Revive yourself by practicing Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is becoming rather popular among the Yoga enthusiasts as well as among the novices. There are many yoga studious and practitioners who are offering yoga specific classes. Yoga Nidra technique is being used by psychologists and doctors to treat depression and anxiety and insomnia which has become so prevalent because of the current lifestyle of people.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a technique which is used to induce deep sleep or conscious sleep in a way that the person is conscious of his deep state of sleep which is known as Pragya.
It’s an old art derived from Mandukya Upanishad which was discovered and practiced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. It is a guided meditation, derived from an old Tantra Yoga technique. It is also a practice of Pratyahara where our attachment to our senses are consciously withdrawn to our senses and work on different layers of mind, to go deeper into self-introspection. Yoga Nidra is used for healing the mind, body and soul.

Importance of Yoga Nidra

With a fierce competition and an ever-growing need to excel, people are constantly at war with themselves and with others. There is a dearth of peace. Dissatisfaction, non-attachment, lack of love, hatred, a sense of loneliness, not belonging, are all prevalent which troubles the minds of the younger generation. They are on the constant lookout for peace outside rather than within themselves. Yoga Nidra proves to be of great benefit to both inner and outer peace.

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

• Yoga Nidra relaxes the body and mind quickly. When you are completely relaxed you sense peace creeping into you.
• You can attain a balance between your conscious and unconscious mind. Therefore a sense of harmony prevails within and life seems to be more balanced and improved.
• It helps cure insomnia. A person can be cured of sleeping disorder if his body and mind are made to relax.
• Depressed people or people who are likely to go into depression can practice Yoga Nidra to gain self-awareness and also know the cause and cure for their depression without resorting to medicines.
• Yoga Nidra can be used in people with anxiety to calm them and relax.
• Yoga Nidra is an art of conscious healing and self-elevation.
• Stress is relieved due to regular practice of the yogic sleep.
• When one is practicing Yoga Nidra, it the best time to learn anything new as the mind is highly receptive then.
• It helps creativity. With a relaxed body and mind, the creative juices of a person are known to flow more. We are more relaxed to be creative and supportive of our inner self.
• Our mind is opened, the soul is transformed and the body is completely and thoroughly rejuvenated.
• Also, experts believe that with the continued practice of Yoga Nidra one can experience the first stage of Samadhi, Turiya.

What Requirements to practice Yoga Nidra

One can practice Yoga Nidra in any position he or she is comfortable in. Sitting, lying down, leaning, anything, as long as it helps you concentrate and the person doesn’t fall asleep.
When one is transiting into a deep relaxation zone, there is a tendency for the body temperature to drop and to feel cold. So it's better to cover yourself with a shawl to prevent your concentration from wavering.
A nice quiet place, with a soft instrument playing in the background, will be an ideal setting to practice Yoga Nidra.

How to do Yoga Nidra?

• Begin with a 15-minute warm-up by stretching through asanas.
• Sit or lie down comfortably and close your eyes.
• Start concentrating on your body which will help in relaxing.
• Extend the relaxation to every part of your body, toes, legs, feet, hand, fingers, hips, torso, and chest.
• Concentrate on your inhalation and exhalation.
• Think of a beautiful, calm and serene location in your head and imagine being there.
• Slowly bring attention back to the breath and body and the ground you’re lying on.
• Now slowly sit up and open your eyes.
• Yoga Nidra could be very transformational, meditative and rejuvenating and improve ones' quality of life and living style. So by bringing it into our daily lives we can work magic!

See Also: Yoga Nidra in Simple Steps

About Author

Meera Acharya is a certified Yoga Alliance Teacher (E-RYT) and combines Hatha, Astanga, Sivananda and Vinyasa Flow with her meditation and healing approach. After exploring life in many dimensions for many years through various trainings and meditation techniques, she realizes that everything that happens around us is to support our growth and to enhance our consciousness. She is trained in a wide range of Yoga, Meditation and Therapeutic Techniques, such as Yoga Nidra, Kundalini, Chakra E-RYT200Healing, Vigyan Bhairav Tantra Meditation, Dream Dialogue , Past -life Regression, Color-Light Therapy, Tantra Yoga.

More on: Yoga Nidra Teacher Training