provides a profound space for exploring and experiencing internal experiences including emotions, physical sensations, thoughts, images, etc. As a psychologist specializing in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I've observed how this intentional exploration of our inner world through Yoga Nidra beautifully complements therapeutic work, enhancing psychological flexibility and resilience.
Psychological flexibility, a cornerstone of ACT, involves being open, present, and engaged with our emotional and physical experiences, even when they are challenging or uncomfortable. Yoga Nidra aligns with this principle by creating a safe and supportive space to gently acknowledge and explore emotional states and the physical sensations they evoke. By intentionally guiding awareness through the body, breath, and emotional landscape, Yoga Nidra encourages an attitude of compassionate curiosity.
From a philosophical perspective, Yoga Nidra sees emotional and physical experiences not as obstacles to overcome but as valuable messengers to listen to and learn from. During Yoga Nidra, you are guided to sense, observe, and remain present with feelings and sensations, fostering a deep and compassionate understanding of your internal experience. This aligns closely with ACT's emphasis on acceptance—learning to embrace and make room for emotions rather than resisting or avoiding them.
In practice, as you lie comfortably, you're invited to gently notice sensations arising in your body, emotions surfacing, and thoughts passing through your awareness. Rather than reacting impulsively or attempting to control these experiences, you cultivate a gentle curiosity and willingness to explore them openly. This mindful exploration supports the ACT processes of acceptance and mindfulness, helping you stay connected to the present moment and grounded in your bodily experience.
Yoga Nidra also powerfully develops "self-as-context," an ACT concept referring to your ability to observe your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations from a compassionate and non-attached vantage point. The guided practice encourages you to witness experiences as they emerge, shift, and dissolve, enhancing your capacity for psychological flexibility and reducing emotional reactivity.
Practically, Yoga Nidra offers a structured yet gentle method for safely exploring difficult emotions and uncomfortable physical sensations, making it an invaluable tool for emotional processing and integration. It is inclusive and accessible, requiring no special physical ability, and can be adapted to suit anyone's needs.
Incorporating Yoga Nidra into your therapeutic journey provides a nurturing space to deepen emotional understanding, foster psychological flexibility, and enhance your capacity to live a more mindful, compassionate, and values-driven life. It's a holistic practice well worth integrating into your daily routine for emotional growth, healing, and resilience.
A great way to get started is with guided exercises available on the Insight Timer app. Insight timer is a free app with more than 200,000 guided exercises, many of them curated by mental health experts. Its one of my very favorite resources!
Try one of these:
[Lynn Northrop, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than two decades of experience treating adults of all ages and training other providers. She practices in person in San Diego and via telehealth throughout CA and FL. Reach her through the Get In Touch page on her website.]
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