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Yoga nidra, also known as ‘yogic sleep’, is a simplified form of an ancient tantric relaxation technique. The most general description of the practice is that it combines guided mental imagery with a specific yoga posture called Shavasana (or “corpse pose”). The goal of yoga nidra is to promote a profound state of relaxation, which differs from sleep inasmuch as there is still an awareness of one’s surroundings.
The calm inner stillness induced by yoga nidra is claimed by practitioners to be an effective stress management tool as well as a means for attaining greater receptivity to personal resolutions. These resolutions can range from the goal of achieving self-transformation, enhancing creativity, or improving one’s learning ability. Additionally, yoga nidra is claimed to promote beneficial changes in physiological and mental health.
Clinical studies have shown that yoga nidra meditation is associated with positive physiological changes, including improvements in several hematological variables, red blood cell counts, blood glucose levels, and hormonal status. Two neuroimaging studies have shown that yoga nidra produces changes in endogenous dopamine release and cerebral blood flow, a further confirmation that its effects on the CNS are objectively measurable. The practice has also been shown to reduce psychometrically measured indices of mild depression and anxiety, although these benefits were not shown in an experimental study to extend to severe depression or severe anxiety.
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
It has been suggested that the various techniques of yoga often produce a number of both physical and mental changes referred to as the relaxation response. One such technique is Yoga Nidra meaning ‘yogic sleep', ‘psychic sleep’, or 'sleeping consciously'. It is a meditative procedure whose goal is to transform the mind and body.
The name 'yoga nidra' is derived from two Sanskrit words: 'yoga,' which means union, and 'nidra,' which means sleep.
Acharya Sankara (Adi Shankaracharya) wrote in his text Yoga Taravali in the eighth century that
“vicchinna saṅkalpavikalpamūle niḥśeṣanirmūlita karmajāle |
nirantarābhyāsanitānta bhadrāsā jṛmbhate yogini yoganidrā || 25
Meaning: When the ego has become quiescent, i.e., when the messages between the perceptions of the senses are no longer being registered in the mind, and when the feeling of personal identity has slipped away, this is when the quieting process of yoga nidra starts.
Further more it says,
viśrāntimāsādya turīyatalpe viśvādyavasthātritayoparisthe |
saṃvinmayīṃ kāmapi sarvakālaṃ nidrā sakhe nirviśa nirvikalpām || 26
Meaning: “O’ friend, getting convinced of and getting established in the state of turiya— which is beyond the three states of vishva, waking; taijasa, dreaming; and prajna, deep sleep—constantly experience the bliss of yoga nidra that is full of consciousness, free from doubts, and inexplicable”
The ancient Vijñāna bhairava, a major source document for yoga, describes roughly 112 types of yogic meditation practises (around seventh century CE). Of these, yoga nidra is defined as
Anāgatāyām nidrāyām pranaste bāhyagocare |
Sāvastha manasā gamyā parā devī prakāsate || 75
Meaning: “When sleep has not yet fully appeared, i.e., when one is about to fall asleep, and all the external objects (though present) have faded out of sight, then the state (between sleep and waking) is one in which one should concentrate. In that state, the Supreme Goddess will reveal Herself”.
In the epic Mahabharata [5], Lord Krishna is related with Yoga Nidra
[The Ocean] becomes the bed of the lotus-naveled Vishnu
when at the termination of every Yuga that
deity of immeasurable power enjoys Yoga-Nidra,
the deep sleep under the spell of spiritual meditation.
— Mahabharata, Book 1, section XXI
Yoga nidra is believed to be old as yoga itself in terms of history, with the first reference of it being in the Upanishads (circa 600 BCE). Yoga nidra is sometimes referred to as the third of four levels of consciousness in the Mandukya Upanishad
amātraś caturtho’vyavahāryaḥ
prapañcopaśamaḥ sivo’dvaita
evam auṁkāra ātmaiva,
saṁviśaty ātmanā’tmānaṁ
ya evaṁ veda ya evaṁ veda || 12 [7, 8].
Meaning: In the third or deep sleep state, the need or desire for any object of external experience has been lost. Essentially, it is a state of dreamless sleep or undifferentiated consciousness. At the same time, those who are in this state experience bliss, and have also achieved a condition in which there is a clearer understanding of the two states of sleep that have preceded it.
== The Practice of Yoga Nidra ==
Yoga Nidra practice is performed in Shavasana, which implies a depth of release that goes beyond simple relaxation. This asana is described as a relaxation tool in various Indian hatha yoga texts.
