Yoga Nidra.

Yoga Nidra is part of the Shiva Meditation practice that I teach. We had some very deep Shiva Meditation classes at Baja Soul Yoga this past weekend. Yoga Nidra is a pratyahara practice. Pratyahara means sense withdrawal. The purpose of the practice is to turn inward and let go of the outer world and even leave the body behind. Pratyahara is the fifth limb of Sage Patanjali’s Eight Limbed Yoga. Yoga Nidra teaches us to stay conscious as we move into a dream state. Tension releases from the subconscious part of our mind through; emotions, dreams, and old memories during the Yoga Nidra practice. Yoga Nidra is a very cleansing and healing practice. The practice also gives us the opportunity to plant the seeds of intentions much deeper than they might normally go if we just set our intentions consciously. Setting intentions is a big part of the Yoga Nidra practice. My teacher, Mr. Ramaswami’s teacher, Krishnamacharya, used to say that, “Yoga is the practice of replacing old patterns that aren’t serving you with new patterns that will lead you in a more positive direction.” What are your patterns? What are your habits? How does your mind get in the way of your growth?