Yoga Nidra is an ancient yogic practice considered as a psychic sleep meditation. The term yoga Nidra is Sanskrit for yogic sleep. Yoga meaning “union” and nidra meaning “sleep.” It is basically a guided relaxation meditation practiced laying down in Shavasana, the corpse pose.
Yoga Nidra is an ancient yogic practice often described as psychic sleep or yogic sleep.
Although different from sleep, you maintain an awareness of your surroundings. The meditation guides you through different steps and stages, some of which include, rotation of consciousness, body awareness, breathing practice and visualisation.
With practice, Yoga Nidra is like a self hypnosis, allowing you to access your own subconscious mind and clear it from trapped thoughts and negative thought patterns.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra include:
- Support for better sleep and insomnia
- Deep physical and mental relaxation
- Stress relief and emotional balance
- Increased energy and mental clarity
- Relief from anxiety and overwhelm
- Access to subconscious insights
- Enhanced creativity and focus
It is a deeply rejuvenating practice for both body and mind. According to yogis, it is believed that 1 hour of Yoga Nidra is the equivalent of 4 hours of sleep.
It’s not ordinary sleep though. Rather, it’s a guided meditation that brings you into a deep state of relaxation while maintaining gentle awareness. You rest in Shavasana (the corpse pose) and are guided through a series of steps that help release physical tension, quiet the mind, and open access to the subconscious.
How a Yoga Nidra Sessions Work
A typical yoga nidra session follows a structured process, often including:
- Settling the Body into deep relaxation – Lying down in Shavasana and becoming still
- Setting an Intention (Sankalpa) – A positive affirmation
- Rotation of Consciousness – Moving awareness systematically through the body
- Breath Awareness – Observing and slowing the breath with specific exercises
- Visualization – Guided imagery to release emotions or mental patterns
- Return to Wakefulness – Gently bringing awareness back to the present moment
With practice, Yoga Nidra can feel like a form of self-hypnosis. Allowing you to explore the subconscious mind and clear it of stored tension, limiting beliefs, and repetitive negative thoughts.
Yoga Nidra vs. Sleep
While Yoga Nidra feels deeply restful, it’s not the same as sleep. In this meditative state, the body may rest as if asleep, but the mind remains gently aware.
Yogic tradition teaches that one hour of Yoga Nidra can be as restorative as four hours of deep sleep — leaving you refreshed and energized. Combined with sound healing it is deeply transformative practice for rest and insomnia.
Origins and Tradition
Yoga Nidra comes from ancient tantric and yogic teachings, with roots in practices that explore consciousness and inner awareness. It has been adapted in modern yoga as a tool for stress management, healing, and spiritual growth. But its essence remains the same: to guide the practitioner to a state of deep rest and expanded awareness.
Experience a guided relaxation meditation with yoga nidra in my garden sanctuary.
