Yoga Nidra: all the benefits of mindful relaxation
Yoga Nidra is a particular relaxation technique that induces a sort of alert sleep to your body, a semi-consciousness, like the one you feel when you are about to fall asleep, a cross between sleep and wakefulness, literally a "Psychic sleep".
The ideal position for practicing yoga nidra is shavasana. Remember that you will have to maintain this position for some time, so help yourself with pillows under the neck or under the pelvis in order to achieve optimal comfort.
Find out how to correctly assume the starting position for yoga nidra: the shavasana!
So is yoga nidra
Nidra is a Sanskrit word that means sleep. When you think about the meaning of the word Nidra you don't have to imagine sleep as you are used to it, that is, as a night's rest. Sleep in yoga nidra is a conscious state of mind, an active and never a passive state. The conscious sleep of yoga nidra can be compared to a condition of semi-consciousness in which the body is able to relax and the mind can rediscover creativity, problem solving and a considerable relaxation of daily stress. During a lesson the body sleeps, but the mind remains awake and active.
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How yoga nidra is practiced
Yoga nidra has the same benefits as meditation but being a guided meditation it is much easier to practice and requires no experience. You cannot practice it alone but the presence of a teacher will always be essential. Unlike other yoga techniques, yoga nidra is a guided practice that is not based on the concept of prana, energy, but on the electrical impulses of your brain and in particular on the waves that our brain emits in the condition of seeds. -consciousness.
The brain in fact emits four different types of waves based on the different activities in which it is engaged: the betha waves, those that identify thoughts and an alert and active state, the alpha waves associated with relaxation and a state of tranquility. Then there are the deltha waves, typical of deep sleep, characterized by the absence of other sensations and finally the tetha waves, those of inner peace, which represent inspiration and our unconscious creativity. Tetha waves are the very basis of yoga nidra.
The phases of yoga nidra
This practice is based on a sequence articulated in several consequential steps. Those who approach this discipline must not memorize and pay attention to the different phases but rather clear the mind of all thoughts and let themselves be guided towards the achievement of this new awareness. Read on to discover all the stages of a yoga nidra class!
Do you prefer to devote yourself to other yoga techniques? Discover the most suitable positions to approach this discipline.
Preparation and relaxation
Before starting the practice, some warm-up asanas are practiced to activate the muscles and prepare them to stay still for a long time (some even last for hours!). After the warm-up, we put ourselves in the shavasana position and close our eyes. Lying on your back on a mat, arms along your body, legs slightly apart and palms facing the sky, in search of optimal comfort, able to open the doors of true relaxation for us, facilitated by listening to the voice that guides us. It is essential to take a really comfortable position and to do so, soft pillows and a blanket may be essential. To enter the state of semi-consciousness it is necessary to remain still. And while the body sleeps, the mind must stay awake.
The resolution: the choice of the Sankalpa
Sankapla, the seed of change, is a positive purpose that accompanies the whole practice. It has to be simple, short. It must be chosen with care and must be repeated with conviction and trust three times at the moment of maximum relaxation, that is, when the body is ready to listen to it.
The rotation of consciousness: the third stage of yoga nidra
With the skillful direction of the guiding voice, awareness travels through the different parts of the body in a systematic way. The rotation of awareness follows a well-defined sequence: it focuses first on the right side of the body then on the left. Then again on the back of the body and finally on the front.
Breath awareness: towards complete relaxation
At this point, guided meditation focuses on the breath and on becoming aware of the rhythm and movements of our natural breath without forcing it in any way.
The awakening of opposite sensations: the search for balance
This step is particularly delicate and is essential to highlight sensations that our body normally experiences only at an unconscious level. In this phase, pairs of opposite feelings or opposite sensations are evoked, such as heat and cold or even pain and pleasure.
The visualizations and the slow awakening
The last phase of yoga nidra serves to induce mental relaxation, the most profound. The voice of the master, the swami, guides you towards visualizations of objects, images, stories or situations. When the visualizations end, the meditative journey is also about to end. For this you will be asked to recall the sankalpa again. Once again the purpose must be repeated with firmness and with the new and powerful awareness that anhydrous yoga delivers to your person.
At this point the awakening begins: the practitioner passes from conscious sleep to wakefulness. The mind experiences the moment of awakening while your body slowly returns to move.
5 good reasons to practice yoga nidra
Yoga nidra eases the tensions that are part of the daily life of many people and that often turn into psychosomatic disorders. Through guided meditation it is possible to act on every type of tension, muscular, emotional and mental. Another reason to dedicate yourself to this discipline are its beneficial effects on the mind: body awareness is able to stimulate the brain inducing deep relaxation and a precious mental training as well as evident physical well-being. Yoga nidra also improves brain functionality and with constant practice awakens creativity, intuition, memory and learning ability. It is a valid remedy to counteract stress, because this discipline develops in the individual the awareness of having within himself the possibility of opposing stress, also awakening self-esteem. Session after session, yoga nidra clarifies the unconscious by bringing to light the desires of defense mechanisms that our mind normally tends not to face.
