A guest article by Johanna Hüttmann
Yoga and meditation have a balancing and relaxing effect on the body and mind; this is well known. The combination of breathing and movement or - when meditating - simply focusing on your own breathing and observing your thoughts has a clarifying, calming effect and increases your mindfulness. Nevertheless, even in a meditative state, you are completely with yourself and are in a mindful state of observation without leaving the level of consciousness.
What is Yoga Nidra?
With Yoga Nidra it is possible to reach an even higher level of deep relaxation, to release subconsciously anchored fears and blockages and to regenerate the body and mind in a way that is otherwise only possible with a few hours of sleep. To achieve this, Yoga Nidra attempts to use a special meditative technique to change the state of consciousness and to move to a level between waking and sleeping. Translated, "Nidra" (Sanskrit) actually means something like "sleep"; so you psychologically induce a sleep-like state in which you are free of fears and worries and which should give you a different access to your consciousness.
The origin of Yoga Nidra
The method of Yoga Nidra originally comes from tantric yoga, but was further developed in the 20th century by Swami Satyananda Saraswati and adapted to modern life. He wanted to counteract the ever faster pace of life with a technique that would allow you to retreat to a level of complete deep relaxation and thus regenerate as if you were sleeping, only much faster. Whether you actually reach the higher level of consciousness originally aimed for through Yoga Nidra also depends on your willingness to engage in this profound meditation.
Yoga Nidra_Johanna
The process of Yoga Nidra
A Yoga Nidra sequence lasts about half an hour and follows a systematic process:>
1. Preparation: Yoga Nidra is practiced lying on your back. First, you go into Savasana and consciously perceive your body, your breathing and your surroundings.
2. Sankalpa: A Sankalpa is something like your personal motto, a kind of affirmation. You formulate this motto in your mind three times in a row in order to internalize it.
3. Wander through the body with awareness: You are now in the main part of the Yoga Nidra exercise. Your awareness is gradually directed to certain parts of the body, which you perceive very consciously. By focusing on these parts, you fill them with prana, the life energy.
4. Creation of opposing feelings (Pratipaksha Bhavana): By consciously evoking opposing feelings (warm/cold; fast/slow; loud/quiet, etc.), the right and left hemispheres of the brain are supposed to be harmonized and connected.
5. Visualization: You now visualize different sequences of images in quick succession and process the associations that you have with them. This is the part of Yoga Nidra that can help to release deep-seated fears and blockages through the connection with the subconscious - provided you have an experienced teacher at your side to guide you through the exercise.
6. Repetition of the Sankalpa: To deepen the intention you formulated at the beginning, repeat it three more times.
7. Conclusion/Repatriation: Finally, you will be gently guided back into the outside world.
Enjoy Yoga Nidra with Johanna
Try Yoga Nidra with greenyogashop ambassador Johanna, who will gently guide you through deep yogic relaxation and has modified the different stages to make them beginner-friendly. This way you can find out for yourself whether Yoga Nidra is for you and whether you might want to go deeper next time with a teacher physically present. We hope you enjoy trying it out and relax well!
Johanna Hüttmann
Johanna is a yoga teacher and coach for women who want to rediscover themselves in their own bodies. Her passion is to help women regain their own power through yoga, exercise, mindfulness and meditation - to be able to rediscover themselves with all their senses. Johanna regularly posts articles about yoga, self-reflection, self-love and mindset on her Instagram channel.
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