Topic 5 Yoga Nidra (Part 1) meme anaes eee Se ae ae 2 Saeee pee ea cote logkal complexes, Howrey, nicer Seceeme ee are aren Sere tener 2 ne acainrace eee Seta eeeeeaae Soeeeese 2oiaeca aan et eataemiactnee peer c aoe eee ‘ments in both the absorption and retention eee ieee ieee B thoroughly stentiicand teste ereqaes Eola renters SSoa0 884 In this and the following lessons we will describe the various aspects andl applications of ‘yoga nidra, together with comprehensive, yet ‘asy to understand instructions on practice! Definition ‘The word yoga means inner communion; the Process that leads to this state. Nidva means sleep, Thus yoga nidra can be defined a yogic sleep’. Ieis both the name of a specific yogic Dracticeand astate being. The mechanics of the practice arc easy to understand and define, but the state of yoga nidra will be understood dierently by different people as follows: Slerp:toaperson who s tired, exhausted and constantly worried, the state ofyoganida will mean only one thing. a deep, tefreshing sleep. Nothing more, nothing less, Many are the peopl ho rae you nr alone o attend yoga nidra classes only for one purpose: to ink into the oblntn of deep. bd ce is absolutely nothing wrong with this, since your deep sleep will bring many benefits. In yoga nidra lesions one is generally asked (0 remain wakeful, bt if you eannot do this, do hot worry... enjoy your sleep. Sometime in the future you ca to remain sae islet the people, posibly those who have been practising yoga for afew years, yoga nidra will mean a state of conscious dreaming, where one will ee visions of the subconscious mind, One wll seem to hover in ‘state midway between sleep and wakelulness. In this state one will confront subconscious Problems, suppressions, fears, ete. Regular Practice willslowly clean and polish the mind. Sleeps sleet this is the highest state of yoga nidra where one balances on the razors edge between intrversion and extroversion. This s the path of sushumna and corresponds tothe awakening of the kindalini Thiststhe blisfal ‘and mystical state of yoga’ that corresponcls iD'aperconsdousnes It has ncn decebed bby innumerable yogis, saints, bhaktas andsages throughout history. In the great yogic scripture called Yogataravali, Shankaracharya hhas written: “When sankalpa (desires) and vikalpa (lancics and imaginations) ate rooted out then one is influenced no more by karma, When sankalpa and vikalpa are removed by constant yogic practice the ever-blissil state of yoga nidra dawns.” We have defined three specific states of yowa nidra. As a practice we can describe it as @ method of inducing physical and nervous tranquillity, as a method of ridding the mind of chronic tension, and of inducing inner knowledge and meditation. It nulls the rational thought processes and brings inner peace, ‘The layers of the mind Yoga nidra is a method of exploring the sent layers of the mind. According to certain schools of modern psychology there are three dimensions of mind: the conscious, subconscious and unconscious. The Mandikya Upanishad also classifies the mind into three layers: jagrat, swapna and sushupti, The youic and psychological terminology can be directly related as follows: conscious mind, waking state surface thoughts and perception ofthe world sthala (gross dimension) subeonscious mind, dream state individual memory and mind sukshma (subtle dimension) ‘unconscious mind deep conscious sleep stare collective memory ‘karana (causal dimension) Jograt Swapna: ‘Sushi: Yoga nidra starts from the svapna state that in exploration of the subeonscoes Taind. Fone masters yoga nidra then the depth of perception may become deeper 13 tha one contats and explores the susp or cosmic mind. Great yogis go even further: they transcend the mind. they enter the Sate of supercomcousnes. Inte Upanisad thisstae called tye (he fourth dimension of being) This i the highest state of yoga niin which fev atin. The ogateraval says: “Beyond these three states Gasratswapna and sushupt there is taiya I Isastate that isspontanecush experienced by Yogi Ttisteal yoga nira inthe form of pure, Ilumned consciousnes Thsyoa nid snot partof afr (nature) butic isthe manifested form of purusha (consciousness).” (¥. 