JUNE - 2013 Odisha Review Yoganidra at a Glimpse Dr. Chitta Ranjan Pradhan The term Yoganidra has been derived from two citta and ultimately leads to dhyana and Sanskrit words, “yoga” means union or one samadhi too. It is a journey from external world pointed awareness, and “nidra” which means to the internal. In Yoganidra mind becomes one sleep. During the practice of yoganidra, one pointed while body remains like a statue. appears to be asleep, but the consciousness is Adherents claim that half an hour of Yoganidra functioning at a deeper level of awareness. It can replace up to three hours of normal sleep, means even when you sleep, your self is awake although its regular use as a sleep substitute is and aware. For this reason Yoganidra is often not recommended as the body and mind still referred to as deep relaxation/sleepless sleep/ requires sufficient rest through standard sleep. yogic Sleep/psychic- sleep/transcendental sleep/ Miss-concept of yoganidra dynamic sleep/conscious sleep/ a scientific sleep Yoganidra is not merely a relaxation with inner awareness. Yoganidra is a process practice/savasana or this is not a therapy. It is by which one will travel from conscious to not a guided imagery or affirmations/ unconscious through sub-conscious. While one autosuggestion. It is also not a visualizing o r passes from conscious to unconscious through dreaming. But this thing comes out of the sub-conscious that particular state is known as practice. Yoganidra is not a meditation but one hypnogogic state by the psychologist. One hour attains the state of meditation during the practice. practice of Yoganidra is equal to four hours Yoganidra is not a concentration, but it increases deep sleep. In Yoganidra one leaves the waking the level of concentration Yoganidra is not a new state, goes past the dreaming state, and goes to practice of the modern society rather it has been deep sleep, yet remain awake. Yoganidra is a practiced by the ancient seers, sannyasins state that is very relaxing; it is also used by yogis down from the ages. Yoganidra is a simplified to release the samskaras or the deep form of ancient tantric technique. It brings: an impressions that are the driving force behind incredible calmness, quietness and clarity. It karm a. Yoganidra releases three fold tensions helps to rectify the perception and increases i.e. physical, mental and emotional tensions. stress tolerance power. It helps to bring the Yoganidra is one of the pratyahara practices, balance between body and mind, harmonizes the where one withdraws the awareness from physical and mental homeostasis. Yoganidra external sources and gradually enters into the facilitates to travel freely to the deferent levels of 63 Odisha Review JUNE - 2013 consciousness. It brings the three fold stillness at In a number of texts such as the Devi physical, mental and emotional level by relaxing Mahatmya and the Bhagavata Purana, Visnu them. It increases concentration, will power, (the sleeping Lord) reclines on the naga sesha strengthens memory, and helps to release the in yoganidra. The phenomenal world is the seeds of the psycho-somatic diseases. dream of Visnu. Yoganidra refers to yogic sleep. Yoganidra expands the different levels of It has been practiced for millennia by sadhus and awareness. Extra Sensorial Power (ESP) can be rishis. Of the three states of consciousness of developed by this practice like- Telepathy, Pre- waking, dreaming and d eep sleep, as cognition, and Clairvoya nce etc. It helps to expounded in the Upanisads, particularly the awaken the dormant potentials. It is a wonderful Mandukya Upanisad, Yoganidra refers practice for personality building by correcting specifically to the conscious awareness of the disturbed nature, by transforming gunas and by deep sleep state, referred to as “prajna” in correcting mental process (cognitive, conative and Mandukya Upanisad. This is the third of the affective) and mental forces (id, ego, and super- four levels of consciousness of omkara mantra, ego). Ultimately the practice of Yoganidra brings relating to the state represented by the M of the balance in the life by releasing stress in it’s AUM. The four states are waking, dreaming, pragmatic sens e. sleep, and turiya, the fourth state. The state of yoganidra, conscious deep sleep, is beyond or History and the origin of yoganidra subtler than the imagery and mental process of The modern practice of Yoganidra is the waking and non-lucid dreaming states. As a traced back to a myth which is purely state of conscious deep sleep, Yoganidra is a symbolic. Here, in this context, we quote a universal principle, and is not the exclusive classical Indian prayer: domain of any specific tradition. In hatha yoga om santakaram b hujagsayanam padmanabham there is a discussion of Yoganidra in fourth suresam, visvadharam gaganasadrsam chapter which is written by Swami meghavarnam subhangam / laksmikantam Swatmarama Saraswati. In Samsara Pathe kamalanayanam