Yoga Nidra is a deep form of relaxation.
I often use the practice of Yoga Nidra if I am feeling stressed or fatigued or finding it difficult to still my mind.
Yoga Nidra, is often referred to ‘psychic sleep’. It brings you into the state between being asleep and awake. The practice itself is very simple and can be done by anyone. You don’t need to be able to meditate or have a regular yoga practice to be able to practice Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra is divided into a number of stages.
Stages of Yoga Nidra
1. Preparation: The first step in Yoga Nidra is to lay in Shavasana. Allowing the feet to fall where they are comfortable, arms beside you, palms facing up, eyes are gently closed. Once in Shavasana, you allow yourself to become still, staying still until the practice is complete.
2. Sankalpa: A Sankalpa is a resolution, connect to your heart and its desires. If a Sankalpa comes to you, repeat it in your mind, three times with emphasis and feeling. A Sankalpa is something that resonates for you. Examples might be:
“I live my life to the full”,or “Every minute of my day is filled with joy”.
“I live my life to the full”,or “Every minute of my day is filled with joy”.
3. Rotation of consciousness: Here, instructions are given to rotate your consciousness around your body. The mind jumps from body part to body part following the voice of the instructor.
4. Visualisation: The stage of visualisation can vary from practice to practice. The student is led to visualise an object, story or situation in the mind. The intent is to clear anything in the subconscious mind that needs to be cleared. Things we are often not aware of can be cleared during the practice.
5. Sankalpa: As we prepare to return, the Sankalpa is repeated three times, in your mind, with emphasis and feeling.
6. Return: As the practice ends we slowly start to bring our awareness to our breath and to our body. We gently begin to move, as the practice of Yoga Nidra is complete.
Benefits
The list of benefits of Yoga Nidra is long. Here are just a few:
- The mind deeply relaxes. We are often in stressful situations, we live in our fight or flight response. Yoga Nidra allows the mind to switch off and enter a state of deep relaxation.
- The Sankalpa is used to train the subconscious mind to plant the seeds that ultimately become our reality.
- Yoga Nidra in the form of iRest has been successfully used to help returning war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
To find out when our next Yoga Nidra will be, email liama@inspiredeewhy.com.au or call us on 9972-0855.
