TS01: ADVANCED PRACTICE Inclusive, Multisensory Yoga Nidra for Neurodivergence in Yoga Therapy

Presenter bio: Kristi Schwickerath, C-IAYT

Yoga nidra is well-known as a practice of deep rest that supports resilience, nervous system regulation, trauma recovery, and pain management. Yet its traditional reliance on linear, visualization-based scripts can leave some participants feeling excluded or overwhelmed. This session will explore how the Rooted Rest multisensory approach to yoga nidra meets clients where they are, honors their lived experience, and invites agency so each person can find rest that feels safe and supportive in both individual and group settings.

Discover how individuals with aphantasia, who are unable to visualize, discovered that they could still engage deeply through sound, touch, or other senses. Clients with ADHD shared that spiral pacing eased frustration, making it easier to rejoin the practice after distraction. In group settings, we can honor varied sensory needs through simple strategies such as offering sound for those who welcome it while allowing silence for others, or providing both dim and brighter light. Together, these examples demonstrate how Rooted Rest widens the circle of people who can experience yoga nidra’s therapeutic benefits.

After a practice, we’ll come together in reflection and discuss how these approaches can be integrated into yoga therapy practice in clinical and community settings alike.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify common barriers that clients with neurodivergent processing styles may encounter in traditional yoga nidra facilitation, and explain how multisensory, choice-based adaptations can support accessibility.
2. Describe how a spiral framework can support nonlinear attention patterns and client agency within yoga nidra facilitation.