26) "The aim of yogn nidra is t:progressivey explore and wanscend the different sates. of hd eee Teaches Hand irate ares Wander weaiel innit eet creer era Spadina Tolicamant tak canine et Serene st Scenes Seas Seah clamor oe pee ert poe lara aero sin sae inc Seat a acc eins oa : ani enanarans paige es ara en idetod imma ae Serena ee Soennges ete! veo Seteeriicatenarge paid Sener sick gee ere that we teach include this type of nyasa, but ea pee tern ae eee sitet eae Somat fdas meter sees tegrieraer at one forsee aren ee Senta atic okey 885)‘angzinyasa (nyasa of the different limbs of the body). It is described in various scriptures, including the Durga Sapiashati. Almost all ‘Hindu puja (worship), whether for Kali, Durga, Shiva or Saraswati, start with this type of nyasa. Specific mantras are chanted and associated with different parts of the body. The practice starts as follows and continues with specific ‘mantras for each part: Small finger: Aum Karmestha Abhyom Namahe Second finger: Aum Anamikastha Abhyam Nanahe ‘Third finger: Aum Madkyama Abhyam Namahe Fourth finger: Aum Tarjaneem Abhyam Namaine ‘Thumb: Aum Angusitha Abhyam Namahe Itisa ritual which has far reaching benefits. Itisintended to induce pratyahara in prepara tion for dharana. All hese methods of nyasa are very powerful ‘They can be either external (bahir) where the parts of the body are physically touched, or they can be internal (antar) where the mantras and avareness are mentally placed. A vast selection of mantras is used, including Aum, Phat, Hrim, Krim, the Gayatsi mantra and so forth. The bija (seed) mantras of the chakras can also be used ~ Lam, Van, Ram, ete. ~ and rotated throughout the six chakras, The ‘mantra chanting and rotation of awareness harmonizes the nervous system, balances pranic flows and renders the mind one- pointed. Each part of the body is systematically charged with the energy of the mantras, ‘The whole body and mind are purified and prepared for meditation. Yoga nidra has been adapted from the traditional practices of nyasa by Swami Saty- ananda to meet the needs of modern man. ‘The mantras have been omitted so that yoga nidra can be practised by all people regardless of religion, language and tradition. Though devoid of mantras, yoga nidra has been ‘carefully designed so that itretains its power to transform the personality and receptivity of the practitioner. The emphasis has been transferred from mantra chanting (ayasa) (o rotation of awareness (yoga nidra). Mantras such as Aum or the guru mantra can, however, be chanted at each centre of the body during ‘yoga nidra if required. Both methods, nyasa and yoga nidra, have their advantages. Possibly in the near future we can reintroduce the practice of nyasa, with mantras, and 886 propagate them on a large scale. ‘This will supplement the present widespread practise of yoga nidra, Structure ofthe practice Yoga nidra can be rovghly divided into the following sions Preliminary adjustment ofthe body Preliminary relation ofthe physeal body Preliminary relation ofthe mind Sankalpa Gesolve) Rotation of awareness throughout the different pats of the bay Visualization Reflection and symbol awareness Sent icaieaio Return o external awareness ‘These nine stages ae sequential thats th should be practised one after the other the order given. Variations canbe adopted within this asi framework, Full dealsof dese sages of yoga nia will be descbed progressively in this and forth- coming lessou Instructions ‘The instructions for yoga nidra canbe given in three way by the diner words ofa teacher, ffom a tpe recording; by one’s own mental commands. Iti best to learn yoga nidra directly from teacher otha the structions can be modified to suit yer indivi needs, and s0 that the correct method i firmly imprinted on yourmind, Eventaal, however You should practite alone ether by self Insiuctions or listening toa tape recoding af your teacher’ leon, In this book we are forced to give written inaction. These ae nt very suitable for 3c practice of yoganidra, We suggest that you cither transfer the instructions tape, or hat Yossk rend tread them royou while yon Practise yoga ndra The instructor Choose a teacher carefully. He or she should hhave some understanding of the potential of the mind through personal