WHAT IS YOGA NIDRA?

What is Yoga Nidra and how does it work?

Yoga nidra is an ancient Indian technique derived from Hindu, Buddhist, and Tantric teachings. This special yoga combines deep relaxation with careful awareness in order to actively explore the stages of awake, dream, and profound sleep. It also provides methods for putting the mind and body to sleep while maintaining consciousness.

This all-encompassing approach has given rise to the discipline of Sophrology, which allows one to experience times of deep inner peace, joy, and well-being by observing and understanding certain physiological, emotional, and mental processes within oneself.

It is simpler to let go of that which is held on to and realize the essential space of one's being, free of all states and processes, when one understands what is being held on to.

This practice combines very simple gestures and postures with light and subtle breathing exercises, as well as concentration and meditation, allowing for the alert observation of sensations, the welcoming of the phenomena that arise, and a return to the present moment, in order to taste the luminous and blissful presence to oneself and to the world, at any time of day or night.

Yoga Nidra Benefits

Yoga nidra does not necessitate any certain physical ability or trait, such as strength, stamina, or flexibility.

Simple positions (sitting, standing, and lying down) are utilized; they are adjustable to each person and promote profound relaxation, as well as high-quality concentration and tranquility.
Yoga nidra is a therapeutic practice that has impacted current relaxation techniques because to its pleasant, stabilizing, and calming effect on the body, emotions, and mind.
Its practice promotes happiness, good spirits, and a healthy immune system, which helps to prevent illnesses, particularly psychosomatic ones.
It's an excellent way to relieve tension, worry, and the fear of death, which yoga nidra considered to be the root of all anxieties.

One of the most difficult aspects of yoga nidra is to be awake and attentive in all stages of consciousness, including waking, dreaming, and profound sleep, while watching the unchanging at the very center of the fleeting.

This availability necessitates combining deep relaxation with intense focus; it necessitates combining the serenity of deep sleep with the whole awareness of alertness.

Yoga nidra allows us to deliberately explore and understand the nature and attributes of these many states while also questioning the nature of the "me" who acts as if he owns them:

It is possible to extend awareness into the fourth state (from which the lower three levels are formed) by penetrating through the lower three states of consciousness (jagrat, svapna, and sushupti).

When the subjective Self is in direct contact with the objective reality around him on whatever plane, the jagrat or awake state of awareness encompasses all knowledge in its broadest definition.

In its broadest philosophical definition, the svapna or dream state of consciousness encompasses all knowledge existing in the mind while the subjective Self is engaged in mental activity in isolation from the objective world around him.

Because it is predicated on a lack of awareness of the One Reality produced by Maya, the sushupti or dreamless state of consciousness encompasses all knowledge within the sphere of the mind in its broadest philosophical sense.

Within that restricted domain of manifestation, whoever's awareness has united all three stages into one integrated state can wield all capabilities.

The items of the outer world, such as physical bodies, shapes, words, and names, are associated with awareness.

This is, in reality, a condition of unconsciousness and absolute identification, in which I am entirely associated with the material world, which is withholding all of my attention.

There is a type of consciousness in the dream in the waking state:

I am entirely associated with the inner universe of sensory sensations, sensations, emotions, and ideas. I look at someone, but I don't actually see them since I'm surrounded by impressions, associated ideas, prejudices, and mental representations.
I'm daydreaming; I'm absorbed in my own ideas. I am unconscious of the world outside and the world of impressions in the deep slumber or waking state because I am identified with the serene, impersonal, and happy vacuum of my own subjectivity, which is extremely close to Supreme Consciousness.
The sensation of "I" and "me" vanishes in this condition, as do the cravings and aversions that it causes, resulting in a condition of rest and tremendous peace. Finally, when awake, I am the Conscious Witness to the three other states that arrive, persist, and fade.

As a result, while remaining a witness at this observation post without ideas, it is feasible to explore and see these many happenings. Yoga nidra enables us to see ourselves as we truly are.

3 Yogic Sleep Characteristics

The mind's activity and sleep, which is a return to the matrix of life, have various properties, as do other phenomena constituted of the five components and governed by these three characteristics.

Tamasic sleep is deep and unconscious, and it can cause feelings of heaviness, lethargy, and lethargy on both a physical and cerebral level.

In deep sleep, the mind's activity ceases owing to natural factors; it occurs without effort, unlike in meditation, which requires effort.
As a result, though it is not a yogic state of awareness, this natural interruption might help you achieve your yoga goals.
Individuals are generally unaware that they are sleeping when they are sleeping.
It is a condition of utter ignorance, unawareness, forgetfulness, and obscurity in which individuals recharge and emerge revitalized, reinforcing the waking state once they are “reincarnated” in the awakened body's activities.

Rajastic sleep is restless, agitated, and full of disorganized dreams in which the gross mind and emotional activity are involved.

The individual will be excitable, agitated, jealous, envious, and so on if there is too much rajas in the heart region, as is the situation in the waking state.
Yoga can therefore be an excellent way to suck up this rajastic energy from the heart zone and put it back into the stomach area, bringing vitality back into balance.

Sattvic sleep is practically dreamless, with a profound sense of fulfillment, as well as increased lightness, alertness, and limpid clarity as pale moonlight.

This impression might get stronger and leave us with a more meaningful sensation.
The sensation of moonlight in the dark night persists, and awareness does not totally vanish.

Beyond the attributes and the three levels of ordinary consciousness, during yoga nidra, “the vast sun is seen burning in the sky,” and “what is darkness for other animals is day (time of waking) for the yogi.” The sensory system, as well as the senses of "I" and "me," collapse, yet consciousness remains unaffected.

The brilliant and blissful “I am” stays, studying the rise and fall of sleep, dream, and consciousness without being influenced by them. Some Buddhists refer to it as "clear light slumber" or "vacuity and clarity union."
The body-mind system sleeps, but consciousness stays in itself, in its purity, empty and luminous at the same time, neither lost in the darkness of profound sleep or caught up in the agitation of nightmares.
The moon atop Shiva's forehead, a sign of quiet awareness and a witness, illuminates the entire head with this clarity.
The child's body is sleeping, but the mother, consciousness, is keeping an eye on it. The illusion of separation, or the idea that there is a distinct "me" apart from the topic, is dispelled.

The fourth state (turiya), Brahman, and the Self (atman) are all One, and only Consciousness and the Joy of Being (sat chit ananda) exist. The flavor of this fourth sleep quality helps me to clearly notice the process of identification that causes me to assign a personality to myself based on my body, emotions, and thoughts.

It enables me to understand that I am infinite (ananta), everlasting (amrita), limitless, and formless in essence (arupa).

However, since I am associated with the body-mind framework, I mix form with formlessness, restricted with unlimited, eternal with transitory, and misinterpret the rope as a snake.

“In this introspection, the boundless and the restricted are confused and taken to be the same,” Nisargadatta Maharaj used to explain. “The objective of Yoga is to rectify this confusion,” he adds. There is nothing to acquire or seek in this procedure. It's more of an issue of giving up.

After brushing aside what comes and departs, what is born and dies, what awakens and sleeps, all that remains is what the sages refer to as the "unborn," which is where Consciousness begins.

Yoga Nidra Practice Session

PREPARATION

Perform a series of Yoga postures(Asanas),
Yogic breaths(Pranayama),
Hand Gestures(Mudras),
Concentrate to ignite the fire of sensations,
As if for the very last time . . .

DRAMATIZATION AND RELAXATION

Lie down on your back . . .
inhale, tighten your arms and legs,
as if the whole body is stiffening,
hold your breath while tightening the whole body and being aware of the shava, then exhale forcefully and let everything go . . . [repeat three times] . . .

Observe the whole body relaxing . . .
Your eyes are closed, arms and legs away from the body becoming more and more still with each breath . . . as if it was dead . . .
Ask yourself, without looking for an intellectual answer,
“Who is dying?” . .
Witness the shava . . motionless, peaceful . . inhale, life . . . exhale, death.
Be aware of the last breath, of the empty pause after exhale.
Every time you breathe out, let go of the tensions in the body and in the mind.
Every time, go deeper, withdraw into the heart center.
After every exhalation, the pause, the transition.

WISH

In this profound tranquility,

. . . breathe in,
hold your breath,
repeat your wish three times,
and forget it as you exhale . . .

ROTATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Bring your attention to all the points of fire—

thumbs, toes, eyes . . .—to the energy centers in the joints and along the axis,

and be aware of the heat, light, vibrations, radiation, and fire in the body . . .

COUNTDOWN

. . . To go deeper into the unknown,
into the non-knowing,
feel the empty pause,
the transition between wakefulness and sleep,
between life and death
. . . let every sensation, emotion, thought, and image dissolve in the tranquil background . . .effortlessly . . .

CREMATION

If you have been to Varanasi, and/or if you are inspired by this place, you can now visualize or imagine yourself at Manikarnika Ghat, the renowned cremation ground, on an unlit pyre . . . and welcome the feeling that this image brings up . . .

