What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra, also know as “yogic sleep” or “yogic dreaming” as it commonly known. It is a type of meditation technique and one of the most accessible yoga practices that anyone can do.
It is usually practiced in a guided format length between 20 minutes to 45 minutes. One of the reason why it is more accessible than other meditation techniques is that practitioner is being guided while resting comfortable in savasana (corps pose) without needing to hold the body in a seated position nor making an effort to keep the mind focused on certain objective.
It comes from the tantric practice of nyasa, which in Sanskrit language means “to place” or “to take the mind to that point.” Traditionally, nyasa was practiced in a sitting posture and involved the use of specific mantras which were placed, felt or experienced at different parts of the body. One of the key aspects of yoga nidra practice — rotation of consciousness — derives from the nyasa practice. Cues to bring awareness of breath, feelings, and sensations will be given during a nidra practice. It helps to take practitioners into a deeper sense of the body and awareness beyond the wakeful consciousness. Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what you need in the moment, as well as an opportunity to work on releasing long-held emotions.
The science behind yoga nidra
There are three known states of consciousness: awake, dreaming sleep, and deep sleep. Each state of consciousness marks different psychological dimensions and the brain actives under different brainwave patterns. There’s actually a fourth state of consciousness which is the yoga nidra. It sets between the awake and dreaming sleep states where the Superconsciousness mind, called turiya in Sanskrit, is activated. At this state, the brain enter alpha wave (frequency 8-12 Hz), where deep relaxation happens while the brain enters highly visionary activity. Yoga nidra occurs at the threshold of sense consciousness and sleep consciousness. In yoga nidra, the brain is isolated from the external environment and starts to turn inward while maintaining a degree of external awareness by listening to and mentally following a series of instructions.
Some people may wonder, “what if I fall asleep in a yoga nidra practice?” There is no wrong way to practice yoga nidra. Even if you think you are at the brim of awake and sleep stage, the deepest part of your consciousness, your core self, is always listening. All you need to do is to simply relax and listen without trying too hard.
Yoga nidra for stress release
In a longer practice, a series of visualization guidance will be offered at the last, where practitioners visualize the images described by the instructor. This practice of visualization leads the mind to concentration, or dhyana in Sanskrit, which is a preparatory state of meditation. This last stage of yoga nidra induces mental relaxation. From studies on meditators and yoga nidra practitioners using electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor brain activity, researchers found that the visual centre of the brain is active. This implies an increased ability to visualize and people are better contact with emotion, where our capacity to release long-held emotions and past trauma is increased.
4 takeaways of yoga nidra
Ok. We’ve got enough science talk! Let’s wrap this up with some key aspects of yoga nidra. Yoga nidra is an accessible meditation practice that focuses on cultivating multiple levels of well-being. Practiced with consistency and awareness, you will notice a shift in your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Yoga nidra offers a space to explore what you need in the moment, as well as an opportunity to work on releasing long-held emotions. If you are taking something away from this article, these are the 4 key aspects:
Anyone can do yoga nidra.
There’s no wrong way to practice yoga nidra.
It’s a technique to reduce stress and prepare for a good night sleep.
It offers the opportunity to learn about yourself intimately through relaxation practice.
Jai Yoga Studio in Coquitlam offers a regular yoga nidra class, Nidra Flow, combining a soothing hatha yoga flow with half an hour yoga nidra guided by professionally trained instructors. Check out the studio class schedule and book yourself in a nidra journey to explore your inner wonderland.
References:
Rebekka Walker’s yoga teacher training manual
Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Alpha wave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_wave