I tried Yoga Nidra!
de Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is also called the "yoga of sleep" ("Nidra" in Sanskrit means sleep ;-) ).
Created by Swami Satyananda around 1940, Yoga Nidra is a practice that works on the unconscious mind in a state between wakefulness and sleep.
It is most often practiced in the "Savasana" position, lying on the floor. The teacher guides the practitioner to meditation and relaxation exercises).
Session sequence
Slightly anxious about remaining static for a good forty minutes, I take my place on my mat, under a small plaid... in Savasana (corpse pose): Feet relaxed and thus going sideways, arms slightly away from the body with palms facing the ceiling.
The class begins with a conscious breathing exercise. The eyes are closed. One must listen and feel; Become aware of the sounds outside, then in the room. Visualize your body in the space of the room. One then utters within oneself a sankalpa (which is a short phrase, an intention, a direct command to one's subconscious).
The teacher, Veronique, guides us towards a complete scan of the body starting with the thumb of the right hand, the second finger of the right hand, the third finger of the right hand, etc...
During this real mental journey inside one's own body, it is a matter of becoming aware of all the elements that make up one's body envelope in order to be deeply relaxed and awaken one's mind.
Then follows, a countdown ... there I must confess to having lost the thread a bit... The big diffulty being to remain conscious the whole session!
The session closes with a long relaxation with a visualization of a clearing that slowly brings us closer to that conscious sleep state.
Yoga Nidra brings us to a state of "lucid sleep" which oscillates between wakefulness and dreaming. At the end of the session a strange feeling of having left without realizing it. Impression of being rested, calm.
Conclusion
This first experience of Yoga Nidra really makes me want to dig deeper into the subject. Usually I don't manage to let go easily, to rest... and here mission accomplished!
This lucid and meditative sleep allows you to consciously approach sleep while remaining awake: amazing experience for me.
On the face of it, 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to 3H of sleep... and it is true that I felt really rested.
Definitely, the world of yoga strikes me as wonderfully rich.
What are the benefits of Yoga Nidra practiced regularly?
1- Letting go
During the Yoga Nidra session, we are no longer in control. We are drawn into a half-sleep, at peace with ourselves. We let go, we let go.
2- Better management of stress and emotions
Yoga Nidra, like all meditation techniques, allows us to connect to ourselves, and to stop thinking about everyday worries. It allows you to clear your mind.
3/ Decrease tensions
Muscular or physical tensions, emotional tensions, and psychic tensions.
4/ An improvement of sleep
Yoga Nidra brings the one who practices it in a state of deep relaxation, which then allows you to relax more easily and to find sleep more easily.
