Opening the doors of perception with Yoga nidra

Have you ever fancied achieving a blissful state of altered consciousness without having to rely on a trip of the chemical kind? Do you want to expand the capacity of your mind? Learn without effort? Reduce your inhibitions and improve your memory? Did you know that you can reach this altered state of consciousness and achieve all this by simply lying down for 20 mins?


The literal translation of Yoga nidra is 'yogic sleep'. Yoga Nidra is an ancient tantric method which can open new capacities of mind. It relates to a deep sleep state where the mind is deeply relaxed but with a wide open awareness and it is one of the deepest of all meditations, and brings an incredible calmness, quietness and clarity.

Yoga Nidra is a practice which leads awareness through many levels of mental process to a state of supreme stillness, receptivity and insight. Like all yoga practices it is the persistant practise that brings about real transformation and joy. It can be considered a form of meditation. However, in meditation you remain in the waking state of consciousness and gently focus the mind whilst allowing thought patterns, emotions and sensations to come and go. In comparison, in Yoga Nidra you leave the waking state, go beyond the dreaming state into a state similar to deep sleep, whilst remaining awake. It is a very powerful state for your brain to be in!

Yoga nidra is typically led by a qualified and trained teacher and lasts 15 mins to half an hour. You lie on the floor your back or, for some practices, sit in a meditation posture. And mentally follow the instructions that you teacher talks you through.

The practice induces brain waves that are predominantly delta (0.5 to 3.5 cycles per sec): the state of deep stillness and profound openess. When you first try yoga nidra you will experience the profound relaxation that the practice brings about. And you will almost certainly fall asleep! In fact, if you suffer from disturbed sleep patterns yoga nidra is a great way to balance and restore sleep patterns. However, at some point your practice will deepen and you will experience a moment, like a flash, where you experience the breathtaking depths of yoga nidra.

As in many yoga practices, you need to be patient. There is no right or wrong. If you fall asleep that is fine: and probably what you need at that time! Whilst this is not the ultimate state that yoga nidra aims for, it is certainly of benefit to mental and physical health and encourages the brain to slow down from its active aroused beta state (14 to 30 cycles per sec) to a calmer alpha wave range (8 to 13 cps).

The methods that take you up the ultimate yoga nidra state are, in themselves, very relaxing and help to train the mind. Common methods include:

1. progressive relaxation
2. body awareness
3. rotation of consciousness
4. summoning of emotions and states
5. control of physical states
6. visualisation
7. chakra work
8. breath awareness
9. sankalpas (affirmations) - a powerful method of reshaping your personality and experience of the world for the better

The term 'yoga nidra' actually refers to the state of consciousness that is achieved in the ultimate practice of the technique but it is often used erroneously to refer to the various methods listed above. It is the end state not the method that is eponymous.

The overall benefits of yoga nidra include:

• total relaxation of all systems of the body
• nervous and hormonal system efficiency
• enhanced health
• the ultimate way to de-stress (yoga nidra is HUGELY beneficial for the alleviation of stress)
• elminate insomnia
• mental and emotional relaxation

Educational innovators such as Dr Georgi Lozanov, a Bulgarian psychologist and the founder-director of the institute of Suggestopedy in Sofia, are now utilizing yoga nidra to create an atmosphere in which knowledge is gained without effort. Dr Georgi Lozanov, recognizing that the state of active and relaxed awareness in students awakens the desire to learn, improves memory and reduces inhibition, has devised methods for teaching/learning of foreign languages that are three to five times faster, with the use of relaxation and music. As the class proceeds, the students effortlessly assimilate an enormous amount of knowledge, which, under conventional classroom conditions, would surely precipitate strain, tiredness and loss of concentration.

Yoga nidra is being tapped internationally as a means of improving conscious recall thereby increasing memory function. Yoga nidra is a promising technique that will revolutionize the teaching procedures in the future by enabling students to assimilate knowledge without much effort. There are students who want to learn, but their conscious mind is weak or unreceptive. Such children with learning disabilities can benefit from yoga nidra by absorbing knowledge through the subconscious mind. Such children can be taught by transmitting symbolic forms directly into his subconscious.

Yoga Nidra has also been scientifically proven to reduce the 'psychosomatic' illnesses caused by the general under currents of tension that we live with:

• diabetes
• migraines
• asthma
• ulcers
• digestive problems

Yoga nidra will help you reach a deep state of releasing, relaxing and letting go: but really its bigger benefit is an emptying of oneself into wonder.

