What is Yoga Nidra?
What is Yoga Nidra?
The Holistic Nature of Yoga - Yoga transcends merely being a set of techniques like asanas, pranayama, and meditation. It stands as an all-encompassing science and a rich trove of wisdom, only truly grasped through hands-on experience and unwavering spiritual commitment.
While "Yoga Nidra" or "yogic sleep" has emerged as a sought-after practice, it's vital to recognize that the conventional Yoga journey perceives the mind as a cohesive entity rather than segmented into various techniques. Consequently, facets of Yoga Nidra such as relaxation, mindful breathing, and meditation aren't standalone practices but pivotal aspects of a unified approach.
Yoga Nidra seeks to achieve a unique conscious state characterized by the generation of delta brain waves. Typically, such waves are exclusive to deep sleep, comas, or nearing life's end. Yet, with disciplined practice, one can deliberately access this state, blending intention and acute awareness.
Yoga Nidra - Beyond a Technique
The Profound Essence of Yoga Nidra: Yoga Nidra is more than just a practice; it's to view the cosmos with renewed insight.
Venturing into the unified realm of consciousness, or our latent essence, we immerse ourselves in the true essence of Yoga Nidra. It mirrors Maya, the unseen force and consciousness, at a pause when the Supreme Entity internalizes all sensory experiences and vital consciousness fragments. Within this phase, consciousness lingers, primed for a new epoch of creation and self-expression.
With Yoga Nidra, we unlock a portal, offering a fleeting vision into the divine's innermost sanctum. As the Kundalini energy, having enveloped the universe, lies dormant, it symbolizes the "gods sleep" or the "goods night."
Sleep and Yogic Sleep
Sleep mirrors the transition of death, marking an entry into a distinct realm. In death, the physical body is shed akin to changing attire. Each night, we momentarily detach from our physical consciousness, venturing into our astral form unburdened by fear. The sensations of unity, concentrated consciousness, euphoria, and delight in this state—where the mind is the sole experiencer—echo the journey of death.
In the renowned Yoga Sutras by Patanjali, sleep is characterized in two
unique manners:
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Sleep is viewed as a mental transformation, a ripple in the mind rather than an attribute of pure consciousness. The void felt during sleep is punctuated by the awareness of its absence.
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Sleep acts as a conduit to wisdom, allowing one to penetrate profound depths where pristine understanding unfolds.
Even during sleep, fragments of the mind remain active. When we discern events around us while deeply asleep, it is this facet of the mind that, through practice, achieves awareness. While the superficial layer of the mind reposes, the wellspring of knowledge starts to unveil. By consciously immersing into sleep, it metamorphoses into a fount of wisdom, known as Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra - Source of Knowledge
Insights gained from Yoga Nidra stem not from the conventional mind, but from buddhi, our inherent wisdom. Through Yoga Nidra practice, obstacles are transcended, allowing profound knowledge to unfold. Yoga Nidra acts both as a gateway and an instrument. It offers a chance to harness the mind's tranquility for task accomplishment and adept tool utilization. Engaging different layers of the koshas during Yogic sleep fosters problem-solving, learning, and inventive thinking. Astonishingly, in a mere 10-minute span, one can strategize what might normally take six years. Nonetheless, it's vital to consciously retain the realizations from the session to prevent them from slipping away. Beyond this, Yoga Nidra offers therapeutic advantages and facilitates learning, as the psycho-neurological framework undergoes thorough relaxation, paving the way for swift neurophysiological recuperation.
How to Practice Yoga Nidra?
Instead of actively "doing" Yoga Nidra, one should effortlessly ease into it.