Be aware of the still body and mind . . . as if they were dead . . .
Your family members and your friends are paying their respects . . .
When you were born, the people around you were laughing,
Perhaps now, they are crying . . . observe this scene and the feeling it brings up in you . . .
Be a witness, an equanimous spectator . . . as if you are watching a movie . . .
Then imagine fire near your feet . . . listen to the crackling . . . feel the warmth under your soles . . .
The sacred fire is the light of consciousness, beyond the world of projections . . . the flame of vision, of attention . . .
Let the fire kindle your right toe . . . feel the glowing ember, hot and vibrant in your right big toe . . .
Then let the fire of time and the feeling spread to both your feet . . . feel the flame of sensations irradiate and spread with the rise and fall of your breathing . . . in your heels . . . ankles . . . calves . . . like two incense sticks, slowly burning . . .
Feel the purification of the sacred fire, the burning love that cleanses and dissolves . . . as the flames rise, feel the burnt parts falling to ashes . . . disappearing . . .
Let the fire burn your knees, it is getting more and more fierce . . . in your thighs up to your hips . . . sensations, vibrations . . . the fire is burning more intensely . . . allow the body, the image of the body and all its resistances fade away . . . disappear . . .
Your arms, starting with your thumbs . . . the base of your trunk continues to burn slowly . . . the fire climbs up the spine . . . with the rise and fall of your breathing, of sensations . . . the anus, pubis, navel, heart, neck, head . . . your whole body is on fire, burning . . . falling to ashes . . . fire and breath that erase everything . . .
Feel the warmth that has spread all around, beyond the fire itself . . . feel the light of the fire in the space all around . . . in all directions at the same time . . . until all sensations fade away . . .
The whole body is burnt, fallen to ashes dispersed by the wind . . . ashes to ashes, dust to dust . . .
Only that which is remains . . . neither the body nor the mind, only Presence remains . . . joy, silence, peace, and transparence of empty space . . .
Let the purifying fire spread to the whole world and the entire universe . . . to other bodies, to cities, forests, mountains, and planets . . . until they are all completely burned to ashes, until nothing of the phenomenal world remains . . . . . .
Feel “I am” even when there is nothing . . . neither form, nor feeling, nor thought, nor word, nor image . . . feel that even before thinking “I am dead or alive,” “I am” . . . silence and peace . . . eternity . . . being . . . consciousness . . . bliss . . . empty and full at the same time . . . [long pause]

WISH

In this profound tranquility,

. . . inhale,
hold your breath,
repeat your wish three times,
and forget it as you exhale . . .

FINAL PHASE

Slowly, bring your attention back to the phenomena that appear in your conscience . . .
Remain the witness of the “I” thought and of the sense of “me” . . . of the whole universe . . . the galaxies, the sun, the planets, the Earth, different bodies . . .
Of your own body . . . the image, the breath, the vibrations and sensations from head to toe . . . life coming back once again, into all your cells . . . feel alive and vibrant . . .
Allow the silence to enter every cell of your body . . . feel the joy of being . . . the awareness of being . . . and with this taste, breathe deeply, start to slowly move your body . . .
Stretch your limbs, yawn and come out of yoga nidra, with the impression that you are under a broader gaze . . .
Feel purified, empty, vacant, transparent, free, and glowing with kindness and love for all beings . . .

Yoga Nidra as a Routine Practice.

Because the idea of yoga nidra never ceases to lead us back to ourselves, the practice has already begun. This return, this remembering of the Self, and returning back to oneself is the core of yoga nidra.

Although the route of conscious sleep is distinct and distinct in and of itself, it can easily be adapted to and accepted by all persons, allowing one to experience the practices thoroughly and in a new way, with a new sense of relaxation and renewed focus.

In concrete words, yoga nidra will teach us how to cultivate relaxation as a technique of being more open to awareness in sleep, dreams, and awake, as well as a precursor to any practice.

Even though the physical, energetic, and mental regions are all related, I must first learn how to recognize and undo tensions and tightness by separating the tensions of the physical, energetic, and mental regions.

And this, in and of itself, is a large program that need constant monitoring. It's important to distinguish between the practice sessions themselves and the preceding and reminder strategies that allow one to approach sleep and present to oneself in general.

We must strive to understand what the human person is as a species (in evolution), as a part of nature and the cosmos, and according to the principles that govern events.

It's also important to distinguish between practices that should be done during the day and those that should be done in bed, when one falls asleep or wakes up during the night, and when one wakes up in the morning.

Yoga nidra can also be utilized for therapeutic purposes. In general, a symbol can serve as a way of connecting layers that coexist but do not necessarily interact with one another.

The symbolic process of energy centers, for example, is employed to orient and attune the mind to its energetic reality, even if the symbol is clearly not the center itself.

Desire, fear, animality, time, love, death, or sexual ecstasy are just a few of the important, fundamental themes that yoga nidra addresses by inviting us to constantly renew our conscious vision of the structures that make us up, such as the senses, the body, the wheels of energy, the meridians, the mental processes, and so on.

Whatever perspective we choose, yoga nidra always returns us to the essence, which can only exist in stillness, in the blank, pleasure, and quietude of the heart, and in the singular flavor of pure presence without object. As a result, yoga nidra will urge us to notice the intervals, gaps, and transitions between one posture to the next, from one breath to the next, and from one condition to the next, rather than phenomena.

This is why we experiment with changes, reversals, points of view, sleeping, waking up, and pauses or intervals.

Yoga nidra enables us to examine the mind's activities, such as how the mind shifts from awareness to unawareness, from sleep to the dream state, and so on, despite the fact that the states aren't truly distinct.

I'm awake, but I'm still dreaming; I'm dreaming, but I'm still awake. Everything is jumbled up. Because I cannot live in peace with others if I do not comprehend what is going on at the idea level, yoga nidra will help us comprehend and know how the mind that is essential to exist in this world operates.

As a result of the practice, we will be able to distinguish the mind (only one of many organs that is simply labeled the sixth sense) from Awareness and the Self.

I will never comprehend myself if I do not comprehend this distinction, and I will always be dominated by the mind. It's merely a living organ, similar to a light bulb with electricity.

I may be able to discern the intervals' actual character by noticing the pauses or intervals, experimenting with the transition from one point of view to another, and studying the intervals.

Whether it's between balance and imbalance, two ideas, two postures, two sensations, or two states, the space that links them is always the same, since it's the exact foundation on which everything happens.

My face used to seem young, but now it appears to be aged. The person who believes it is "my" face has never paid much attention to it before, but now "I" am concerned about it.

But the eyesight that sees all of this remains constant. It's the state of mind in which everything appears and disappears.

The profound experiences that the practitioner wishes to have or repeat in his or her imagination are clearly related to this sort of practice, which aims to study the structures of the being.

The interval-focused attention does not strive to appreciate an experience; instead, it seeks to identify the backdrop in which all experiences occur; they occur, but the backdrop stays ever calm, free of the phenomena that arise and fade in it.

Yoga nidra allows us to study species archetypes and myths in addition to this absorption into the source of all things.

Wakefulness confines and restricts, but sleep allows one to explore archetypes and symbols associated with all species and the cosmos.

Yoga nidra helps us to go deeply into each structure that makes us up, beginning with the grossest and most dense matter and progressing to the subtlest and most lively; it helps us to transcend the little ego and open up to that which transcends it.

Yoga nidra is a voyage that examines how the machine works, taking in all species, the universe, the microcosmos and macrocosmos, the individual and the absolute, in close observation of the emergence of every phenomena, until the race comes to an end in the observer.

It's a voyage through matter, awareness, and the delight of being alive.

From there, a sense of balance, serenity, harmony, and joy should arise, which extends beyond the simple potential of being conscious in each stage to every minute of our everyday lives.

The term contentment will take on a whole new meaning, joy will have a whole new taste, and life will have a whole new brilliance, showing the river and all its beauty, if you contemplate the river of life flowing by without getting carried away by its tremendous current.

These techniques will lead us to these states of consciousness, allowing us to court them and transition between them.

Contrary to popular opinion, in our situation, a "good night's sleep" is when I wake up in the middle of the night and am conscious that I am sleeping comfortably; I achieve a level of calm awareness and am a witness to my sleeping body and thoughts.

When I am awake, everything looks more tidy; but, when I am asleep, the customary order of my thinking vanishes. It loses its waking state's layout, allowing me to burst through the obstacles that normally exist.

Everything fades away while I sleep, and there are no boundaries; this is when a fantastic trip may begin.

The mind's structure becomes a labyrinth through which I can traverse in a different way. I have the ability to delve into the depths of myself, identify who I am not, and enable who I am to emerge.

This type of exercise can lead to the ability to sleep less, feel rested with less sleep in a shorter amount of time, and avoid wasting a third of our life sleeping.

As a result, it's critical to embrace and relish the moments of clarity that come with lighter, more luminous sleep; it's also critical to relax, abandon, and entirely efface oneself.

Beyond what I can see and the notion I have of what it is, or any feeling of growth, what I actually am will disclose itself on its own, irrespective of what I can see and the concept I have of what it is.