Sue Tupling of Embodied Living is qualified to teach and practice yoga nidra and is currently in training to teach the full practice.

More reading on Yoga Nidra

1. Yoga nidra on Wikipedia

Decisions that are truly exhausting

Have you ever realised what a rabid monkey your brain is? Running amok wild and crazy through the branches of the trees in your mind. Have you ever been still enough to realise what tricks it gets up to and what considerable energy it uses. Constantly commenting on this or that. Putting interpretations on things, making judgements - good or bad, right or wrong, like or dislike, nice or nasty, etc etc.

This constant need to comment, to judge is the default operation of our minds. It gives us a way to make sense of the world, gives us an illusion of control. However, when the mind has become still; when its fluctations and disturbances have ceased and the waves of activity have become still like a windless still sea, its natural tendency is to observe. To remain a dispassionate observer - a witness consciousness. This is a mind that, when something happens externally that might provoke a reaction of extreme pleasure or displeasure in someone else, says "We'll wait and see". It is a state of mind that is simply not interested in deciding 'this or that' but is content to 'be'.

Far from being a way to disconnect from the world, or dissociate ourselves from feelings; it is a way of living deeper , more embodied with our whole self and with far more energy and health. There is a lovely zen story to illustrate this:

There once was an old farmer, who lived in a remote region of the mainland, where the terrain is rough and the villagers manage to eek out a meager existence only through hard work and the grace of God. One day someone left the gate open on the farmer's pasture, and his only horse ran away. Now this was a very grave situation, indeed, as in these parts it is said that one horse is worth ten sons or the earnings of a lifetime. The villagers, hearing of this great loss, came to console the farmer. With pity in their eyes of those who are glad it did not happen to them, the villagers shook their heads and moaned in unison that the running off of a horse is a terrible thing. The farmer, who was very wise, accepted their consolations, and shaking his head, muttered calmly, "We'll just wait and see."

Within a week the horse had returned, bringing with it three wild ponies of such magnificence only heard of in the ancient fables. The villagers all came to witness and marvel at these wondrous creatures, and some brought gifts in the hope of incurring favor as now the farmer was a very rich man. With envy in their eyes, the villagers applauded the farmer for his good fortune. But the farmer appeared unmoved, and showing neither pride nor excitement, accepted their blessings, stating calmly, "We'll just wait and see."

Three days later, after the villagers had gone home, the farmer's only son was out breaking in the new ponies. But their magnificence was matched by an unexpected strength, and the second pony threw and trampled the farmer's son, leaving him near dead with two broken legs. There were tears in the old peasant's eyes as he carried his child off the field. The son survived the critical period, and his bones were set, but as the villagers gathered to hear the news and lend support, the doctor could not pronounce if the son would ever walk again. With eyes like smug rodents whose faith in themselves is confirmed when ill fortune attends to a lucky man, the villagers shook their heads, lamenting what a tragedy had occurred for the farmer, who now had a cripple for a son. The old farmer thanked them for their concern and condolences, calmly saying, "We'll just wait and see."

The farmer's son did begin to recuperate, but it took a long time. The farmer was now poorer than ever, as he had no son to accompany him in the fields, and no one wanted to buy the ponies because they were afraid. Yet, by the help of occasional gifts and his own labor, he managed to gather just enough to feed his family, always giving the best of whatever he had to his son to encourage his recuperation. During this time the other villagers flourished as much as poor villagers can, and as those who are better off are wont to do, they were generous with their sympathy for the farmer for having a crippled child.

For no reason that had anything to do with the village, the king from his palace far off in the capital city declared war on a neighboring country. That was how it came to be that in the spring, just as the old farmer's son was taking his first steps, the government officials appeared with orders to conscript all the able-bodied young men into the army. The only son in the entire village who was not drafted was the old farmer's.

"How lucky you are, old man! We are sending our children, our very seed off to war, probably to die," one or another of the villagers yelled out as they bade farewell to their departing sons. Full of tears, their eyes showed no particular emotion toward the farmer, so overcome were they with their own grief.
The farmer watched the leave-taking, and his heart went out to the villagers as he was a kind and compassionate man. So, he answered softly, "We'll just wait and see."