Find a serene, undistracted space and lie flat on a solid surface, like a bed, adopting the Shavasana (corpse pose). Use a cushion for comfort and drape yourself with a blanket, ensuring your eyes are shielded with a dark cloth. Opt for a time when external disturbances, particularly sudden noises, are minimal. Initiate with diaphragmatic breathing, drawing 21 profound breaths. Imagine each inhalation as a surging ocean wave pouring into you and each exhalation as allowing that wave to gently withdraw. Proceed with methodical relaxation, attending to each segment of your body. Clear your mind from samskaras (mental imprints), thoughts, emotions, ambitions, karmas (deeds), motives, and analytical musings. Remain alert, resolutely resisting the urge to drift into sleep, and center your attention exclusively on breathing in and out. Aim for smooth, uninterrupted breathing, free from erratic movements or unintended pauses. Achieving this rhythmic flow indicates attaining equilibrium. Initially, confine your session to 10 minutes, practicing once daily. Continue this routine in subsequent days.
Why does it help?
When we face challenges in life, there is always a place inside us that knows, that has faith. A place where is peace within. Through Yogic practices we can increase our resilience and connect with our inner self on an ever day basis. Yoga Nidra practices teach us how to relax the mind through the body and allow us to sink deep into ourselves. We can explore the hidden parts of our minds and allow natural healing
processes to occur. A relaxed mind can face any situation with ease. A happy mind can create a beautiful reality! Let ́s allow our body and mind to recover fully and find deep and
healing relaxation.
Physical and mental indications
Everyday ailments can disappear quickly through harmonising the body functions. A few examples that Pranayma can help you with
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Cramps
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Belly pain
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Menstrual pain
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Hormone imbalances
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Digestive disorders
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Circulatory disorder
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Heart problems
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Autonomous nervous system
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Low immune function
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Allergies
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Sleeping disorders
Traditional Yoga Nidra - Course Structure
The Yoga Nidra Teacher Training and the Yoga Nidra Online Courses are
structured in a way so you can choose how deep you want to dive into the
sacred science of Yoga Nidra. We will host 6 full classes of Yoga Nidra and
introduce different relaxation techniques and Yoga Nidra practices.
You will be guided through the whole sessions and learn step by
step to dive deeper into yourself. The practice is scheduled so that it
intensifies over the 6 classes. Each class will take about 120 minutes
and include short meditation, breathing exercise, guided relaxation and Yoga
Nidra practice. The scientific background of the practices will be explained
and give you a better understanding of the body-mind connection. In
each class you have the chance to ask your personal questions and share
your experiences with the others. Your personal situation will be taken
into account, so that you can gain most of the experience. We will record
the guidance of Yoga Nidra, so that during the week you can practice the divine sleep of the Yogis. You will also have access to all our Yoga Nidra Online Library.
Yoga Nidra Online Training - what you can expect
The traditional Yoga Nidra Teacher Training and Yoga Nidra Online Courses will be held in different stages. After the first-level course, you can go on with your personal practice or apply for advanced training. Later you will learn how to teach Yoga Nidra to others. The training encompasses theoretical background and lives practice of various techniques. Over the time of the training, we go deeper into the scientific background and the practices intensify bit by bit.
Yoga Nidra Online Course Level I - What you will learn
When we face challenges in life, we need to rely on our stability and peace within. Yogic practice develops those virtues and becomes an everyday application. As our inner states are reflected in the external happenings, we are responsible and able to create a state of calmness and focus within. A relaxed mind can face any situation with ease. A happy mind can create a beautiful reality! Let´s allow our body and mind to recover fully and find deep and healing relaxation. With the practice of Yoga Nidra, we can heal our body and mind from unconscious and harming programs and find the strength within to heal and expand our awareness.
