Nidra Shakti: The Power of Rest – An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Yoga Nidrā

“This is an encyclopaedic work that reads like an Upanishad, a poetic and visionary encounter with Nidra Shakti herself. There is so much here: new scholarship on little known ancient and modern histories, ecstatic poetry and practical advice for anyone who wishes to explore the yogas of sleep and dream. The gorgeous reproductions of paintings are an especial delight.” Mark Singleton, author of Yoga Body: the origins of modern posture practice, co-author of The Roots of Yoga, and Gurus of Modern Yoga.

Author and compiler Umā Dinsmore-Tuli honours the South Asian yogic heritage of yoga nidrā, restitutes Yoganidrā Shakti Devī as the presiding deity of this liminal state, and reveals Indigenous roots of a global network of sleep and dream-threshold practices.

Umā identifies experiences of yoganidrā and methods of contemporary yoga nidrā practice, as aspects of a naturally-arising, restful and intuitive meditative state of insight, integration and re-matriation.

A comprehensive, illustrated reference to the theory and practice of yoga nidrā, this multi-vocal decolonial encyclopaedia includes:

• full colour illustrations and specially commissioned diagrams and figures
• untold histories of the development of yoga nidrā worldwide
• a unique illustrated a-z guide to aspects of the practice
• references to sacred and ancient texts from the South Asian yogic tradition
• review of scientific research into the medicine of yoga nidrā
• personal testimonies and contributions from over fifty contemporary practitioners
• exploration of related threshold states from Indigenous wisdom traditions
• practical guidance for facilitators, and comparative studies of methods of practice
• a treasury of 108 specially transcribed yoga nidra practices from over thirty facilitators