Yoga Nidra translates as “yogic sleep.” It is a kind of pratyahara, or the inward turning of awareness, and it is a state of profound conscious relaxation. While many of the benefits of meditation can also be attained through this state of consciousness, it is considered as an active or preliminary form of meditation.
Everybody has experienced days when they feel completely spent and drained. There is only one place that you really want to retreat to when life starts to take a toll on your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing. You most want to be in a state of total relaxation where you can achieve inner peace. And the ultimate mind-body technique created and used by the great sages of ancient India, called Yoga Nidra, hq1olds the key to this problem.
Yoga Nidra requires the most comfortable Shavasana (laying on your back like a corpse with your eyes closed and palm facing upwards) as the optimal posture to practice the method. Yoga Nidra is an aesthetically simple but powerful technique. Then, in order to reach the blissful state of relaxation, meticulously follow the simple instructions of the widely practiced Satyananda Yoga Nidra.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
- Balances mental harmony, emotional stability, and physical health
- It eases anxiety and tension.
- Helpful for problems relating to sleep, such as insomnia
- Highly advantageous for people with conditions like depression, anxiety, PTSD, lifestyle disorders, etc.
- It offers complete relaxation and permits the body’s vital energies to flow freely.
How to practice Yoga Nidra
- Internalization
In this preliminary phase, you attempt to shut off all five of your senses to the outside world and focus more on your respiration. This stage is all about removing your focus from the external world, letting go of any tensions, and gradually turning inward. - Sankalpa
Make a positive affirmation about something either general or very particular that you want to accomplish now that you’ve begun to relax. It could have something to do with your success, happiness, or health in life. This aids in changing your personality and gives you an obvious objective and direction - Breathing awareness
Slowly turn your attention to your breathing pattern.Be mindful of your breaths as you inhale, exhale, and the small pauses in between.Try to gradually regulate your breathing over time.This permits the energy to flow throughout the body and activates the higher brain centers.
- Creative visualization
Try to focus on it while creating imaginative scenes in your head. You can choose to see the sunset, an amazing beach, or whatever else you choose. Go into it in depth. This will clear your mind of all the unpleasant, painful, and upsetting things in your environment
- Sankalpa
Recall the initial affirmation you made, which was positive. The vow you made might strongly take root in the subconscious mind at this juncture since the body and mind are more open and relaxed. Your subconscious mind now takes the duty of prompting and reminding you of the promise and tries to help you achieve it.
- Externalization
You are now in the crucial final phase, where you gradually alter your internal consciousness and move closer to being awake. Take as much time as you need; speeding through it will likely leave you feeling confused and disoriented. Slowly open your eyes to experience the highest level of joy and to wish yourself well.
The simplest method to achieve deep relaxation is Yoga Nidra. When you most need it, it enables you to discover your inner happiness. Experience the worlds of serenity and consciousness within you by incorporating Yoga Nidra into your daily routine.
