Yoga Nidra

What yoga nidra is

Yoga nidra is often translated as yogic sleep. The term is old and appears in Indian texts with several meanings. The guided, lying-down practice known by that name today is closely associated with Swami Satyananda Saraswati, founder of the Bihar School of Yoga, who set it out as a fixed sequence in the 1960s and 1970s and described it in his book Yoga Nidra. He drew on older tantric practices in which attention is placed on parts of the body in turn. Other teachers have since developed their own versions, so recordings differ in length and detail.

The stages in order

A full session in the Satyananda style usually follows this pattern.

• Settling: lying still, hearing sounds, deciding to stay awake.
• Sankalpa: a short resolve, stated silently three times.
• Rotation of awareness: attention moves quickly through named parts of the body, usually starting with the right thumb.
• Breath awareness: often counting breaths backwards.
• Opposites: calling up paired sensations such as heaviness and lightness, or cold and heat.
• Visualisation: a series of simple images named by the guide.
• Sankalpa again, then a gradual return to the room.

Choosing a sankalpa

A sankalpa is a short statement of intent that you repeat at the start and at the end. Keep it brief, positive and in the present tense, as though it were already becoming true. ‘I am calm and steady’ is a typical form. Choose something that matters to you and keep the same sankalpa for weeks or months instead of changing it each session. If nothing comes to mind, leave this stage out for now. A resolve that feels forced or borrowed is of little use, and one often suggests itself after a few sessions.

Staying awake, and what to expect

The aim is to rest on the edge of sleep while staying aware of the voice. Most people drift off at first, often during the body rotation, and wake near the end. That is ordinary and usually improves with practice. To stay awake, practise before a meal instead of after one, avoid your bed, and try lying with the forearms raised and elbows resting on the floor, so that a falling hand wakes you. Expect to lose track of the voice now and then. Do not try to concentrate hard. Follow the instructions lightly and let each one go as the next arrives. Afterwards you may feel rested and a little slow, so get up gradually.

Comfort and caution

Lie on a mat or carpet with a thin pillow under the head and a blanket over you, since the body cools. A bolster under the knees eases the lower back. If you are in later pregnancy, lie on your side with support, or sit propped up. Because the practice is deep and done with the eyes closed, it can sometimes bring up vivid images, memories or strong feelings. If that happens, open your eyes, move your fingers and toes, sit up and stop. Shorter sessions of ten to fifteen minutes are a sensible start. If you have a history of trauma, dissociation or a serious mental-health condition, practise with a qualified teacher and tell your clinician. Never listen while driving.