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yoga nidra · Yoga Nidra, Swami Satyananda Saraswati (Bihar School of Yoga)

Yoga Nidra: Rotation of Consciousness

The classic full yoga nidra session — lying in shavasana while consciousness is systematically guided through the body, the breath, and a sequence of visualized images, all while a personal resolve (sankalpa) is planted at the threshold between waking and sleep.

The theory, briefly

Yoga nidra means "yogic sleep" — during the practice one appears to be asleep, but consciousness continues functioning at a deeper level of awareness. In this threshold state between sleep and wakefulness, the text describes spontaneous contact with the subconscious and unconscious becoming possible, because attention has turned inward, dissociated from external sense channels, without dropping into actual unconsciousness. The text explicitly relates this to pratyahara (sense-withdrawal) in Patanjali's system — a doorway toward the higher stages of concentration and samadhi.

The technique's signature method, systematic rotation of consciousness through named body parts, traces to the tantric practice of nyasa ("to place"), where mantras were traditionally placed at specific points of the body to consecrate it with awareness. Satyananda adapted this ritual technique into a purely mental practice: no touching, no mantra, just the mind moving rapidly from part to part on hearing each name spoken.

The other core mechanism is sankalpa — a short, positive, precisely-worded resolve planted at the start of the practice (while the mind is calm and receptive) and repeated at the end (to "irrigate" it). Because the practice reaches the subconscious directly, the text claims a resolve made here takes root more reliably than an ordinary intellectual decision, and recommends choosing one resolve and returning to the same wording every session rather than switching.

Choose a voice to begin

The practice

Full Yoga Nidra Session

25–35 minutes · Lying on the back in shavasana — body straight, legs slightly apart, arms a little away from the body, palms turned upward, eyes closed

  1. 1Lie down in shavasana, settle the body and clothing until completely comfortable, and close your eyes — there should be no physical movement for the rest of the practice.
  2. 2Silently resolve to remain fully awake and aware throughout, and commit to simply following the instructions without analyzing them, letting passing thoughts come and go without concern.
  3. 3Bring a feeling of stillness through the whole body from head to toe, mentally repeating "Om" a few times as a way of confirming that whole-body awareness.
  4. 4State your sankalpa — a short, positive, precisely worded resolve — silently to yourself three times, with full feeling and attention.
  5. 5Rotate awareness rapidly through the body in a fixed sequence: right hand and arm, right leg; left hand and arm, left leg; the back; the front and face; then the major regions (whole right side, whole left side, whole back, whole front, whole body together) — simply noting each part mentally as it's named, without concentrating hard or trying to visualize it.
  6. 6Shift attention to the natural breath without changing it, then count breaths backward from 27 to 1 at the navel, then again at the chest, then the throat, then the nostrils — restarting from 27 if you lose count at any stage.
  7. 7Let go of the breath-counting and receive a rapid sequence of visualized images (e.g. a burning candle, a desert, mountains, the sea) one after another, without dwelling on any single one.
  8. 8Repeat your sankalpa silently three times again, in the exact same words as before.
  9. 9Withdraw attention from the practice: become aware of natural breathing, then the whole body, then the room around you, mentally repeat "Om" a few more times, and lie quietly before slowly beginning to move, stretch, and eventually sit up and open your eyes.

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