Yoga Nidra as Spiritual Practice

To begin to examine the place and power of Yoga Nidra as regular spiritual practice, we must first consider the idea of Sadhana.

Sadhana (साधन) is a Sanskrit term used to refer to a repetitive, regular spiritual practice or discipline. Sadhana represents a metered surrendering of the ego, usually on a daily basis.

Any classical spiritual endeavor that is practiced with awareness, good regularity and the intention of spiritual growth can be considered sadhana. It does not need to be a physical activity; Sadhana can involve asana, pranayama, meditation, chanting of mantra – often with the help of a mala (prayer beads), puja (sacred ceremony) to a deity (god/goddess) or yagya (fire ceremony).

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a form of meditation, and with regular and devoted engagement, practitioners continually align themselves with the frequency of truth, gradually progressing toward the most ultimate expression of consciousness known as self-realization.

Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati tells us; “Sadhana is spiritual movement consciously systematized... Abhyasa and sadhana are synonymous terms. The object of sadhana is to release life from the limitations with which it is bound.” Both the great Swami Sivananda, and the well-known siddha Patanjali, highlight the importance of abhyasa – constant reverent practice.  Abhyasa cannot exist without consistency. 

It is this very thread of discipline that must be present for spiritual practice to have any lasting impact. The discipline aspect of sadhana, of course, is in its regularity.

Aspirants can feel that many activities engaged in without focused regularity can be sadhana.  They describe activities such as hiking every now and then, gardening, or sitting down to meditate when they feel they have time, or need to do it to bolster their wellbeing. These are all rewarding and healthy things that most likely support a spiritual lifestyle, but to a dedicated yogin, such things are not considered sadhana.

The practice of Yoga Nidra is a systematic form of deeply relaxing meditation.  It actively fosters profound physical, mental, and emotional rest.  When the outer system is in deep rest, the inner world becomes vibrant and conscious.

Yoga Nidra enhances creativity and creates conditions for people to find their own solutions to issues through access to higher wisdom and intuition. It is known to greatly increase creativity and spiritual expansion when practiced regularly.  Regularity and reverence for the practice are what can make the practice of Yoga Nidra sadhana.

Sadhana and Yoga Nidra

So, what are the implications of practicing Yoga Nidra as sadhana? Interestingly, if we overlay the eight-stage formulation of Yoga Nidra upon the traditional path of Ashtanga Yoga as set out by Sri Patanjali, we can be look upon it as a condensed journey through the siddha’s prescribed eight limbed ancient path that has been known for centuries as Ashtanga Yoga. It specifically describes, and in many ways, prescribes true sadhana.  The stages outlined are; Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.

A clear alignment of Yoga Nidra with the eight limbed path follows:

Yama (attitudes toward our environment & communities) - Yoga Nidra is cultivating purity of attitude in connection with both environment and community via clarity of connection with consciousness itself.  We cannot become more conscious and less pure in our intentions.

Niyama (attitudes toward ourselves) - Regarding Yoga Nidra, to even be approaching the practice of, we must be purifying our attitude towards ourselves.  To engage in the practice of Yoga Nidra is most surely an act of more refined attitude towards the Self.

Asana (physical posture)  - In Yoga Nidra Savasana is the classical Asana from which we experience Yoga Nidra, Savanasa is universally known to be once of the classical asanas of yoga.

Pranayama (restraint or expansion of prana)  - In Yoga Nidra, this is catered for in the ‘breath awareness’ section, where there is a specific focus on breath, either to simply relax the system further, or to draw in and expand prana.

Pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses)  - In Yoga Nidra, pratyahara is involved right from settling the body for practice to the conclusion of the breath awareness section.  Both of these areas are specifically designed in the process, to induce pratyahara.

Dharana (concentration)  - In Yoga Nidra, the breath awareness section, there is a requirement to ‘follow the breath’ either in a specific pathway with a count, and sometimes with inner repetition of mantra.  This is a dharana practice.  There are also images presented in rapid succession for the practitioner to visualize.  This is another form of concentration that over time, can lead to the practitioner developing a deeper harnessing of the true power of imagination (that which is beyond mere fantasy)

Dhyana (meditation) - The whole of Yoga Nidra is a meditative process, and the actual state of dhyana may become accessible at any time.  However, the area of Yoga Nidra that is the most potently prepared for dhyana is the section when participants are invited to observe Chittakasha - the mind space.

Samadhi (complete integration) - Yoga Nidra, just like meditation, is referred to in common parlance as both a process and a state.  When a participant expands into the actual state of Yoga Nidra, they are in a form of Samadhi.  This is evident in that the brain wave patterns display delta (usually the state of deep sleep), but they have retained full awareness, with no thoughts.

One of the prominent reasons an eight-stage approach to Yoga Nidra is so potent is because it expertly encapsulates all that is inherent in Pantanjali’s masterful approach to yogic development. The process of Yoga Nidra is prescribing sadhana for the practitioner, in the present moment as they follow along with the instructions. So a condensed path to realization is imbedded in the ritualistic stages of the Yoga Nidra process, and what has been prescribed is the content within those stages. Therefore, when we work with a single Yoga Nidra with a disciplined regularity, and a spiritual goal in mind, it has become sadhana.

The implications of true sadhana are transformative.  They lead to the dissolving of attachment those aspects of existence that are impermanent and ultimately, to a full conscious connection with that which is eternal. The power of commitment and regularity of sadhana is easily overlooked in the current mainstream yoga context. Shifts and growth due to sadhana are most often ascribed to the content of a practice and not the impact of the infused ritual in its own right. Ritualized practice truly does aid in the dissolving attachments and the release of those things that no longer serve the soul.

Sincere practitioners who work alongside energetically authorized Yoga Nidra guides are not merely engaging in self-care, a meditation session, or ‘yogic relaxation’.  They are stepping onto the path to expanded awareness, doorways to higher intuition, vitality and creativity, and taking steps towards the ultimate goal of all yoga – moksha, liberation and realization of the truth of the Self.

HARI AUM TAT SAT

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