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PHOTO: ANNA OMELTCHENKO/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

PARENTING

Om

WOULDyou like to feel the benefits of a

three-hour nap after only 15 minutes? We

all know the more rested children are, the

more well-behaved and happy they will be.

Wouldn’t it be great to eliminate the

emotional outbursts of an overly tired

child? Well, we can. Here, we will explore

the ancient technique of Yoga Nidra and

how it applies to children. You will learn

what it is, how it works, and what the

benefits are for you and your child.

What is Yoga Nidra?

The literal translation of Nidra is sleep and

we think of Yoga Nidra as a restful and

rejuvenating deep sleep for the body and

mind. But rather than it being the sleep

of nighttime, Nidra is a guided form of

relaxation which calms the body and mind,

while maintaining crystal clear awareness.

“Yoga Nidra allows us to reach the most

profound level of relaxation possible,”

says American yoga master Rod Stryker.

This is important because rest and

relaxation are not part of children’s busy

lives anymore. No one teaches them how

to relax and often relaxation nowadays

equates to sitting in front of the TV, which

is not restful for little minds.

No matter what age, socioeconomic back-

ground, whether an elite athlete or a child

with special needs, all children and teens can

benefit from the calming, stress-reducing and

awareness-building practice of Yoga Nidra.

We can help by scheduling a daily

relaxation in the afternoon or at

bedtime to allow children to have the

sleep and rest their growing bodies and

developing minds need.

How do you do it?

A Yoga Nidra practice often has a structure

which we can condense for children. The

beauty of this form of relaxation for kids is

that it is done lying down, and can take

from three to 15 minutes depending on the

ages of the children and their attention

levels. Follow these six key components:

1. The set-up


2. Intention setting


3. Full body relaxation


4. Breathing


5. Rotation of consciousness


6. Ending


7. The set-up
   Children love ritual and a lovely way to
   create the space is to light a candle, play
   gentle music and make a comfortable place
   to lie down. Your child lies on their back
   with their arms slightlyaway from their
   body and palms turned up. Feet should fall
   outwards and eyes should be closed.


8. Intention setting
   This can be as simple as asking your child
   how they would like to feel or how they
   would like their week to be. They could set a
   goal or send healing to a friend. They can
   say their message quietly and repeat it three
   times, for example, “Happy, Happy, Happy.”


9. Full body relaxation
   Name each part of the body from the top of
   the head to the toes and ask children to
   relax each part as you go. For younger
   children, it is helpful to ask the child to
   squeeze and relax all the muscles as you go.

By Loraine Rushton

4. Breathing
   Bringing children’s attention to the breath
   will further calm their minds. You can say,
   “Feel your breath as you breathe in through
   the nose, and feel your belly defl ate as
   you breathe out.” Using a visual image is
   helpful. You can say, “As you breathe in,
   feel your belly fi lling with air like a balloon
   that is being blown up, getting bigger, and
   as you breathe out feel all the air leave as if
   the balloon is defl ating.”


5. Rotation of consciousness
   This is what sets Yoga Nidra apart from
   other forms of relaxation. By resting
   attention on each part of the body, slowly
   and methodically, the mind is soothed.
   This also reduces anxiety, improves
   sleep, concentration, focus and builds
   self-awareness which leads to greater
   emotional intelligence and happiness.
   Teens are able to follow this practice as
   an adult would, bringing their attention to
   each part of the body you name. You may
   like to ask younger children to imagine a
   butterfl y landing on each part of their body.


6. Ending
   Finish by asking the child to repeat their
   intention and then bring their awareness
   back into the room, noticing any sounds
   they can hear, and lastly wiggling their
   fi ngers and toes. If you are using Yoga
   Nidra at bedtime, then let children drift
   into a deep sleep by telling them to stay
   in this place of quiet and stillness.

What’s the benefit?

Research into the benefi ts of Yoga Nidra

has shown it can have a profound impact

on victims of trauma, PTSD, depression,

stress and anxiety as well as improving

focus, concentration and creativity. I see

this weekly in classrooms; I love seeing the

behaviour of teenage boys change from the

start of the class to the end. One Year 9 boy

with Asperger Syndrome told me he felt his

“being” relax for the fi rst time. Year 12

students say they experience “happiness”; a

ten-year-old boy with ADHD was still for

ten minutes after his fi rst class; students

with behavioural problems learn self-

control; special needs children gain body

and emotional awareness and temper

tantrums subside as little bodies get the

rest they deserve. Yoga Nidra works both

sides of the brain, and it potentially has the

ability to rewire the neurological pathways.

Imagine the impact on our youth if this

powerful practice was introduced into every

34 school and kindergarten in Australia!

july 2016

yogajournal.com.au

Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate with

YOGA NIDRA

The secret to nurturing calm, contented kids