Yoga Nidra in a Nutshell
Yoga Nidra in a Nutshell
Humans spend about a third of their lives sleeping. Unconsciously. Just like breathing, sleep is believed to be essential for our survival, as a means of relaxation and rejuvenation. We all practise it every day.
Yogis of the past developed a practice, derived from the tantras, which allowed them to sleep consciously and direct their awareness towards achieving deeper and broader relaxation than in a state of ordinary sleep.
Swami Satyananda, in his book Yoga Nidra (ISBN: 8185787123), defines it this way:
People feel that they are relaxing when they collapse in an easy chair with a cup of coffee, a drink or a cigarette, and read a newspaper or switch on the television. But this will never suffice as a scientific definition of relaxation. These are only sensory diversions. True relaxation is actually an experience far beyond all this. For absolute relaxation you must remain aware. This is yoga nidra, the state of dynamic sleep. Yoga nidra is a systematic method of inducing complete physical, mental and emotional relaxation.
In a world of endless distractions, sensory overload, societal pressures and dissipated awareness, sleep is just not enough. Regular practice of yoga nidrā is essential for survival — survival of a sane mind and clear consciousness.
Tantric Roots: Nyāsa
Yoga nidrā is believed to be related to the tantric practice of nyāsa — specifically aṅga nyāsa, kara nyāsa, and varṇa nyāsa. Nyāsa means “placing” and refers to a component of tantric ritualism in which the practitioner touches various parts of the body while pronouncing a mantra and visualising a devatā or bīja mantra. Nyāsa is understood to “divinise” the body of the worshipper.
Yoga nidra is taken from a tantric practice called aṅga nyāsa. Aṅga means main limbs or organs of the body — the toes, knees, hips, the back, chest, shoulder blades and head. Nyāsa means to place. In tantra, when you sit for pūjā, the mind is placed on the various organs of the body along with the mantras. You touch each part and say a mantra.
The second stage places the mind on different parts of the hand — kara nyāsa (kara = hand, fingers, wrist). The third is varṇa nyāsa, where the mind is placed on a colour (varṇa = colour). Through these three nyāsas, the elements of the body are purified.
— Yoga Nidra / YogaMag / Sivanandashram, Munger, 16 October 1982
Looking into the original practices it becomes clear that yoga nidrā is a process of purification of the body and mind, achieved through systematic practice of “dynamic” sleep with one-pointed awareness.
Important work in bringing yoga nidrā to present day was shouldered by Swami Satyananda, who explored the old complicated techniques, re-shaped them, defined specific stages, and came up with a sleek, elegant system suitable for modern realities.
The Layered Mind
The human mind has a layered structure: the conscious layer is the outermost; beneath it is the subconscious, which holds recent saṃskāras (mental impressions) and transmits them to the deepest layer — the unconscious, where saṃskāras are imprinted and processed to be utilised in subsequent lifetimes.
Natural sleep is marked by the mind shifting first into the unconscious and then the subconscious state — characterised respectively by non-dreaming deep sleep and the dreaming state.
The yoga nidrā system employs a deep relaxation technique that uses an involuntary release of tension in the sensory-motor cortex of the cerebral cortex, unlocking the unconscious mind without passing through the ordinary dreaming state. Awareness is drawn to certain areas of the body, progressively deepening pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal).
The Eight Stages
1. Settling (Essential) — Prepares the body to release physical tensions, draws attention to the senses, allowing the unsettled mind to pacify and begin internalisation. This is the first level of pratyāhāra.
2. Saṅkalpa — Initial affirmation to begin the process of transformation of the practitioner’s personality.
3. Body Rotation (Essential) — Complete physical relaxation through rotation of body parts in the Motor Homunculus. All motor and sensory functions are temporarily suspended.
4. Breath Awareness (Essential) — The second level of pratyāhāra is achieved by taking attention to the breath. The internalisation stage deepens.
5. Opposites — Emotional relaxation is encouraged through homeostatic balance created by stimulating the hypothalamus (feelings) and limbic system (emotions). Pratyāhāra becomes complete, allowing the unconscious mind to manifest.
6. Visualisations — Mental relaxation comes through arising self-awareness by shifting attention along images. At this stage, transformation messages can be introduced because the mind is entirely in the unconscious and is one-pointed, opening to dhāraṇā and then, possibly, to dhyāna.
7. Saṅkalpa — Repeated exactly as in stage 2, now delivered directly into the unconscious mind to complete the transformation message and reaffirm intention.
8. Externalisation (Essential) — Slow return to outer awareness by drawing attention to the breath, body, and surroundings.
Benefits
Benefits of yoga nidrā include purification of mind, releasing of emotional and thought patterns, dissolving accumulated saṃskāras, and treating insomnia and addictions. A single session of yoga nidrā produces a quality of rest that ordinary sleep cannot reliably deliver — making it invaluable for anyone whose life involves mental intensity, care work, or deep sādhana.