experience Spec Fay the teacher should have amkened a degree of imate perception. There shold ber feting of empathy denen you sajuthets an ica foguaiteestoceit teacher, so thatthe sound of his or her voicerakesa deep impression on your subconscious mind. You should slowly Become receptive to the sound of one voice so that your mind lows spontancousl withthe given instructions without resistance, OF couse no harin ill occur if you change your teacher, or take lesson fiom different people, buon teacher is certainly best for serious practise of yoga nid ‘The sound link 2 During yoga nidra there is no need for physical ‘contact between the teacher and the practi- tioner. The only contact should be psychic and. through the sound of the voice. ‘The teacher's voice should be calm and clear, The speed of instructions should be varied according to the needs of the situation. The teacher must feel the needs ofthe students). Intuition is required. The instructions should bbe sufficiently fast that they capture the attention of the practitioner and prevent the mind wandering here and there or brooding ‘on problems; but not so fast that the instruc- tions cannot be understood or carried out. If necessary, there can be frequent repetition of the instructions. When the practitioner reaches deeper states of relaxation then the instruc tions can be slowed down, ‘Suggestions and dogmas should be avoided. ‘The instructions should be concerned only with the explanation of the mechanies of yoga nidra and the sequence of practice. The tone of voice should be modulated to suit the circumstances. For the practitioner, the voice is very impor- tant, Itis the link that enables you to maintain awareness while exploring the deeper layers of the mind. Without a guiding voice you will surely lapse into sleep (which is, however, perfectly acceptable in cases where the practi- tioner is very tired and perhaps suffers from insomnia). Do not intellectualize about the instructor’s words, Do not try to remember them. Just follow them spontaneously without {oo much effort. Flow with the sound of the YOGA NIDRA- PART 1 ‘To gain the most from the practice of yoga nidra you should carry out the following rules and preparations: remmone all cightsfing and une comiorable clothing. Its best to pracise in loose, light clothes, the lets the beter, CspecialyimhotelimatesIncold climates you shoul wear sic clothing to remain warn Ahroughout the practice, or caveryoursl with ‘warm blake Tues i there are any insects such as mosquitoes and fies then you shold either practne under monquito ne or cover yourselr wid light sheet Heat ic very hot then you can practise tnd afan proving works silently Do mot tse under direc Bat of ait On use a Emits absolutly necessary. Enonment practise nae, dark, freshly sented rom. Bo mo practise under glaring Tights wih Toul smells ina room tha contains dst ridden sales orwhere there sre mary disturbances No mater how pleasant, ts best not to practise yoga nidra i the open ar “Omamons remove your wiswatch, spec ‘aces, jewellry anal other body oraments before begining ys nda, Teoening etree: during yoga, nia Jon willbe required to emain i one postion Yrithout moving fora period of tke, Tis isi if your body i sie necessary You can prac for asanas before staring Joga nda, We suggest naukasana® and surya pamasara “Ajeinet of oy: before commencing siden you shuld eau ll nesd tole Your bod Itisbeterto move the body belo the practic than caring the practice. If you feel shin fstation, then seraich yousel I your clothing feels uncomfortable then make ome adjutinents, Male yourself perfectly Comfortable before thinking about sang Yoga na: Any time that you spend making these preparations wil be more than justified Since Foul gain more om the subvoquent practice of yoga nin Tine of proce: you can practise at anytime caring the ay aegis ong oneal ately ater meals ait fran hourorso, Practise ‘hen you feel physically anicor mca red Tsou slr rom insomnia or disturbed sleep, practise yoga nia in bed at night. Posture ‘The physical posture in yoga nidra should be so comfortable that you forget the existence 387of the body so that it can be almost regarded ‘as merely a ‘shell’ or ‘husk’ of the mind. A position should be