Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is an experience - an induced state of awareness achieved from practices in the Yoga, Tantra & Vedantic Aham Graha traditions.  The well known modern practices use adapted techniques coming from authentic lineages accessible for modern day practitioners.  However, there are also some practices that may not have an authentic source and may be missing the essence and only promote relaxation and trauma relief.

The modern methods are practiced lying down in savasana with guided verbal instructions that occupy the mind through rotation of consciousness, visualizations, conception, breath awareness, awareness of sensations and feelings and awareness of subtle body elements.  Yoga nidra is an experience of expanded awareness in a state of deep relaxation, promoting parasympathetic dominance, calming the physical body, mind, brain, senses, and nervous system - that eventually leads us into a meditative state. As the body relaxes, remaining aware as a witness, we move into a subtle state of deep conscious sleep (the state between wakefulness and sleep). With pratyahara (sense withdrawal), we work through levels of the unconscious and subconscious, removing energetic blockages which can be in the form of trauma, stress, health issues, physical and emotional disturbances. This experience is a powerful way to set our intention and plant it’s seeds with our Sankalpa (Resolve, Resolution, Force of Will) which is established during yoga nidra. When our mind is calm and quiet during yoga nidra it is more receptive and sensitive to our intentions as they are impressed on the subconscious mind. 

Yoga nidra's common application is used as a therapeutic tool to address a wide range of mental, emotional and physical distress while embedding positive affirmations (sankalpa).  It is an important complimentary practice for relieving disturbances that may effect our other yogic disciplines, help us make positive shifts in our lives as well as achieve subtle yogic states.   As with any yoga practice, it requires consistency.

My personal experience of yoga nidra has been through my yogic meditation practices as well as the guided practices.  The sessions I offer use the guided yoga nidra practices from Swami Satyananda & Dr. Marc Halperin. 

Yoga nidra is the original restorative practice.  As opposed to the modern constructs of restorative & yin yoga that are not related to any yogic tradition or philosophy, yoga nidra not only restores but awakens us into the subtle realms of yoga.

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