Appearing in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Light on Hatha Yoga), a fifteenth century manual on Hatha Yoga written by Svātmārāma [9] has this passage
Uttānam ś a b avadbhūmau ś ayanam tachchavāsanam |
Śavāsanam śrāntiharam chittaviśrāntikārakam || 1:32
Meaning: The practitioner of yoga nidra should lie flat on the ground facing upwards, and assume the posture or condition of a dead body, a physical and mental state that is referred to as Shavasana. In this position, normal fatigue is dissolved.
Gheraṇḍa-Saṃhita (“Gheranda's collection”) [10], likely a late seventeenth-century manual on Hatha Yoga, says
Uttānam Savodbhumo Śhayanāntu śhavāsanam |
Śavāsanam shramharam chiittavishrāntikaranam || 2:19
In Hatha Yoga, lying flat on the ground like a corpse is called the "Mirtasana,” (‘Mrit’ = Corpse/dead body; Asana = Pose; Corpse Pose). It is believed that this posture dissolves fatigue and quiets the agitation of the mind and is used as a relaxation practice.
Haṭha Ratnāvalī (a Treatise on Haṭhayoga) [11] written in the seventeenth century by Śrīnivāsayogī says
Prasaryā hastpadau cha vishranyā shayanam tathā |
Sarvāsanam shramharam shayitamtu shavāsanam || 3:76
Lying comfortably extended arms and legs, this is Shavasana. It removes all kinds of fatigue due to the practice of different asanas.
== Yoga Nidra - A Form of Pratyahara ==
Practitioners of yoga nidra may appear to be asleep, but their consciousness is operating at a deep level of awareness [12]. This level of consciousness is accompanied by a profound sense of relaxation. Yoga nidra is derived from 'pratyahara,' one of the eight ashtanga (eight-limbed) branches of the yoga system as conceptualized in Patanjali's (an Indian sage who lived circa 200 B.C) well-known codification method of yogic practice and tantric ritual of ‘nyasa’ (“to place”; a practice in which mantras [a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, a word or phonemes, or a set of words] are placed and felt at different parts of the body). Thus, the meaning of ‘Nyasa’ is ‘to place or to take the mind to that point’. Yoga nidra is neither nyasa nor meditation as nyasa and meditation both are done in a sitting position while keeping your spine straight. Unlike mediation and nyasa, yoga nidra is performed in a supine position. Furthermore, while meditation is practiced in an aware awake state, yoga nidra is classified as a sleep state in which awareness is preserved [13]. Yoga Nidra is a ‘pratyāhāra’ (control or withdrawal of senses) practice in which mind and mental activities are disengaged from perceptual awareness. This results in profound relaxation, stress reduction, initiating healing processes, and personal transformation. “There is a method called yoga nidra in which you can have conscious sleep
Yoga nidra is a state between sleep and samadhi.”
- Swami Rama
The connection with the environment is never fully lost with yoga nidra; it is just that the arousal-producing effects are reduced. The deeper layers of mental activity become more accessible to the practitioner with prolonged practice. Yoga Nidra bears some resemblance to sleep inasmuch as in both states there is a disconnection from the arousal promoting effects of the environment, a decrease in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity (i.e., a reduction in stress responses), and a manifestation of ‘dream-like’ visual experiences [1]. It is claimed that during the deep state of relaxation that yoga nidra induces, an awareness of one’s surroundings is increased and that receptivity and learning abilities are enhanced [14].
Yoga Nidra is usually practiced for about 30 min to an hour at a time. During the deepest part of the state, which is considered qualitatively different from ordinary waking consciousness, practitioners are thought to be re-aligned with the most spiritual part of their inner nature. Practitioners of yoga nidra claim, however, that it is not a substitute for sleep, but that its benefits go far beyond that of relaxation. It is further claimed that 1 h of yoga nidra practice equates to about 4 h of sleep [15]. This has led to the suggestion that yoga nidra is a “third mental state”, related to both sleep and relaxation, but still possessing properties that make it unique. It is asserted that yoga nidra is qualitatively different from normal relaxation inasmuch as many of the ongoing mental preoccupations of daily life are thrown off, even though awareness of the environment remains intact. Additionally, however, it is thought that yoga nidra is also different from sleep, since in ordinary sleep, one’s mental tensions cannot always be resolved. It is claimed further that with time, the practice can produce a major transformation of the self, one that extends to the promotion of physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
Ref: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359730732_The_Origin_and_Clinical_Relevance_of_Yoga_Nidra
{{NeedCitation}}{{ToBeEdited}}
Yoga nidra, also known as ‘yogic sleep’, is a simplified form of an ancient tantric relaxation technique. The most general description of the practice is that it combines guided mental imagery with a specific yoga posture called Shavasana (or “corpse pose”). The goal of yoga nidra is to promote a profound state of relaxation, which differs from sleep inasmuch as there is still an awareness of one’s surroundings.