chosen that can be main: tained without movement for between 10 and {60 minutes. A wide selection of poses can be ‘used for this purpose, but from our experience there is one that is easily the best ~ shavasana (the corpse pose Place a blanket on flat level ground. Lie flat on your back. A thin pillow can be placed under the back of the head if you wish, but it should not be to0 thick. ‘The head, arms and legs should lie in one line. ‘The palms should face upwards. ‘The eyes should be closed. Relax the whole body when you have made all preparatory physical adjustments and when ‘you have exhausted all need to move the body. Yoga nidra can then start at this point. ‘Technique 1: preliminary practice ‘This practice includes preliminary relaxation ‘ofthe body and mind, which has already been. fully described in our previous discussion called "The Art and Science of Relaxation’. Notes "Yoga nidra: Stage 2 - Book Ill, Lesson $4, ‘Topic 4; Stage 3 ~ Book III, Leson 35, Topic 4; Stage 4 Book II, Lesson 36, Topic 5 "ook Il, Lesion 22, Topic 1 and Book I, Lesson 28, Topic 1 Book I, Lesion 1, Topic 5 + Book E, Lesson 5, Topic 2 Book I, Lesson I, Topic 5 and Book I, Lesson 2, Topics 888Topic 4 Yoga Nidra (Part 2) 1s yoga nidraa method ofindoctination? This Jsaquesion that many people ask This doubt Canonly be removed trough time, pracice and 2 deeper understanding of the mechanics and Purpese ofthe techie. It can be a method Of indoctsination if it used incoretly and taught by the wrong teacher. You have to be ‘areful when choosing your teacher ‘When practised correctly with the right teacher yogs nia is definitely nota form Of indoctrination. In fact, its the opposite ‘The purpose ofyogu nia isto fe the mind of conditioning, ignorance, false. concept, fe, not to further entangle i Is purpose is to expand, open and avaken the individual mind, not to constrict it farther. Yoga nidra willetiminate obstructions, not build them up. “The only part of yoga nidra thats slightly suggestive of indoctrination is the sankalpe (resolve), butitis a strict ule thatthe prac tioner should choos his or her wn saalpa, ‘The teacher should play no par inthis tage of yoga nidra but remain quiet, allowing the practioner repeat the ska to himself ‘This prevent indoctrination, you tink thatyou ae being indoctrinated inanyvay then immediately stop the practice and find ane teacher This is importany, since negative siggestion, and infact suggestion in 2ny form planed inthe subconscious mind, Can cause more harm than good. “The role of the teacher iy to. guide the practioner through the practice and to imalate potential that alfeady lies within the pracitioner’s mind. There i absolutely no need to inject suggestions. The instructor Should guide, not indoctrinate. ‘Yoga nidra docs nor require belief in anything. only practice Avoidance of sleep and maintenance of Yoga nidra means sleep with a state of inner awareness. There isa big difference between, ordinary sleep and psychic sleep in yoga ida. In slep thereit no anarenes, whether internal or extemal in yoga mir on the other hand, ere wakefuinss tothe internal Environment. No illerence,homever, wil be detected yan exceral observer “The essence of yor nia i svareness. You shoul tay to aveud sleep fanless you afer irom insomnia and are practising asa means toinduce sleep), Before you begin tsa good ideatomental repent to yoursell"Lam going torte me complet bu | am mt ong to dep." This reseuton can be repeated st ‘aris times throughout the practice Sleeps ‘ey aif 0 control in yoga na besise One becomes relaxed. Eve you have slept, forten hours, youve eaydropintoasateot slumber in yoga ndrs, Ths resolte wl help to ‘aintan atone Sleep isnot yoga nidra, You have tomainin second to second swreness hegp alert and Sharp, butwithout excessive tension You must find the balance beowcen too much efor an no effort. One leads to more tension and the other to seep. When yor practise you will find that there will be fluctuation between periods of avareness and unawareness, Gradually as you master the practice aed the mind ecomes progressively calmed you will be ableto maintain awarenes. ou vil maintain inner awareness even though the extertal eeptions have been gradual dimmed {owl com th deshed