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Pranayama practice for diaphragmatic breathing
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The faculties of the mind
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Sleep and dream states
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Brainwaves and awareness
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Neurological and physiological effects of Yoga Nidra
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Health benefits of Yoga Nidra
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Relaxation techniques
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Yoga Nidra techniques
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Spinal breath
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Questions and answers
Yoga Nidra Online Course Level II - What you will learn
In the second course of Yoga Nidra we will go deeper into the magic of the divine practice. The course will be comprised of lectures and practice. In the Yoga Nidra lectures we will deepen the understanding of vibration, epigenetic, manifestation processes, and trauma to mention a few. You should get a thorough understanding why and how Yoga Nidra works and how you can personalize your own Yoga Nidra practice or design a holistic Yoga Nidra program for a whole group. By practicing what you´ve learned in Yoga Nidra I, you are used to lie down for longer period of time now and mastered not to fall asleep during the practice. The sessions will get longer and we will work more keenly with the flow of Prana and explore different applications for different constitutions and needs. Breath awareness, relaxation and Prana flow will be part of the Yoga Nidra practice as well as a short Meditation in sitting position.
The sessions will be more intense and as always, we take time to share the experiences. The lectures will cover:
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Brainwaves and states of awareness
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Practice with Mantra – how and why
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The Pineal gland and the third eye centre
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Accessing free will
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The faculties of the mind
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Free vs. fate, how can we access our free will
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Sleep and dreams
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Cleaning trauma and releasing information
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Origin and healing of diseases
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Environmental toxins and ways to protect and cleanse
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Important aspects of teaching Yoga Nidra
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Preparation of a session and combination with other techniques
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Cleaning and activating chakras
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Third eye practice
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How to guide Yoga Nidra
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Prana flow
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Audio files for personal practice
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Acces to the Full Yoga Nidra Online Library (Videos, Sequences and Handouts
Yoga Nidra Online Trainings – who can join?
This will be a traditional guidance for everybody who wants to deepen the practice and explore the vast realm of the yogic sleep. No previous knowledge is needed. It ́s an experience-based practice to enjoy and expand.
What you need
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Firm grounding
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Yoga mat or blanket
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Shawl or a blanket to cover yourself
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Light dark tissue, maybe a dark t-shirt to cover your eyes
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Folded towel to rest your head on
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A quiet room, no cell phones or other disturbances
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Pad of paper to take notes
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Empty stomach
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Dedication to apply the techniques
About your Teacher Elli, MSc
Elli Ji has been guiding Pranayama courses for several years and has experience in teaching and diagnosing people. She applied the knowledge of many years of Yoga trainings, additional education and personal experience to help people around the world. She trained many people with various backgrounds and needs in different settings in Nepal, India and Europe. With a MSc in Human Biology, 500hrs YTTC and education in TCM, Hypnosis, Reiki and immersion into Yoga Nidra and Pranayama, she understands the physiological, neuronal and hormonal pathways, effects of yogic applications as well as the spiritual aspects of
holistic health. Specialized in both, western science and eastern spirituality, she will explain all neuronal and physiological effects of the yogic techniques in detail. The scientific understanding is combined with spiritual experience and insight from years of dedicated practice and teaching. Through practice and purposeful application of ancient spiritual techniques she got rid of various so-called chronic diseases and helped many others to find their way back to a balanced life and natural health. What allopathic western medicine and experts could not solve, the ancient knowledge of Yoga and holistic approaches towards health and life itself opened a new path where the modern findings of science could shine in a new light of meaning and opportunities. Elli Ji
understands to address multiple symptoms with simple measures and reactivate self-healing processes. Her goal is to increase awareness about the power of our breath and share the collected knowledge with
others so that we can grasp our personal potential and live a life in holistic health and personal fulfilment. The students ́ background and purposes are taken intoaccount into her teaching, so that everyone can gain the most of the lectures and integrate the new knowledge into daily life.
Fees and payment
Everybody should have access to knowledge and learning. I keep the prices low and take personal circumstances into account. In case you meet any difficulties with the payment please contact me here info@Yogascience.online and we will find a solution. In special cases you have the chance to do the payment in instalments. The price would remain the same.
How does it work?
You register for the course and send me your SKYPE name. I will add you to the group and you receive a call every time we meet for life practice.
After the session you have access to the video for one month to watch again or at your perfect time. Handouts will be posted into the group for download every class as well as a guided Pranayama practice for everyday application.