The calm inner stillness induced by yoga nidra is claimed by practitioners to be an effective stress management tool as well as a means for attaining greater receptivity to personal resolutions. These resolutions can range from the goal of achieving self-transformation, enhancing creativity, or improving one’s learning ability. Additionally, yoga nidra is claimed to promote beneficial changes in physiological and mental health.
Clinical studies have shown that yoga nidra meditation is associated with positive physiological changes, including improvements in several hematological variables, red blood cell counts, blood glucose levels, and hormonal status. Two neuroimaging studies have shown that yoga nidra produces changes in endogenous dopamine release and cerebral blood flow, a further confirmation that its effects on the CNS are objectively measurable. The practice has also been shown to reduce psychometrically measured indices of mild depression and anxiety, although these benefits were not shown in an experimental study to extend to severe depression or severe anxiety.
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
It has been suggested that the various techniques of yoga often produce a number of both physical and mental changes referred to as the relaxation response. One such technique is Yoga Nidra meaning ‘yogic sleep', ‘psychic sleep’, or 'sleeping consciously'. It is a meditative procedure whose goal is to transform the mind and body.
The name 'yoga nidra' is derived from two Sanskrit words: 'yoga,' which means union, and 'nidra,' which means sleep.
Acharya Sankara (Adi Shankaracharya) wrote in his text Yoga Taravali in the eighth century that
“vicchinna saṅkalpavikalpamūle niḥśeṣanirmūlita karmajāle |
nirantarābhyāsanitānta bhadrāsā jṛmbhate yogini yoganidrā || 25
Meaning: When the ego has become quiescent, i.e., when the messages between the perceptions of the senses are no longer being registered in the mind, and when the feeling of personal identity has slipped away, this is when the quieting process of yoga nidra starts.
Further more it says,
viśrāntimāsādya turīyatalpe viśvādyavasthātritayoparisthe |
saṃvinmayīṃ kāmapi sarvakālaṃ nidrā sakhe nirviśa nirvikalpām || 26
Meaning: “O’ friend, getting convinced of and getting established in the state of turiya— which is beyond the three states of vishva, waking; taijasa, dreaming; and prajna, deep sleep—constantly experience the bliss of yoga nidra that is full of consciousness, free from doubts, and inexplicable”
The ancient Vijñāna bhairava, a major source document for yoga, describes roughly 112 types of yogic meditation practises (around seventh century CE). Of these, yoga nidra is defined as
Anāgatāyām nidrāyām pranaste bāhyagocare |
Sāvastha manasā gamyā parā devī prakāsate || 75
Meaning: “When sleep has not yet fully appeared, i.e., when one is about to fall asleep, and all the external objects (though present) have faded out of sight, then the state (between sleep and waking) is one in which one should concentrate. In that state, the Supreme Goddess will reveal Herself”.
In the epic Mahabharata [5], Lord Krishna is related with Yoga Nidra
[The Ocean] becomes the bed of the lotus-naveled Vishnu
when at the termination of every Yuga that
deity of immeasurable power enjoys Yoga-Nidra,
the deep sleep under the spell of spiritual meditation.
— Mahabharata, Book 1, section XXI
Yoga nidra is believed to be old as yoga itself in terms of history, with the first reference of it being in the Upanishads (circa 600 BCE). Yoga nidra is sometimes referred to as the third of four levels of consciousness in the Mandukya Upanishad
amātraś caturtho’vyavahāryaḥ
prapañcopaśamaḥ sivo’dvaita
evam auṁkāra ātmaiva,
saṁviśaty ātmanā’tmānaṁ
ya evaṁ veda ya evaṁ veda || 12 [7, 8].
Meaning: In the third or deep sleep state, the need or desire for any object of external experience has been lost. Essentially, it is a state of dreamless sleep or undifferentiated consciousness. At the same time, those who are in this state experience bliss, and have also achieved a condition in which there is a clearer understanding of the two states of sleep that have preceded it.
== The Practice of Yoga Nidra ==
Yoga Nidra practice is performed in Shavasana, which implies a depth of release that goes beyond simple relaxation. This asana is described as a relaxation tool in various Indian hatha yoga texts.
