More Relaxation Tips

• "If you wear eyeglasses, take them off. Some people like to cover their eyes with an eye pillow designed to block light and apply a light pressure to keep the eyelids closed. You can also use a folded washcloth for this purpose.

• "As your body relaxes, its surface temperature tends to drop precipitously. Putting on an extra layer of clothing or covering up with a blanket is a big aid to entering the state of Yoga Nidra. If you don't cover up, you may not feel cold. You may just find yourself unable to let go into deep relaxation for no apparent reason.

• "As you follow the instructions to progressively relax the body, make sure you are actually feeling each part of the body. Avoid the tendency to just vaguely think about relaxing. Let your awareness actually drop from your head into your body, feeling all the sensations present in each part. Invite it to relax completely, and move on to the next part.

• "If a part of the body holds on to tension despite your invitation to relax, rest your awareness there for a minute or two. Give up any effort to make it go away and fully feel whatever is there. Open to receive any message your body may be trying to send you. If the tension remains, allow it to be there and relax all around it. Then continue with the steps of the relaxation process.

• "During relaxation, you will undoubtedly fall asleep from time to time. This is to be expected. Just keep practicing with the intention to learn how to relax completely while remaining lucid and aware of what is happening. Conscious relaxation enables you to access and release subtle layers of physical, emotional, and mental tension that are normally unconscious. This is what distinguishes Yoga Nidra from a catnap."