Yoganidra, Vipassana and iREST




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 your 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.

Tips:

  • 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).

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

 

The original principles of Yoga Nidra (योग निद्रा) are deeply rooted in Tantric, Vedantic, and Yogic traditions. 

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.

The Mandukya Upanishad is foundational. It outlines four states of consciousness: Jagrat (waking); Svapna (dreaming); Sushupti (deep sleep); and 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.
While modern forms like iRest®  ( Dr. Miller) adapt these practices for therapeutic and secular use, the classical Yoga Nidra (Yogananda Saraswoti) practice is a profound spiritual method for awakening to the Self by guiding awareness through subtle layers of being.

  


iRest (Integrative Restoration) is a modern, evidence-based meditation and relaxation practice derived from Yoga Nidra, adapted for therapeutic use. It was developed by Richard Miller, PhD, a psychologist and meditation teacher, and is designed to help reduce stress, trauma, and insomnia while enhancing resilience, well-being, and self-awareness. Here’s a structured summary of its philosophy and practice:

Philosophy of iRest

  1. Non-Dual Awareness

    • iRest is rooted in non-dual traditions (Advaita Vedanta, Yoga Nidra).

    • The core idea is that suffering arises from identification with transient thoughts, emotions, and sensations.

    • Through iRest, one gradually recognizes the deeper, unchanging presence or awareness underlying all experiences.

  2. Acceptance and Allowing

    • Emphasizes accepting all internal experiences without judgment.

    • Rather than trying to control thoughts or emotions, iRest encourages letting them arise and pass naturally.

  3. Integration of Mind and Body

    • Views the body, emotions, thoughts, and spirit as interconnected.

    • Healing occurs when the mind is allowed to fully inhabit the body and acknowledge all sensations and feelings.

  4. Trauma-Sensitive Approach

    • iRest recognizes that unresolved trauma can block relaxation and inner peace.

    • Practices are designed to be gentle, gradual, and safe, supporting both psychological and physiological integration.

  5. Evidence-Based Benefits

    • Clinical research supports iRest for reducing stress, anxiety, depression, PTSD symptoms, insomnia, and chronic pain.

    • It combines contemplative wisdom with modern psychology and neuroscience.

Practice of iRest


iRest is typically practiced in a guided, step-by-step format, often lying down comfortably. Key components include:

  1. Body Scan and Awareness

    • Bringing attention systematically to different parts of the body.

    • Helps cultivate present-moment awareness and relaxation.

  2. Breath Awareness

    • Observing natural breath without trying to change it.

    • Breath serves as a bridge between mind and body and a tool for grounding.

  3. Sankalpa (Intention/Resolution)

    • Setting a short, positive intention or personal resolve.

    • This aligns practice with inner values and purpose.

  4. Emotional Integration

    • Noticing emotions and thoughts without judgment.

    • Encourages self-compassion and psychological integration.

  5. Experience of Wholeness / Witnessing

    • Moving from identification with particular experiences to observing awareness itself.

    • This helps uncover a sense of inner completeness and peace.

  6. Closing and Returning

    • Gradual transition back to ordinary consciousness.

    • Emphasizes carrying the sense of calm and clarity into daily life. 

 

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