Appearing in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika (Light on Hatha Yoga), a fifteenth century manual on Hatha Yoga written by Svātmārāma [9] has this passage
Uttānam ś a b avadbhūmau ś ayanam tachchavāsanam |
Śavāsanam śrāntiharam chittaviśrāntikārakam || 1:32
Meaning: The practitioner of yoga nidra should lie flat on the ground facing upwards, and assume the posture or condition of a dead body, a physical and mental state that is referred to as Shavasana. In this position, normal fatigue is dissolved.
Gheraṇḍa-Saṃhita (“Gheranda's collection”) [10], likely a late seventeenth-century manual on Hatha Yoga, says
Uttānam Savodbhumo Śhayanāntu śhavāsanam |
Śavāsanam shramharam chiittavishrāntikaranam || 2:19
In Hatha Yoga, lying flat on the ground like a corpse is called the "Mirtasana,” (‘Mrit’ = Corpse/dead body; Asana = Pose; Corpse Pose). It is believed that this posture dissolves fatigue and quiets the agitation of the mind and is used as a relaxation practice.
Haṭha Ratnāvalī (a Treatise on Haṭhayoga) [11] written in the seventeenth century by Śrīnivāsayogī says
Prasaryā hastpadau cha vishranyā shayanam tathā |
Sarvāsanam shramharam shayitamtu shavāsanam || 3:76
Lying comfortably extended arms and legs, this is Shavasana. It removes all kinds of fatigue due to the practice of different asanas.
== Yoga Nidra - A Form of Pratyahara ==
Practitioners of yoga nidra may appear to be asleep, but their consciousness is operating at a deep level of awareness [12]. This level of consciousness is accompanied by a profound sense of relaxation. Yoga nidra is derived from 'pratyahara,' one of the eight ashtanga (eight-limbed) branches of the yoga system as conceptualized in Patanjali's (an Indian sage who lived circa 200 B.C) well-known codification method of yogic practice and tantric ritual of ‘nyasa’ (“to place”; a practice in which mantras [a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, a word or phonemes, or a set of words] are placed and felt at different parts of the body). Thus, the meaning of ‘Nyasa’ is ‘to place or to take the mind to that point’. Yoga nidra is neither nyasa nor meditation as nyasa and meditation both are done in a sitting position while keeping your spine straight. Unlike mediation and nyasa, yoga nidra is performed in a supine position. Furthermore, while meditation is practiced in an aware awake state, yoga nidra is classified as a sleep state in which awareness is preserved [13]. Yoga Nidra is a ‘pratyāhāra’ (control or withdrawal of senses) practice in which mind and mental activities are disengaged from perceptual awareness. This results in profound relaxation, stress reduction, initiating healing processes, and personal transformation. “There is a method called yoga nidra in which you can have conscious sleep
Yoga nidra is a state between sleep and samadhi.”
- Swami Rama
The connection with the environment is never fully lost with yoga nidra; it is just that the arousal-producing effects are reduced. The deeper layers of mental activity become more accessible to the practitioner with prolonged practice. Yoga Nidra bears some resemblance to sleep inasmuch as in both states there is a disconnection from the arousal promoting effects of the environment, a decrease in sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity (i.e., a reduction in stress responses), and a manifestation of ‘dream-like’ visual experiences [1]. It is claimed that during the deep state of relaxation that yoga nidra induces, an awareness of one’s surroundings is increased and that receptivity and learning abilities are enhanced [14].
Yoga Nidra is usually practiced for about 30 min to an hour at a time. During the deepest part of the state, which is considered qualitatively different from ordinary waking consciousness, practitioners are thought to be re-aligned with the most spiritual part of their inner nature. Practitioners of yoga nidra claim, however, that it is not a substitute for sleep, but that its benefits go far beyond that of relaxation. It is further claimed that 1 h of yoga nidra practice equates to about 4 h of sleep [15]. This has led to the suggestion that yoga nidra is a “third mental state”, related to both sleep and relaxation, but still possessing properties that make it unique. It is asserted that yoga nidra is qualitatively different from normal relaxation inasmuch as many of the ongoing mental preoccupations of daily life are thrown off, even though awareness of the environment remains intact. Additionally, however, it is thought that yoga nidra is also different from sleep, since in ordinary sleep, one’s mental tensions cannot always be resolved. It is claimed further that with time, the practice can produce a major transformation of the self, one that extends to the promotion of physical, emotional, and spiritual health and well-being.
Ref: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359730732_The_Origin_and_Clinical_Relevance_of_Yoga_Nidra