This is why it's important to approach this exercise with discipline, humility, and nonchalance, completing it without a desire for outcomes or attachment to the act. Simply and quietly, with the sole purpose of appreciating one's own existence.

Yoga's Elements According to Nidra's teachings.

We'll relearn the eight limbs or stages of ancient yoga in yoga nidra, including postures, breathing exercises, locks, gestures, meditations, and the recitation of sacred passages, among other things.

Whether done in a sitting posture, laying down, or while moving, each step is an opportunity to cease the mind's fluctuations, to be in meditation, and to be completely aware.

The essential feature of yoga nidra is that it emphasizes transition zones, such as when we fall asleep, in the natural halting of thoughts while being totally aware.

The mind's dispersed activity generates an eddy, and while it stirs, the immense stillness of the Ocean beyond cannot be felt.

This is why it's important to stay "awake and aware," and it's feasible to "exploit the natural absence of the mind's activity to serve the objective of yoga," whether it's due to sleeping, sneezing, having an orgasm, fainting, or any other common "loss of awareness." “I must struggle to be vigilant and aware while the vibration of the mind's activity continues to be vigorous,” Sri Anirvan says, “just as I am when it slows down or ceases entirely”: The recipe for yogic practice is to sleep while remaining in a condition of samadhi.

We forcefully strive to stop the activity of the mind in meditation, yet this cessation occurs naturally in sleep; yet, because I am unable to modify my sleep, my mind slips into oblivion or becomes stimulated by unwelcome distractions.

Sleep, on the other hand, is designed to restore serenity and re-energize the mind by returning to the Source, the Cause (mahakarana).

The Mother is the Origin, She who is the Ruler of All (sarveshvari), the Womb of All (sarvayoni), and the Enjoyer of Bliss in the Upanishads' terminology (anadabhuk).

This very Mother's incantation is sleep. It is also a Yoga, and all of the limbs of Yoga may be used with a little technique.

DEEP CONTEMPLATION AND MEDITATION

We've reached a point when there's nothing further we can "do." The concept or experience of being a distinct creature vanishes totally when I genuinely realize that the voids of the heart and the fontanel are one.

Thus, without a subject who is seeing and without an object that is seen, just pure consciousness remains, entirely impersonal and serene, like an original vision, an uncreated vision.

Everything will be ruined if you even have the tiniest goal of accomplishing or becoming something. "I" am not meditating, and it is only through recognizing this that the illusion may be dispelled and the void's tranquility revealed; this is actual meditation.

Meditation is not a sphere in which you can accomplish things. Meditation is a state of mind, not an action. This is the insight that yoga nidra provides us with. It is a combination of dhyana and samadhi.

Yoga Asanas for Yoga Nidra

In their ancient forms, the positions (asana) will first let the body to relax and attune to breathing and thinking processes, thereby generating a new quality of presence within oneself.

They should not be performed as a show or in a competitive attitude, but rather with complete consciousness, attentive attention, and no expectations of outcomes, as if each time is the first time.

We achieve this by concentrating our attention on gravity and physiological sensations, on every breath and the vibrations that arrive and vanish; by elegantly holding the position and appreciating this presence to the body's and mind's motions.

The stance enables me to observe how and where I am at any given time, as well as where I am in life, with my aspirations and aversions.

In contrast to the restricted stances I assume in my regular life, such as at the office or splayed out on the couch, each stance gives a unique perspective on oneself. The stance makes me aware of who I am not. It serves as a foundation for extended listening and a foretaste of profound peace.

It is vital to open up to the vibratory dimension of the body as well as the space in which the posture is taken and undone in order to feel this. The position can help me become more aware of the space between each joint in my body. I picture the position before I practice yoga, based on the mental and energetic structures' flexibility.

The stance is like opening up, being accessible, exploring, listening, and tasting; I let it to happen without imposing or forcing it in any manner.

There is nothing to master, nothing to gain, or anything to achieve; all that is required is vigilant and equanimous listening to the body's contractions, feelings, and empty spaces.

Neither desire nor aversion exist. Allow the conditioning to reverse itself without the need to create a new one. Allow yourself to be open to the moment's spontaneity, sensitivity, the spontaneous growth of shapes, and the alphabet of poses.

“Staying in the Self is the only authentic posture that counts”.

Be a vigilant and silent observer, paying attention to the phenomena. Posture upon pose, I let go of my focus and allow it to awaken to its genuine nature.

This formless and easy stance does not replace others; rather, it may be added to any of them; the other stances arise and vanish in this posture. It is not an activity, but rather an impersonal observer of one. As a result, no one does it; nonetheless, it is unavoidable.

In order to build words, tiny sentences, and true poetry, produced or improvised in the spontaneity of the moment, without knowing what will come from one instant to the next, the alphabet of the postures can also be a response to certain basic grammatical laws that are functional as well as symbolic.

For example, like with the concentration of attention in yoga nidra sessions, it is possible to perform the poses in ascending sequence of the energy centers.

The underlying logic of the retreat of the senses, the process of the effacement of "me," and the resorption of the coarse and subtle components are all related to this rule.

Each posture can be linked with precise breathing and focus, but they must always be done in the context of relaxation and focus.

A tremendous energy enters the body after a cleansing practice, such as the basic sun salutation, warming it up and rejuvenating and preparing it to start the day and practice more postures.

Some of the eighty-four postures stated in the literature can be modified to fit within yoga nidra.

Consider the following yoga asanas or poses:

the standing posture
tree pose
triangle pose
palms and hands to the feet
lotus pose
mountain pose
intense west stretch pose
cobra pose
locust pose
bow pose
crocodile pose
boat pose
twisting pose
diamond pose (seated and lying down)
child’s pose
balance pose
fish pose
crow pose
cat pose
cow face pose
half fish pose
eight limb pose
plough pose
wheel pose
all prayer postures
all postures that open the heart center (which is in direct relation with
the sense of touch and sleep)
headstand
corpse pose

These final two are particularly beneficial because of their quietness, which provides limitless possibilities for yoga nidra on two levels of practice.

First, lie down in shavasana (dead-body position), completely still.
Then, like a rarefied gas, spread out the body-consciousness through relaxation.

Taking a deep breath.

I can just notice the natural rise and fall of my breathing without trying to regulate it once I've achieved the physical stance.

In addition, I may perform a special breathing exercise (pranayama).

For example, inhale one beat, exhale two beats; or inhale one beat, hold for four beats, and exhale two beats.

Even breathing, uneven breathing, four-part breathing, breathing to clean the channels, breath of the triumphant or conquering, bee breath, and breath of blackout are all breathing techniques found in traditional hatha yoga that may be properly suited to yoga nidra (of the mind).
Then, for a time, focus on your breathing, making it full and rhythmic.
Do japa by continually reciting the seed mantra Hamsa, saying Ham while breathing out and Sa while breathing in, in sync with your breathing. This is how pranayama works.”
Listening to the natural chant repeating itself within us is more important than really uttering it. I simply pay attention to my breathing. I enjoy watching it rise and fall, and I let it extend out like waves on an endless horizon.
My body and brain relax, let go, and come undone as my breath draws out. A beneficent space appears to be forming. The mantra's meaning is revealed: "I am."

Yogic Locks and Yogic Hand Gestures

Mudra and bandha (yogic gestures and locks) can be done alone or in combination with postures and breathing exercises.

The root lock, abdominal lock, and neck lock are three of the most significant.

Eye motions and focused gazes are extremely significant, especially because they are related to the fire centers, the toes and thumbs, the stomach, the entire spine, energy circulation, and dreams.

The sphincter and perineum contractions, as well as tongue locks and hand motions, play a significant role in this delicate and sensory system.
The ear gesture can directly stimulate the vital breath that regulates the process of yawning, which is of special relevance in yoga nidra.
The technique is simple:

pinch your ear lobes with your thumb and index finger and pull them down as far as possible,
while simultaneously opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue,
making sure it does not touch any part of your mouth and pointing slightly backward,
widening your eyes, raising your eyebrows as high as possible...

That should be enough to make you yawn. This is a lovely gesture of calm and energy that you may do before or after a yoga nidra session, before falling asleep or waking up, or anytime you like. It can be done for no other reason than to feel at ease.

CONCENTRATION AND SENSUAL WITHDRAWAL.

The focus can begin to travel deeper into the inner layers when the postures, gestures, and breathing exercises have awakened a more nuanced awareness of the body and its vibrations—and produced a situation ideal for introspection.

