Enjoying but also struggling with Yoga Nidra
I started Yoga Nidra a few months ago, introduced on Insight Timer and was doing practices by Ally Boothroyd and Zoe Kanat. I really enjoy the bod scan aspect and overall find the practice very restful and restorative. However a lot of the commentary in Ally Boothroyd and Zoe Kanat's practices I frankly find to sound rather affected and kind of ethereal, which I do not enjoy.
I switched to doing some of Kamini Desai's practices, which feel more grounded and less affected. However she focuses much less on the body scan, and I find myself confused by her commentary and lack of direction - am I just supposed to receive the words she is saying? It seems like I'm being told what to do/how to feel, but also to not do anything at all, so I end up feeling confused. I've done mindfulness meditations before (regularly for just a few months) and it feels quite different from that.
I enjoy how restorative and relaxing it is to my nervous system when I can find the right practice. I really like that it seems to be a more passive form of meditation and that it specifically seems for deep rest.
I would like to continue but am having trouble finding practices that resonate with me. I think the fundamental issue is that while I understand yoga nidra as a rest meditation, I don't really understand what it is beyond that, if there are different styles, or the WHY of some of the commentary. Does anyone have any thoughts or other recommendations for beginners?
Posted Jul 10, 2026, 5:53 PM UTC