What is Yoga Nidra? [Meaning] The Most Relaxed Yoga Form

What is Yoga Nidra and how useful is it against restlessness and for experiencing more peace? Read on for the meaning of Yoga Nidra, including how to get started with it …

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a form of yoga in which you can achieve ultimate relaxation with specific exercises . By this we mean not only physical relaxation, but also an ultimate degree of mental and emotional relaxation.

Yoga Nidra is Sanskrit for connecting sleep. By performing the exercises, you will fall asleep while your consciousness is still active. Your consciousness is still functioning at a very deep level, which puts you in a kind of waking sleep.

At Yoga Nidra you learn to relax by entering the gray area between sleeping and awake. To achieve this state of relaxation physically, mentally and emotionally, you do a number of specific exercises and visualizations.

Relaxation is therefore the keyword. With Yoga Nidra you can effectively relax quickly, which gives you more energy. Unlike many other forms of yoga, Yoga Nidra does not require you to adopt difficult poses. The exercises and visualisations are usually performed lying down. This makes Yoga Nidra suitable for anyone who can use a little more energy.

Why choose Yoga Nidra?

It often takes a lot of effort for Western people to actually relax. Things that we experience as relaxing, such as watching television and using the internet, do not provide real relaxation. You may be shutting down your muscles and not having to actively think, but unconsciously you are still busy.

Just think of all those stimuli that come in and your brain has to process. That takes more energy than you think, so deep down the relaxation is hard to find. And really relaxing is very important, because a lack of relaxation can lead to unpleasant ailments.

Sleep relaxed

Many people don’t even relax when they are sleeping. The advent of the smartphone has led to us treating our brains to the necessary stimuli even in bed. This makes it difficult for ourselves to fall asleep quickly and achieve deep, relaxing sleep. The result is that we do not rest well during the night.

A good night’s sleep is necessary to get through the day energized and fit. Without total relaxation during sleep, we become tired, lifeless and lose interest in life. Relaxation is necessary to restore our body. Letting go of tensions is the key to an energetic life.

The consequences of too much tension

We get stimuli to process all day long. Even if you banished all devices from your life, you still get stimuli from the people and the events around you. A large amount of stimuli leads to tension in many people. Too much tension can create a feeling of stress.

Even if you do not feel tension yourself, your body can unconsciously react to stress that you experience in daily life. Your body responds to stress by striving for balance. It does this by increasing your bodily functions such as your breathing, your temperature and your blood pressure. That is why many people with stress have high blood pressure.

The benefits of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra provides relaxation on a mental, emotional and physical level. This makes it an extremely effective method to combat various disorders caused by tension and stress.

Yoga Nidra helps with anxiety disorders, depression, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, high blood pressure, PTSD, insomnia and restlessness. These are all ailments where stress and tension play a major role. Ultimate relaxation through Yoga Nidra can alleviate or even eliminate the symptoms.

Who can practice Yoga Nidra?

The great thing about Yoga Nidra is that you can’t go wrong. So you don’t have to be flexible or have other qualities to benefit from the benefits of Yoga Nidra. Literally everyone is able to perform the exercises and achieve ultimate relaxation at all levels. It also does not matter if you have experience with yoga, this form of yoga is suitable for both beginners and advanced.

How do you learn Yoga Nidra?

There are several ways you can learn Yoga Nidra. You can join a yoga class to learn how to achieve ultimate relaxation under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher. However, many people consider it a big step to practice yoga in a group and prefer to perform the exercises in the privacy of their own home.

There are various short and more extensive Yoga Nidra exercises available online. Find a quiet room, put on comfortable clothes, and lie down. All you have to do to achieve ultimate relaxation is to follow the instructions that you can follow while lying down.

Learn Yoga Nidra online

Are you looking for an online course to learn Yoga Nidra? There are various online courses available where experienced yoga teachers teach you this yoga form.

For sound files with which you can practice Yoga Nidra, the MP3s of Happy with yoga are recommended. If you are looking for an international yoga class, then the Yoga Nidra workshop by Eckhart Yoga is highly recommended.

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