It's vital to gradually let go of the senses' grip, much like we do before falling asleep.
In order to do so, I may become aware of the senses of smell, taste, sight, touch, and hearing in relation to the respective energy centers one by one.
I begin by becoming aware of distant noises, then gradually shift my focus to noises in my practice space, until I hear the sound of quiet itself.
I can also concentrate on a motivating picture or a ray of light behind my eyelids, allowing it to shrink and shrink until it is nothing more than a miniscule dot that vanishes into the formless and colorless.
I can also detect a section of my body, such as the spine, and let the slight touch of the vivid feeling to take me to a calm that is even deeper.
As a result of this sensory detachment, it will be easier to focus on an inner, more subtle support, such as a certain energy point or flow.
By integrating vigilant watchfulness with profound relaxation and tranquility, the play of the limbs of yoga attempts merely to suspend thinking and open us to the unknown.
Simultaneously, imagine yourself as Narayana, sleeping in endless slumber, and let the ensuing attitude to flow throughout you.
You are not lying on your bed, but rather in the limitless Causal Ocean of light. Imagine your whole mind rushing upward, in an indescribable flood of experience, to the throat center, the forehead center, and then through the crown of the head into the Void, as it floats in this ocean and is charged with electricity.
Only the immense nothingness of an unsupported limitless Sky can be seen above, below, to the right, and to the left.
The Mother descends into your heart in the form of Yoga-sleep from it, and then flows heavenward into the consciousness above the head.

This is pratyahara and dharana, respectively. It is possible to alter your sleep by doing so.

Exercises for Preparation

Yoga nidra is the technique of bringing all of the limbs of yoga together to achieve a common aim. Some specialized exercises may be done on your own and are a great way to be ready for conscious sleep and extended yoga nidra sessions.

Simply resting in the corpse stance and remaining completely motionless while doing nothing is a wonderful exercise in and of itself. And without a doubt the most tough.

It is both the alpha and the omega, the merger of the Sanskrit alphabet's first and last letter (a-ham, I Am). It's the first exercise I do, and it's the one that all the other limbs of yoga lead me back to.

Simply laying down and “being,” without speaking or thinking.
The basic stance in all official yoga nidra sessions is lying down on the ground, arms and legs slightly apart, palms facing upward, and back firmly planted on the floor.
This stance allows one to peacefully drift into the calm of sleep and death.
To avoid contractions in the lumber region, alter the stance by placing a cushion beneath one's head or legs. Each to their own, whether in life, death, or the corpse position.
I make a conscious effort to let go of my body, especially my face, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, entire back, and legs, all of which make contact with the floor.
Inhaling and exhaling, giving and taking, living and dying, I am aware of the air entering the nostrils, warming as it exits.
I surrender to the silence and inertia of the backdrop, a witness to what arises and vanishes, breath after breath.
I get engrossed in the unchangeable and aware. Like a body who has stopped breathing, the breath becomes weak and faint, nearly nonexistent.
I appreciate this silent stillness, like I do in tantric yoga, finding delight in being, simply being, until I forget and no longer know who I am. Contradictions and dualism fade away, leaving nothing but profound tranquility.
There was no such thing as emptiness or existence back then, and there was no such thing as air or the skies beyond it.

What did you use to cover it?
What happened to it?
Whose care is it?
Was there cosmic water back then, hidden at unfathomable depths?

There was no such thing as death or immortality back then.
There was no candle of night and day back then.
The One was windless and self-sustaining in his breathing.
There was just the One back then, and no one else.
There was simply blackness enveloped in blackness at first.
All of this was just dark water.
That One who sprang from the strength of heat, encased in nothing, arose at long last.
At first, it was engulfed by desire.

That was the primordial seed, conceived by the intellect. The wise sages who have examined their hearts for knowledge realize what is related to what is not. They've extended their rope across the vacuum, and they know what's above and below them. Seminal abilities spawned powerful armies.

On the one hand, there was strength, and on the other, there was impulse. But, at the end of the day, who knows and who can say?
Where did it all come from, and how did it all happen?

Because the gods are older than creation, no one knows for sure whence it came. He knows—or perhaps even he does not know—where all creation came from, whether he fashioned it or not.

He, who observes it all from the highest sky, knows—or perhaps even he does not know.

Still laying on my back, I inhale and raise my arms until the backs of my hands touch the floor;
At this point, the breath comes to a halt, and I clasp my hands and arch my body,
Becoming aware of my entire body and the bright space surrounding it, before exhaling and lowering my arms to my sides.

The practice can be performed numerous times, with increasing emphasis on breath retention:

I may do it once with bodily sensations, once in the energetic structure (or one by one in the energy centers), and once in the boundless expanse of the mind. I take a moment at the conclusion of this practice to appreciate and experience the serenity of being.
I may intentionally relax and seek stillness in the tree position or the headstand, in addition to the corpse posture. Stand tall with your feet firmly planted on the ground in tree position, then rest one ankle on the inner side of your thigh, near to the perineum, and balance on one leg.
In the wisdom gesture, place your arms on either side, slightly away from your body, or unite your hands in front of your chest in the prayer gesture. I continue in this position, allowing the tensions to dissipate and the breath to slow down, all while maintaining a calm and focused gaze.

Exercises that Help You Fall Asleep

Observing the process of falling asleep is by far the most significant and vital of all yoga practices, not just at night, but also before naps, extended practice sessions, and brief preparation exercises.

It is vital to understand one's "sleeper's breathing" in order to perform yoga nidra.

You can start by sitting back against a cushion with your legs extended out, or just lying down comfortably on your back or in the posture that allows you to fall asleep effortlessly and naturally.
You may do this in your bed, with the goal of falling asleep fast and waking up multiple times to watch the breathing process and your "sleeper's breathing."
Once I've mastered it, I may use it to go asleep on command or as swiftly as possible, allowing me to begin a deeper practice.
Naps are an excellent opportunity to practice. If I don't completely grasp how this procedure works at first, I can copy the conventional method based on my own observations.
With each inhale, the breath rises a bit, expands a bit, then sinks down with each exhale, disappearing in a brief pause with the lungs empty.
My own sleeper's breathing begins quickly and spontaneously when I actively imitate this rhythm. There is nothing I can do, and I must not interfere with the process in order to perceive it for what it is rather than what I perceive it to be. In this case, I am content to observe the phenomena at work.
The air entering and exiting the nostrils (or the more active nostril, if feasible) and the sensation of touch are the focus of listening.

I let my breathing to mimic that of the sleeper;
I emulate it and let it happen. The breathing shifts a few minutes before I fall asleep;
each breath grows longer, stretches out, and stops in the natural retention of the empty lungs.

The breath is gradually dwindling. The body goes into a deep slumber and consumes less oxygen.

I don't try to fight it; instead, I surrender.
The speed with which images and audio occur is increasing. Everything starts to lose its coherence.

The breath is always changing: rising and falling, vacant gaps, intervals, slumber...

Is it possible to be conscious or unconscious?
What is the flavor of the interval?
What will happen when I die if I can't be awake when I fall asleep?

Once I'm acquainted with this sleeper's breathing, I can fall asleep in traditional hatha yoga poses, which I may gradually adapt for this practice by picking more easy and pleasant positions. The tortoise stance, diamond stance, and child's position, for example, are three postures that activate the sleep energy center.

As a result, they're ideal for this exercise. It is essential that the stance is comfortable; otherwise, it would be hard to fall asleep.

The goal is to investigate the events that lead up to falling asleep and to experiment with the transition from one state to the next.

The diamond stance, for example, entails sitting with the buttocks on the heels and arms beside the torso.
And then bend forward until the chest is on the thighs and the forehead is on the floor or put on a cushion, like in child's pose.

I can relax and gradually slide into the sleeper's breathing in both stances.

The process is always the same, regardless of the posture or support I use:
I create calm and light breathing (perhaps by syncing it with one or more sacred phrases);
the gaze is concentrated and aware of the infinite space behind the eyes.
I welcome the physiological, respiratory, and mental changes that accompany falling asleep.

The body and its tensions are undone physiologically, a state of relaxation is formed, the senses are interiorized and broken down, and the body temperature declines.

In yoga nidra, this connection with the cold is vital because it keeps one slightly aware, whereas heat promotes heaviness.

The cold connects us to the tactile sensation, the sense of touch, and the skin, and therefore to the heart center or the sleep center, in line with the interdependent elements.
This is why, when practicing yoga nidra, I should strive to keep as much of my body exposed as possible so that I can experience the cold and become accustomed to it.
This sensation indicates that I am going to fall asleep, but it also helps me to awaken and reconnect with my heart center.
This coldness is felt on the skin when one falls asleep, as if it were the skin of something empty and as if it were a "bag of skin" devoid of physiological substance.
As a result, the coldness on my skin assists me in my practice by directing me.
Furthermore, feeling good in one's own skin necessitates feeling it in the first place. If required, one should not be afraid to cover up.

When it comes to mental changes, their order and consistency vanish. The mind deconstructs when it falls asleep, losing its waking state structure and causing thoughts to unravel.

