About Yoga Nidra and How To Do

Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra means ‘yogic sleep’. It is a state of conscious deep sleep. You leave the waking state, go past the dreaming state, and enter a deep sleep, yet remain fully alert, aware and awake. It is a kind of ‘psychic sleep’ produced by a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation, while maintaining awareness at the deeper levels. It is a prolonged suspension between wakefulness and sleep. It induces a higher state of consciousness - a wakeful state of deep introversion or an inner awareness. It is a movement of consciousness rather than a deliberate auto-suggestion. You cannot relax by trying to relax - you need to feel relaxed. 

After relaxing your body and calming your mind you can plant a few intentions, sankalpas,or assertions in your subconscious before detaching your mind and experiencing the final stage of deep relaxation.

There is a close relationship between the body and the brain. Various centres in the brain control modify, and affect all our bodily functions. In fact, there is a centre in the brain for every act, whether wilful or reflex,physical or mental.

In Yoga Nidra we make the brain centres active by focusing awareness on the parts of the body in a specific sequence. Thus, we try to stimulate various parts of the brain by focusing the awareness on the corresponding parts of the body. Awareness can be defined as adopting an attitude of witness towards physical or mental actions of the body.

The Practice of Yoga Nidra

Practice 10-20 minutes of Yoga asanas.

Practice 10-20 minutes of meditation.

Lie comfortably on your back with your eyes closed, feet apart and palms up. Cover yourself with a blanket to keep warm.

First you will consciously tense and then relax each area of the body starting with the feet and legs. Lift the right leg about four inches off the floor. Stretch the toes away from the body and then stretch them towards the head. Clench the toes tightly. Tense the whole foot and leg and then it relax completely and drop to the floor. Repeat this with the other leg. Lift the right arm about four inches from the floor, clench the fists and then stretch the fingers. Tense the hand and arm together and then let it relax completely and drop to the floor. Repeat this with the other arm. Lift and tense the abdomen and then let it completely relax. Lift and tense the chest and then let it completely relax. Make a tight face as though you are sucking on a lemon and then let it completely relax. Open the eyes and mouth as wide as possible and stick your tongue out fully. Now relax the face completely. 

Now you are going to subconsciously relax each part of the body in turn starting with the feet. Repeat each of these phases to yourself as you move around the body. Start with the feet. “I relax my feet, I relax my feet, I relax my feet” “my feet are relaxing,” “my feet are completely relaxed.” Use these same phrases as you move to the calves, knees, thighs, buttocks, lower back, upper back, whole back, shoulders, hands, forearms, elbows, upper arms, head, scalp, brain, eyes, cheeks, chin, abdomen, diaphragm, intestines, liver, kidneys, pancreas, heart, lungs and whole body.

Now start with the number twenty eight and say, “twenty eight, my whole body is relaxing,” “twenty seven, my whole body is relaxing more,” “twenty six, my whole body is relaxing even more,” “twenty five, my whole body is relaxing more,” twenty four, my whole body is relaxing more.” Keep counting and repeating similar phrases until you reach number one. If you lose count start again at number twenty eight.

Next you silently repeat a sankalpa, or resolve regarding your higher aims in life. It should be a short, clear and precise statement, phrased in positive language and in the present tense. For example, your resolve could be: "I am taking full care of my family," “I am awakening my spiritual potential,” “I am successful in my all undertakings,” “I am in perfect health,” “I am a positive help in the spiritual progress of others.” Be aware that as the resolve becomes embedded deep in the subconscious it is bound to bear fruit in the fullness of time. 

Repeat your resolve mentally three times with feeling and awareness. Now begin the rotation of awareness. Visualize the part of the body mentioned by the instructor; it can be a teacher or a tape-recorder or even your memory once you are familiar with the process. You should not move any part of your body; it must remain completely passive and relaxed. 

Quickly shift your awareness from body part to body part corresponding with the instructions from your teacher. You should not imagine the next body part before your teacher mentions it. Remain alert, but do not concentrate. The mind must be allowed to quickly, silently and innocently move from body part to body part with no anxiety or expectation.