and cxpeione spontancous intemal awareness, the purpose of yous idea. From” this peint you wil be ble 1o observe the subconscious and superconscioussepect of the mind. At this Stage the techniques of yogn ada, used to attain this state, ean be discarded “The method of maintaining awareness isto fixyour attention on the sound ofthe instr. tor voice and the mechanic ofthe practice. ‘This isthe only way to avoid sleep 901Sankalpa ‘The Sanskrit word senatba canbe translated 2 role’ or resolution. eis an important technique and stage of yoga nidra and. powerful method of seshaping, one's pet Sonalty long poste ines "The sankalpa takes the form of a short imental statement which i impressed on the Sbconscaus mind during yoga nid Tis a tnethod of changing ones Mex, achieving mbitions and of removing negative blocks Sind mental conics Past thoughts have led co our present personaly stitudes te. Present thought fi determine future behaviour: By means of 2 thought in the form of sung sank it ispovsble to change one's destiny. Fyou think about it, you wil realize that very perton becomes great becase of sae Kale whether conscious or unconscious They have a burning need to achieve something “Their sankapa brings about 4 Testructaring of the mind and personality. This in turn Trings about seatizstion of dei ams in the toutside world, The small seed of sankalpa, ‘nce planted, cin grow and prodace many fruito Such s the power of sankalpa. The use of sankalpain yous nidra cat ao bea factor in remodeling yur ie During the practice of yoga nda the minis very recepive andesite to atosiggeston Inthe form ofsankalp. Tis posible to plant the seed of snkalpa dep in the subeanscous minds Once planted the sankalpa gathers together the vast forces of the mia in order shout its rion. Aint thesanaipa iSimerely a conscious esl, but eventually becomes a very powerful subconscious fore. “This deeper fort wil eventually marufst self again at a conscons level and bring about Ranges in your personality and in your lie. ieamportane,hewever that the sala is firmly impressed on the ind. Many people mnake reso, but they rarely bring Fest ‘The reason simple, therewolveint planted deeply enoughy instead i tend to operate a Simllecta evel on thesrfae of te mind. hen the resolve is made when the mind is Sistnbed and when you feel generally une happy and disatisied. At this me the mind is hovreadytoreceve the else, For sures, thesankalpa needs to be planted with strong vrlpower and with fecing It should also be 902 planted when the minds ready to accept and Tvorb Sacha ue is uring yoga mdr. Choice of sankalpa You shoal choote your sankalpa carefully It Should be something that is very mportant in your life. Do not choose something that i Supetial sich a Iwill yea new at” or" mil become more sucess than my neigh- our There are so many other superficial eamples that could be given. Choose Sapa tha ail aly change your whole ite you want to removea bad habit, be care, asd habit ae anally symptoms of some- ‘hing that ies mach deeper Thats, bad habits tend to be the safety valve of deeper tensions inthe mind. Ifyou suppress one habit for fcxample smoking, then you will Gnd that Shother habit arses to take its place. Tis ean ibecompared toa air inflated matress Vou prose down one area, then another area will ‘ic upwards, eis similar with tensions of the tnind~ you suppress one habitthen another tll quickly replace eis for thisyeason that tre do not generally recommend that you tse a sankalpa to try to rid yourself of “bad habits Tes beter to choose'ssankalpa that will change your whole ie so that it becomes tore harnonious happy: joy and lili ‘When tis occurs socaled bad habit ltend to spontancously evaporate without effort oF Suppression So do not choose sankalpas uch 2s"fwillstop smoking” "oll stop dstaking,” 5 wll stop womaniang,” “twil stop being angry” andl wo forth. Tnstead, choose a more profound sankalpa ofthe type tat we have Siggented later: fe sankapa should be clear Dont choose vague sankalpas such at “I wil become nee Irom all evil tite” or “twill ty to develop positive, virtuous qualities” and so forth ‘These are vag and meaningless. They wil not penetrate the subconscious mind and will ‘Cerny not bring changes your ie. We