What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra or ‘Yogic Sleep’ is an accessible and systematic meditation technique that is done laying down. Here we explore this ancient practice and offer a free recording that can be used to practice the technique any time.
Yoga Nidra is a powerful relaxation and meditation technique derived from ancient tantra and developed by Swami Satyananda of the Bihar School of Yoga. Yoga Nidra is mentioned in the ancient Indian texts of the Upanishads (at the end of the Vedas circa 600BCE) and is mentioned in the epic text Mahabharata. Modern Yoga Nidra was popularised in the 1970s by teachers of the time, including Satyananda Saraswati. Since then, the practice of Yoga Nidra has become more common place in yoga studios over the world and has seen adaptions created to reach a wide variety of individuals.
Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation performed laying down in a comfortable, quiet place. An instructor will guide the individual to become aware of their breath, then to different parts of the body and onto a variety of sensations and visualisations. A Yoga Nidra practice can be anywhere from about 10 to 60 minutes in length.
Yoga Nidra aims to cultivate a state between awake and asleep, in which the physical body is completely relaxed and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of their inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. This is different to a typical seated meditation, where the practitioner is concentrating on a single point of focus and is often seated upright. This makes the Yoga Nidra practice a wonderfully accessible meditation technique for those who find that physical discomfort or an excessively busy mind, make traditional seated meditation very challenging.
Yoga Nidra is a practice relevant for established and new meditators alike. Yoga Nidra offers a chance to discover something new, calming the nervous system and unlocking latent realms of the mind in a kind of ‘dynamic sleep’ which aims to help your brain consciously relax.
Typically there are 8 parts to a Yoga Nidra practice:
settling the body and initial relaxation
setting an intention/ resolve (sankalpa - a short mental statement, in the first person, present tense. Some examples: “I am safe” or “I am patient” or “I am relaxed”)
rotation of consciousness (taking your attention to each body part as it is named)
breath and energy awareness
sense perseption (being guide to feel oposing sensations. e.g. the body is heavy/ body is light)
visualisation (being guided to see objects or images in the minds eye)
recalling and repeating your intention/ resolve (sankalpa)
Externalisation (slowly guided to externalise your awareness)
Benefits:
You cannot do it incorrectly - each time your experience may be different. You might fall asleep, you may see or feel different things. All is ‘normal’ and welcome.
The experience of deep relaxation.
A systematic way of releasing tensions in the muscles, mind and intellect.
Improved thought patterns and reduced stress.
Enhanced cognitive performance and memory.
Improved self-esteem and confidence.
Better sleep and improved physical health.
Improved waking mindfulness.
Diminishes symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Treats chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Evidence:
According to an article in the Boston Globe, “In 2006, the Department of Defense in the USA conducted research at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on the efficacy of yoga nidra on soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder. This led to the incorporation of yoga nidra into weekly treatment programs for soldiers in several VA facilities across the country.”
The International Journal of Yoga issued an article that details The Impact of Yoga Nidra and Seated Meditation on the Mental Health of College Professors, results indicate that both interventions represent an effective therapeutic approach in reducing anxiety and stress levels.
An interesting article published in 2020 titled - Effectiveness of a short Yoga Nidra meditation on stress, sleep, and well-being in a large and diverse sample, discusses a study which uses a short recorded Yoga Nidra on a large sample of individuals over 30 days and highlights the increase in general life satisfaction and the cognitive component of well-being in participants.
The benefits of meditation and Yoga Nidra are being more widely explored in Western scientific communities. The best place to start your own exploration is through personal inquiry and experience. Find a quiet and comfortable space and try the recording i have provided here or one of many available online.