What Does Yoga Nidra Mean?

Let’s look at how Yoga Nidra is different from meditation. The term Yoga Nidra is now commonly used to refer to this conscious relaxation and meditation technique.

Meditation is usually done while sitting upright, and most types of meditation are done while you are awake, sometimes focusing on a mantra or the breath. Yoga Nidra, on the other hand, is usually done lying down, under a blanket, and it takes you from a waking state to a dreaming state to a deep sleep state and finally to a fourth state of consciousness where all of your senses are activated.

Thoughts come to an end. Your mind enters the deepest state of relaxation possible without exerting any effort.

Origin of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is thought to have originated in India. While Yoga Nidra has its roots in ancient tantra yoga, a branch of Indian spiritual study, it was developed in the 1960s in the West for a mainstream audience.

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yogic sleep is another name for Yoga Nidra.  Yoga means “union” or “oneness,” and Nidra means “sleep,” or more precisely, the awareness that engulfs all states of consciousness, from awakening to falling asleep.

Yoga Nidra guides you into a sleep state while inviting you to remain conscious in a semi-awake state while deeply relaxed. It’s similar to a nap in that you’re asleep, but it’s distinct in that a typical nap shuts down everything, including awareness, whereas Yoga Nidra meditation guides you to shut down everything. As a result, you become more aware of various parts of your body, and relaxation becomes more effective. You also become more open to letting go of emotional and mental patterns that have been holding you back.

When you are most likely to practice Yoga Nidra is the optimal moment. Choose a time that works with your schedule and the rhythm of your household. Yoga Nidra will adjust to your needs. Morning or afternoon practice often provides a burst of energy, as opposed to a nap, which can leave you feeling sluggish. It also sets the tone for a day filled with positive energy, uplifting ideas and aspirations, and the reminder that you are much more than your beliefs, feelings, thoughts, and circumstances. When faced with stress, it will be easier to remember to use your talents throughout the day.

Yoga Nidra Sleep Like Benefits

Yoga Nidra is not at odds with meditation. Both are fantastic. However, if Yoga Nidra provides all of the benefits of deep meditation as well as the benefits of deep sleep while allowing you to lie down while doing it, then it is clearly the hot-fudge sundae of meditation. Yoga Nidra sleep meditation is a conscious relaxation and meditation technique based on sleep.

Yoga Nidra is an Extension of Savasana

Don’t be fooled by the term yoga. In Yoga Nidra meditation, there are no downward-facing dogs, warriors, or other physical poses. Instead, Yoga Nidra appears to be an extension of savasana, or corpse pose, a pose in which you lie down on the floor for rest and integration at the end of most yoga classes.

Practice Before Bedtime to Improve Sleep

Practicing before bed relieves tension from the day and is excellent preparation for a restful night’s sleep. It can help you sleep not only by putting your body, mind, and emotions to sleep but also by keeping you sleeping. You’ll also have tools to help you nod asleep again if you wake up. See the Sleep Relief meditation, which was created expressly for this purpose.

Practice on an Empty Stomach

It is better to practice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Relaxation causes your digestion to slow, therefore it is best not to interfere with this crucial biological function. This also reduces gas production and the desire to burp or fart. When the body is not required to digest food, the more subtle parts of the experience are simpler to perceive.

Yoga Nidra After Sankalpa

Yoga Nidra is a rich field. By creating a Sankalpa at the beginning and conclusion of practice, we can harness the power of these powerful brain waves. A Sankalpa is a unique intention, a self-chosen resolve that you choose. It is a holy promise or pledge made in the service of your best welfare. It is a characteristic that enables you to become or achieve something meaningful in your life. Trust, serenity, and thankfulness are a few examples. It can also reflect your true Self, as in “My true nature is calm.”

A Sankalpa is initially spoken softly and with all of your heart at the start of your Yoga Nidra experience. In the conclusion, it is repeated multiple times.

Specifically, when you are completely relaxed and in the fertile delta brain wave state, just before returning to full awareness. Another receptive time for your Sankalpa is when you are about to get up or go to sleep. It also helps to visualize what it would be like if it were already true using your senses.

Finally, let it go. Allow it to go by abandoning any attachments to outcomes.

Combine Yoga Nidra with other Meditations

Case 1: Yoga Nidra After Breathing Exercises

Yoga positions (asana) and breathing exercises (pranayama), as well as meditation, are excellent ways to prepare for Yoga Nidra. Every practice builds on the one that comes before it. By building a sequence using several distinct ways, you can give the practice a substantial boost towards the end. As a result, you can gradually increase your exposure to yoga Nidra by scheduling it as your final practice. With this in mind, it is easy to see that the best time for yoga Nidra is at the end of a longer practice.

Case 2: Some Yoga Poses as a Warm-up

Another wonderful way to begin is with static yoga poses (Swami Janakananda’s traditional program is ideal). Continue with bhastrika pranayama (the blacksmith’s bellows) and Nadi shodhana pranayama (the blacksmith’s bellows) (the alternate breath). Do an Ujjayi pranayama-based meditation, such as the Source of Energy meditation, as a last preparatory practice. After such a strong buildup, incorporating yoga Nidra will make it more profound, intense, and vivid in its visualizations.

Case 3: Yoga for Better Sleep must be Practiced before Sleep 

Yoga Nidra and other meditation techniques have been shown to reduce sympathetic nervous system activity, which makes it difficult to fall asleep. No matter what time of day you practice, yoga Nidra will improve your night’s sleep.

Assume you are a night person with a late-night alert phase. In that scenario, now is a good time to practice yoga Nidra with complete mindfulness. On the other hand, while yoga Nidra helps stressed people fall asleep, it can also be used as a natural sleeping medication if done lying down. Some people use this remedy to help them fall back asleep when they wake up in the middle of the night.

Takeaway

Yoga Nidra successfully manages daily stress and is capable of treating deep-seated stress, providing a plethora of health advantages. It is far more than a temporary remedy. It can be utilized to achieve Self-realization. Register to any online course such as Yoga Nidra 101- Chakra Activation Course to experience this by yourself and find out what it is all about.