Beginner’s Guide to Yoga Nidra

Do you feel a dire need for rest even after sleeping every night for 8 hours? If this is a painful reality for you, there is a high chance you are suffering from a sleep disorder. At times, this can also be an indicator of unconsious tension residing in your mind and body.

Luckily, there is a way for you to get rid of this problem once and for all. You should enroll in a certified yoga nidra training to let go of all the pent-up stress and sleep like a baby.

Never heard of yoga nidra? Don’t worry! Yoga experts are here to help you with that.

Yoga Nidra – A Brief History

The technique of yoga nidra is an ancient one and is mentioned in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It was Swami Satyananda Saraswati who developed the technique of yoga nidra during the 20th century.

Let us now understand what exactly is yoga nidra.

Yoga Nidra – An Introduction

Do you know that the tensions in your mind and body are inter-connected? Yes! The moment you get sweaty palms or feelings of discomfort in your stomach; it is because you are thinking of something that makes you anxious or nervous. To help you get rid of this, yoga nidra comes to the rescue. But, what is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a method of deep relaxation which helps you go deeper into the subconscious mind. It helps you identify and release any pent up stress in the body and mind.

Do you know about the three levels of consciousness which influence your existence?

1. Jagriti (Conscious)

This is when your mind is connected to the external environment. This state relies on sensory organs to recieve and understand signals from the surroundings.

2. Swapna (Subconscious)

The dream state where your mind drifts off into the world of dreams. It is the state between the external and internal world. You should enroll in a certified Yoga nidra training in Rishikesh to understand this state of your consciousness in detail.

3. Sushupti (Unconscious)

The deep sleep where your mind slips into an unconscious state and has no connection with the outer world. It is when you are not aware even of the flow of time.

Do you know there are some major benefits to yoga nidra?

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra has several benefits. For starters, it helps you get rid of anxiety and pent up stress from the body and mind.

• However, there are some more benefits to this amazing technique.
• Minimizes headaches
• Eases abdominal discomfort
• Reduces effects of PTSD
• Promotes emotional strength
• Eases chest pains and palpilations
• Improves self-awareness

Do you know the practice order of Yoga Nidra? No? Let us yoga experts guide you on this path.

Practice Order of Yoga Nidra

The yoga nidra training is broken down into eight stages. Let us check out what these are.

1. Internalisation

You start moving awareness from the physical body to spiritual and mental body.

2. Sankalpa

It is here that you set an intention at the beginning of the yoga nidra training which becomes your sole intention until it materializes.

3. Rotation of Consciousness

Here is when you practice sound and body awareness by focusing on different parts of the body. It helps you dive deeper into yoga nidra and focus on the practice.

Also Read:- Best Yoga Mudra 

4. Breath Awareness

The stage where you become aware of your breath.

5. Manifestation

You start to explore opposite emotions and sensations while practicing non-attachment to any of them.

6. Visualization

Now, you create a visualization depending on the subject you are thinking of.

7. Sankalpa

The intention set during the beginning of yoga nidra training gets rooted into your body and mind’s purpose.

8. Externalisation

The final stage is where you bring the sensation back from the internal to the external body.

But, every yoga practice does have a time limit. Similar is the case with yoga nidra.

For How Long Should I Practice Yoga Nidra?

The yoga nidra training can take place from a mere five minutes to as long as an hour. It is highly recommended that if you start to fall asleep during the practice, then do it again with a shorter time span.

Conclusion

Do you want to get back that lost sleep at night? You should use this guide to know about the magical technique of yoga nidra. Also, you can enroll in a certified yoga nidra training to learn it directly from the masters.

Read More:- Guided Meditation For Sleep