"Your body is your first home. Breathing in, I arrive in my body. Breathing out, I am home."
Thich Nhat Hanh, spiritual leader and peace activist
Yoga Nidra - Phenomenal Rest
Take a Journey of Phenomenal Rest with Yoga Nidra
Reconnect your body, mind and heart in this powerful 6 session programme to support your wellbeing from the inside, out.
Yoga Nidra is proven to lower the stress response, improve and regulate sleep patterns and creates a grounded practice of personal care. Beginners welcome, no previous experience needed.
Yoga Nidra is proven to lower the stress response, improve and regulate sleep patterns and creates a grounded practice of personal care. Beginners welcome, no previous experience needed.
Starts Saturday 21 Feb 2026, 12-1.15pm
continues 28/02; 7/03; 14/03; 21/03; 28/03
Early bird offer £65.00 (includes £20 deposit)
Online (Zoom) - Recordings available
continues 28/02; 7/03; 14/03; 21/03; 28/03
Early bird offer £65.00 (includes £20 deposit)
Online (Zoom) - Recordings available
Yoga Nidra helps us explore the innermost layers of our being, both on the mat and in our everyday lives. Yoga Nidra, also known as Yogic Sleep, takes us on a deep journey and builds awareness from the outer layers, to more subtle layers within.
Here is a brief description of the 5 layers or koshas and ways to connect to them:
1. Annamaya Kosha. The Physical Body
Also known as the food sheath. What we take into our physical body, from food, air, water etc. This layer contains the bones, muscles, blood, organs and skin, in fact all that makes up the physical aspects of our body.
Awareness exercise: Sitting or laying down, notice the shape of your body, the feeling of clothes or covers against your skin, the weight of the body. Sense and experience the physical body from head to toes, front and back. What can you feel? Tightness, softness, aches, tension, tingles, numbness, rigidness, stress, pain, heat, cold, etc. Just notice these sensations without changing them or doing anything. This is the Annamaya Kosha, the physical layer of the body.
2. Pranamaya Kosha. Energy, prana, breath
This energetic layer lies beneath the physical layer and although cannot be seen, it can be felt. The energetic body contains the breath, prana, qi or chi, as it's known in Chinese medicine, and is the aspect that holds the physical body together. It is our life force and without it we won't exist.
Awareness exercise: Get comfortable, close your eyes and become aware of your breath. Breathe in and out naturally without changing the rhythm of your breath. Notice the rise and fall of your body sensing anywhere you can feel movement of breath within you. Follow the inhale and exhale easily. Continue for a few minutes simply observing breath and energy.
3. Manomaya Kosha. Mental, thoughts, emotions
The third layer of our being governs our thoughts, mind and mental processes. We tend in the West to associate these processes as our brain, however in Vedic or Yogic tradition it is seen as the entire nervous system, including the brain centre. This layer also holds our emotions, therefore the heart is also central. Yoga practices such as meditation and mantra or chanting practices, and balancing poses that require concentration all support this layer.
Awareness exercise: Notice when your mind gets busy, thoughts begin to ruminate or your mind wanders. See if you can return your awareness to the breath, your outer environment, or sensations within your body.
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha. Wisdom body, intellect, intuition
The fourth layer is more subtle still, it contains the inner wisdom, intuition and the higher mind. The power to be discerning and to choose the right path forward like an inner compass it guides us on our true path.
Awareness exercise: Learn to tune into your higher wisdom. Listen to your instincts and trust in your inner wisdom. Notice when something seems to draw you away from your higher self, and what situations enhance your path and wellbeing.
5. Anandamaya Kosha. Bliss body
This innermost layer is rarely experienced by most human begins and refers to our bliss layer, Ananda or spiritual bliss. This layer of consciousness for the most part is more about inner peace, a deep sense of contentment and can be accessed during deep states of yoga nidra and meditation.
Awareness exercise: Allow time to deeply relax and surrender to the moment, especially in your practice. Choose to do devotional or karma yoga - to be of service to others with no gain to self - can do much to open the heart and deepen a sense of belonging, gratitude and place in the world.
Here is a brief description of the 5 layers or koshas and ways to connect to them:
1. Annamaya Kosha. The Physical Body
Also known as the food sheath. What we take into our physical body, from food, air, water etc. This layer contains the bones, muscles, blood, organs and skin, in fact all that makes up the physical aspects of our body.
Awareness exercise: Sitting or laying down, notice the shape of your body, the feeling of clothes or covers against your skin, the weight of the body. Sense and experience the physical body from head to toes, front and back. What can you feel? Tightness, softness, aches, tension, tingles, numbness, rigidness, stress, pain, heat, cold, etc. Just notice these sensations without changing them or doing anything. This is the Annamaya Kosha, the physical layer of the body.
2. Pranamaya Kosha. Energy, prana, breath
This energetic layer lies beneath the physical layer and although cannot be seen, it can be felt. The energetic body contains the breath, prana, qi or chi, as it's known in Chinese medicine, and is the aspect that holds the physical body together. It is our life force and without it we won't exist.
Awareness exercise: Get comfortable, close your eyes and become aware of your breath. Breathe in and out naturally without changing the rhythm of your breath. Notice the rise and fall of your body sensing anywhere you can feel movement of breath within you. Follow the inhale and exhale easily. Continue for a few minutes simply observing breath and energy.
3. Manomaya Kosha. Mental, thoughts, emotions
The third layer of our being governs our thoughts, mind and mental processes. We tend in the West to associate these processes as our brain, however in Vedic or Yogic tradition it is seen as the entire nervous system, including the brain centre. This layer also holds our emotions, therefore the heart is also central. Yoga practices such as meditation and mantra or chanting practices, and balancing poses that require concentration all support this layer.
Awareness exercise: Notice when your mind gets busy, thoughts begin to ruminate or your mind wanders. See if you can return your awareness to the breath, your outer environment, or sensations within your body.
4. Vijnanamaya Kosha. Wisdom body, intellect, intuition
The fourth layer is more subtle still, it contains the inner wisdom, intuition and the higher mind. The power to be discerning and to choose the right path forward like an inner compass it guides us on our true path.
Awareness exercise: Learn to tune into your higher wisdom. Listen to your instincts and trust in your inner wisdom. Notice when something seems to draw you away from your higher self, and what situations enhance your path and wellbeing.
5. Anandamaya Kosha. Bliss body
This innermost layer is rarely experienced by most human begins and refers to our bliss layer, Ananda or spiritual bliss. This layer of consciousness for the most part is more about inner peace, a deep sense of contentment and can be accessed during deep states of yoga nidra and meditation.
Awareness exercise: Allow time to deeply relax and surrender to the moment, especially in your practice. Choose to do devotional or karma yoga - to be of service to others with no gain to self - can do much to open the heart and deepen a sense of belonging, gratitude and place in the world.
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