Yoga Nidra brings an incredible calmness, quietness and clarity. Yoga Nidra is one of the deepest of all meditations, leading awareness through many levels of mental process to a state of supreme stillness and insight.
Yoga Nidra means Yogic Sleep. It is a state of conscious Deep Sleep. In Meditation, you remain in the Waking state of consciousness, and gently focus the mind, while allowing thought patterns, emotions, sensations, and images to arise and go on. However in Yoga Nidra, you leave the Waking state, go past the Dreaming state, and go to Deep Sleep, yet remain awake. While Yoga Nidra is a state that is very relaxing, it is also used by Yogis to purify the Samaskars, the deep impressions that are the driving force behind Karma.
Description of the Asana
·Lie in such a way that your spine is aligned, and your feet and arms are a comfortable distance to your sides[LIKE SHAVASAN]. It is best to have a thin pillow under your head and a shawl or blanket over your body so you do not become cold.
- Allow your attention to move through your head and face, including the top of the head, forehead, eyebrows, eyes, cheekbones, and nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at the nostrils for several breaths.
- Continues to survey mouth, jaws and chin.
- Then survey the neck and throat, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, and fingertips.
- Feel as though you are inhaling from the tips of the fingers up to the shoulders, and then exhaling back to the finger tips. Do this several times.
- Then move your attention from the fingers, back through the hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms, shoulders, upper back and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of the chest, and exhale and inhale completely several times.
- Be aware of the stomach, abdomen, lower back, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and toes.
- Exhale as if your whole body is exhaling, and inhale as if your whole body is inhaling. As you exhale, let go of all tension, worries, and anxieties. Inhale as if you are inhaling new energy, as well as a sense of peace and relaxation. Exhale and inhale several times.
- Then move your attention from the toes to the feet, ankles, calves, thighs, knees, hips, lower back, abdomen, stomach and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of the chest, and exhale and inhale completely several times.
- Survey the upper back, shoulders, upper arms, lower arms, wrists, hands, fingers, and fingertips.
- Feel as though you are inhaling from the tips of the fingers up to the shoulders, and then exhaling back to the finger tips. Do this several times.
- Then move your attention from the fingers, back through the hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms, shoulders, neck, throat, chin, jaws, mouth, and nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at the nostrils for several breaths.
- Move your attention to the cheekbones, eyes, eyebrows, forehead and the top of the head.
- For about one minute, allow your attention to be aware of the smooth, slow, serene flow of the breath. Let your mind make a gentle, conscious effort to guide the breath so that it is smooth, calm, deep, and without any noise or jerkiness.