I enter a new realm, as if I'm entering and burying myself in a deep hallway, with visions or flashes that become quicker and quicker as sleep approaches.
Under a fresh sight, the buried impressions are revealed.
If I perceive the thought associations in relation to the events of the day.
I can see more images surfacing spontaneously at the edge of sleep—images that are related to the past but still recognizable—as well as other unknown images that I recognize without being able to connect them to any known source.
When it comes to respiratory changes, as sleep approaches, the breath and the sleeper's breathing become one.
If I'm lying down on my right side in the reclining Buddha position, I focus my attention on the left nostril while listening to the inner sound, till I fall asleep knowingly and sweetly.
I try to fall asleep while maintaining the subtle sensations of breath and sound, and I try to find it again as soon as I wake up, as if the two states were linked by the sensation of a very subtle and almost imperceptible vibration that appeared like a golden thread, a valuable guide in the meanders of the various states of consciousness.
This allows me to properly comprehend the relationship between sleep and breathing, as well as the level of concentration necessary to monitor it.
Concentrate on the period between waking and sleep, when sleep has not yet arrived but exterior consciousness has vanished—it is there that the highest Goddess manifests herself.
The act of falling asleep is divided into two phases: a brief preliminary phase and a phase of emptiness, in which ordinary awareness slips away and is replaced by sleep.
The space that opens out to a nothingness full of light, like the faint reflection of the moon, is this scenario.

Another option is to lie down in corpse posture, where I can stretch out my breath and make it as long as possible without expending too much energy.

I keep an eye on it and let the noises and visuals wash over me.
I am a bystander, drifting away in the heart center's pause after inhaling.
I turn around to face the opposite way in the mirror.
I drift off and awake, enjoying the rise and fall of my breathing and its gentle caress as it takes me to that which makes and this Life.

Other techniques exist to help people keep their focus during sleeping, such as falling asleep and waking up with the inner sound and active nose.

This practice connects the heart and throat centers, as well as the perceptions of touch and sound, to air and space.
This practice takes me to the edge of sleep by enabling me to remain attentive until all of my senses have been fully depleted.

When I lie on my right side, the air naturally flows more via my left nostril, and the sound is more audible in my left ear, activating the lunar aspect.
When I'm lying on my left side, it's the exact opposite. The perception is more subtle on my back, where the breathing is more regulated and the sound is more audible.

As a result, I focus on my breathing and notice which nostril allows the most open passage of air.
I keep my focus on that nose and the active side of my body, and then I gently begin my sleeper's breathing.
After that, I let my focus shift to the sound of my deep, tranquil breathing.
In order to meet the time when sleep arrives, I am aware of all that is happening, all things that occur in my consciousness, and the pause following exhale.

The goal is to fall asleep while being awake until the very last moment, focusing my attention on my breathing, which is closely tied to its delicate feeling or sound—or both—in order to recall one or both when I wake up.

The goal is to establish a link between the two states of awareness.

How can one maintain this alive sense of self when sleeping?

The first step is to try to fall asleep intentionally by remaining in a very delicate sense of oneself that will last well beyond ordinary awareness slipping into the heaviness of sleep, and becoming one with a vibration of life whose process is completely understood.

When one wakes up, the situation is reversed. Long before the body awakens, this vibration will begin to energize one's sense of self. It is impossible to construct or construct a relationship between these two states. It is only possible to recognize it.

To become aware of the energy centers, elements, and senses, as well as their interconnectedness, one must be completely open and accessible.

This is why learning to fall asleep in yoga poses that link us to the heart center, and so to the senses of touch and sleep, helps us to comprehend those physiological and energetic links.
By analyzing my breath, vibration, and sound, I may assume the tortoise posture or child's pose and go into the fetal position just as I am ready to fall asleep. Slowly but steadily, I may learn to fall asleep superficially or profoundly while retaining a certain level of attentiveness in this manner.
The process of falling asleep now appears more clearly, and I can split it into several phases by following the sequence of the senses' collapse and connecting each one with, say, a brilliant circle of a specific hue and intensity.

As a result, like the moon decorating Shiva's forehead, I am able to identify this pure light.

This pure light is no longer a perceivable object, such as a circle of color, but the Consciousness itself, in which the "I" transitions from waking to sleeping. It is necessary to commit to “voluntary slumber emanating from the heart and not from an inferior center,” as Sri Ramakrishna and tantric writings instruct.
I may teach myself to become conscious of the vital interval by focusing my attention on the heart center, on a brilliant circle or point, as indicated before, or on the constant undefeated inner sound (anahata shabda), by attempting to fall asleep in the empty gaps.
This moment can be extended with a little effort.

The mind naturally prefers to stop working when it is time to sleep; this inclination may be fostered so that it arrives gently, feeling its way.

As the sun fades into the bosom of the evening, as the infant falls asleep on its mother's breast, one should not snuff out the lamp all at once, but rather drift into slumber as the daylight fades into the bosom of the evening. No, this final simile isn't finished yet.

The child dosses off, but the mother does not. The youngster may have a naive confidence in his mother's ability to stay awake, but he isn't conscious of it. That awareness would be prominent and clear in yogic sleep (yoganidra).

You should not be frustrated or depressed if all your efforts appear to be in vain. Allow the criticisms and judgements to go away and return your attention to your practice; stay in the present now without torturing yourself.

Feelings of pride or self-pity are the same thing, and they simply serve to reinforce the ego and sense of "me" who believes she is the creator of her actions and, as a result, of her activities. This, of course, is a dead end.

On the contrary, like Saint Teresa of vila, I must yield, give in, fade away, open up, and let myself go in ecstasy, as expressed by Fray Francisco de Osuna in this motivating and inspirational text:

Those who engage in reflective prayer before going to bed and immediately resume it when they wake up are blessed.
They eat a little, sleep a little, eat a little more, and snuggle in the Lord's arms, like babies that fall asleep on their mother's breast after being fed, wake up, suckle some more, and fall asleep again.
Thus, they spend more time in thoughtful prayer than in sleep during these brilliant intervals... even though they have slept; when they wake up, they know that their soul has rested in the Beloved's embrace.

When Yogi Sri Anirvan speaks of the Mother, that is, Consciousness, this "limpid clearness as of pale moonlight," the same sensation of absolute surrender comes to mind:

Our days are completely consumed by work. “O Mother, we have no time to invoke you,” we say to her. When do you have time to sit and call you? This is why we have forgotten about you.” The Mother, on the other hand, does not forget us.
She extinguishes our world of hectic activity and clamorous thought in the depths of the night. She invites us into the unfathomable depths of her Yoga-heart, into the purest river of knowledge flowing back to its source, via her deep compassion.
Even if I am unaware, the Mother is aware. If only I could give her my sleep, even if I couldn't give her anything else. If only I could say to her, “When I lie down, I lie at your feet; when I sleep, I only think of you.”

Nocturnal Exercises

Nighttime Exercises are a set of exercises that may be done any time after the Sun has set and the darkness of the night has fully set in.

Yoga nidra may also be used to help with insomnia and waking up in the middle of the night, either intentionally or unintentionally.
When I'm in a normal level of awareness, the cycle usually starts with a gradual, light slumber during which I'm quite sensitive to noise outside.
The body is fully at rest in slow and deep slumber, and I hear nothing.
With paradoxical sleep or the dream state, brain activity resumes.
An increase in brain waves and fast eye movements are signs of mental activity.
The body awakens or begins a new cycle of around one and a half hours after a latent phase.
Four cycles roughly correlate to a six-hour night, providing us with a plethora of periods to investigate.
Night time, with its stillness, should be devoted first to the slow effort of conscious interiorization, then to deliberate sleep in an awakened consciousness.

This slumber, which takes place in a body that is free of weariness and stress (except for little wear and tear induced by time) and in a well-practiced stance that never changes, becomes the testing ground for a variety of experiments.

Setting an alarm multiple times during the night as an intentional wake-up call should only be done under the supervision of a highly capable instructor, and only for limited periods of time and under extremely favorable conditions; otherwise, it will only result in exhaustion and bewilderment.

This is why it is best to return to a session that began at the time of falling asleep, for example, at the periods when we wake up naturally and spontaneously through the night.

Simply said, if I wake up unexpectedly,

I can execute a basic yoga nidra position like corpse position (laying on my back) or Buddha's position (laying on my right side).
So that I may continue to enjoy the interval, the position must be done smoothly and without stress.
I stay in the heart center, pay attention to my breathing, and fall asleep again.
I may also just turn my body, stretch out, examine a dot of light, or begin a breathing practice when I first wake up.
It's crucial to stay calm and aware at all times, and to submit to the glorious void: Sleep is like the Mother's Yoga-heart.
The Earth sleeps in the depths of the night, but the Sky (akasha) remains awake and watches through the unblinking gaze of myriads of stars.
The Sky is the Mother's true heart. Being awake to the great calm of the Sky while sleeping there implies being awake to the immense serenity of the Sky.
The moon rises gently, diluting the blackness of the evening with its expanding white light, and so does this waking. Yoga sleep is similar to this.

Exercises that Help You Wake Up

The morning alarm, like all other times when I wake up, is just as crucial as falling asleep. It allows me to watch the process from the other perspective.

The pause, whether at dawn or dusk, always gives the same opportunity: to recognize one's actual nature.

When I fall asleep, the sensation of "myself" fades away gradually, yet it reappears every time I wake up.
The reappearance of the sensory and material world, with its share of want, aversion, and sorrow, is an ideal chance to see the rebirth of the feeling of "I."
It's an opportunity to see that this notion of "myself" is only a concept that arises when I identify with the body.

