Yoganidra, Vipassana and contemplative studies

Step-by-Step Traditional Yoga Nidra Practice rooted in classical texts and Tantric–Vedantic principles, particularly the kosha model from the Taittiriya Upanishad and the states of consciousness from the Mandukya Upanishad. A sacred journey from body awareness to pure consciousness (Turiya), traversing the five koshas and waking the inner seer (sākṣin). This version aims at spiritual awakening (moksha), not just relaxation.

Traditional Yoga Nidra – Step-by-Step (Kosha-Based)

PREPARATION

Posture: Lie in śavāsana (corpse pose), supported and still. Close the eyes gently.
Sankalpa (Spiritual Intention): Silently affirm your deepest life vow or soul desire. Keep it short, positive, and present-tense (e.g., “I abide in truth.”).
Common Ground: All aim at freedom from identification with the conditioned self and cultivation of non-reactive awareness (sākṣī bhāva / sati-paññā).
- Yoga: Sankalpa arises from dharma, the soul’s truth.
- Buddhism: Corresponds to right intention (sammā saṅkappa), part of the Noble Eightfold Path.
- Psychology: Intent setting activates executive functioning and neuroplastic encoding.
Example: “May I see things as they are.” “I rest as awareness.” “I am free.”

STEP 1: Annamaya Kosha — Physical Body Awareness

“This body, born of food, is the outermost sheath.” — Taittirīya Upaniṣad

Scan the body part by part: right foot, left foot, legs, abdomen, arms, head…
Notice weight, warmth, tension, stillness.
Do not analyze—just feel.

Purpose: Ground awareness and begin pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal).

Vipassanā Correlation:

Kāyānupassanā (mindfulness of the body) — observing posture, form, bodily sensations.
Cultivates direct embodiment and dissolves mental fixation.

Psychology:

Enhances interoceptive accuracy, grounding attention.
Body scan builds safety and self-contact—essential in trauma recovery.

STEP 2: Prāṇamaya Kosha

— Breath & Energy Awareness

“Inside the body is the sheath of prāṇa, the vital breath.”

Observe natural breath at the nostrils or belly.
Sense prāṇa (vital energy) flowing as light or vibration.
Feel the breath breathing you—effortless and constant.

Purpose: Balance energies and harmonize life-force.

Vipassanā Correlation:

Breath awareness is Ānāpānasati, foundational in all traditions.
In Satipaṭṭhāna, observing breath quiets the mind and sets up insight.

Psychology:

Modulates the autonomic nervous system.
Breath = gateway to nervous system regulation and mind-body synchrony

STEP 3: Manomaya Kosha — Mental–Emotional Awareness

“The mind is a sheath… with its waves of thoughts and feelings.”

Allow thoughts, feelings, memories to arise and dissolve.
Name them if helpful (“fear,” “joy,” “doubt”)—but do not get involved.
Welcome opposites: tension/relaxation, sadness/peace.

Purpose: Release unconscious material and cultivate witnessing (sākṣī bhāva).

Vipassanā Correlation:

Vedanānupassanā: observing pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral feeling tones (vedanā) as impermanent.
Training in equanimity (upekkhā).

Psychology:

Develops affect tolerance: allowing feelings without reaction.
Practices distress tolerance and emotion labeling—core to mindfulness-based therapies.

STEP 4: Vijñānamaya Kosha — Witnessing and Insight

“This is the sheath of wisdom and discernment.”

Notice subtle beliefs, identities, and perceptions (e.g., “I am unworthy”).
Invite their opposite truths (e.g., “I am whole”).
Rest in the witness of thoughts and impressions.

Purpose: Disidentify from conditioned mind and access buddhi (higher wisdom).

Vipassanā Correlation:

Cittānupassanā — mindfulness of mind states.
Recognizing craving, aversion, delusion (lobha, dosa, moha) as impermanent phenomena.

Psychology:

Similar to cognitive defusion (ACT) and meta-cognitive awareness.
Cultivates non-identification with beliefs, fostering flexibility and compassion.

