Yoga Nidra Relaxation

Yoga-nidra…

may be rendered in English as “yoga sleep”. It is a sleep-like state that occurs with some practitioners of meditation, details of which have been handed down by guru-to-disciple transmission (parampara) within the Indian religions. These aspects may include relaxation and guided visualization techniques as well as the psychology of dream, sleep and yoga.

Yoga-nidra should not be confused with hypnotic states, known as “yoga tandra”. The practice of yoga nidra as yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, abdominal pain respond well. It has been used to help soldiers from war cope with PTSD

History of Yoga Nidra

The Vedic literature and Upanishads are pregnant with Yogic knowledge but we don’t find the term ‘Yoga Nidra’. However, the Puranas mention it several times, in different context. Markandeya Purana, Vishnu Purana, Devi Bhagvat and other common scriptures highlight the importance of it. Yoga Nidra is very well defined by Adya Sankaracharya in his text Yoga Tadavali. Hatha Yogic Text Hatha Yoga Pradipika also used this term in different context. Later on, contemporary Yogis like Swami Rama, Swami Satyananda and Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya propagated their own techniques, which are very common today. More recently, several scientific studies are going on in different parts of the world relating to the technique of -

yoga nidra.