Janaka, the renowned Indian ruler, is said to have awoken one morning feeling uneasy because he had dreamed that he was a humble slave. So he pondered if it was King Janaka dreaming of being a laborer, or if it was a worker dreaming of being King Janaka.

The question is unsettling, but it only arises when one identifies with a conditioned form, whether in a dream or in waking life.

I remain the painful toy of ideas, whether I believe I am King Janaka or a worker, Chuang-tzu or a butterfly.

Only when I recognize that I am neither of them can I find peace. And this necessitates paying attention to the first notion that comes to mind when the dream emerges.

Svapna Yoga is the Yoga of Dreams.

Being aware of one's dreams during the day is the greatest method to be aware of one's dreams at night.

When I'm awake, I spend the most of my time daydreaming and lost in my thoughts. If I'm not conscious of it now, I'll never be conscious of it in my nightmares at night.

Tantric yoga, on the other hand, discusses techniques that bring absolute consciousness to the dream state.

Yoga nidra or svapna yoga, unlike lucid dreaming, does not strive to master or realize one's dreams, therefore reinforcing the sense of "me" and its core aspirations.

Yoga nidra just urges me to be conscious of the fact that I am dreaming at all times.

This is sufficient in and of itself. Svapna yoga provides practices that may be played like a game, with the perspective of a kid who is discovering the world for the first time.

In a state of awareness, for example, you can undertake an activity that involves elaborating a scenario using the five senses and extracting the image that best summarizes it from it.

Then, by recalling this image at intervals, such as when one falls asleep, sneezes, or has an orgasm, or during specific breathing exercises, eye movements, and other exercises related to the fire element where a specific amount of energy is available, the impression that remains will be even more powerful and more likely to manifest in dreams.

The return of the sensory image in dreams will allow one to be conscious of it, awakening to the dream without waking up, if this has also been practiced during sessions.

A bright and exceedingly delightful moment of consciousness can then be experienced. Let us recall the significance of the navel energy center, which is especially active during the dream state, and the relationship that this region has with the fire element, the sense of vision, the big toes, the anus, and the entire central channel.

Visual impressions are the most striking and are imprinted on the mind more quickly, therefore they play a significant role in our dreams and memories.

This is why, in the instance of dream yoga, working with a picture rather than a fragrance is inherently simpler, though this varies from person to person.

The sense of touch is equally crucial, which is why yoga nidra emphasizes the importance of sensations and inner body and energy structure feelings.

Contact between a sense organ and a sensory item (internal or external) is required for an imprint to form.

When I am alert and present to myself and the world when I receive an impression, I can feel its vibration in the energy centers and physical body, such as in the central channel and solar plexus.

The emergence of an emotion or the body's reaction to the mind is commonly indicated by the vibration in the solar plexus, but it may also represent the waking to another form of knowledge.

Working on the other centers and through other essential themes, such as love, possession, fear, pleasure, loss, meetings, and, last but not least, death—the secret path that guides the yoga nidra practitioner toward peace of the soul and clarity of the mind—can also be used to observe memory and dream processes.

There is a tremendous field of inquiry here that is just waiting to be discovered.

Tantric teachings constantly ask us to fall asleep in the heart center, whether there is an image or not, and regardless of how we are breathing.

If the breath's energy is concentrated on as coarse and feeble in the heart space and the area above the fontanel, and then entering the heart (when sleeping), one may master one's dreams.

The heart is considered a location of initiation in yoga nidra, the very center in which the shift to sleep is arranged.

When I'm about to fall asleep, everything from my personal background and sensory experiences vanishes into that void.

This frees intuition and allows me to grasp my mental and emotional content, the latent inclinations that make up my personality and conduct, in the sense that it is not constrained by the order and intelligence of my waking state.

As a result, the door between my waking and dream states' conditioning is unlocked, making me more open to a glimpse of the Unconditioned.

The heart, in Vedanta or tantric traditions, denotes the fourth state, yoga nidra, the nondual consciousness, the Being, happiness without object, vacuity, and the Self, in which all comes and dissolves, in addition to being an organ and an energy point.

What is the identity of the self?

The selfeffulgent light within the heart, this infinite entity (purusha) that is connected with the intellect and is in the middle of the organs.

There is now this city of Brahman (the body), as well as the location, the little lotus (the heart), and the little ether inside it (Akasha).

It is now necessary to seek out and comprehend what exists within that little ether.

The greatest objective is attained through knowing Brahman. Brahman is the eternal truth, pure knowledge, and infinite all rolled into one.

Whoever realizes that Brahman resides inside the lotus of the heart merges with him and receives all benefits.

Yoga Nidra Protocol

A yoga nidra session is performed differently depending on the school. Swami Satyananda discovered certain components of this approach in the s and constructed a systematic approach, which he began teaching at the beginning of the s; his first publications were released twenty years later. He has promoted yoga nidra in certain ways.

But this practical philosophy of Vishnu and Shiva, whose origins are buried in the mists of time, cannot be reduced to just one, or perhaps a thousand, methods of being taught and practiced.

It all relies on one's upbringing, influences, and sensitivity, as well as how he adapts the strategy to his own circumstances.

As with all real traditions, yoga nidra constantly encourages us to open up, halt the mind, and submit.

As a result, it would be a pity to place too much emphasis on the finger pointing to the moon while overlooking the moon itself, which emerges in the sky of awareness.

A normal practice session, like all occurrences, has a beginning, middle, and conclusion, and there are several ways to begin and conclude a session.

Having said that, repeating an exercise may assist a lot with relaxation and letting go, especially in the beginning, because knowing what you're holding on to makes it easier to let go.

However, one must ensure that it does not become a mechanical movement, and if a new activity is selected, one must avoid being engrossed in one's thoughts.

Yoga nidra necessitates constant vigilance while being tension-free.

After a classical hatha yoga session, which includes postures, breathing exercises, and gestures, the session can be divided into six to ten stages, depending on how the sequence is counted or divided.

What matters is the consistency with which the yoga limbs are conjugated.

A generic practice session has been detailed here, which may be tailored to one's needs by repeating previously done activities.

On this foundation, hundreds of sessions for visiting the interval can be created. In any event, the genuine instructor is the Self alone.

I learn everything via the practice of life, and I shall actually learn how to practice by practicing yoga nidra and listening to the Lord of Sleep.

Only firsthand experience counts in this field.

GETTING READY (PRASTUTI)

When practicing yoga nidra for an hour or more, it's normal to want to be in a quiet spot where you won't be disturbed. Even if noise isn't a concern in and of itself, it should be kept as quiet as possible. Similarly, if being chilly makes you feel tense, it's best to start with a blanket because it's crucial to stay perfectly motionless during the session, preferably in the corpse stance.

RELAXATION IN THE DEEPEST SENSE (SHITHILIKARANA).

The preparation phase's relaxation is really a means to an end, not its only aim. It is difficult to be aware of the deeper structures and energies if one is not calm and free of stress, whether during the day or at night. I'm more receptive when I'm more calm.

So, to relieve physical, emotional, and mental strain, here are a few exercises that are simple to choose and perform at the start of a session.

Close your eyes and put your arms and legs close to your torso immediately before you adopt the corpse stance.
Inhale deeply, hold your breath, and compress your body as much as possible, tucking your arms behind your trunk and your legs against one another.
Keep an eye on the body as it stiffens. Then, when you breath, let go of everything. Pay attention to how the "corpse" relaxes and becomes utterly motionless and lifeless.

Who is going to die?

Who is it that this experience appears to?

I become aware of my overall situation, here and now, without trying to change it, without intellectualizing.
I may begin to withdraw my senses by listening to the farthest noises, then gradually return my attention to the noises that are closer to me and inside me, until I reach quietness.
I progressively expand my focus to the points pushing down on the floor, from head to toes, to become aware of the rise and fall of my breathing.
Everything calms down, relaxes, and melts into the quiet of the heart core and the feeling of touch with each breath.

I become aware of the vibratory waves, the mental area in which everything occurs and is planned.
As a witness, the eyes remain quiet, the vision far behind, observing the limitless depth of this inner sky without saying anything.
When I inhale, I feel the breath's caress rise in front of my body from my heels to the top of my head, then flow downhill from the top of my head to my heels and behind my body when I exhale.
I pay attention to how my breathing rises and falls, as well as the waves of feelings that cleanse me and wash away all of my physical and mental strain.
I enjoy the envelope of feelings with each breath and then let go.
I let my body, the shava, rest and relax to the pattern of my breathing, which comes and goes like the gentle waves of a calm sea.
If it has any importance for me, I can imagine Narayana sleeping in his endless sleep, or Shiva lying down underneath the goddess Kali.
As I inhale, I allow a new sensation to emerge, which blends with the vital breath and spreads throughout the body as I exhale.

“You are not resting in your bed, but on the endless primal Ocean of light.”

I am more conscious of the flow of energy through my spine with each breath. Vibration with inhalation ("I"), consciousness, and exhale ("am"), happiness.
The waves of feelings, emotions, ideas, and pictures come and go, but the deep ocean stays completely calm, a detached observer of the rising and falling of the waves that pass through it.