STEP 5: Ānandamaya Kosha — Bliss and Stillness

“Deeper still is the sheath of bliss, where peace and joy arise.”

Let go of mental activity. Feel subtle joy, peace, stillness.
Rest in non-doing—just presence.
If thoughts arise, watch without involvement.

Purpose: Experience the bliss-body; cultivate proximity to Turiya.

Vipassanā Correlation:

Similar to states of pīti and sukha in deep jhāna (absorption) practice.
Yet Buddhism reminds: even bliss is impermanent and not-self.

Psychology:

Deep states of flow, non-dual presence, and spaciousness.
Encourages trust in inner resource and wholeness.

STEP 6: TURIYA— Pure Awareness

“Not inward-knowing, not outward-knowing… It is the Self, the end of all phenomena, peace, non-duality.”

“Not the waking, dream, or deep sleep state… It is the Self, the seer, the stillness.” — Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad

Ask gently: “What is aware of all this?”
Rest as Awareness itself—beyond body, breath, and mind.
There is no effort, no identity, only Being.

Purpose: Abide in the Self (Atman), the ultimate goal of Yoga.

Vipassanā Correlation:

Insight into anattā (not-self)—no center, no controller.
Leads to cessation (nirodha), where formations drop away.

Unified View:

Yoga: I am that Awareness (Atman/Brahman).
Buddhism: There is no abiding self—only arising and passing.
Both culminate in non-dual awareness beyond identification.

STEP 7: Return and Integration

Slowly bring awareness back to breath, body, room.
Recall your Sankalpa. Silently affirm it again.
Gently move fingers and toes. Open your eyes when ready.

Purpose: Integrate insight into waking life.

Unified Insight:

Yoga: integrate prajñā (direct wisdom) into life.
Buddhism: embody sammā sati (right mindfulness) and shila (right speech, action, and livelihood).
Psychology: carry forward insight into action and self-regulation.

KEY PRINCIPLES TO HONOR

Do not sleep: Stay aware while the body rests.
Welcome everything: There is no resistance.
Use your Sankalpa as a compass, not a goal.
Abide as Witness: You are not the body, mind, or emotion—you are the seer.

PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT

System	View of Self	Goal	Practice Lens
Yoga–Vedānta	True Self (Ātman) beyond body–mind	Liberation (mokṣa), realization of Self	Disidentification from koshas to abide in Turiya
Buddhism (Vipassanā)	No fixed self (anattā)	Liberation from clinging, insight into impermanence (anicca)	Mindful observation of sensations, mind, and emptiness
Modern Psychology	Constructed self-concept	Regulation, resilience, integration	Witnessing, non-reactivity, core belief restructuring

Common Ground: All aim at freedom from identification with the conditioned self and cultivation of non-reactive awareness (sākṣī bhāva / sati-paññā).

MAPPING: Yoga Nidra ↔ Vipassanā ↔ Psychology

Yoga Nidra Step	Vipassanā Anchor	Psychological Process
Body Scan	Kāyānupassanā	Interoception, grounding
Breath Awareness	Ānāpānasati	Autonomic regulation
Emotion Awareness	Vedanānupassanā	Emotional processing
Thought Witnessing	Cittānupassanā	Meta-cognition, reframing
Bliss/Stillness	Jhāna qualities	Flow, affective safety
Pure Awareness	Insight (Vipassanā)	Non-dual presence, awakening

CONCLUSION: A SHARED LANGUAGE OF FREEDOM

Both Yoga Nidra and Vipassanā:

Disentangle us from clinging to form, feeling, thought, and identity.
Cultivate non-reactivity, equanimity, and insight.
Reveal a deeper truth of being: whether framed as Atman (Self) or anattā (not-self), what matters is freedom from suffering.

