How to stay awake during Yog Nidra?

- Kirti Tarang Pande
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Mandala Courtesy: Bhavana Agarawal, Instructor, Home Yogis' Home

At beginner’s level, it’s very common to fall asleep. That’s why at Home Yogis’ Home before initiating a practitioner into Yog Nidra, we start with ‘Antar Maun’ meditation. This prepares the mind of the practitioner how to rest in a relaxed awareness without falling asleep.

However, if you’re practicing ‘Antar Maun’ sincerely and regularly for some time and still struggling with staying awake, then I suggest that you try the following steps:

1. Take a cold shower before practice.

2. Instead of Shavasana, practice in a sitting posture with support to keep the spine straight.

3. Take a resolve before entering the practice- I will stay awake.

How to deal with falling asleep at beginner’s level?

With love, patience and acceptance.

Initially, while practicing Yog Nidra you will fall asleep. So don’t stress too much about. Just maintain this awareness that full benefits of Yog Nidra can only be experienced by staying awake. It is more powerful that way.

So, always enter the Yog Nidra with a resolve- “I will stay awake throughout the process”, eventually, this resolve with turn into reality.

However, till that happens, treat your mind and practice with love and patience. We are not training our mind, we are transforming it by becoming its friend and just hanging out with it.

If you are practicing it with a trained teacher, who have nothing to worry because a trained teacher knows- when you’re falling asleep and how to bring you back without pulling you out of deep relaxation.

If you’re practicing it with a recording, like the one on Home Yogis’ Home’s youtube channel, then a little effort is required from your side.

When you fall asleep while listening to it; let the recording play anyway. This will work at unconscious level. Then, replay the recording first thing in the morning after waking up, with direct attention. This will create a bridge between your unconscious and conscious mind.

In fact, Swami Satayananda Saraswati propounded this as a very effective learning method.

Want to know more? Read... 1. General guidelines for practicing Yog Nidra
2. What is Yog Nidra
3. Nyasa Tantra and Yog Nidra

On unrelated note, suggested reading:

1. Orgasm and Yoga

2. Yoga Kit for Surviving Heartbreak