Yoga Nidra: Experience the Yogi’s Sleep
Have you ever experienced the “sleep of a yogi”?
And if so, would you consider it just another kind of ordinary sleep?
In natural sleep, the body and mind rest while consciousness significantly decreases. But in Yoga Nidra, the experience is profoundly different. The body and mind enter deep rest—yet awareness remains fully awake.
This is not unconscious sleep; it is conscious rest. Yogis call it Yoga Nidra, the “sleep with awareness.”
It is a practical aspect of Pratyahara, the fifth limb in Patanjali’s Eightfold Path of Yoga.
Yoga Nidra and Pratyahara
Patanjali describes Pratyahara as the conscious withdrawal of the senses from external objects, allowing the mind to follow the inner senses.
Yoga Nidra trains the practitioner to temporarily suspend sensory input so that awareness can shift inward.
As this occurs, the inner senses guide the mind, and the mind becomes a pure field of awareness.
The Power of Conscious Rest
Throughout the day, we are exposed to emotional stimuli—whether generated within or absorbed from others. These unresolved emotional waves can create tension, anxiety, and inner conflict.
Yoga Nidra is one of the most effective techniques for releasing these tensions, dissolving mental noise, and restoring deep tranquility. Only in this deep inner calm can the mind become a vessel for higher consciousness.
In Yoga Nidra:
The mind gradually relaxes,
Then detaches from all sensory responses,
And begins to follow the inner landscape.
At this point, the mind becomes crystal-clear, aware, and highly creative.
Awareness moves through deeper layers of the psyche, unlocking subconscious energy.
Yoga Nidra is not a state of “no-mind” — it is the experience of complete, expansive mind.
Learning Yoga Nidra
In this journey, dormant energies of the psyche rise to the surface. Because the practice moves awareness from the conscious mind, through the subconscious, and into the unconscious mind, it must be approached with care.
Therefore, learning Yoga Nidra under the guidance of an experienced teacher is highly recommended.
The key to success in Yoga Nidra is to remain conscious while experiencing deep physical and mental relaxation.
Beginners may sometimes fall asleep due to the intensity of the relaxation. To prevent this, practitioners are taught “active listening,” which involves full attention to the guide’s voice and instructions throughout the practice.
The Eight Stages of Yoga Nidra
Physical stillness and conscious body awareness
Rotation of consciousness and deep muscular relaxation
Breath awareness with mental calm (often using pranayama)
Inner space visualization and creative imagination
Sensory experience and subtle emotional perception
Mental silence and deep absorption
Sankalpa (positive affirmation or resolve)
Awakening and return to the present state
A complete Yoga Nidra session typically lasts 30–40 minutes, and can be practiced at least twice a week—or ideally, daily.
Benefits of Regular Practice
Heightens creativity and awareness
Releases emotional blockages
Increases resilience to stress and agitation
Deepens peace, joy, and spiritual connection
Nourishes the conscience and cultivates inner guidance
Revitalizes both mind and body
The Inner Senses in Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra draws its wisdom from Mandukya Upanishad and Tantra Yoga.
According to the Mandukya, Yoga Nidra leads to a state called Prajnā, the “stillness of pure perception.”
In this state, external senses dissolve, and the inner faculties awaken:
Mana – the unified inner sense beyond physical perception
Buddhi – the faculty of discernment and spiritual intelligence
Ahamkara – the core sense of individuality and true selfhood
Chitta – pure consciousness, the silent witness within
In Prajnā, the mind becomes immersed in inner silence and perceives through the intuitive senses. The practitioner enters unitive awareness and reconnects with the source of existence.