Yoga-nidra 1

Yoga-nidra
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 relaxation has been found to reduce

tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety Lewis Carroll suggested that Alice and her associates
through the looking-glass were nothing but a dream of the
such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations,
sleeping Red King, a notion that has been associated with the
sweating, abdominal pain respond well. It has been used to thought of Chuang Tzu and Bishop Berkeley
help soldiers from war cope with PTSD.[1]

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 this technique[2] .

Authors
Yoga-nidra was first experienced by Sw. Satyananda Saraswati when he was living with his guru Swami Shivananda
in Rishikesh. He began studying the Tantric scriptures and, after practice, constructed a system of relaxation, which
he began popularizing in the mid 20th CCE.. 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
bodymind). The form of practice taught by Swami Satyananda includes eight stages (Internalisation, Sankalpa,
Rotation of Consciousness, Breath Awareness, Manifestation of Opposites, Creative Visualization, Sankalpa and
Externalisation). Teachers such as Osho[3] and Anandmurti Gurumaa define yoga-nidra as a state of conscious deep
sleep. One appears to be sleeping but the unconscious mind is functioning at a deeper level: it is sleep with a trace of
deep awareness. In normal sleep we lose track of our self but in yoga-nidra, while consciousness of the world is dim
and relaxation is deep, there remains an inward lucidity and experiences may be absorbed to be recalled later. Since
yoga-nidra involves an aimless and effortless relaxation it is often held to be best practised with an experienced yoga
teacher who verbally delivers instructions.
Anandmurti Gurumaa taught two techniques based on creative visualization.[4] . Yoga-nidra as Yoga of Clear Light
is proposed as a spiritual path (sadhana) in its own right, held to prepare and refine a seeker (sadhaka) spiritually,
emotionally, mentally and physically for consciousness and awareness. The yogi may work through the
consequences of deeds (karma), cleansing the store consciousness and purifying the unconscious mind. The state
may lead to realisation (samādhi) and being-awareness-bliss (satchitananda).The yogi is held to be in communion
Yoga-nidra 2

with the divine. A tantrika engaged in this sadhana may become aware of past or future lives (refer bhumi) or
experience the astral planes. Yoga-nidra is also associated with the Breatharian movement.
Paramyogeshwar Sri Devpuriji was an early modern proponent who passed it on to Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji:
it was taught to his disciples since 1880. On his journeys to the Himalayas Sri Devpuriji met Swami Sivananda of
Rishikesh, who conveyed the technique to several yogis and swamis, such as Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Swami
Rama was another proponent of the sadhana. [5]
Swami Satyananda's extensive worldwide tours with Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda teaching the yoga-nidra
practice of Satyananda Yoga gradually spread the idea throughout India, Europe, Australia and the United States.

Yoga-nidra and Hindu scripture

Yoga-nidra refers to the conscious awareness of the deep sleep state, referred to as "prajna" in Mandukya
Upanishad.[6] This is the third of the four levels of consciousness of Omkara mantra, the state represented by the M
of AUM. The state of sleep is beyond or subtler than the imagery and mental process of the waking and non-lucid
dreaming states.
In a number of texts such as the Devi Mahatmya and the Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu reclines on the nāga shesha
during yoga-nidra. The phenomenal world is the dream of Vishnu.

Scientific evaluation
Rosch & Fallah (undated PDF) in a critique of Harrington & Zajonc (2003) mention Swami Rama and the
Menninger Foundation and state that:
...in 1970 Swami Rama, a Hindu yogi, was extensively studied at the Menninger Foundation where he
demonstrated a variety of extreme abilities, including the voluntary death-like state of physiological
arrest called yoga nidra (Anand, Chhina & Singh, 1961, Kasamatsu & Hirai, 1969, Boyd, 1995).[7]
Dr. Kamakhya Kumar in 2006 awarded by Ph. D. degree by Dr. A. P J Abdul Kalam (President of India) for his
work "Psycho-physiological Changes as Related to Yoga Nidra". He observed six months effects of Yoga Nidra on
some Physiological, hematological and some Psychological parameters on the practitioners and he found a
significant change on above mentioned parameters. One of the research published entitled "A study on the impact on
stress and anxiety through Yoga nidra; Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, Vol. 7 No 3".(Published through
NISCAIR)

