Yoga Nidra is similar to ‘Chetan Nidra,’ or conscious sleep. Chetan and Nidra are both Sanskrit words that mean consciousness and sleep, respectively.
This type of sleep, known as ‘Chetan Nidra,’ is preferred by Yogis. Sleep has two components:’rest’ and ‘unconsciousness,’ but in Yoga Nidra, one has full consciousness while also receiving complete rest.
Yoga Nidra sleep is deep rest for our body, mind, and soul that is free of dreams. We meet a lot of people in a day; they could be relatives, friends, or tradespeople, but we never meet ourselves.
Yog Nidra and meditation are two sides of the same coin that help to connect our internal senses.
Yoga Nidra Benefits
Yog Nidra is beneficial in relieving stress.
It brings happiness and relieves tension.
It restores a person’s freshness, vibrancy, and energy in ways that ordinary sleep cannot. These advantages can only be obtained through deep sleep. However, in Yoga Nidra, the mind is restored to a state of unique peace and joy. The body becomes as light and relaxed as a flower.
While Yoga Nidra sleep helps us learn more, regular sleep makes us dull and stupid.
Deformities in our bodies that occur while we are awake heal faster than those that occur while we are sleeping.
It is well demonstrated by the fact that Yoga Nidra practitioners who avoid the usual quota of idle sleep and devote more time to the practice of Yoga Nidra feel more relaxed, energetic, alive, and vivified.
Yoga Nidra has been shown to be the most effective in treating stress, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other mental illnesses.
It coordinates all of the body’s systems. As a result, their normal function has been significantly improved.
Body fatigue is alleviated.
Internal body visualization The attention is drawn inward.
Finally, yoga Nidra sleep can help to some extent with the purification of (chitt) consciousness.
Yoga Nidra Steps
There are five stages of Yoga Nidra. You can learn these 5 stages of Yog Nidra step by step.
1st Stage of Yoga Nidra
The first stage of Yoga Nidra begins with a period of rest in Shavasana. If you are unfamiliar with Shavasana, please read our post ‘Shavasana Steps and Benefits.’
Lie on your back. Completely relax your body. Gently close your eyes. Normalize your breathing. Following that, take six or seven deep breaths.
2nd Stage of Yoga Nidra
Mental Observation is the second stage of Yoga Nidra. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Begin observing the body with your mind’s eye in the same way that a standing person observes another lying down on the floor. Now focus the mind’s attention on the right foot’s toe.
After that, examine the second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers on the same foot. Examine the sole of the foot, the upper part of the foot, the calf of the leg, the thigh, and the buttock.
Similarly, focus your attention on the left foot and begin looking from the left toe to the buttock limb in the same manner.
Examine your right thumb, second, third, fourth, and fifth fingers. The palm’s upper portion, the wrist, the front arm, the elbow, the upper portion of the arm, and the shoulder. Examine the left arm from the left thumb to the shoulder in the same way.
Examine the throat, chin, teeth, tongue, right and left nostril holes, right ear, left eye, right and left brows, the space between the eyes, and the crowh of the head.
Similarly, while internally seeing every part of the body from head to toe, continue relaxing each limb while concentrating on each relaxed part of the body.
3rd Stage of Yoga Nidra
Try to feel the heaviness in the bones, flesh, veins, and skin. This is an Earth element in the body.
There is no distinction between the clay bones, flesh, and other body parts and the clay of the outside earth. Spend some time meditating on this and smelling the earth.
Consider the blood that flows through the internal veins and arteries. This is the Water element in our bodies. It permeates every cell in the body, from the toes to the crown of the head.
There is no discernible difference between this water and the water outside. Consider this element in the form of a cool flowing fluid and the taste of your tongue.
Now consider the warmth that pervades all of our nerves and Nadis. This is the Fire element in our body.
It can be felt in our bodies simply by touching them. Fire from within and fire from without are the same thing. Its best feature is its beauty. Visualize this beauty in your mind’s eye.
Consider the incoming and outgoing breath that flows continuously in this body as Life. This is known as the Air element.
There is no discernible difference between the air inside and the air outside. Consider how all-encompassing this element is.
Finally, focus your attention on Ether’s lament. Akash is an empty space. The element Ether fills all of the empty spaces in our bodies.
There is almost no organ in the body that does not contain the Ether element. Mentally observe it.
There is no discernible difference between the inner and outer Ether. Its fundamental nature is sound. Consider its all-encompassing news and try to hear its mystic sounds.
4th Stage of Yoga Nidra
There is an Element that contains all five elements and is the source of all five elements.
While the other five elements are transient in nature, it is eternal. This Element is known as Chetna Light, and Gyan is complete in and of itself.
His Light illuminates all of our activities, both inside and outside the body. He is in everything, and everything depends on Him.
This is our true form, our true essence. Try to stay in this state of Divinity for a while. The longer you meditate in this superconscious state, the more beneficial it will be.
5th Stage of Yoga Nidra
Focuses the mind on the breath. Increase the depth of your breath. Inhale from the foot to the crown of the head, and exhale from the foot to the crown of the head. Examine and meditate on the upward and downward movement of this breathing process seven times.
It should be noted that even if the breath is deep, there should be no stiffness at any point. Now chant the ‘OM’ mantra three times slowly and melodiously. Slowly open your eyes while establishing your face and body with your hand. Take a seat on the asana.
Source : Bhartiya Yog Sansthan-Fifth Edition 2015