One of the main ways in which we can start to regain some order and peace over the crazy monkey of the mind is through meditation. However even simple sitting is hard for many beginners as the mind is so busy. So a though record diary can be a real help to at least make you aware of what the mind is up to. This simple daily chart will allow you to monitor and track your 'ticker-tape' thoughts and is the first step in regaining control of the mind (the final aim being that you can 'let go' and let the 'embodied mind' just 'be' - but there is some work to be done before that can happen. It's a lovely process though!

Next post will be on the subject of Yoga Nidra - another way to still and deepen the mind's peace.

Related posts:

• Let go and Improve your Relationships
• Be Less Attached

Relax and You'll Perform Better

I recently did an analytical modeling project on a friend of mine who is an international speaker /trainer with a talent for running successful seminars. The technique that I use in my modeling of human 'excellence' elicits the person's experience, behaviour, beliefs, strategies and emotions as they do the exemplary behaviour.


In this high performance state, my friend has a clear 'sustaining emotion' without which he cannot do the ability. He called this state 'enlivened relaxation'. A state in which he feels vibrant, alive, vital yet very relaxed. He is focused on being in the moment and on the others in the class, rather than being 'self' conscious. In fact this state is similar to the underlying state in a study that I did on high performing aerospace engineers - they had a sense of challenge, the rush of adrenaline and feeling energised, coupled with a sense of relaxed awareness.

Physiologically, this state brings numerous benefits in high performance situations. The sympathetic (active) and parasympathetic (passive) nervous systems are in balance. So our heart rate is coherent , our brain waves are predominantly alpha (creative, clear thinking state) and our breathing is smooth and rhythmic. We have abundant energy that is optimised and conserved by the system and we are in peak performance (or flow) state.


Well known by sports people, creatives and performers, the balance of activity and passivity that is achieved in this state ensures that mind and body are in union and 'interference' is minimal. The Refocuser blog has a great article on flow state. According to Refocuser, Bruce Lee was an ardent believer in the flow state (he referred to it as wu-hsin, flow’s Cantonese counterpart) and stated, "The consciousness of self is the greatest hindrance to the proper execution of all physical action" (Tao of Jeet Kune Do, p7). He believed that "physical stoppage", or the opposite of wu-hsin, could create many problems for a martial artist, as it would almost always result in hesitation and self-doubt.

Here are some tips for getting to the peak state:

1. Release the breath. Free your diaphragm by breathing deep, smooth even breaths in and out, extending your lungs. Inhalation is tension and exhalation is freedom, the body and mind let go. On each exhale the mind becomes quieter, and the work can begin.




2. Focus on relaxing. This applies particularly to the areas of the body where we clench, stiffen and resist. By relaxing the body, we relax the brain. Relax your jaw, notice how this helps to relax your neck. Feel the face relax and space being created around the temples. Let your tongue release from its position pinned against the roof of the mouth, and lie in the lower palet. Feel your brain relax!




3. Notice your eyes. Tenseness of the eyes affects the brain. We are usually left brain driven, the logical, controlling brain is always trying to do, achieve, stay busy. Our eyes become narrow, screwed and our brow furrows in this 'trying' and striving. Relax your eye muscles and let your eyes become wide and open; soft and almost sinking back into your skull. Use your foveal vision rather than the focused lens-like vision - so that your awareness is wide angled. Be spreading our occular awareness from the back of your temples the back brain is more active. This is the synthesising, holistic brain (rather than the analytical and mechanical brain) - and when you take action with this part of the brain active it is luminous, filled with sensitivity and electric energy.

This is 'effortless effort' where lightness , wide open awareness and peak state prevails.

Related posts:

1. Extend to Freedom


2. Tapping into your Body Intelligence

Extend to freedom

Through asana (posture & movement with breath) we develop sensitivity of body awareness; training the body to develop and extend its consciousness and allow the mind to drop into this expandedness.

Simple movement to begin; mountain standing posture and raising & lowering the arms with the in and out breath . Movement originates in the core (hara) and extends to the periphery.

A core sequence of postures develop emotional and physical core stability:
- down dog
- standing forward bend
- warrior I
- tree
- seated forward bend

Working up through these, with guidance from a trained teacher, until we can hold them for 3-5 mins. Thus through the body, we strengthen the ego.

Each movement sequence into and out of the posture is an art. Moving mindfully; teasing fascia, encouraging muscles, tendons and bone, we extend into the body. And the breath expands into every nerve and cell in the body .

We feel the extension into the limits of our skin and feel the brain of the skin connect to the brain of the gut (enteric nervous system ) . The body brain sing to the Cranial brain a sweet, sweet harmony. Our nerves tingling and alive with energy; energy flowing freely.

