Yoga Nidra is a magical apply that’s usually translated as “yogic sleep.” Yogic sleep sounds fairly good, however what’s Yoga Nidra precisely?
It’s an fascinating apply that has roots courting again hundreds of years. In case you’ve ever been fortunate sufficient to expertise the apply, you recognize that the advantages of Yoga Nidra are plentiful and that the apply is soothing, restorative, and deeply restful.
Learn on to seek out out every part about this mystical yogic sleep meditation and tips on how to correctly apply it.
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What Is Yoga Nidra?
This easy, restorative apply is a guided meditation that lulls you right into a state of semi-consciousness. Via intention setting, physique scans, visualizations, and breath consciousness, you’re transferred to a different world that’s calm, soothing, and peaceable.
Yoga Nidra is believed to be deeply restorative and enjoyable for the nervous system and as restful and soothing as sleep. It’s stated {that a} quick Yoga Nidra apply is as refreshing as hours of deep sleep.
A brief Yoga Nidra apply is as refreshing as hours of deep sleep.
It’s undoubtedly a robust apply, nevertheless it’s additionally one of many best meditations to observe and to persistently apply.
As a completely guided meditation, Yoga Nidra is practiced mendacity down in your again. This restful place means that you can fluctuate between aware and semi-conscious states, transferring you thru totally different phases of consciousness.
Through gently guided leisure methods, Yoga Nidra forces you to decelerate, relax, and inevitably restore.
Craving a unique kind of guided meditation? Do this Guided Pranayama and Mindfulness Meditation for a Calm and Peaceable Thoughts (Video)
The Historical past of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is alleged to be as outdated because the apply of yoga itself.
First talked about within the Upanishads (historic holy scriptures of Hinduism and yogic philosophy) after which later mentioned within the Mahabharata (the longest epic poem on the planet, which incorporates the Bhagavad Gita), Yoga Nidra has undoubtedly been round for a very long time.
The revered guru Satyananda Saraswati is alleged to be one of many first fashionable yoga lecturers that basically employed the apply of Yoga Nidra together with his pupils.
Much more modernly, Richard Miller (a yoga instructor who has pioneered the concept of utilizing yoga as a therapeutic apply) developed the iRest Yoga Nidra technique as a contemporary adaptation of the traditional meditation apply of Yoga Nidra.
His technique has been used the world over for numerous functions, together with serving to troopers returning house from battle with Publish Traumatic Stress Dysfunction (PTSD).
The Science Behind Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra has been studied scientifically with many promising outcomes that present numerous advantages.
One examine discovered that Yoga Nidra is characterised by a depressed stage of need for motion. The examine discovered decreased blood stream within the prefrontal, cerebellar, and subcortical areas of the mind whereas topics have been working towards Yoga Nidra. (These components of the mind are believed to be related to motion.)
The examine confirmed elevated dopamine launch in the course of the Yoga Nidra meditation, which was additionally related to the expertise of lowered readiness for motion.
One other examine discovered that Yoga Nidra elevated coronary heart fee variability (HRV), which is usually utilized as an index of autonomic nervous system steadiness and, subsequently, is a robust indicator of general well being.
Yoga Nidra has been studied scientifically with many promising outcomes that present numerous advantages.
One other examine measured the consequences of a Yoga Nidra apply on college college students’ shallowness and stress ranges. The findings indicated that Yoga Nidra might alleviate primary life stresses and enhance general shallowness.
One other examine measured mind exercise throughout Yoga Nidra and located that topics have been in a deeply relaxed state (just like the mind state of sleep) whereas working towards. What’s fascinating is that these outcomes additionally discovered individuals to be in fully conscious states whereas concurrently on this deep leisure.
Additional research have discovered Yoga Nidra to assist scale back stress, enhance ache administration, address sexual assault, scale back drug habit relapse, and extra.
Comply with These 7 Steps to Observe Yoga Nidra:
Conventional Yoga Nidra follows particular steps to achieve the deeply restorative semi-conscious state. The next are typical steps of a Yoga Nidra apply.
