It's Not Magic, It's Science: Why Your Pitta Brain Needs Yoga Nidra and Sound

That's right, folks. You might be thinking yoga nidra and sound baths are "woo woo"—I certainly used to, until I learned all about the science behind it.

If you're anything like me (Gabrielle here), you have a pitta brain. You like to know why, you want to understand all the things, you pay attention to the details, and you miiiight even tend to over-intellectualize things, overbook your schedule, easily feel burnt out, have trouble sleeping, and have a hard time saying no when you are out of balance. Sounding familiar?

Until I learned that sound waves create a vibration that affects the body on a physical, cellular, emotional, and intellectual level and experienced it for myself, I wasn't buying what sound baths were selling. AND, until I learned that meditation actually creates more gray matter in your brain—particularly in areas associated with memory, emotional regulation, and strengthening the prefrontal cortex, improving focus and decision-making—I was not about to waste time being still. I have stuff to do! And once I cultivated my own personal meditation practice, my life changed.

I felt less busy, even though my schedule hadn't changed.

Yoga Nidra and Sound bring both of these modalities together to help improve mental clarity, aid rest and recovery, improve sleep and focus, help increase general mood, help calm the nervous system, and tune into the body's INCREDIBLE innate intelligence and ability to heal itself.

So cool, right?

AND, it's a practice. That's why I offer it (almost) every month. The more you practice, the easier it gets and the more tangible the results! Much like a yoga class, no two are the same.

To put it together:

Yoga—to yoke. Yoga is union, to yoke and to join—but what, you might ask? The many different layers and sheaths of the body from the physical to the subtle. The yogis believe we are body, mind, and soul, and sometimes we forget. Yoga helps us remember.

Nidra—a state of deep relaxation and conscious rest through guided meditation and interoceptive awareness (a sense that can allow you to perceive and understand what's going on inside your body).

Sound—utilizes the vibration of sound waves with the physical body to help promote deep relaxation, calm the nervous system, and in some cases relieve pain.

So, how does it happen?!

Yoga Nidra and Sound aims to create an environment similar to Savasana, in which you can set your body down for a little while, but it takes some preparation.

In order to prepare, we arrive by settling into the body through some gentle somatic practices to downshift our nervous system. This portion might include a short series of tapping, chanting, or gentle movements.

Next, we'll learn a breathing technique to create more space between our thoughts and to help quiet the thinking mind even more.

Then, in a conscious way, we aim to connect to those more subtle parts of the Self. That might be through words, emotions, imagery, or marma points (anatomical points where vital life force energy is concentrated).

Where does the sound come in?

Great question! Sound will be woven throughout the practice from beginning to end along with my voice guiding you.

What will you use for sound?

I have crystal quartz bowls, koshi chimes, bells, a rain stick, an ocean drum, harmonium(s), and a shruti box in my repertoire to help get deeper into these subtle states.

Have any more questions? Ask away!

Can you tell I am passionate about this? Come and join our growing community of monthly Yoga Nidra and Sound Bathers.

--> Sign up for our Yoga Nigra workshops here.

From my heart to yours, Gabrielle