Yoga nidra is a way of relaxing deeply by going into a kind of sleep where your body is still, but your mind is aware and clear. It is also called “sleeping like a yogi” and it comes from old Hindu writings. Yoga nidra can help you feel less stressed, sleep better, and be happier.
A normal yoga nidra session has six parts:
- Sankalpa: Choosing a goal for yourself or your spirit, like “I will be calm”.
- Attention to sounds: Listening to noises around you, from far to close, without liking or disliking them.
- Rotation of consciousness: Moving your attention through your body in a certain order, starting from one of your thumbs and ending with your toes, and feeling each part.
- Breath awareness: Paying attention to your breathing and counting it in a steady way, like breathing in for four counts and breathing out for eight counts.
- Feelings and sensations: Feeling different sensations, like pain and pleasure, or cold and hot, and seeing how they change your body and mind.
- Visualization: Thinking of a nice and calm place, like a beach or a forest, and using all your senses to make it real in your mind.
Yoga nidra is not the same as meditation, because it does not need you to focus on one thing, but rather to turn your senses inward. It is also simpler and easier to do, because you can do it lying down and following someone’s voice. Yoga nidra can be done by anyone, no matter how old, experienced, or fit they are. It is a strong way of relaxing and changing that can help anyone who wants to reach a deeper level of awareness and balance.
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