also do not advie you to choose a sankalpa that suppresses any natural drives. or example, many people hear tha celibacy inva dediube tat im yori fe. This is not Completely are, though it dos have ts place tthe right ime. Practise at the wrong time, However it can cause more harm than good. Many people, because of excessive indoctrina- (isin nai anition and wrong guidance, become obsessed with the idea of becoming celibaes, This i Alone cither consciously or unconsciously If this drive isin confi with your natural inclinations then it can cause poychological and physiological harm. This is only one ‘ample, thereare others Pease don choose 2 sankalpa dhat interferes wih natural drives You mst choose your own sankalps. The following are afew suggestions of what we ell Positive harmonizing skalpa that can help {o lead you tovards a happier life ithe are repeated regulary and with sincerity. Twill become perfectly healthy. Twill become positive ad dynamic. Iwill practie yoga every day Till uccced fn ty work: Fl Bea more var {il find my gum ‘Abels tthe Cade ‘according to your needs and inclinations. One man, who practised yoga nda for many years had the skal "Make tie useful” ‘Do not be in a hurry to decide upon your sankalp, and choose i yourselt Don change ‘toncethas been chosen unt brings fruits, and enly choose one sankalpa ‘At first you may experience fle or no result fiom your snkalpar But be patent. Do not expert changes overnight. Time is required, depending on the nature ofthe sankafa and the depth at which iti planted in the mind Iedepends greatly onsineeriy and your deep- felt need to reach the geal of you sankalpa, ‘Also, a8 yon practise yoga and progressively ‘lean out the mind, dough yoxa nidra and ‘other methods sankalpas become increasingly Powerful. tm fat, dere comes stage inthe lite ofan advanced yog! when all stnkalpas bring fruition. This is symbolically called the Aalpa rsa (wish falling tree) in yoictexts and arises when a petson reaches the stage of Understanding represented by the anahata ‘hakta’. However, don't worry too. much Shout this aspect of sankalpa; we have only mentioned it for your interet, ‘Your life can be completely changed by sankalpa Vast numbers of people have used sankalpas, either consciously or tnconsciousy, and have atained their aims. We suggest that you consciously choose a sankalpa and allow Ito transform your life. Rules for using sankalpa “To succesflly use the power of sankalpa in yoga nidra you should follow the rules below. U'Glaniy. The sankalpa should be stated in a short, simple, lear sentence form. The same words and the stinesentence structure Should be used tnt the sankalpa bangs ius, Use mana ord = + Repeiion The sakaipa shouldbe repeat over and over again in your mind, + Sincerity and feeling, You should repeat the sankalpa with sincerity and feeling. You should say it fom the heart, net merely from the mouth, Mere intellectual repetition will not allow the sankapa tobe impressed on the subconscious mind. The Sankalpa can only be sown deeply in the ‘mind witha stong emotional impets. Lack of sincerity wil also prevent implantation ofthe sankalpa; be sincere when you repeat Your sankalpa + Tine. Your sutkalpa should be repeated at the beginning and endof yoga nida. lean also be practed before sleep and imme: diately after waking up in the morning ‘These are the bes times sine the minds ‘mont receptive. The sank, however ean also be repeated during any spare time in alk be repe i ay spare + One santalpa. Choose only one sankalpa and sick tot uni ie brings resis, Do not change i. Rotation of awareness Animportant part of the practice of yo nia isthe rotation of avareness through cifterent parts of the physical body. eis specially Alesigned to withdraw perception irom the futside world, induce intospection and also deep relaxation ofthe mind and body. ‘According to yogie scriptures there are seventysix physieal centtes in the bod ‘Technical they ae called engashana mb or congan locations) and adhara (physial bases oF centres). Theater are mentioned in the ge hudamani Upanishad. These centres inchide both the outer limbs such as de hands, arms, legs, te. as wells the internal limbs suchas the heart, ing, stomach ete, Most ofthese centres willbe sted when we describe the fl practice of yoga nia, PrYoga nidra induces state of prayahara (sense withdrawal) in which perceptions of 903the outside word in the form of taste; sell, hearing, seeing and touch sensations are stopped This enables awarenes tobe directed ims. The sense impressions are not cat Off immediately, however, since for most people this s completely impossible. Instead the practice of yoga dra fo designed that tne awareness sony weaned aay rom the Guside world. In he practice ofvorating ones Sareness through the diferent parts ofthe indy the eyes ae closed, This prevent sight perception. fone is aware of the diferent Parts of the body, then one wil alo cease {panel and to taste. Thiee ofthe five sense organs wil be closed. Only sense impressions from the insructor’s woite and the mental touch sensations of the physical ins wll be perceived, The cid narrowed. The mind Fendered one pointed ‘Another important thing to remember i thar tis diene to rotate sarees though thesifeent physical eentes and be mesed Inthe normal catering thoughtsof the mind ther the internal ialogue of thoughts con- finues and you forget to oate your tareness through the centres or you conscony rotate raarenes and cease to be absorbed in Tnibling thoughts. You ether do one or the ther Ifyou are practising yoganidra correcly then your chattering thoughts wil stop. in later stages of yous nid, rotation of awareness through the physic centres 15 discarded: Ifyou have been aware througout the practice ofyoge nigra then you wil cease tobe ayare of the physical body for the sense oi touch wil be ct off. The only remaining Tin with the outside worlds the sound of the Instructor's voice, This oo can be eal cast the teacher ceaves to speak If he chootes the Fight time then you wil be sispended in a State pratjaliara, You will be read o begin Alharana a the preliminary for dans "The purpose of rotating warenes through the aiferem parts ofthe body sto enable the thay to be transcended. The mind becomes tnepoinied and very relaxed. This induces Simultaneous velsation ofthe entire physical bor, Consequently the whole bodjmind is rested Tensions a soothed aay Rules for rotating awareness To gain optimum benefits from the practice you should follow the rules given below: 904 1. Perception. You should. perceive each piysied Caw using the following means: J feeling the sensation arising from that particular part of the body, i) mentally Pronouncing the name that part tbody Uncey ater the instructor's ion, Sinaliation of tha part of the body. Tha You should create a mental pice ‘One of the above, any two, or all three together ean be used to percelve each physical entre you have cific wth vistalizaon, them we suggest that you combine mental pronunciation of the name with perception Erte sensation ftom that particular part of the body I you find vialation easy, then Combine it with perception of sentation, without naming any par. You must choose Jour own method of perception according to hiya preference 9: Inrachons. You should be simultaneously avare of to things: () the sound of the irr voles) he part ofthe body ollow the practice of yoga nidra acconding to the instructions given bythe teacher 3. Retatn. Your arenes should move rom one part of the body to the next according to sructons given. You should be aware of the existence ofeach centre in rn, mentally touching each poin. The rotation of awareness tnust be ythmical and wih ninimum efore Tetyouravarenes flow from one mbt the ext Or should Jump from one centre to the ext with the same shyt asthe ticking ofa dock Dont et your awareness dell on any part ofthe boty for longer than presoed by the teacher instructions Even you don tlealy perceive for example, the sight dua! you Should immediately proceed tothe next nb trithout delay, “Speeds The speed of rotation should be chosen to suit the circumstances. In the beginning the mind of the practioner is likly tolbe saying here and there. At this sage rotation should be reasonably rapid in order to prevent this mental dracon, Laterin the practice, when the mind is more one-pointed, The rate of rotation can be slowed down. The teacher must ute intuition. Tn any creamstance, the rotation should not be excessively fast or slow IFis to fst, then the practioner will not be able to fellowthe instructions and perceive each part of the bod. He will more than likely fllosleep (Conversely ifthe instrctionsare too slow eed monotonous, then he wil also fall asleep with boredom. You rmust be careful '5. Gem There are various diferent circuits through which the awareness can be rotated, can be a short circuit through the main limbs such asthe legs, arms, ete oritean bea Jonger rotation that includes the fingers, toes and so forth. As one becomes more sensitive, the rotation can also be passed through the internal ongans such as the heart ete. ‘The circuit can be chosen according to preference and available time. ‘iy to choose one circuit and stick to it when you practise yoga nidra. This will fx 4 pattern in your mind and your awareness ‘ill low automatically from one centre to the next without effort. Ifyou continually change the order of your circuit, this flow ill not be spontaneous. Once you have setled ona specie sequence try not to changeit, 6. Number of mounds. Complete rotation of awareness through one cireut of the parts of the body is one round. You can practae 1, 2, 3 or more rounds according to the depth of relaxation required and the time avail 7. The body. Do not move the body through ‘ut the entire practice. Only be aware ofa parewithout the slightest physical movement, jh to regard yor body at an object hat not part of your being. Feel that the body is ‘outside and separate from yourself, merely an ‘object of study: This to wil increase the depth oftelaxation, Visualization Mental visualization isan important part of youanidra practice. Ks purpore isto stele the subconscious and tnconscious level of the mind, Ths helprtoeraporate suppresed fesingsand memories and thereby Sen the mind oftensions Ata deeper level, theme of ‘pectic symbols can induce perception of tne tnconscious layers ofthe minds Grove aspets of your being that are currently hide ad to you. Taner vistalzation helps to awaken your inner potential and tee Knowiedge Allofushave this ability co visualize. In fact, ve doitevery night when we dream: Dress are pictorial expressions ofthe subconscious ‘mind, and sometimes the unconscious mind. ‘They ake the form ofsymbol and stoiesand they al have significance, Most of them aoe merely to release pentup inner tensions ad Contes; hers may hve universal sign fcance and symbolize a truth of existence in yoga nidra we stem to induce dream: ing, bat dreaming with two main differences Iie dreams are controled, selected and guided. Ordinary dreams are completly Fandom 2. The dreams are experienced consciously Most ordinary dretms in sleep are Un Inyoga dra, theselete, conscious dreams are induced by vialization in accordance With the instrackons ofthe teacher ‘he tacher should choose the symbols or objects of visualization very carefully. ‘They shouldbe chosen so that they help to Temove tensions from the mind ofthe praciener by stirring up old memories In some eases thi ‘mental strzing up with symbels may cave jal emoxional upc, perhaps as one relives a pat, long forgotten paint ever Once this initial emotional shock is expe enced, the tension is exhausted! and there is greater harmony in the mind. Sometimes the symbol that eases the release of pen tension can seem (oe insgnfcantto another person. Let ue give an ilstaon, 4 lady was doing yoga nina, Her teacher told her to visualizes red can There was an explosion in her mind. immediately she Sarted shaking with emociona shock bales A short ime sh fel very relax Later tne ‘xplained to her teacher what had happenea She had been in Nari Germany: Wher the was ‘ery young her father and moxher had een taken anay by the Gestapo in aright ed can She never saw er parents again Frm that age onwards she forgot (or rater suppressed) the memory ofthe incident Ye, in seed form, the emotionally lode memory had remained i sed on her mind. Tr eaed het tndles aappncs ugh not know it llshe knew as the unhappiness thatit caused. The mere mention of thewonds red car while she was inthe perceptive sate Of yoranidra induced remembrance. She acualyrelived the past, the time when her Pent were bing ten aay from her She itand expressed the emorional shack during 905