by Wikipedia (editing by Swami Sevaratna)
Yoga Nidra or "yogic sleep" is a sleep-like state, which yogis report to experience during their meditations.
The practice of 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.
Yoga Nidra was first experienced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, when he was living with his guru Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh. He began studying the tantric scriptures and, after practice, constructed a system of relaxation, which he began popularizing in the mid 20th century. He explained Yoga Nidra as a state of mind between wakefulness and dream that opened deep phases of the mind, suggesting a connection with the ancient tantric practice called Nyasa, whereby Sanskrit mantras are mentally placed within specific body parts, while meditating on each part (of the body-mind). The form of practice taught by Swami Satyananda includes eight stages:
Experimental evidence of the existence of a fourth state of unified, transcendental consciousness, which lies in the Yoga Nidra state at the transition between sensory and sleep consciousness, was first recorded at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas, USA in 1971. Under the direction of Dr. Elmer Green, researchers used an electro-encephalo-graph to record the brainwave activity of an Indian Yogi, Swami Rama, while he progressively relaxed his entire physical, mental and emotional structure through the practice of Yoga Nidra.
What they recorded was a revelation to the scientific community. The Swami demonstrated the capacity to enter the various states of consciousness at will, as evidenced by remarkable changes in the electrical activity of his brain. Upon relaxing himself in the laboratory, he first entered the Yoga Nidra state, producing 70% alpha wave discharge for a predetermined 5 minute period, simply by imagining an empty blue sky with occasional drifting clouds.
Next, Swami Rama entered a state of dreaming sleep, which was accompanied by slower theta waves for 75% of the subsequent 5 minute test period. This state, which he later described as being 'noisy and unpleasant', was attained by 'stilling the conscious mind and bringing forth the subconscious'. In this state he had the internal experience of desires, ambitions, memories and past images in archetypal form rising sequentially from the subconscious and unconscious with a rush, each archetype occupying his whole awareness.
Finally, the Swami entered the state of (unconscious) deep sleep, as verified by the emergence of the characteristic pattern of slow rhythm delta waves. However, he remained perfectly aware throughout the entire experimental period. He later recalled the various events, which had occurred in the laboratory during the experiment, including all the questions that one of the scientists had asked him during the period of deep delta wave sleep, while his body lay snoring quietly.
Such remarkable mastery over the fluctuating patterns of consciousness had not previously been demonstrated under strict laboratory conditions. The capacity to remain consciously aware, while producing delta waves and experiencing deep sleep, is one of the indications of the superconscious state (Turiya). This is the ultimate state of Yoga Nidra, in which the conventional barriers between waking, dreaming and deep sleep are lifted, revealing the simultaneous operation of the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. The result is a single, enlightened state of consciousness and a perfectly integrated and relaxed personality.
The practice of 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.
Yoga Nidra was first experienced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, when he was living with his guru Swami Sivananda in Rishikesh. He began studying the tantric scriptures and, after practice, constructed a system of relaxation, which he began popularizing in the mid 20th century. He explained Yoga Nidra as a state of mind between wakefulness and dream that opened deep phases of the mind, suggesting a connection with the ancient tantric practice called Nyasa, whereby Sanskrit mantras are mentally placed within specific body parts, while meditating on each part (of the body-mind). The form of practice taught by Swami Satyananda includes eight stages:
- Internalization
- Sankalpa
- Rotation of Consciousness
- Breath Awareness
- Manifestation of Opposites
- Creative Visualization
- Sankalpa
- Externalization
Experimental evidence of the existence of a fourth state of unified, transcendental consciousness, which lies in the Yoga Nidra state at the transition between sensory and sleep consciousness, was first recorded at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas, USA in 1971. Under the direction of Dr. Elmer Green, researchers used an electro-encephalo-graph to record the brainwave activity of an Indian Yogi, Swami Rama, while he progressively relaxed his entire physical, mental and emotional structure through the practice of Yoga Nidra.
What they recorded was a revelation to the scientific community. The Swami demonstrated the capacity to enter the various states of consciousness at will, as evidenced by remarkable changes in the electrical activity of his brain. Upon relaxing himself in the laboratory, he first entered the Yoga Nidra state, producing 70% alpha wave discharge for a predetermined 5 minute period, simply by imagining an empty blue sky with occasional drifting clouds.
Next, Swami Rama entered a state of dreaming sleep, which was accompanied by slower theta waves for 75% of the subsequent 5 minute test period. This state, which he later described as being 'noisy and unpleasant', was attained by 'stilling the conscious mind and bringing forth the subconscious'. In this state he had the internal experience of desires, ambitions, memories and past images in archetypal form rising sequentially from the subconscious and unconscious with a rush, each archetype occupying his whole awareness.
Finally, the Swami entered the state of (unconscious) deep sleep, as verified by the emergence of the characteristic pattern of slow rhythm delta waves. However, he remained perfectly aware throughout the entire experimental period. He later recalled the various events, which had occurred in the laboratory during the experiment, including all the questions that one of the scientists had asked him during the period of deep delta wave sleep, while his body lay snoring quietly.
Such remarkable mastery over the fluctuating patterns of consciousness had not previously been demonstrated under strict laboratory conditions. The capacity to remain consciously aware, while producing delta waves and experiencing deep sleep, is one of the indications of the superconscious state (Turiya). This is the ultimate state of Yoga Nidra, in which the conventional barriers between waking, dreaming and deep sleep are lifted, revealing the simultaneous operation of the conscious, subconscious and unconscious mind. The result is a single, enlightened state of consciousness and a perfectly integrated and relaxed personality.
Swami Sevaratna
Yogaspirit, Λαοδίκης 34, Γλυφάδα, Τηλ: 210 - 96 81 793
* If you live in Athens, I will be very glad to have you in one of my classes of Real Yoga
* If you live in Athens, I will be very glad to have you in one of my classes of Real Yoga
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