How to Do Nidra Yoga

Yoga nidra is also known as the "sleep of the yogis." It is more of a set of relaxation techniques that are to be used in combination with meditation to help bring about a feeling of intense calm and restfulness. People that teach this technique believe that a half hour of yoga nidra is as relaxing as 3 hours of sleep, though it does not provide the required rest for the body. Yoga nidra works as a consciousness cleanser and is designed to bring peace to the practitioner.

Instructions

How to Do Nidra Yoga

• 1

  Use relaxation techniques. Lie on your back and breathe slowly while focusing on your face and forehead. Spend extra time focusing on your nostrils as you breathe in and out through your nose. Slowly move down and focus on other areas of your body until you get to your toes. Then, reverse direction and have your concentration slowly ascend up your body.

• 2

  Do the 61 points exercise on your upper body. This involves starting with focus on your forehead. Then, starting with concentrating on your throat, focus on your throat, then right shoulder, elbow, wrist, the tip of each finger, wrist, elbow, shoulder, and finally your throat again. Repeat for your left side. Then, focus on your throat, space between breasts (hereinafter "space"), right breast, space, left breast, space, abdomen, navel.

• 3

  Continue through your lower body. Much like you did with the upper body, focus on your right hip, knee, ankle, tips of toes, ankle, knee and finally your right hip again. Repeat with the left side. Then, focus on your navel, abdomen, space, throat, forehead.

• 4

  Do the spinal breathing exercise. Try to breathe as if you are breathing from the very top of your head all the way down to the base of your spine. Imagine your energy flowing from the top of you to the bottom, and then from bottom to top as you inhale and exhale.

• 5

  Use the chakras to enter into yoga nidra. First, spend a few minutes concentrating on your eyebrows, then your throat. Imagine a moon at your throat. Now focus on the area between your breasts and try to completely empty your mind of thoughts for at least 10 minutes. Then, slowly bring yourself back to full consciousness.