yogirbhidhyanagamyam vande Siddhiyoga Khanda (Oriya Literature) written visnum b havabhayaharam sarvalokaikanatham // by Nilacala Saraswata Samgha, Puri, has a The expression of bhujagasayanam is discussion of yoganidra. There are many the focal point here. The Sanskrit word literatures where we may find the discussion of bhujaga means “serpent” and sayanam means yoganidra. As we know that the Lord Visnu is “sleep”. The Lord of the universe reclines on the always in Yoganidra over the bed of sesanaga. coiled body of the serpent named as ananta or In Brahma Samhita there is also a discussion of sesa naga. It is a divine serpent with infinite yoganidra. Which is mentioned as follows:- strength, who can support the lord of universe. tattvani purva-rudhanikaranani parasparam Ancient seers imitated the ananta- sayana of samavayaprayogac ca vibhinnani p rithak prithak / the Lord of the universe. And they gave the name cic-chaktya sajjamano ‘tha bhagavan adi-purushah Yoganidra to the process. In the process, they yojayan mayaya devo yoganidram akalpayat // (5.19) came in communion with the Lord. They It means before their conglomeration tried to get knowledge directly from the Lord the primary elements in their nascent state him self. rema ined originally separate entities. Non- 64 JUNE - 2013 Odisha Review application of the conglomerating process is the parts, while meditating on each part (of the body- cause of their separate existence. Adi-purusa, mind). With Maha mandaleshwar Paramhans primal Godhead, through association with His Swami Maheshwarananda’s and Swami own spiritual [cit] potency, moved Maya and Satyananda’s extensive worldwide touring and by the application of the conglomerating teachings, Yoganidra gradually spread principle created those different entities in their throughout India, Europe, Australia and the state of cooperation. And after that He Himself United States and is taught in the system in consorted with Yoganidra by way of His eternal Satyananda Yoga and Yoga in Daily Life. Swami dalliance with His spiritual [cit] potency. Rama’s teachings on Yoganidra continue to be yojayitva tu t any eva p ravivesa svayam guham / taught via his Himalaya Institute and several of guham p raviste tasmims tu jivatma p ratibudhyate / / his non-affiliated students. The form of the (5.20) Yoganidra practice taught by Swami Satyananda It means by conglomerating all those includes eight clearly defined stages i.e.1. separate entities He manifested the innumerable preparation (Internalization), 2. Sankalpa, mundane universes and Himself entered into 3.Rotation of Consciousness, 4.Breath the inmost recess of every extend ed. Awareness, 5.Opposite Feeling, 6.Visualization, 7. Sankalpa, 8. End (Externalization); Some As we know adi- purusa is the Creator stages of the Yoganidra practice deepen of the Universe, he is the creator of creator; he pratyahara. Pratyahara is an effect as well has no beginning and no end. So he is also the as a state which is induced by the withdrawal creator of yoganidra. The Yoganidra is a of awareness from sensory perception. practice, which has been practiced by the According to some traditions, Yoganidra is divine and gradually came to the public best engaged as a guided, facilitated practice, that through seers and sannyasins. is with an experienced yoga teacher who verbally However, certain teachers and lineages delivers the in structions. do emphasize the practice of Yoganidra more Tantric origin than others, and have more experience with training adepts in its practice. Paramyoge shwar The basic idea of Yoganidra has been Sri Devpuriji was an early modern proponent, borrowed from the tantric nyasa. The who passed it on to Sri Deep Narayan characteristics feature of Yoganidra is the Mahaprabhuji and it was taught to his disciples systematic rotation of consciousness in the since 1880.On his journey to the Himalayas, Sri body, which originated from the tantric practice Devpuriji met, among others, Swami Sivananda of nyasa means ‘to place’ or’ to take the mind of Rishikesh, who is well known in Europe and to that point’ nyasa is practice in a sitting posture conveyed the technique of Yoganidra to several and involves the use of specific mantras which Yogis and Swamis. Swami Sivananda’s true were placed, felt or experienced at different disciple Swami Satyananda particularly began parts of the body. First the name of the part is popularizing the practice of Yoganidra about 40 recited, then it has to visualize or touch and the years ago. He drew a connection to the ancient Mantra was placed there. Nyasa is a means of tantric practice called nyasa, whereby Sanskrit consecrating the physical body by installing Mantras are mentally placed within specific body higher awareness or divine consciousness into 65 Odisha Review JUNE - 2013 the various parts of the body to tutelary deities regular practice of it one definitely increases his during tantric ritual practices. level of attention and concentration.