Happy (soggy for most of us in the UK) Thursday.
I’ve been exploring the practice of Yoga Nidra lately. A friend of mine mentioned she’d been trying it, and I wasn’t sure what it really was, but I investigated and discovered one of the most peaceful, calming, re-calibrating processes I’ve come across.
One of the key features of Yoga Nidra is the set up. You build yourself a little nest; you get a blanket, a hot water bottle, pillows, an eye mask. Contrary to a lot of other meditative practices you get cosy, you nestle in for the experience. And then you are guided through a process that brings you into the present, that might help you to relax tension in the body, that might help you visualise feeling warmth and peace depending on the type of recording you choose to listen to.
It has calmed me repeatedly over the past few weeks.
I think one of the biggest issues humans have is the focus on the ‘be productive, make stuff happen, do, do, do, let’s make it harder for ourselves’ attitude. We are taught to be like this. But this approach keeps us in a perpetual state of low level conflict. We’re in conflict with the tasks on our to-do list, we’re in conflict with the clock, we’re in conflict with our bodies that often just want to stop and rest, or play, or stretch, but we feel we have to keep working, keep pushing.
But there is a different way. It’s seeing life as a journey of gentle joy. Making life as comfortable, easy, soft, light, fun, playful and safe as possible. Life can be more Yoga Nidra.
When I struggle, it is always because in one way or another I’m in conflict with something, I’m approaching life in my old-learned ways of ‘attack’, hammer out the actions, manipulate a situation, work out all that’s going on and play the right hand. I’ve learned not to beat myself up about that, because in honesty it’s how most of us are encouraged to operate. But I’m learning another way, I’m learning how to regularly and unapologetically lean into living a softer, lighter life.
And Bird’s here to do the same, to encourage others to lean into life in a way that feels less combative, and more gentle.
It’s a tough transition. Especially when there are so many triggers to put us back into some kind of low level conflict. But if we are going to transform the way we approach life, and the world around us, finding ways to bring ourselves back to that gentle, soft, easy approach must be prioritised.
With love as always, Hannah and Team Bird
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash