Creating Your Rest Nest For Sound Journeys & Yoga Nidra
Props and Tools to set up your Freedom Nest for Yoga Nidra, Meditation and Sound Journeys:
I invite you to browse through the list below, and then browse around your house and ask yourself what could help support you in your mission to relax?
Your preferences may shift slightly or change completely depending on your body's needs that day, so be willing to adjust, add, subtract and play around to see what works in the moment.
Foundational Props & Tools:
*Mat to lay on - Yoga mat, Thicker cushioned mat or Fluffy rug - Your body will become very heavy once relaxed, so having extra cushion can offer comfort.
*Blankets - light weight, heavy weight, fuzzy, soft, heated - for on top of you for warmth and comfort, underneath for extra cushion. Can also be used to roll up and put under neck, head, knees, etc. for joint support. Your body temperature will drop a bit, so having a blanket over you is helpful. If it's chilly in your practice space, you may consider having a heated blanket.
*Pillows or cushions - think bed, couch, neck, big, tiny, firm, squishy, long, short. Having a variety of thickness/softness and size can help.
*Bolster - Round, oval, square. They all have different feels of support. Can support your back / the length of your spine, placement beginning at the base of your spine.
*Blocks, Books or Suitcase - Can help lift and support your bolster or pillows; Can help you sit/lay at an angle. You could use another bolster (if you have two) or even a small suitcase under your bolster/cushion can work.
*Eye Cover - Eye Mask, scarf or something to cover your eyes and block out the light. This creates sensory deprivation, which helps to heighten your other senses and carry you deeper into the experience.
Other Tips/Tools:
*Special Items that help you feel good, safe and comfortable can be helpful to have in your area, on your altar, in your hands, under your pillow.
*Extra Support - If you tend to snore, gathering props that elevate your upper body up at an angle can help minimize the snoring.
*Headphones - If you're listening to a recording or livestream, ear buds, noise canceling, any type of headphones can be helpful if there are loud noises in your practice space.
Setting The Tone - Ignite Your Senses:
*Colors, textures, fabrics, weight and thickness of the props can all affect your comfort level, and therefore, your experience. So if something doesn't work for you, ask yourself why, and would something else fit your needs?
*Lighting - Natural sunlight, infrared (if you are blessed to have it), candle light.
*Scent - Burning sage, incense, sweet grass, palo santos, scented candles or putting on a diffuser with your favorite essential oil. No diffuser? Simply place a little of that oil on your eye pillow, or if it's safe for your skin, place a little on your temples, under your nose and at the base of your skull where the brainstem is.
*Taste Buds - lemon/herbal water or tea.
*Turn off gadgets - Turn off your cell phone, television or anything that may cause distractions.
Suggestion: Try Nidra/Sound without a nest, then try again with a nest. Notice the differences and how they did or didn't support you in being able to surrender into the experience.
Nest Positions & Areas of the Body to Support - Comfort For The Win:
Whatever position you gravitate to, it's important to support all of your joints, lower back and body parts that touch the Earth. You want to be able to nestle in and let go of any tension or need to forcefully hold the body in any particular way. All of this helps one to more easily let go of the physical world, allow your physical body and nervous system to access natural healing, and drop into and access the wisdom and truth within.
The Key Ingredient: Some of us feel challenged when it comes to offering ourselves comfort and/or luxury treatment. It is suggested to set up your nest as if you were setting it up for your favorite human - someone you care deeply about. Let's say they have been feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, and You have the opportunity to create a space for them to let all that go. Would you give them a basic set up that they may or may not be able to relax in, or would you set it up with the intentions of them feeling super cozy, supported and pampered?
If not right away, eventually, You will be able to turn this perspective around and realize You are the One who deserves all of this. You deserve to rest deeply, to feel absolutely comfortable and to be pampered on the regular.
Laying Down
You may feel called to lay flat on your back. Here are some suggestions of body parts and joint areas that could use extra support:
Neck -Something to support your neck - neck pillow, rolled towel, blanket or clothing.
Head - Soft layer under the back of your head - Pillow, folded blanket or clothing. Something with a little cushion under the head helps to avoid the head getting a little sore/uncomfortable from the pressure against the harder floor/mat.
Spine - If you are at an angle, choose something that supports your entire spine from the very base/tailbone to the head. like a bolster, couch cushion, layered blankets, blocks, pillows.
If lying down, having something under the knees is helpful especially if you have lower back or sciatica challenges (brings your lower back flat to the ground), and I personally find it helpful to have a soft blanket under my mid back - maybe 1.5" thick (see the 'laying down' section in the FreedOM Nest video).
If sitting, sitting up straight against a wall helps you to keep your spine straight.
Knees - Pillow, bolster or cushion under the knees - Helps relieve pressure/strain on your lower back and/or sciatica. I find that if I put too big of a pillow under my knees my lower half of my legs and feet fall asleep. This can be avoided by raising your ankles/feet, as well, or choosing a smaller pillow for under the knees.
Ankles & Heels - A soft or cushioned layer under your ankles/heels.
Arms & Wrists - Making sure your arms, forearms and wrists feel supported with anything that adds cushion, leverage and support in whatever way you may need.
Laying at an angle
It can be really nice to lay at an angle. If you're one to fall asleep easily, you may find this position helps you to remain awake and aware during the Nidra/Sound experience.
Play around with bolsters, cushions, blocks and pillows to elevate your body in a way that feels secure and supportive. Be sure the bolster or pillow that is under your back/spine begins at the very base of your spine, at your tailbone. This helps to avoid any extra pressure or unsupportive angles of your spine/tail bone/pelvis.
Your arms will be hanging a bit, so be sure they are supported at your sides, otherwise the pressure of them hanging can create some discomfort or cause them to 'fall asleep'. If you decide to lay your hands on your belly, you may want pillows on your sides for your elbows or just in case your arms fall to the sides.
Something under your knees, heels, head/neck, etc. are still helpful.
Sitting up
If you prefer to sit up completely, it may be helpful to place your nest against a wall or something you can sit your whole back and head against. This helps you to be able to relax a bit more, rather than having to hold your body up while trying to rest. Sitting on a block or pillow can be helpful to the knees and overall posture.
If you're sitting with your legs crossed, placing a pillow under each knee/thigh can be supportive. You may want a pillow in your lap for your arms/hands. If your legs are straight in front of you, you may want something under your knees and your heels/Achilles.
Laying on your side
This one requires exploration to be sure you have padding under the points of your body that touch the ground and those that touch together - shoulder, hip, knees, ankles.
You want a pillow, cushion or bolster between your legs and your arms, and I suggest leveraging your head up on a block with a pillow on top (or two pillows) to release strain on your neck and and shoulder. See the 'laying on your side' section of the video for clarity.
Positions If You Are Pregnant
If you are pregnant, you may find the Laying at an Angle position to be comfortable, but you may also feel better lying on your side. I have learned from other teachers that it is suggested to lay on your Left side if that choice feels good to you. This position is said to improve blood circulation to the placenta and uterus, while releasing pressure from main blood vessels. However, it is important to listen to your body and set up your body in a way that feels good to You.
Where to Set Up?
Safe Space - It is extremely helpful for your rest practice and self-care to find a space that you feel safe to let your guard down. Sometimes this is a space at home, a yoga studio, meditation or wellness center, friends house, nature.
If you're practicing via recording that you can take wherever you go, try out different spaces and notice your ability/inability to relax and let go.
If you are practicing with a facilitator, and you don't feel safe, this is an invitation to ask yourself why? Is it the space, the location, the facilitator, the other attendees that's creating discomfort or feelings of lack of safety? Is it that the space/surroundings are actually safe but they are unintentionally triggering an old fear or trauma that could use a little more attention for self-healing? A conversation with the facilitator withholds potentials to initiate the extra support you may need. Or is the space truly not safe for you to let go? This requires choice and action to pivot and create the change(s) you need.
Quiet Space - It is, also, helpful to find the most quiet space with the least amount of distractions. Sometimes this is not accessible, but deep rest and surrender to the process is still possible with practice. One of the main components of meditation is to build the awareness and skill to focus the mind on what you are giving it direction to focus on and tuning out what isn't serving you. Eventually, with enough practice, you can tune out what would normally be a distraction and finally go inward into your own personal world.
I hope you have found this helpful! If you have any questions let me know. Happy Nesting!