Yoga Nidra, often translated as “yogic sleep,” is a specific state of conscious deep relaxation that exists between waking and sleeping. This practice guides the mind to profound stillness while awareness remains alert, distinct from ordinary sleep where consciousness is lost. The goal is to systematically unwind the body, mind, and emotions to access a deeply restorative state.
Preparing for the Practice
The practice begins by creating an environment conducive to deep, uninterrupted rest. You should lie down in Savasana, or Corpse Pose, flat on your back, ensuring the body is completely supported and comfortable. Using props like a blanket for warmth, a pillow beneath the knees, and an eye pillow helps minimize physical distractions and promote stillness. The room should be quiet, dark, and warm enough to prevent any sensation of cold.
Before the guided relaxation starts, you will introduce your Sankalpa, which is a short, positive, present-tense resolve or intention. This resolve should be concise, ideally 5-8 words, and express a heartfelt desire as if it has already been achieved, for example, “I am healthy and whole.” You silently repeat this statement three times with full conviction, planting it like a seed into the mind before entering the deeper state of consciousness.
The Sequential Stages of Deep Relaxation
The guided practice commences with initial relaxation, where you settle the body and mind.
Rotation of Consciousness
The first major technique is the rotation of consciousness, a systematic body scan that rapidly moves awareness through specific body parts. You mentally touch upon each part—starting typically with the right-hand thumb and moving through the entire body—without making any physical movement. This mental journey releases muscular tension and quiets the mind by giving it a precise task.
Breath Awareness
The next step is breath awareness, where attention is shifted to the natural, spontaneous flow of the breath. You simply observe the sensation of air moving in and out of the body, often guided to notice the rise and fall of the abdomen or the passage of breath in the nostrils. Sometimes, the practice involves mentally counting the breaths, a technique that further stabilizes the mind and deepens the sense of calm.
Contrasting Sensations and Visualization
The practice then moves to invoking contrasting feelings and sensations, such as heaviness and lightness or hot and cold. You are guided to mentally experience these opposite states, which helps harmonize opposing brain functions and release emotional tension. This is followed by visualization and imagery, where you are led through a series of rapid mental images, symbols, or a guided scenario. This stage accesses the deeper, subconscious layers of the mind for processing.
Conclusion and Externalization
The final structured step is the repetition of the Sankalpa, repeated silently three times once more. This occurs when the mind is in its most receptive state, enhancing the resolve’s ability to take root in the subconscious. The practice concludes with externalization, where you are gradually guided to become aware of the external world, such as sounds and the feeling of the surface beneath the body. Before moving, you gently wiggle fingers and toes and take a light stretch to slowly exit the state of deep rest.
Avoiding Sleep and Maintaining Awareness
The primary challenge in Yoga Nidra is maintaining awareness while the body enters deep rest, preventing the mind from slipping into unconscious sleep. The practice is intended to keep you in a unique hypnagogic state, a semi-conscious condition of dynamic rest.
Techniques to Stay Awake
One helpful technique is to ensure you are not too comfortable, perhaps by using a slightly firmer surface or only a light covering, as excessive coziness can hasten the onset of sleep. If you find yourself consistently drifting off, an internal affirmation like “I am awake and aware” can be silently repeated at the beginning of the session. You can also try practicing when you are naturally less fatigued, such as in the morning or early afternoon, rather than right before bed. Using a guided recording is beneficial, as the continuous auditory input gives the mind a focus point, making it easier to redirect attention back to the instructions. If you start to analyze your thoughts, simply acknowledge the mental drift without judgment and gently return your awareness to the current instruction.