Yoga Nidra

There is a place between waking and sleeping where the mind grows soft and the deep waters open. Yoga nidra, the yogic sleep, guides you to that threshold and holds you there, fully awake inside, while the body rests as in the deepest night.

OriginsThe Root of the Practice

The word nidra appears in the ancient yogic texts, and the practice took its modern form through Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga in the 1960s. It draws on older tantric methods of the rotation of awareness. Contemporary science has taken notice of this kind of deep guided rest. The Psalmist knew a related peace: he gives sleep to his beloved.

The WayWhat the Practice Teaches

You lie down and are led by voice through a sequence: setting an intention, called a sankalpa; moving awareness through the body part by part; noticing the breath; and welcoming opposites such as heaviness and lightness, warmth and cool. As the body surrenders, the mind enters a clear, receptive state in which old impressions rise and release. Many people find thirty minutes of yoga nidra restores them like a long, dreamless sleep.

BeginHow to Practice

1. Lie flat on your back with a blanket and support under the knees or head if you like.
2. Form a short, positive intention in the present tense, such as “I am at peace.”
3. Rotate awareness through the body, right thumb, fingers, hand, and on through every part.
4. Feel the breath moving, with no effort to change it.
5. Welcome the pairs of opposites, heavy and light, warm and cool, and let them dissolve.
6. Repeat the intention, then return slowly: wiggle fingers, breathe deeply, and roll to one side.

HarvestThe Fruit

Deep rest, a lighter spirit, and a sense of renewal. The practice opens the door to healing, to the quiet release of old tension, and to the wellspring of the unconscious where creativity and peace both live.