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Yoga Nidra – psychic sleep

In the modern world, filled with obligations , demands and competition, as well as the exposure to a mass of information via the radio, television, advertising, emails and newspapers, have influence on the senses as well as the nervous system, often leading to sensory fatigue, unrelieved by a normal nights sleep. If this sounds familiar to you, Yoga Nidra may be a great help.

The word ‘Nidra’ means ‘sleep’. The meditative technique of Yoga Nidra was described in the old Tantric texts. During the practice of Yoga Nidra the consciousness remains between the two states of sleep and being awake, without having a relationship with either one of these. This process in which the senses are withdrawn has been described by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra’s and called ‘Pratyahara’. Only two senses remain active, that of hearing and that of feeling.

During the Yoga Nidra practice the unconscious mind is most dominant. Yoga Nidra relaxes physical, mental and emotional stress, or restlessness, bringing you closer to your true Self.

One hour of Yoga Nidra practice is equivalent to four hours sleep. During normal sleep there is no consciousness of the body, or the external environment. Despite physical and mental tension it is still possible to fall asleep. During Yoga Nidra physical and mental tensions are removed consciously.

Yoga Nidra is used in order to learn languages, or large amounts of information, such as is the case prior to examinations. Furthermore it is used with acute as well as chronic illnesses such as hypertension, heart and vascular diseases, arthritis, CARA, stomach ulcers, migraine and anxiety. It deeply relaxes the mind in cases of mental overload.

The Yoga Nidra practice lasts for approximately 45 minutes.
• During the practice of Yoga Nidra one lies on the back, on the floor (not in bed), the body covered with a thin cloth. There is no physical movement, and it should be practiced with an empty stomach.
• During the practice of Yoga Nidra one attempts not to fall asleep, but in case you do fall asleep all is not lost, as the ears still register all sounds. If you fall asleep easily you could do some dynamic exercises beforehand, or take a cold shower and lastly whilst lying on the back, on the floor, lift up the right, lower arm, keeping the elbow on the floor. Should you fall asleep, the arm will fall onto the floor, waking you up!

During the practice of Yoga Nidra, old impressions or memories of events and experiences that have been stored in the unconscious may surface to the conscious level. Because the stages of Yoga Nidra are designed to create a deep level of relaxation, there is no physical, emotional or mental reaction if this occurs. In fact, the moment such impressions or memories reach the conscious level, any effect they may have on our physical, emotional or mental selves is neutralized; they stay in the ‘archive’ of our unconscious mind, but no longer have the power to influence our behaviour or thinking.
If you have any need to discuss what you have experienced during the practice of Yoga Nidra, please contact David Lonsdale, or any certified Satyananda Yoga teacher.
The teaching of Yoga Nidra is only advised after one year of regular Yoga Nidra practice. Workshops dealing with the practice of Yoga Nidra are given regularly by Satyananda Yoga Centres.

Practising Yoga Nidra is not recommended for people suffering from depression, psychosis and schizophrenia.