The relaxation phase will grow shorter as the practitioner proceeds, especially if a sequence of postures and breathing exercises have been completed prior.

We may assume that the practitioner is already relaxed, ready, and available in this scenario.

THE POWER OF INTENT (SANKALPA)

The lively energy is felt in one's body and bones as a result of this awakened availability and sensitivity; our ideas become inventive and intuition takes over.

As a result, yoga nidra urges us to make a quick and positive wish or resolution (sankalpa) in order to enable this idea full of energy to develop and take form.

I just inhale, repeat the wish three times while holding my breath, and then exhale to forget about it.

According to the traditional method, we should repeat the same desire until it is granted: all prayers must be repeated at least three times for the greater powers to hear and grant them.

It's also possible to inhale with "I..." and exhale with "Wish..." in the physical, energetic, and mental systems separately or all at once.

The request can also be communicated as a direct communication to the subconscious in the mind's realm between consciousness and sleep.

It can also be expressed in the heart center, which contains the "wish tree," which is described in scriptures as a magical tree that grants wishes:

"Resolutions are the wish-granting trees (kalpataru); energy (of the mind) is the garden of the trees of plenty."
At the three levels of the mind's structure: articulated, not articulated, and heard, the want can also be communicated quietly, simultaneously, or gradually.
With time and effort, the desire transforms into a nonwish, devoid of words, thoughts, and aspirations. It's a kind of remembering that has no object, is pure existence, and has no desire or shape. Other than remaining in the bigger Self, there will be no desire.

All sankalpa-born cravings must be abandoned without reservation, and the mind must entirely limit the entire set of senses from all sides.

Allow him to gradually achieve peace via his intellect, which he must maintain; once he has established his mind in the Self, he must not think about anything else.

I stay calm, a witness of everything that arrives and disappears, regardless of the nature of the want.

CONSCIOUSNESS ROTATION (CHETANA SANCHARANA)

The rotation of consciousness is an important phase for strengthening self-awareness and presence to the many structures that make up our being, while also allowing the nonduality of being to arise via its soothing power:

According to an Indian folktale, we have all lost sight of our fundamental connectedness.

According to this legend, the human being is haunted by the sensation of having misplaced something he has no knowledge of, but would like to recover.
Shiva is the name given to this lost taste, which is intimately tied to "aware vision" in mythology.
The yearning to reclaim this level of awareness is attributed to Shakti, the energy through which Shiva manifests, according to mythology.

These figures symbolize the two sides of reality, and when they are joined, there is no longer any conflict and no division.

In Indian art, they are shown in an inextricable sexual embrace. Legend has its origins in the closeness of this rather eccentric couple.

According to legend, Shiva and Shakti were so engrossed in their love that they forgot about the cosmos, putting the world's equilibrium in jeopardy.

As a result of these anxious human people complaining to the gods, Shiva and Shakti have once again breached all boundaries!

They decided to stage a commando operation against them, and some halfhuman halfcelestial beings were assigned the task of kidnapping Shakti at the Himalayan top and hiding her on the opposite side of India, near Cape Comorin.

Shiva gently emerged out of his misery once the procedure was done, and in the blink of an eye (the third! ), he met his buddy. He came to her, grabbed her by the hair, and rushed them back to their Himalayan house, enraged that their relationship had been disrupted.

The men, who did not want to watch them continue their lovemaking, then planned to break up the goddess into pieces and scatter them over the kingdom.

They began chopping apart the goddess as Shiva was dragging his partner, first with her right thumb, then her second, third, and so on.

I begin by sensing my right thumb in order to do this genuinely "important task" of "gathering the scattered fragments of the goddess" and returning to the lost oneness.

By focusing on the sensations of the physical body (skin, muscles, bones, and organs), the vibrations of the energetic body, and the pictures that spontaneously come from the mental body, the first three structures may be rotated alone or concurrently.

As a result, after sensing the thumb, I go over each finger one by one.

The physical body, its vibrations, and its picture.
The palm and back of my hand, as well as my hand and wrist;
my forearm up to my elbow and upper arm up to my shoulder;
and my whole arm I next focus on my big right toe, then the others;
the upper and lower sides of my right foot, my entire foot, heel, and ankle;
my calf, tibia, and knee; my thigh, buttock, hip, and my entire right leg.

I do the same thing with my left leg, then my left arm.

I take a moment to connect the sensations in my arms and legs.
Then I bring my awareness to my buttocks, hips, perineum, anus, coccyx, groin, sacral, and sexual regions.
I'm paying attention to the sensations and vibrations that come and go.
My focus continues to travel up into my stomach, plexus, lumbar region, kidneys, sides; into my chest and back; into the shoulder blades, collarbone, the zones in-between, into the heart and heart center in this "concentration without tension."
I can feel my legs and torso, as well as my shoulders and arms, with each breath.
Then, in the sequence of the elements, my attention rises to the neck, throat, back of the neck, and cervicals; then to my entire head, brain, and sensory organs.
Finally, I can taste the newly discovered oneness by sensing my entire body, including its core axis, vibrating with each breath in the space of consciousness and the heart center. I can hear myself repeating the natural mantra: "I am," "I am" (ham'sa).

I am the observer and the calm witness. In my back, full of concentration, energy, and light, I make the most of every exhale to let go and sink into the tranquil backdrop.

Without remark or words, everything is observed and all phenomena are received.

The background watches the worlds come and go without being impacted by them.

I'm completely conscious, lying down like Narayana on a sea of delicate feelings. The body sleeps, but the awareness keeps an eye on it, as if it were a kid sleeping in his mother's arms.

The attention can travel according to a defined or spontaneous itinerary in order to acquire the minute amounts of energy that are unconscious.

The rotation might be exterior (bahirnyasa) and focused on the physical body, or internal (antaranyasa) and focused on the energy wheels or the emergence of pictures.

As previously said, becoming aware of the feeling, vibration, and picture may be done concurrently in the first three "sheaths." It can be done in a variety of ways and in different orders.

It's critical to experience what's going on rather than allowing the mind to wander into connections.

Apart from knowing the itinerary and not having to think about it, you may utilize your heartbeat, breath, or a brief mantra like AUM or RAM to “touch” a specific body part in order to locate, feel, and release it. It's as if each "touch" is an offering.

Knowing what is being held on to makes it simpler to let go. This is why the body may fade away once it has been profoundly sensed.
Along with the notion of “me,” it vanishes into the emptiness.
Only the flavor of conscious sleep, which is tranquil and tranquil, remains.

This shift in consciousness can also refer to a pilgrimage to "the areas where the goddess's parts fell and temples were built."

Traveling from one holy location to another in India, much like I do in my body from one limb to another, has given me a taste of this lost wholeness.

“To see Chidambaram, to be born in Thiruvarur, to die in Varanasi, or to remember Arunachala, all of these alone will confer Liberation,” an old proverb from the Skanda Purana guided me on the path to four holy places to try to collect what I thought was lost knowledge.

If this old lyric directed me, yoga nidra enabled me to be present to the connections between the places, as well as the truth that in the ultimate, there is only one connection and one sacred space in which all separations are absorbed.

In the awareness, the energy centers, which are depicted as locations on the body or sacred locations, come together.

Everything manifests within me, and I stay still. By being the spectator who is free from everything that passes by, I first witness everything that isn't a connection, and then I die, fade away, and enable the connection to be born to consciousness, to remember it, and to live in it.

Fading into Sleep

It is possible to let oneself go with a countdown, starting with the 108th, 54th, or 27th breath, in order to witness the mind's operation and the place in which it occurs.
Inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale, and so on, until you reach zero, which is the core of each of us.

The counting fades into stillness with each exhale, and I become a bystander to the countdown. I let things happen and unravel in its own time, without meddling.

Allowing myself to be swept into the unknown is what I do. I'm content to simply count backwards from the many to the one.
This is the ideal time to fall asleep without slipping into complete forgetfulness.
But it's also a time when I'm prone to falling asleep entirely and drifting off into oblivion. As a result, I must remain vigilant...
The countdown can also be an opportunity to purify my mental space by alternate breathing, without blocking my nostrils with my fingers:
I inhale through the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril, inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril, inhale through the right nostril and exhale through the left nostril, and so on.
Simply put, I become aware of my breath traveling on one side, then on the other, in a tactile sense.
Arriving to zero brings a stop to the mind's oscillations and provides for an openness, ideal for feelings of amazement and delight, as well as investigation.

Yoga Nidra Sessions

The session's first phases are designed to generate entire availability for more rigorous practice between consciousness and sleep.

It is possible to build a huge variety of practices for exploring the inner labyrinth and potentially find a path out of misery and ignorance by juggling with the many bodies, sheaths, centers, structures, and other occurrences.

All of the limbs of yoga, notably focus, meditation, and profound contemplation, are at the heart of the practice.

Regardless of the topic (such as death, the five elements, etc.) or the initial aim, it must all come to an end in the deep stillness of stillness.

