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Yoga Nidra brings an incredible calmness, quietness and
clarity. Yoga Nidra is one of the deepest of all meditations,
leading awareness through many levels of mental process to a
state of supreme stillness and insight.
Yoga Nidra means Yogic Sleep. It is a state of conscious Deep
Sleep. In Meditation, you remain in the Waking state of
consciousness, and gently focus the mind, while allowing
thought patterns, emotions, sensations, and images to arise
and go on. However, in Yoga Nidra, you leave the Waking state,
go past the Dreaming state, and go to Deep Sleep, yet remain
awake. While Yoga Nidra is a state that is very relaxing, it
is also used by Yogis to purify the Samskaras, the deep
impressions that are the driving force
behind Karma.
Description of the Asana
- Lie on your back, in shavasana, the corpse posture.
Lie in such a way that your spine is aligned, and your
feet and arms are a comfortable distance to your sides.
It is best to have a thin pillow under your head and a
shawl or blanket over your body so you do not become
cold.
- Allow your attention to move through your head and
face, including the top of the head, forehead, eyebrows,
eyes, cheekbones, and nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at the nostrils for several
breaths.
- Continues to survey mouth, jaws and chin.
- Then survey the neck and throat, shoulders, arms,
elbows, wrists, hands, fingers, and fingertips.
- Feel as though you are inhaling from the tips of the
fingers up to the shoulders, and then exhaling back to
the finger tips. Do this several times.
- Then move your attention from the fingers, back
through the hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms,
shoulders, upper back and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of the chest, and exhale and
inhale completely several times.
- Be aware of the stomach, abdomen, lower back, hips,
thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet, and toes.
- Exhale as if your whole body is exhaling, and inhale
as if your whole body is inhaling. As you exhale, let go
of all tension, worries, and anxieties. Inhale as if you
are inhaling new energy, as well as a sense of peace and
relaxation. Exhale and inhale several times.
- Then move your attention from the toes to the feet,
ankles, calves, thighs, knees, hips, lower back,
abdomen, stomach and chest.
- Concentrate at the center of the chest, and exhale and
inhale completely several times.
- Survey the upper back, shoulders, upper arms, lower
arms, wrists, hands, fingers, and fingertips.
- Feel as though you are inhaling from the tips of the
fingers up to the shoulders, and then exhaling back to
the finger tips. Do this several times.
- Then move your attention from the fingers, back
through the hands, wrists, lower arms, upper arms,
shoulders, neck, throat, chin, jaws, mouth, and
nostrils.
- Be aware of the breath at the nostrils for several
breaths.
- Move your attention to the cheekbones, eyes, eyebrows,
forehead and the top of the head.
- For about one minute, allow your attention to be aware
of the smooth, slow, serene flow of the breath. Let your
mind make a gentle, conscious effort to guide the breath
so that it is smooth, calm, deep, and without any noise
or jerkiness.
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