“The Self is infinite, peaceful, eternal, untouched. Knowing this, the sage is free.” — Taittirīya Upaniṣad

The original principles of Yoga Nidra (योग निद्रा) are deeply rooted in Tantric, Vedantic, and Yogic traditions. While modern forms like iRest® adapt these practices for therapeutic and secular use, the classical Yoga Nidra practice is a profound spiritual method for awakening to the Self by guiding awareness through subtle layers of being.

ORIGINS AND TEXTUAL SOURCES

1. Tantra and Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra as a concept appears in Tantric scriptures, especially in relation to Goddess Yoga Nidra, a personified divine force who induces cosmic sleep.
The Devi Mahatmya (part of the Markandeya Purana) depicts Goddess Yoga Nidra resting on Vishnu during the cosmic dissolution (pralaya). She represents the latent power of consciousness that must awaken for creation to begin again.

2. Upanishadic Roots

The Mandukya Upanishad is foundational. It outlines four states of consciousness:
- Jagrat (waking)
- Svapna (dreaming)
- Sushupti (deep sleep)
- Turiya (the transcendent, ever-aware state)
Yoga Nidra is essentially a conscious journey through these states, particularly resting in awareness during the deep sleep state, to experience Turiya.

3. Hatha Yoga and Pratyāhāra

Classical Hatha Yoga texts like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and Gheranda Samhita speak of pratyāhāra (withdrawal of the senses) and laya yoga (dissolution of mind), which are key yogic processes in Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra aligns with the fifth limb of Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga: Pratyāhāra, the conscious inward turning of awareness.

ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLES OF TRADITIONAL YOGA NIDRA

1. Conscious Entry into Sleep (Nidra)

Yoga Nidra is not unconscious sleep, but conscious deep relaxation while awareness remains intact.
It trains one to remain awake while the body and mind descend into deep states of rest.

“Yoga Nidra is the state between waking and sleeping where awareness remains while the body and mind rest deeply.”

— Mandukya Karika, Gaudapada

2. The Journey Through Koshas (Sheaths)

Outlined in the Taittiriya Upanishad, the koshas represent layers of being:

Kosha	Layer	Yoga Nidra Engagement
Annamaya	Physical body	Body scan, stillness
Pranamaya	Energy body	Breath awareness
Manomaya	Mental-emotional	Welcoming thoughts/emotions
Vijnanamaya	Wisdom layer	Witnessing beliefs/perceptions
Anandamaya	Bliss layer	Feeling joy, spaciousness
Atman (not a kosha)	Pure Self	Turiya awareness

Yoga Nidra guides consciousness systematically through each kosha, helping release blockages and reveal the Atman, or Self.

3. Sankalpa (Spiritual Resolve)

A sacred intention or vow planted in the fertile ground of relaxed awareness.
It aligns with dharma (one’s soul-purpose).
Sankalpa is more than wishful thinking—it’s a seed of Self-remembering.

“Sankalpa shakti is the power of creation.”

— Yoga Vashistha

4. Laya and Turiya

Yoga Nidra uses Laya Yoga (absorption) to dissolve the egoic mind into deeper consciousness.
The goal is Turiya: pure witnessing, beyond time, space, and duality.
As described by Gaudapada in the Mandukya Karika, Turiya is:

“Neither inward nor outward knowing… unseen, ungraspable, indefinable… peace, bliss, non-duality.”

5. Witness Consciousness (Sākṣī Bhāva)

Cultivation of the observer (sākṣī) who is unaffected by bodily sensations, thoughts, or emotions.
Yoga Nidra strengthens this witnessing presence, breaking identification with fleeting experiences.

6. Shushupti with Awareness

Normally, in deep sleep (shushupti), there is no awareness.
Yoga Nidra cultivates “conscious deep sleep”, known in Vedic texts as jāgrat sushupti—the paradox of being awake in sleep.

