How to Practice Yoga Nidra (+ Its Awesome Benefits)
Yoga Nidra, a transformative yogic practice, has gained wider popularity in the last couple of decades.
For those of us who are new to this relaxation technique, or are just beginning to experience its magic, how to practice Yoga Nidra in a way that is accessible becomes an important question.
Yoga Nidra is a combination of ‘yoga,’ meaning yoking or connecting, leading to a complete and true understanding of who we are, and ‘Nidra,’ which means sleep.
Yoga Nidra is, therefore, known as the sleep of yoga or the rest of awareness.
Swami Rama, an Indian guru, yogi, and founder of the Himalayan Institute, has talked about these five steps to practicing Yoga Nidra.
This article discusses how to practice Yoga Nidra, its purpose, and its many benefits.
1. Start with some gentle movement
We collect tension in our bodies over the course of a day and arising from our past experiences.
Some light movement that engages the neck, shoulders, arms, hips, legs, and back, or a gentle asana practice helps release that tension.
Once we relieve the body of the stress that it is holding, it opens up space for more subtle energies to circulate.
2. Exercise without movement
The next step is to lie down on the floor and use the power of the mind to send signals to the body to move.
By doing this, we can develop a witness-like attitude and observe how we can control the body if we know how to work with the mind.
The way to do this is through tension-relaxation exercises.
For instance, you can start with the left leg and tense the entire length of the leg with the toes pointing out.
Hold that tension in the leg for a moment or two and release.
Relax and breathe into the body.
Repeat the same with the right leg.
You can do the same with both legs together and then with other parts of the body, shifting your awareness from one part to the next.
Keep your breathing even and deep and your face relaxed.
3. Focus on 61 points for relaxation
The 61 points relaxation technique is traditionally called “shavayatra,” literally meaning “traveling through the corpse’.
The practitioner rests in corpse pose or savasana and travels mentally throughout the body while practicing diaphragmatic breathing.
This begins to direct the mind’s attention inward and prepares the body and mind for Yoga Nidra.
Our recommendations – practice at the same time every day and make sure you will not be interrupted through the entire duration of the exercise.
Avoid a time when you are feeling drowsy or too tired.
You can learn the 61 points by starting with a guided practice through an audio recording or from a teacher.
4. Breathe through one side
To come out from the 61 points relaxation, turn to one side.
Become aware of the breath coming in and going out from one nostril and breathe through one side of the body.
Roll on to the other side and repeat.
5. Practice Yoga Nidra
The above steps were in preparation for the final practice of Yoga Nidra.
This stage is about remaining conscious while the body rests in deep sleep.
The way to go about it is by letting your awareness travel from the eyebrow center to the heart.
You instruct the mind and the body to sleep.
In the entire duration of Yoga Nidra, there is the merest awareness of observation that is present.
Next, we share some tips on how and when to practice Yoga Nidra.
Some tips for practicing Yoga Nidra
To get the best out of your practice of Yoga Nidra, it is advisable to be on an empty stomach, which means at least 3-4 hours after a meal.
It is ideal not to fall asleep during the practice, so avoid doing it when you are too tired or sleepy.
Practice when you have enough time at hand, so you are not disturbed in between.
Practice regularly, consistently, and frequently to gain maximum rewards – at least twice and preferably thrice a week for a minimum of 12 – 15 minutes.
Ideal times to practice are in the afternoon or before dinner, after some gentle exercises.
If you find it particularly challenging to settle down, do not fight the feeling but rather leave the practice for the time being and return to it later.
If you find it hard to focus while practicing, you can pay more attention to the preparation.
Perhaps doing a slower asana practice, consuming less caffeine, having a clear calendar, and making appropriate lifestyle changes can help you overcome this.
Now that we know how to practice Yoga Nidra let us look at its benefits.
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6 amazing benefits of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is immensely beneficial for the body, mind, and spirit.
Here are some of its many benefits:
1. Healing
In the process of Yoga Nidra, the parasympathetic nervous system (responsible for ‘rest and digest’) gets stimulated, and the mind becomes quiet.
This maximizes the body’s capacity to absorb nutrients, balance hormones, and boost immunity.
It, therefore, accelerates the healing process for the body, mind, and emotions.
2. Transformation
Yoga Nidra enables us to access our subconscious minds.
Whether it is past traumas, memories, or old habits, we can create psychological and emotional transformation through this practice.
It becomes possible to create an evolutionary shift in our being.
3. Improves brain function
It has been seen that Yoga Nidra heals and regulates that part of the brain that is responsible for interoceptive awareness – the ability to identify, understand, and respond to internal signals.
This is highly beneficial for those struggling with breaking habit patterns, addictions, eating disorders, or receiving emotional cues.
It also improves cognition, memory, and focus.
4. Builds willpower
The word ‘Sankalpa’ in yoga means ‘resolve’ or a ‘solemn vow.’
Yoga Nidra helps to develop the deep willingness and determination to achieve what we want to achieve.
When the mind becomes quiet, and the body relaxed, we are able to access our subconscious and sow seeds of intention.
In that state of pure being, that intention becomes alive and true, increasing our ability to fulfill it.
5. Spiritual awakening
Yoga Nidra is a spiritual practice, with its ultimate purpose being spiritual awakening or enlightenment.
The state of deep sleep and complete effortlessness while the mind is still aware is a stepping stone to a total union with the divine or the true reality.
6. Creates intimacy with self
The internal atmosphere that Yoga Nidra creates is non-judgmental and safe.
It helps us face our innermost emotions without getting drowned in them.
We are able to touch our most profound impressions and habit energies, and each time we practice, go deeper into understanding our reactions, fears, and limitations.
Doing this repeatedly while feeling secure in knowing that you are safe leads to liberation from anything that limits or scares us.
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What is the purpose of Yoga Nidra?
Yoga, ultimately, leads to the power of awakening. Through yoga, we can access the highest state of consciousness, known as Samadhi. Yoga Nidra enables us to reach that state of Samadhi.
Therefore, though Yoga Nidra is commonly understood as a relaxation technique, it is much more than that.
It enables us to transcend the three states of consciousness – sleeping, waking, and dreaming, and reach the state of enlightenment.
We can use Yoga Nidra for spiritual awakening and for accessing the deeper states of who we are, making it possible for us to redefine our assumed identity.
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In closing
Yoga Nidra is a truly yogic practice that is accessible, can be practiced by everyone, and is easy to integrate into daily life.
It is a tool that we can use to shift our consciousness from one state to another – from waking to dreaming to sleeping and finally, to awakening.
If you are looking for a guided Yoga Nidra practice, here is a beautiful audio recording.