By extending ourselves physically and emotionally in these postures, we open our nerves and brain pathways to new ways of being. Extension is freedom; and in this freedom we can deeply release and relax.

Tapping into your body intelligence

We live busy, stressed lives which means many of us are living in alienation and fragmentation with ourselves and others.

Embodied living is about bringing all levels of ourself into alignment and harmony (we are like an onion, with many layers or sheaths) with one another; bringing us to integration and wholeness. Freedom is the ultimate goal, a blissful worry-free existence of integration and balance.

To begin we must repair the schizm between the physical body and the mind. Many people use their bodies so little, or with such lack of awareness, that they lose sensitivity of bodily awareness. However consciousness itself originates in our bodies and without this awareness we are only using a tiny atom of vast intelligence and sensitivity available to us.

In Embodied Living we initially work through the body to change the mind. First, stress must be overcome and resilience built. When we are thus energised yet relaxed we are ready for the exploration.

Then, by bringing the sensitivity of the body and the intelligence of the brain and the heart into harmony we begin to tap into a fuller consciousness.

The cranial brain becomes more receptive, our consciousness evolves and we reach our soul. The higher levels of Embodied Living open us up to deep bliss, wholeness and connection with ourselves and the world. But the foundations are built in the physical body.

By extending our physical body we expand our mind. This helps us develop a sensitivity and receptivity toward life which we are yet only dimly aware.

The Importance of Ego

In Embodied Living, like many self transcendence programmes, we are ultimately aiming for egolessness. However, and here is the paradox; egolessness simply cannot be achieved without a healthy and well-developed ego in the first place. In black and white terms, I guess there is 'good' ego and 'bad' ego.

Bad ego is embodied in that egotistical person that we all know who is so sure of him/herself, arrogant (even if this is 'couched' in a seemingly high sense of admiring others) to a point of simply not being able to recognise when he is in the wrong. I guess we all know one person like this. The twist here is that, quite often, these people actually have self-esteem issues, and the 'big' ego is hiding this.

Weak ego is often present when people show the following:

1. over idolising someone else


2. over protective of oneself - fearful of making mistakes, or of being vulnerable. This manifests in someone who is quick to criticise or cut others down, or often makes judgements of others


3. being attached to being of service - martyring oneself to others/ a cause in order to have a sense of self (ie the wife slavishly serving a family to the detriment of her own health and wellbeing)

'Good' ego has a stamp of humility, service to others, magnanimous behaviour. The person who appreciates themselves or others, despite recognising failings and weaknesses.

In Embodied Living we can develop ego through working with the body and the centres of intelligence in the energy centres and the enteric nervous system, the heart and the brain, thereby integrating the nervous system. The stronger the core ego, the greater ability we have to live fully and deeply in the world, without it buffeting and throwing us about like we are in a storm.

Related to ego are two terms that often get confused. Self-confidence and self-esteem. People can be very self-confident, yet lack self-esteem. Quite often the former is used to make up for the latter. Self-confidence comes from experience and having the skills and successes behind you to do the job. If you practice public speaking and build up a bank of positive experiences, you will be confident.

However, self-esteem is something deeper. It is a sense of valuing yourself for just being alive, feeling worthy and accepting yourself unconditionally. This comes from our childhood. And we can develop it later, if we missed out earlier on in our lives.

Let go and improve your relationships

Have you ever found that what you most want often comes to you just at the point when you let of wanting it so much?

Think about the time you forgot someone's name or when you misplaced your car keys. Last weekend I was attending a course and the trainer wanted to know the name of a wonderful man I had studied with recently. 'Phillip .......' I replied and could not recall his all important surname. The harder I tried, the more I knew it would not come. So I gave myself permission to let go of trying to remember. As soon as I truly let go, lo and behold, his name popped straight into my head!

A recent article in Scientific American's Mind magazine posits that relinquishing power over oneself appears to thwart overthinking and “liberate” people for more authentic relationships. We admire people who show determination and have the will power to succeed at what they do. We look up to those who have the self discipline to get up early to run 2 miles, or avoid eating chocolate or drinking too much wine. Self control is cherished and applauded and we try to install such things in our children. Too much self control and will power has a downside and relinquishing personal power can be a tonic for our times.

The article highlights some research that shows when we have less power over self control we are less inhibited, more candid and more authentic. Which works wonders in our relationships with our selves and others.

Read Try a Little Powerlessness .