🧾 TEXTUAL REFERENCES

Mandukya Upanishad & Karika – on states of consciousness and Turiya
Taittiriya Upanishad – koshas model of being
Devi Mahatmya – Goddess Yoga Nidra and cosmic sleep
Yoga Vashistha – laya, sankalpa, and dissolution of mind
Gheranda Samhita & Hatha Yoga Pradipika – pratyāhāra, laya yoga
Patanjali Yoga Sutras – esp. Sutra 2.54–2.55 on pratyāhāra

INTEGRATING TRADITIONAL YOGA NIDRA TODAY

Swami Satyananda Saraswati’s work: Yoga Nidra (1976) — which bridges classical and therapeutic views.
Mandukya Upanishad and Advaita Vedanta for a deeper framework.
iREST ( Miller)

Certainly. Here’s a summary of the core teachings of Swami Yogananda Saraswati, a spiritual master in the tradition of Kundalini Yoga and Tantra, often associated with the Bihar School of Yoga. His teachings blend classical yogic wisdom with practical psychological insight, emphasizing the awakening of inner potential through Yoga Nidra, meditation, discipline (tapas), and self-awareness.

Core Teachings of Swami Yogananda Saraswati

1. Yoga as Inner Transformation

Swami Yogananda emphasized that yoga is not merely physical but a complete science of mental, emotional, and spiritual purification. Yoga purifies the mind to reflect the Self more clearly.

❝*The real yoga begins when you close your eyes and turn inward.*❞

2. Yoga Nidra – The Yoga of Psychic Sleep

As a pioneer in systematizing Yoga Nidra, he taught that it is a doorway to deep relaxation, subconscious reprogramming, and even spiritual awakening when practiced properly.

❝*Yoga Nidra is the key to unlocking the storehouse of the subconscious mind.❞

❝In sleep we are unconscious; in Yoga Nidra we are aware of unconsciousness.*❞

Through sankalpa (resolve) and conscious withdrawal of the senses, one accesses deep states of consciousness that can transform one’s inner programming.

3. Kundalini – The Evolutionary Energy

Swami Yogananda Saraswati taught that Kundalini Shakti, the dormant spiritual energy at the base of the spine, is the source of divine potential in every human being. Awakening it requires purification of nadis and mental layers.

❝*Kundalini is not a myth. It is the dormant energy that needs to be awakened for complete evolution.*❞

He warned, however, that this process must be guided by discipline, ethics, and a qualified teacher.

4. Balance Between Śiva (Awareness) and Śakti (Energy)

Swami Yogananda emphasized the integration of polarities—consciousness and energy, masculine and feminine, stillness and dynamism—within oneself as the true goal of yoga.

❝*Yoga is the union of Śiva and Śakti within. When this happens, true wisdom arises.*❞

5. Discipline and Surrender (Tapas and Īśvarapraṇidhāna)

Consistent practice, simplicity in living, moderation in habits, and surrender to a higher wisdom were seen as the foundation stones of true yoga.

❝*Discipline is the bridge between your current self and your higher self.❞

❝Only when the ego dissolves does the inner Guru speak.*❞

6. Mind as Both the Obstacle and the Tool

He highlighted the paradox of mind: it creates illusion but also holds the key to liberation. Yoga, especially through pratyāhāra and dhyāna, helps transform it.

❝*Control of the mind is not suppression, but transcendence through awareness.*❞

7. Integration of Tantric and Vedantic Views

Yogananda Saraswati’s teachings were deeply influenced by non-dual Tantric philosophy: everything is divine, and liberation lies in transcending identification, not rejecting the world.

❝*Do not run away from the world. Transcend it by seeing the divine in all forms.*❞

8. Seva (Selfless Service) and Living Yoga

He often taught that meditation must translate into action: compassion, presence, and equanimity in daily life.

❝*Yoga is not what you do on the mat, but how you carry your silence into the world.*❞

✨ Summary in Principles

Principle	Teaching
Awareness	Be present with the inner world
Relaxation	Use Yoga Nidra to access subconscious transformation
Energy	Awaken Kundalini gradually and with reverence
Discipline	Be regular, moderate, and sincere in practice
Surrender	Trust in the higher force guiding your path
Integration	Embrace both body and spirit, action and stillness
Service	Let practice purify your ego and serve the world