See also
• Bihar School of Yoga
• Bihar Yoga Bharati
• Paramahamsa Satyananda
• Swami Niranjanananda
• Mandukya Upanishad
• Ösel (yoga)
• Dream yoga
Yoga-nidra 3

Notes
[1] Eileen Rivers, Washington Post Tuesday, May 6, 2008; Page HE01
[2] reference needed
[3] Osho, The Secret of Secrets, Vol 1, Chapter 12. Rajneesh Foundation
[4] http:/ / www. gurumaa. com/ yog-nidra-meditation-english. php
[5] Rama, Swami. Mandukya Upanishad: Enlightenment Without God. ISBN 0893890847., Path of Fire and Light, Vol. 2. ISBN 0893891126.,
Conscious Living. ISBN 8188157031. Om the Eternal Witness: Secrets of the Mandukya Upanishad. ISBN 8188157430.
[6] Rama, Swami. Mandukya Upanishad: Enlightenment Without God. ISBN 0893890847.
[7] Rosch, Eleanor & Fallah, Eman (undated). Review of "The Dalai Lama at MIT". Source: (http:/ / psychology. berkeley. edu/ faculty/ profiles/
erosch2007-2. pdf) (accessed: January 31, 2008)

References
• Yoga Nidra by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar, India; first edition published
1976 by Sri G. K. Kejriwal, Honorary Secretary, Bihar School of Yoga; printed by Bhagwati Prasad Drolia,
Sharda Press, Bhagalpu 5; sixth edition 2001, ISBN 978-8185787121
• Science of Soul by Swami Yogeshwaranand Saraswati; first edition published 1964 by Yoga Niketan Trust, New
Delhi, India; printed by Navin Printers, New Delhi
• Lila-Amrit by Dharmsamrat Paramhans Swami Madhavananda, Nipal, Rajasthan, India; published 1998 by
Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda, Vienna, Austria, ISBN 3-85052-104-4
• Anand, B.K., Chhina, G.S., & Singh, B. (1961) "Some aspects of electroencephalographic studies in yogis".
Electroencephalography Clinical Neurophysiology, 13, 452-56.
• Boyd, D. (1995). Swami: Encounters with modern mystics. Honesdale, PA: Himalayan Publishers.
• Brown, K.W., Ryan, R.M., & Creswell, J.D. (in press). Mindfulness: Theoretical foundations and evidence for its
salutary effects.
• Kumar, Kamakhya (2004); Yoga nidra and its impact on student’s well being; Yoga Mimamsha ,Kaivalyadhama,
Lonavla; Vol.36 No.1
• Kumar, Kamakhya (2005) Effect of Yoga nidra on hypertension and other psychological co-relates; Yoga the
Science; Yoga Publications, Hubli, Karnataka; Volume 3, Issue 7.
• Kumar Kamakhya (2006), A study of the improvement of Physical and Mental Health through Yoga nidra; Dev
Sanskriti Journal, Vol. 4 Year
• Kumar Kamakhya (2007), The Healing Sleep; Yoga Magazine Mind Body Spirit, York Street London, Issue 50
March.
• Kumar, Kamakhya (2008); A study on the impact on stress and anxiety through Yoga nidra; Indian Journal of
Traditional Knowledge, Vol. 7 No 3.
Kasamatsu, A. & Hirai, T. (1969). An electroencephalographic study on the Zen meditation (zazen). Psychologia, 12,
205-25.

External links
• Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/02/AR2008050203426.
html?hpid=sec-health) Article on study of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder using Yoga Nidra
• (http://www.yogamountainyogasea.com/yoganidra.html) Sample popular 'how to' article on practicing yoga
nidra.
• Science Direct (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6SYV-459919N-D&
_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&
_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=275bc15c482a4230ae64cba4e30805b9) Study of dopamine response during
Yoga Nidra
Yoga-nidra 4

• Human Brain Mapping (http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/35000104/abstract?CRETRY=1&

SRETRY=0) Study using PET scans during Yoga Nidra
• Pictures of the brain's activity during Yoga Nidra (http://www.yogameditation.com/articles/issues_of_bindu/
bindu_11/pictures_of_the_brain_s_activity_during_yoga_nidra) Bindu Magazine article on Yoga Nidra research
from The State University Hospital in Copenhagen
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