1. Set Up Your Area
It’s necessary to get as comfy as attainable when working towards Yoga Nidra, so arrange your area nonetheless it’s essential get relaxed and settled.
It’s possible you’ll want to use props like a yoga bolster beneath your again or your knees or to cowl your self with a blanket or place a pillow beneath your head. Regulate your self nonetheless it’s essential in an effort to get actually comfy as you lie down to organize in your apply.
Soften comfortably right into a yoga mat, sofa, or mattress in order that the place of your physique received’t distract you throughout your apply.
2. Create a Sankalpa
A sankalpa is an intention, and it’s one thing that you just in all probability already use in your asana apply.
Carry your consciousness to no matter it’s that your coronary heart wishes or what you hope to achieve from this apply. Possibly you plan to domesticate hope or prosperity, or perhaps your intention is just to calm down and restore.
No matter your intention for the apply is, make it clear in your thoughts’s eye in order that it could change into the point of interest of your meditation.
The Energy of Sankalpa: Right here’s Every thing You Must Know About Setting Intentions in Yoga
3. Scan Your Physique
This step is excess of only a physique scan. This stage of your Yoga Nidra apply is supposed to maneuver you right into a state of Pratyahara (a withdrawal of the senses). Pratyahara is believed to be the gateway to the unconscious and that’s the major goal of Yoga Nidra.
Pratyahara Defined: The Fifth Limb of the Yoga Sutras and the First Step Towards Meditation
So systematically transfer by your physique and sense every a part of it. Expertise the sensations of your proper huge toe all the way in which all the way down to your pinky toe. Actually really feel your hips, torso, and arms. Sense your throat, chin, lips, nostril, eyes, and brow.
Transfer throughout your entire physique and, as you accomplish that, systematically calm down every a part of your physique as you sense it. When you’ve totally relaxed your physique, let it keep totally relaxed as you progress your consideration to extra refined components of your self.
4. Draw Your Consciousness to Your Breath
Really feel the actions of your breath. Really feel your physique respiration naturally. Dive into the deeper mechanics of your breath. The place does the air enter your physique? The place does it exit? What’s its texture, temperature, and velocity?
Expertise the tide of prana flowing by you. By drawing deeper into the subtleties of your physique, you progress farther and farther into deeper phases of Pratyahara.
As you observe the ebb and stream of your breath, let its rhythm lull you right into a semi-conscious state.
Study extra about Prana: Demystifying Life Pressure Power
5. Grow to be Conscious of Your Ideas and Emotions
Grow to be the conscious observer and easily discover ideas and emotions as they come up. With out judgement, merely acknowledge what passes by your thoughts – whether or not consciously or not.
Keep away from dwelling on anybody thought or feeling that arises. Merely watch the cascade of ideas go by your thoughts.
6. Expertise and Observe
Take discover of what has arisen from this entire expertise. Grow to be conscious of the aware observer that’s at all times current, no matter your emotional or bodily state.
Join with this increased consciousness that dwells inside you. Really feel how this connects you to a larger consciousness past your self.
7. Mindfully Resurface
Whenever you’re prepared, slowly and mindfully return to a state of heightened aware consciousness. Comply with your personal tempo to reawaken and reorient to your waking life.
Pause for a second to replicate again in your sankalpa and to seek out gratitude in your apply earlier than transferring on along with your day.
Searching for extra deeply restorative practices? Attempt These 4 Restorative Yoga Poses to Loosen up Your Physique and Thoughts
What Is Yoga Nidra? The Takeaway on Yogic Sleep
The apply of Yoga Nidra is undoubtedly helpful to the physique, breath, and thoughts. By working towards this soothing meditation, you may end up feeling extra rested, alert, or consciously conscious.
Subsequent, learn: These 8 Advantages of Yoga Nidra Will Make You Need to Observe ASAP
Give the apply a attempt to see how you are feeling. You simply could discover that Yoga Nidra is your new favourite fashion of stress-relieving, restorative meditation.
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