Yoga nidra to relax and sleep

It is possible that when hearing the word yoga The first thing that comes to mind is different postures or asanas, more or less complicated. However, yoga nidra, usually translated as “yogic sleep,” is a meditative practice done by simply lying on your backwithout moving and with eyes closed, in the savasana posture.

Yogis have used yoga nidra for thousands of years to achieve spiritual awakening, cultivate interconnectedness, and find purpose in life. Even so, it is not necessary to have these objectives to benefit from the deep relaxation and healing it offers this kind of meditation.

What is yoga nidra

The most characteristic element of yoga nidra is the “rotation of consciousness”. This means, during the sessions, draw attention to different parts of the body.

Each session usually lasts between 20 and 60 minutes and, in addition to the mindfulness rotation, also includes:

The repetition of a phrase that represents your purpose or intention. The practice of mindful breathing to develop respiratory awareness. The exploration of opposite sensations (hot and cold, heaviness and lightness). display of mental images.

But it is not really necessary to carry out all these stages in the same session, but rather they can be combined according to the need and the time available.

Why use yoga nidra to sleep

During the practice of yoga nidra changes occur in the electrical activity of the brain. At first, alpha waves, related to relaxation, increase, although the goal is to experience conscious deep sleep (prajna), which is related to delta brain waves. In this state, the brain functions in “sleep mode” but remains conscious.

According to some authors, advanced practitioners can reach the level of gamma waveswhich corresponds to superconsciousness and which goes beyond personal experience, as explained by Ana Sesma Nuez, in the book yoga nidra (Kairós publishing house).

This relaxing sleep-promoting effect is endorsed by scientific research.

A study published by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine concludes that yoga nidra is a practice that people with insomnia can try for its simplicity and that it can be useful to improve relaxation, facilitate sleep, relieve anxiety and reduce pain. The researchers, from the University of California, the State University of New York and the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland (United States), explain that yoga nidra reduced negative emotions that favor insomnia by 31% of the participants who practiced in a group.

The authors of the scientific paper also state that most people with insomnia are especially interested in mind-body practices that do not involve the use of drugs.

The goal beyond relaxing

In each of the stages that make up yoga nidra, different aspects are worked on. Although the rotation of consciousness and respiratory awareness are more related to physical relaxation, in the other phases the emotional, mental and energetic aspects are worked on.

It is for this reason that the repetition of a positive affirmation, the observation of the opposite sensations and the visualization aspire to the integral transformation of the human being and to the development of a more attentive, kinder and wiser attitude towards life. Always with openness, equanimity, connection and self-awareness.

More benefits of yoga nidra

Yoga nidra has physical, mental and spiritual benefits.

Physical and mental benefits

Yoga nidra is very effective against stress, anxiety and insomnia. In addition, its practice is related to optimal states of relaxation, concentration, as well as a good memory.

Another of the advantages that yoga nidra has shown to have is its potential to address chronic pain and mild cognitive impairment. But that’s not all, the list of positive effects on health goes even further, since general well-being, motivation and the ability to be present or mindfulness are increased, as well as favoring the process of resignifying the experience and the self-regulation.

In modern Western culture, living stressed, running, running out of time, has been normalized, believing the myth that to be productive we cannot stop for a moment, and this logically has unfavorable consequences for health and well-being.

A balanced nervous system is able to alternate between activity and rest. However, maintaining tension consumes physical and mental energy, and its effects can manifest as irritability, fatigue or anxiety.

Studies on productivity have found that alternating periods of activity with periods of rest provides higher levels of concentration, motivation and physical performance. In addition, the nervous system is regulated and fatigue or professional burnout syndrome is avoided (burnout). Rest is essential for a healthy brain, and yoga nidra is an effective practice for get the maximum benefits of rest.

For Or Haleluiya –co-founder of Fisiom, a method that combines body disciplines, physical exercise and the study of the human psyche–, relaxation is therapeutic in itself, and yoga nidra is a relaxation practice par excellence.

Emotional and spiritual benefits

Yoga nidra helps integrate, harmonize and heal our different facets and to experience our true nature, who we really are.

The yoga teacher Mar Aige proposes imagine ourselves as wooden Russian dollswhich house smaller ones inside, as if we were made up of several layers that include the mind, body and vital energy.

Some teachers say that the secret of yoga nidra is to release the tension that is associated with a closed and isolated attitude. This way, invites us to expand, open up and trust.

yoga nidra step by step

Find a place that is comfortable for you and surrender to the relaxing power of yoga nidra. Disconnect from the environment to connect with yourself and follow these steps:

lie face up, with arms relaxed by the side of the body, palms up, and eyes closed. You can put cushions under the knees, neck and head to achieve greater comfort.Note body contact with the surface and observe the sensations of your breath. Allow the ground to support your weight. She mentally said, “I am beginning the practice of yoga nidra.”Choose your intention and repeat it mentally three times. On page 54 you will find how to create your sankalpa.Bring your attention to the face. Imagine your breath bathing it in light. You can give it a color and a temperature if you wish. Then visualize that you fill each part of your body with light at the rhythm of your breath.Bring your attention to the back of your headbehind the neck, back, buttocks, behind the legs, feet, in front of the legs, hips, belly, chest, neck, shoulders, arms and hands.Visualize the entire front of your body, the entire back, one side of the body, the other side and the body in its entirety. Your breath fills your body with light. Mentally repeat your intention three times. Then do some deep breaths as you re-notice the points of contact of your body, space and sounds. Open your eyes again.

Sankalpa: what it is and how to choose it

Having a purpose in life improves indicators of mental health, well-being, and stress control. In yoga nidra purpose takes the form of a positive phrase or affirmation call sankalpa.

It’s like a seed planted in the subconscious that with time grows and bears fruit. Do you want to know how to create your own affirmation?

He sankalpa it has to be related to the blossoming of human potential and to the positive aspects of personality. Can ask what is important to youwhat qualities you want to develop or what is your source of well-being.

create a short, simple sentence, positive and present tense. For example: “I act with kindness”, “I open myself to life”, “I trust my ability”. Use your own words and make the practice your own.

Who created yoga nidra

He Indian master Swami Satyananda Saraswati explains in his books yoga nidra and Yoga and Kriya who discovered yoga nidra in ancient tantra yoga texts dating back to the 8th century BC.

The practice of nyasawhich can be translated as “put or place”, consisted of mentally projecting certain mantras on each part of the body to harmonize it on a physical and energetic level.

For this reason, recognizing their value and at the same time their complexity, in the 1960s Swami Satyananda Saraswati decided to adapt these traditional practices and make them more accessible.

Decades later it would be Richard Millerauthor of the book Yoga nidra: A practice for deep relaxation and healing (Syrian editorial), who would be in charge of adapting the practice developed by Saraswati to make it even more universal, avoiding possible cultural or religious barriers. For this he adapted, for example, the use of images and affirmations (sankalpa).