Hi there!
I figured it was time to give a little explanation about exactly what Yoganidra means.
I tend to shy away from long explanations at the beginnings of my recordings.
If you're like me,
You like to get right into it.
So this is for all the people that might be wondering what is Yoganidra and why is it so powerful?
So we'll start by exploring the origins of the term Yoganidra.
In English it translates to yogic sleep or conscious sleep or even wakeful sleep.
This beautifully unique state is an altered form of consciousness where deep relaxation meets awareness.
If we break down the word,
Nidra is a Sanskrit term for sleep,
While yoga embodies the essence of union,
The coming together of body,
Mind,
Heart,
Soul,
And spirit.
In Yoganidra,
We enter a state of wakeful rest where we can experience this profound oneness.
Some even describe it as a passive samadhi,
A blissful and deeply restorative state.
It can be challenging to fully describe this experience in words,
But you might think of it as a state of wakeful sleep,
A place where awareness remains even as the body surrenders into this deep state of rest.
But Yoganidra is both a state of consciousness and a set of techniques designed to guide you into that state.
Ancient yogic and Vedic texts primarily reference Yoganidra as a state rather than a structured practice.
Some scriptures even describe Yoganidra as a goddess,
A divine embodiment of shakti,
The sacred feminine yin energy,
And deep nurturing rest.
She invites us to slow down,
Receive,
And remember our true essence.
As a practice,
The structured techniques of Yoganidra were only developed in more recent times.
Swami Satyananda introduced a systematic approach based on the five koshas.
These are the layers of being.
This is why in a Yoganidra session,
You'll often experience practices like body scanning,
Breath awareness,
And opposite sensing.
Methods that guide you into this deeply restful state.
One of the most fascinating aspects of Yoganidra is its ability to move us through different brainwave states,
Similar to what happens naturally during sleep.
As we practice,
We drop into slower brainwaves,
Reaching deep restorative states much more quickly than we would in a typical sleep cycle.
This is why just 45 minutes of Yoganidra can be as rejuvenating as three hours of deep sleep.
After even a short session,
You emerge feeling deeply rested,
Peaceful,
And present.
For many beginners,
Falling asleep during Yoganidra is common.
Our bodies are conditioned to associate these brainwave shifts with night-time sleep.
However,
With continued practice,
We train the brain to remain aware while the body enters a state of profound healing and regeneration.
Yoganidra also allows us to access the subconscious mind,
Making it an incredible tool for transformation.
When we work with sankalpa,
A heartfelt intention,
We plant a seed deep within the subconscious,
Allowing it to take root and positively shape our waking life.
Unlike affirmations used in the waking state,
Which rely on conscious repetition,
An intention placed in the subconscious during Yoganidra naturally integrates into your daily experience,
Influencing the way you perceive and engage with the world.
There are countless benefits to this beautiful practice,
Some of them including releasing tension held in the physical body,
Helping to dissolve feelings of stress and tension in the mind.
It can be really helpful in soothing anxiety,
Probably most well-known recently for the beneficial and positive effects that it has on the sleep cycle.
It can help you fall asleep,
It helps you stay asleep,
And it helps you create new sleeping rhythms that serve you and your body and mind to the utmost degree,
Helping you show up in your daily life more awake and aware.
And on that note,
It can also really help with focus and clarity and learning and retaining information.
There's just so many benefits for Yoganidra,
Maybe I need to make another little video about the positive effects that it has.
I hope you have enjoyed this little description of Yoganidra.
Please let me know if you have any other questions in the comments.
I always love hearing from you and interacting with you.
And I'd also love to mention that if you want to learn even more about Yoganidra,
I have a course on the app called Insight Timer,
And it's a nine-day course that really goes over everything about this beautiful practice.
So glad you're here meditating with me.
Wishing you all the best.
