The body needs to be sensitive to have a very clear brain
Definition - What does Yoga Nidra mean?
Yoga Nidra, a Sanskrit term meaning "yogic sleep" is a deep relaxation technique and a form of meditation.
Yoga Nidra has its roots in a philosophy
called Sankhya that was
first written down around 700 BC. Over centuries, people practiced these
teachings and expanded upon them – Patanjali and the Buddha being some of its
more famous proponents.
Also called
"psychic sleep," yoga Nidra is a state between sleeping and waking.
The body is completely relaxed and the practitioner turns the awareness inward
by listening to a set of instructions; much like a guided meditation.
Performing yoga Nidra involves practicing pratyahara ("withdrawal
of the senses"), which is the fifth limb of Ashtanga yoga.
Yoga Nidra
practice results in deep relaxation and expands the individual's
self-awareness.
Yoga Nidra was practiced by ancient
sages so they could consciously watch their samskaras, or the
"impressions of the mind." They could also purify their samskaras in
order to come closer to liberation, or moksha.
The practice of yoga Nidra not only
involves pratyahara, but also requires pranayama (breathing techniques)
and Dharana ("concentration"), which are the
fourth and sixth limbs of Ashtanga yoga.
In yoga Nidra,
the practitioner enters their alpha state and their focus shifts to the third
eye chakra (Sahsrara). It also
stimulates the hormones in the pineal gland, which releases melatonin -- a hormone
that reduces stress, boosts the immune system and helps prevent illness.
Regular practice helps harmonize the brain hemispheres, promoting better mental
performance.
Yoga Nidra
offers other amazing health benefits
Calms the mind
Relaxes and rejuvenates the
body
Soothes the nervous system
Reduces fatigue
Lowers high cholesterol and
blood pressure levels
Improves quality of sleep
Reduces pain
Boosts concentration level
Supports brain function and boosts
creativity
Harness the power of Yoga Nidra for relaxation and
healing
ANYONE CAN DO YOGA NIDRA
one of the easiest yoga practices to
develop and maintain. While the practitioner rests comfortably in Shavasana (corpse
pose), this systematic meditation takes you through the pancha Maya kosha (five
layers of self), leaving you with a sense of wholeness.
All that your body needs to do is lie
down on the floor. And even if you can't lie down on the floor, you can still
do this practice seated. Falling asleep is okay too, as you will still receive
benefits while the unconscious mind is absorbing the practice.
A yoga Nidra practice can be as short as
five minutes and as long as an hour. You choose the length. You may find that
the easiest way to accommodate a yoga Nidra practice is to make it part of your
daily bedtime routine.
The three stages of Yoga Nidra
The complete Yoga
Nidra experience occurs in sequential stages:
Stage
2. Manage old patterns, undigested negative memories, emotions, and
desires
Stage
3. Awaken to the experience of your deeper self and your life purpose.
In stages one and two of Yoga Nidra you experience
relaxation, restored vitality and psycho-emotional purification. Old, outmoded
patterns of feeling and thinking are released from the body-mind through the
process of cultivating deep relaxation and a sense of inner control.
Yoga Nidra therapy
Many people try to sleep
with their mind still switched on. Over-thinking is a symptom of stress and
worry. Unchecked, it can become an unconscious habit that undermines your
health and happiness.
Yoga Nidra is a yoga
meditation technique that can be used in therapy to help people recuperate from
exhaustion and illness. It can be applied as both a primary therapeutic tool
and as an adjunctive treatment for many acute and chronic physical and
psychological disease conditions.
Yoga
Nidra alleges regulation of hormones, stabilization of glucose levels, and
alleviation of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
THE BRAIN’s
RESPONSE
Over the course of
falling asleep, brain waves move from the active, thoughtful beta waves
(14-40 Hz), then pass through the relaxed, thoughtless state of alpha waves (9-13 Hz), and enter the slowest frequency of deep sleep, delta
waves (1-3 Hz). Yoga Nidra guides practitioners into the “hypnagogic
state”—the threshold between alpha and theta waves—the knife’s edge where
the body “sleeps” while the mind is lucid.
A cognitive behavioral
therapist would describe this as “brain plasticity,” or the ability to disengage
old neural pathways and reinforce new, healthy ones. Yoga Nidra is essentially
making space for the brain to rewire negative thought patterns and destructive
habits.
Essential Tips
for Better Yoga Nidra
Here are some tips to improve your yoga Nidra technique-
·
Set aside time after every yoga session to
practice yoga Nidra.
·
Don’t practice it after lunch as you may fall
asleep too soon and may not be able to experience any of the benefits of this
practice.
·
Your environment during practice must be serene and
calm.
·
Make sure that you are dressed warmly while
practicing.
·
Be comfortable to ensure better relaxation of the
mind.
·
Try not to stress yourself out as the whole point
of yoga Nidra is to help yourself to relax consciously.
·
Don’t worry much about the random thoughts that may
run across your mind when your first start practicing.
·
Put on soft lights rather than the harsh white
light as softer lighting helps with relaxation.
·
Once the practice has ended, roil onto your right
side before getting up to help the air flow in through the left nostril and
cool the body.
To Finish:
At your own pace, transition back to your waking life, reorienting to your surroundings.
Come back slowly, and pause for a moment to feel grateful for taking this time
for yourself.
