Exploring Yoga Nidra

Join Jivana as he talks with Theo Wildcroft and Beverley Nolan about their new book Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras. Theo and Beverley unpack the complex history of yoga nidra, its relationship to sleep science, and why demystifying the practice is one of the most important things we can do to make it safer. Together they explore the ethical responsibilities of anyone who leads this practice and why yoga nidra is ultimately a neurological process that any skilled yoga teacher can learn to lead with confidence and care.

In the second part of the episode, Jivana and co-host Deanna Michalopoulos reflect on why yoga nidra is so powerful and why that power has historically attracted some of yoga's most problematic teachers. They discuss the importance of giving students information before guiding them into vulnerable states, connecting the conversation to broader themes of accessibility and agency. We also hear a voicemail from Jeanie Jyanti of The Alchemy School of Yoga in Cork, Ireland, who asks Jivana to offer a dedicated yoga philosophy training. Jivana shares about his on-demand course with Anjali Rao and reflects on how yoga philosophy is most powerfully taught through presence and practice.

Topics include:

The five-part structure of yoga nidra and how it differs from guided meditation

The influence of relaxationism and Western psychotherapy on modern practice of yoga nidra

Staying and awake and falling asleep during yoga nidra

How to reduce the power imbalances that make yoga nidra vulnerable to misuse

Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras's practical tools for teachers, including audio samples

Writing books through collaboration

Check out:

Get your copy of Leading Safe and Simple Yoga Nidras today!

Pre-order Beverley's forthcoming book Bodyscapes, also available as audiobook