Be at Home in Your Body: Experiencing Deep Relaxation Through Yoga Nidra

"Begin to prepare for savasana...relaxation." This phrase almost always arrives toward the end of any yoga class no matter what style is being practiced. The gentle invitation is received with sighs and an almost measurable shift in energy as we release the physical, mental and emotional effort of the hatha yoga practice. As we settle into a comfortable position, most often lying on our backs, we begin to attune to the subtle sensations of the body. At times, we discover a sense of peace and ease with life. At other times, we discover our minds racing with thoughts of unresolved events or worries. We struggle with savasana as we struggle with more physically challenging yoga. Is there a way to learn to strengthen our practice of savasana?

Just as there are different approaches to yoga asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques), depending on your body, mind and spirit’s needs in the moment, there are also different approaches to savasana (relaxation). Yoga “union” Nidra “sleep” is a unique relaxation practice of alert awareness and deep relaxation. It is one of the most effective ways to connect with your body’s wisdom, your mind’s natural clarity, your heart’s desire and your soul’s path.

Yoga Nidra is a simple, natural meditative practice that brings us to a sleep-consciousness state without loss of awareness. In this state, we are able to awaken and access the deep subconscious with compassion and clarity. By accessing these deep layers, Yoga Nidra invites transformation and healing and provides a powerful practice for releasing deeply-rooted habits, fears and beliefs. If practiced regularly, Yoga Nidra works on the challenging habits of mind that actually create and sustain inner conflict. It also nurtures positive habits of will and discipline through mindful awareness.

Yoga Nidra is best practiced in savasana pose, lying on your back, supported, warm and comfortable. Depending on your body, modifications are always encouraged. The process of Yoga Nidra begins with a series of awareness rotations that gently disconnect you from external sensations and invite you to focus on inner sensations. The practice moves through sound and sight awareness, body awareness and breath awareness to more subtle states. Through consciously observing the breath and the body, the mind enters a sleep-consciousness state. It is a very natural process. When you awaken, the benefits are felt immediately in a calmness of mind, a relaxed body and a heightened sense of mental concentration. Yoga Nidra is a guided experience and most effectively learned by experiencing the practice with a teacher.

Yoga Nidra can energize your life and enrich your present yoga practice by refining your ability to direct your attention, which is one of the primary skills in of meditation. When you are adept at attuning to the sensations of your body, mind and spirit with compassion and gentleness as offered by the practice of Yoga Nidra, your life’s energy (which is generally controlled by the conscious mind) is invited to move freely, restoring the body to a sense of harmony and balance. Through Yoga Nidra, you are invited to deepen and strengthen your practice of savasana and explore the subtle inner world of mind, body and spirit.

This article first appeared in Healing Springs Journal. For more information on this publication, please link to: http://www.healingspringsjournal.com/.