Anapanasati is an ancient practice out of the Buddhist tradition and is the predominant form of mindfulness practice today. Its long enduring history alone speaks to its effectiveness, but it also makes an excellent foundation from which to explore the numerous variations of meditation available to us. If you’re new to meditation, you’re invited to explore this and other foundational techniques in my series, a Simple Course in Meditation.

Anapanasati is an ancient practice from the Buddhist tradition It has a long, enduring history and remains the predominant form of mindfulness practice today. Aside from being an elegant and effective method, it makes an excellent foundation from which to explore the many other forms of meditation available to us.
If you’re new to meditation, you’re invited to explore this and other foundational techniques in my series - a Simple Course in Meditation.

Yoga Nidra stems from the ancient health practices of India and is sometimes referred to as yogic sleep. Unlike the sleep we’re accustomed to, Yoga Nidra involves inducing a state between normal sleep and wakefulness. In the West we sometimes refer to this as a hypnagogic state, a point of transition between wakeful consciousness and the unconsciousness of sleep. During the practice you may become deeply relaxed and only vaguely aware of your surroundings. At the same time, you may become conscious of some of the of some of the subtle workings of the mind, workings that usually elude our awareness because of the busyness of our day-to-day thinking. It is in this conscious sleep that the benefits of Yoga Nidra manifest.