Mindful with Harsha

Question: How to set up the space for Yoga Nidra?

Answer: 

Find a spot that is quiet, with minimum distraction.
Reduce light in the room, as much as possible.

You may lay on the floor on a mat cushioned with blankets or on a bed.
Take some height under the knees using rolled blankets, bolster, or a hard cushion.
A blanket to cover yourself.
An optional small pillow under the head.
An optional eye pillow or an eye mask or cover.

 

If laying down is not an option, you may always set up a comfortable space seated on a chair or couch.

Ensure that the feet are not dangling and are resting either on the floor or a footrest of some sort.

A blanket to cover.

Allow the head to be supported.

Optional eye mask.

 

If closing eyes is not an option, allow the gaze to gently rest on one spot, in an unfocused manner so you can move inward in the practice.

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Question: Why is the setup for Yoga Nidra so important?

Answer:

The intention of a Yoga Nidra practice is to get as comfortable as possible so that the mental body can quiet down. When the physical body is in a supremely comfortable and supported position, the mental body has no reason to complain, allowing the energy body to work it's way deeper into the subconscious, where significant shifts happen.

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Question: Who can do Yoga Nidra?

Answer: 

Yoga Nidra is accessible to most people - kids, adults, and seniors.

The only population Yoga Nidra is not suggested for is people not grounded in this reality, for example, people suffering from schizophrenia. Please share your condition with the teacher before proceeding with the practice. 

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Question: Why do Yoga Nidra?

Answer:

There are many, many benefits of doing Yoga Nidra. Check out some listed here. 

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Questions: What time of day is best to practice Yoga Nidra?

Answer:

The best time to practice is whenever you can. 

Morning practice is a wonderful way to set the course of your day.

Late afternoon practice is a perfect power nap, a quick pick me up instead of falling prey to foods and caffeine to get through the day. 

Evening practice is another good time to release thoughts, impressions, reactions, events of the day to make space for deep restorative sleep.

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Question: Why and how to set intentions?

Answer:

A unique aspect of Yoga Nidra is it is an intention-based practice. 

An intention is a direction that we consciously choose our life to move towards. Unlike a goal, an intention is based in the present moment, and it comes without attachment. It is not a destination, rather it is the way/path towards where we want to go.

In Yoga Nidra, we plant conscious intentions as seeds in the subconscious, which is where our habits/samskaras/attitudes arise from. 

Intentions can be changed based on the situation.

Make your intentions positive, resonating, concise, and in the present tense.

"I respond calmly"

"I am happy and beautiful just as I am"

"I let go of that which I cannot control"

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Question: Did I fall asleep?

Answer:

It is when we sleep at night that our body gets a chance to restore itself after a long day.

Yoga Nidra uses the biological process of sleep to allow us to move into slower and slower brain wave states consciously, where the magic of meditation happens. However, if the body is not rested, or has a backup of tension, then it will take care of restoring first before realizing the intention of meditative practice. So if you do fall asleep, that is all right.

 

With regular practice, you will find your body is able to find a level of conscious awareness even though you are in a deep state of meditation. 

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You may think you have "fallen" asleep because you did not hear my words, however, if you come out of the Nidra when I guide you out, then you were in a deep state of meditation where your subconscious mind and every cell of your body heard what I said.

In the deepest states of Yoga Nidra, there are gaps of nothingness.

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You may be aware that you are hearing everything I said, however, your mental body is relaxed and your subconscious is working on my words.

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The key is to do the practice and let go of any attachment to a particular experience. 

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Question: How will I feel after Nidra?

Answer:

Relaxed is the one emotion that most people feel immediately after a Nidra session.

However, depending on how the practice was for you, you may find emotions rising to the surface that you cannot explain - feeling lighter, happy, sad, anxious, angry, snappy.

One of the benefits of Yoga Nidra is that it is also deep clearing practice, things that are not serving us may be released, causing some anxiety. Without getting attached to it, just let what's going, to go. 

The effect may last up to 48 hours after the practice.

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Know, that you can always reach out to me if you want to discuss an experience you may have had during the practice.

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