Yoga Nidra is an ancient relaxation method, which can open up the latent potentiality of the human mind. Yoga Nidra literally means yogic sleep which in essence is conscious sleep or rather, dynamic sleep. It is a kind of deep sleep in which you don’t lose consciousness; it is sleep with a trace of awareness. It is a state of mind which is in-between wakefulness and the state of dreaming. Ordinarily there are three states of consciousness viz waking, dreaming and state of deep sleep. In the waking state the conscious mind is working, in the sleeping state the subconscious mind is working and in a state of deep sleep, the unconscious mind is working. At the moment you are awake; when you sleep you enter the dreaming state and then you go into deep sleep. Most people are either awake or sleeping; between the two there is a stage when one is neither fully awake nor fully asleep - this stage is extremely subtle – so how can one grasp this subtle stage? In this state the mind is tremendously relaxed and open to suggestions. The practice of Yog Nidra results in releasing of all muscular, emotional and mental tensions. It is a very effective form of complete psychic and physiological rest and rejuvenation. Normally, when people sleep, they do not unburden totally. They carry their frustrations, conflict, pain, and turmoil with them, hence, sleep never goes deep. The practice of Yoga Nidra not only relaxes but restructures and reforms our whole personality from within. We burn old habitual tendencies and in a way, are born anew with every Yoga Nidra session. If you practice Yoga Nidra, then the nature of your mind can be changed, diseases can be cured and your creative genius can be restored. It is a powerful way of reshaping your entire personality and give a new direction to your life. The sub-conscious mind and the unconscious mind are the most powerful forces in the human being. Sub-conscious mind has limitless potential and is a very obedient disciple and it immediately carries out the orders that you put to it. If one uses this power correctly, one can achieve anything one desires, in this very lifetime. You can become a saint, attain self-realization or reach the heights of meditation if you so desire. In Yoga Nidra, the most effective means of training the mind is found in sankalpa (resolution), which is described below. The mind is completely relaxed with heightened receptivity and hence it is easy to introduce the resolve. Anything in life can fail you but not your sankalpa, your resolve. When conscious mind and body is in deep relaxation, at that time whatever sankalpa (resolution) you will make, it will get fulfilled. The resolution you make at the beginning of the practice is like sowing a seed and the resolution at the end is like irrigating it. In Yoga Nidra, you do not have to concentrate or focus, rather you move your consciousness from one part of the body to another effortlessly; concentration will rather create obstruction. Sometimes, you will be close to your senses and then you will glide away; when consciousness is suspended for a few moments, periodically, which means that it alternates between sub-conscious and unconscious states. Source content:
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