The majority of yoga nidra sessions are centered on existential themes. Some want to look at the physical body and its tissues (skin, muscles, bones, organs), the sensory system and its relationship with the unconscious, the energetic body (centers, supports, breathing, meridians, and so on), and the various aspects of thought (mind, memory, intelligence, and so on) in detail and from various angles.

If yoga nidra urges us to pay attention to sensations, vibrations, light, and sound in a methodical way, certain practices can focus on one of these in particular by using breathing exercises and mantras.

Yoga nidra asks essential questions about our connection with animality, time, the future, wants, the elements, pleasure, ecstasy, love, the feeling of "me," the divine, dream, sleep, and death, among other things.

In general, the sequence progresses according to the ascending order of the energy centers, much as we do in posture practice. When the countdown is complete, the session is given a direction.

Furthermore, according to ancient beliefs, this sequence corresponds to the loss of senses and the breakdown of the components during the sleep and death processes.

This broad search splits the procedure and serves as superb forethought.

Here's a general framework that may be customized in a variety of ways:

I begin by being aware of the energy point at the base of my spine, around my coccyx, and connecting breathing and thinking (ham'sa, “I am...”) with the sense of vibration. This will help me to improve my attention and sensitivity while also allowing me to explore new territory.
Physical and energetic particularities (such as tissues, wheels, shapes, colors, and so on) may be seen in more or less detail by me. The sense or feeling is of the highest significance.
Every breath allows the close link between the energy center and the other structures to appear, and I feel the connection: the anus, the sense of smell, and the impressions it leaves; the tissues of the physical body and their inertia, stability, solid state, relationship with the earth element, and feeling of tranquility.

I am merely a witness to the phenomena that come and fade, as well as the changing states, like Narayana or Shiva, without remark or assessment, and without being swept away by the intensity of their motions. The lungs expand with each exhalation.
I'm receptive to the aroma of presence. Then, at the level of the sacrum, I allow myself to slip into the pelvic area.
I become more conscious of the link between the sexual organs, the sense of taste, the water element, blood and energy circulation, and the waves of vibration throughout my entire body, beyond the skin, with each breath. Allowing a sense of flow and delight to emerge.
A fresh flavor. My focus continues to descend towards the stomach, parallel to the lumbar spine.
The solar plexus, the fire element, the sense of sight, forms, my eyes, heat, light, vibrations, emotions, the mind, and dreams are all explored.
I immerse myself in a vibrating emanation with each breath.
A lotus blossom arises from Narayana's belly, on which Lord Brahma sits, producing ideas and universes that rise and fall.
The flavor of reality is beauty. The fire burns wants, fears, and the sensation of “me” breath by breath. The transition from consciousness to sleep is nearing.
My focus then shifts to the heart center, at the level of the dorsal spine: skin, hands, the element of air, the feeling of touch, sleep, and “me,” perched on the edge of the Void.
The “I” dissolves into a sensation of expansion, a sensation of impersonal energy, free as air, that stretches and embraces the entire cosmos, beyond the bounds of the skin and the mind, with each breath.
It has the flavor of happiness and love. “The infant is sleeping, but the Mother is keeping an eye on him.”
Then I focus on the throat center and cervicals, which include the ears, voice cords, sense of hearing, space element, and sound, which is the final link between the dying and the reality.
The sensation of expanding fades into complete stillness. The expansion emerges in the emptiness, same to how breath does.
It tastes like quiet. Then my focus shifts to the center of my forehead, between my brows, in the centre of my skull.
The physical area, like all the centers and elements, emerges in this mental space made up of conscious energy.
It has the flavor of alertness and genuine happiness. Finally, this mental space manifests in the awareness space.
The energy comes to a halt at the middle of a thousand petals, where the vacuum above the head and the vacuum in the heart are united. It's the meeting of clarity and void.
It has the flavor of Being, the Uncreated, and rediscovered oneness.
I Am Brahman, of the nature of pure Consciousness, devoid of characteristics, free of ignorance, and free of the three stages of waking, dreaming, and profound sleep. I am the witness, free of all their flaws, who lives in all creatures like the ether.
The states of alertness, dream, and sleep, as well as sensations, emotions, and ideas, emerge and depart like clouds in the sky, but the sky of awareness stays completely steady, untouched, and constant.
It is everything because it contains and pervades everything.

The whole world is in the body, and the whole body is in the Heart.

As a result, the entire cosmos is housed inside the Heart... Heart is Thy Name, O Lord!” “There is not only one God, there is only God,” Swami Dayananda says so eloquently.

At this point, no further practice is conceivable. It's no longer a matter of willpower, attention, action, or aim. Nobody is left; only Awareness is left.

VISUALIZATIONS

A normal yoga nidra session will include include specific visualizations that may be done on your own. Some schools employ images in their sequences on a regular basis, even turning them into stories and situations.

While such methods may enable us to reach deeper layers of the individual and collective subconscious, such as intuition, they may also overstimulate regular associated ideas rather than halting them, preventing us from waking to the reality beyond this mechanical framework.

It is up to each person to experiment with care, honesty, and attention to find what works best for them.

Dream yoga can benefit from such techniques as well.

Symbols and archetypes are frequently employed in these sorts of sessions; they can include yoga poses, heavenly representations, trees, flowers, animals, birds, mountains, oceans, and anything associated to nature, such as day, night, and seasons.

They can be ordered logically by the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space), or by other themes such as love, emptiness, sleep, and death.
These ideas for the awakening of a higher quality of emotion and intuition may be found in the traditional writings of yoga, Vedanta, and Tantra, and are therefore an inspiration for yoga nidra.
The Shiva Samhita, for example, describes pictures that metaphorically depict the human body, which is made up of the five elements: “In this body, Mount Meru—the spinal column—is encircled by seven islands, rivers, oceans, mountains, and fields, as well as lords of the fields.
There are seers and sages in it, as well as all the stars and planets, sacred pilgrimages, shrines, and shrine ruling deities. It is also governed by the sun and moon, which are both agents of creation and destruction.
There is also ether, air, water, and earth.” Thus, I may feel these pictures reverberate instinctively in certain portions of the body such as the spine, energy centers, and major meridians by allowing them to come spontaneously in or around me in the wordless space without remark, without linking knowledge or any idea to them.

What matters is that you sense and know things in a new manner, without the typical filter of discursive thinking, and that you stay in that sensitive experience.

As a result, in a session with a lot of pictures, it's vital to let them pass fast (or mention them quickly if you're the one leading the session) so that the mind doesn't take over and start commenting on them.

I can envision a whole sequence of pictures when I exhale slowly and deeply, or in sync with my sleeper's breathing, with a little practice, and repeat as needed.

This exercise may be done multiple times during the day (or night), whether I am sitting, standing, lying down, or walking, and whether I have my eyes open or closed.

In the end, what matters is that the vision transports me back to the peaceful and conscious state in which it appears. It's not about knowing or guessing about occurrences; it's about delving into the heart and simply being.

COMING TOGETHER WITH THE HEART

When a yoga practice succeeds in halting mental fluctuations, it becomes both worthless and difficult to do; useless because there is nothing to do, and impossible because no one to do it with.

Along with the ideas, the ego or feeling of "me" is destroyed.

Only the taste of quiet and vacuum remains, as well as the exquisite delight of the initial vision, which is impersonal and extremely alive.

This minute of deep meditation will be portrayed as a protracted minute of quiet in the case of a formal session.

It opens up to intuition, beatitude, and the blissful witness of this insight, to self-bliss and constant consciousness of the "I": The one Brahman known as the "I-I," the Atman, glows brightly in the heart of the Heart-cave.

Stay anchored in the Atman by diving deep in search of the Self, or by regulating the mind with the breath.

The emptiness is Consciousness reflecting itself, seeing its own uniqueness and declaring, "I am not that (neti neti)." Yogis reach this condition after they have reached the pinnacle of their practice.

FINAL PHASE AND RESOLVE (SANKALPA SAMAPTI)

In the case of a formal session, this is the ideal time to repeat one's resolution or wish three times—the same one that was expressed at the start.

The verb, the wish, sound, light, and vibration will all come from this happiness without shape, and they will then take on the shape of the world.
I gradually become aware of the many structures leading to the actual body, one by one, from head to toe, as soon as the wish melts away in the bright nothingness.
As a result, I remain a stationary observer of the body that is moving once more. I take my time to savor it by remaining in the bright presence to myself, which gradually expands to other moments of my days and nights with the profound sensation of being joyful, serene, and free, thanks to practice and grace.
Yes, I am. This method of exiting a session can also be used at the time you wake up in the morning and the arrival of the sensation of "me."

Preparing and monitoring the process of falling asleep with the many phases of a regular practice session, until one falls asleep in the heart, can be a comprehensive practice.

As a result, each time you wake up, you have the option of merely observing the shift or continuing the exercise you were performing.

Alternatively, you can simply observe the passing states until you wake up and recall your determination or wish; then, after a little period of consciousness, your body will begin to move, get out of bed, and go about its daily routines.

You may also want to learn more about Yoga Nidra here.

You may also want to learn more about Yoga and Holistic healing here.

You may also want to learn more about Yoga Asanas here.

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