A fun alternative to fitness and fun.

Many people chose to leave State College and go home for the weekend. It’s a good opportunity to go home and relax before spring break. Staying at school can be kind of risky, since police pay the bars thousands of dollars to shut down just for this one day. Getting in underaged is very likely on this day and I was too scared to risk it.

Many people chose to leave State College and go home for the weekend. It’s a good opportunity to go home and relax before spring break. Staying at school can be kind of risky, since police pay the bars thousands of dollars to shut down just for this one day. Getting in underaged is very likely on this day and I was too scared to risk it.

I decided to take the more relaxing weekend option and go home to Bethesda Maryland. Once I got home I was welcomed with hugs, kisses, and an amazing dinner as usual. I don’t normally like to leave State College because I have so much fun here but I hadn’t seen my family in quite a while. 

As soon as I got there my mom immediately asked me to go to yoga nidra with her. I obviously had no idea what that was or what it entailed. She explained to me that yoga nidra is a type of yoga class that is supposed relaxes you completely. 

“My friend felt like she was flying at one point,” she said. I was so confused as to how a yoga class could possibly make someone feel this way. My mom explained to me that the instructor talks you through the class while you simply lie there with pillows, blankets, and an eye cover. I felt open-minded and was curious to try something new so I was in!
 Saturday morning we went to yoga nidra not really knowing what to expect. The instructor explained to us what her practice is all about and said that yoga nidra is a highly powerful way to meditate.
“You will feel totally transformed after and hopefully eliminate negative thoughts or feelings of stress you may have. Some of you may fall asleep and some of you will hear every word I say”. I immediately thought that I was definitely going to be one of the people that cannot fall asleep and be too distracted with her words, since I always seem to have sleeping issues at school. 
So, each person got blankets and mats as well as all the materials needed to “relax”. We then layed there with eyes closed as the instructor talked us through the class. The instructor then began to tell us to feel sensations throughout our body. I had no idea how to possibly be able to “feel a sensation” on command this is much harder then you think. You have to lie there and try and feel your mouth without moving, sounds pretty impossible to me. However, after fully letting your body relax, you finally are able to feel whatever body part she is directing you too since you’re so relaxed and partly numb. 
At one point, she said to us, “Feel the energy in your mouths, now your ears, and now your chest”. Once we got to our chest she said, “Feel your heart, feel it beat and understand what it longs for. What does your heart long for”? This question really stumbled me because I had absolutely no idea what my heart longs for. Does it long for success? Does it long for happiness? Or does it long for love? I really didn’t know the answer. Then I realized I’m only 20-years old, I don’t necessarily think I have to answer this question within myself right now, but hopefully one day I will have the answer. And when I do I’ll be sure to get back to you! 
Overall, yoga nidra was extremely relaxing except for my time of doubt. I ended up falling asleep for the rest of the class, and waking up to some humming. I would recommend trying it if you have difficulties falling at sleep at night. It’s a great way to relieve stress and to learn how to let your discomforts become comforts.