This relaxation practice is an ancient yogic concept found amongst Hindu and Buddhist traditions. However, much like many yogic concepts, its exact origin is contested amongst various schools of yoga.

It is believed that Swami Satyananda Saraswati began experiencing the practice of Yoga Nidra during the mid 20th century and shortly after developed a means of guiding others through the practice. He believed that this practice had deep ties to the Tantra yoga practice known as Nyasa.

Yoga Nidra has several amazing benefits. In its initial stages, anxiety and tension are released from the body and the mind. This release allows for the benefits to be even more expansive than practicing a simple savasana. These benefits include;

As Yoga Nidra elicits a deep relaxation response, it is best to practice around the same time of day either first thing in the morning or later in the evening.

Satyananda’s practice consisted of the following eight stages;

This practice may seem tempting to do in bed, however, your bed may be too comfortable for this practice and you may drift too far into sleep.

It is recommended that anyone practicing wear light and loose clothing and that a quiet distraction-free environment is created.

It is recommended to practice on a yoga mat in a room that is dark and quiet with a mild temperature. If the room is too warm, students will fall asleep which is not the goal of this practice.

A Yoga Nidra practice can be as short as five minutes up to as long as an hour. It is highly recommended that if you begin to fall asleep during the practice that you complete the practice and try again with a shorter time duration.

This is an excellent technique to teach in classes or workshops. Following the eight stages of Yoga Nidra, the content of your speech can really include anything. You can go for a full body relaxation or a visualization that includes a long walk or a day at the beach. The content of your Yoga Nidra is entirely up to you as long as it fits within the eight stages.

It is important to remember the following;

Teaching Yoga Nidra may seem a bit different at first, but it is an incredible practice to share with your students. It also offers a level of creativity that many forms of meditation do not offer. There is a wealth of Yoga Nidra recordings and scripts available online should you be interested in learning more. With a little practice, you will be lulling students to a deep state of relaxation in no time.