Yoga Nidra therapy is a powerful healing tool
and is ubiquitous in yoga therapy. This is because it is an
ultimate method of inducing profound relaxation and deep rest.
Resting the body-mind is the fundamental basis on which true
and deep healing takes place. Most people find it extremely
difficult to rest deeply, especially when they are ill. Many
people will not even take time off from work during an illness
because of commitments, or because they are so driven. This
in turn may lead to more complex and difficult to manage disease
situations.
In therapeutic situations the rest and relaxation
inducing power of Yoga Nidra is used as a basis to introduce
other healing processes. In yoga therapy, we combine Yoga Nidra
with an understanding of Ayurveda and tantra. In particular,
we use tantric techniques to release energy for healing. We
access the five elements (tattwas) earth, water, fire, air and
space in different ways in order to cleanse, strengthen and
rebalance the body-mind.
Yoga Nidra can be applied as both a primary
therapeutic tool in certain situations, and as an adjunctive
treatment for many acute and chronic physical and psychological
disease conditions. These conditions include heart disease,
high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, digestive problems of
all kinds, arthritis, other chronic degenerative conditions,
and some acute conditions, such as coughs and colds.
Yoga Nidra is also particularly useful as a
tool to recuperate from exhaustion, to manage stressful situations
of all kinds, and to manage pre- and post-surgical conditions.
Yoga Nidra therapy has two main stages:
1. The first stage induces a relaxed state of body-mind. This
stage is common in all Yoga Nidra practice. The body has the
potential to heal itself but requires the correct conditions
to allow healing to proceed. The primary condition required
for healing is deep rest. The process of inducing deep rest
begins with the use of a positive resolution, a resolve that
consciously articulates our desire to heal ourselves. Then rotation
of awareness through the parts of the body is performed, which
is a simplified form of nyasa. Rotation of awareness creates
whole body relaxation. This is followed by awareness of and
manipulation of the breath which powerfully relaxes the nervous
system and the thinking mind.
2. The second stage is the use of processes
that can either be general healing strategies appropriate for
the majority of people, or strategies that are specific to the
condition being treated. In specific disease conditions the
yoga therapist must know about the condition they are dealing
with, and must understand its nature and its usual progression.
This gives the therapist the understanding required to initiate
proper treatment.
The second stage of Yoga Nidra therapy may employ
tactics and techniques such as specific forms of breathing,
and instructions to induce feeling-states that rebalance the
basic elements of the body-mind. For example, inducing the feeling
of heaviness activates the earth and water elements that may
be required when a person is feeling ungrounded or anxious.
Inducing lightness activates the air and space elements that
may be useful when a person is feeling stuck, heavy or depressed.
Techniques that work with feelings of heat and cold, pleasure
and pain, and thoughts, including memories, attitudes and held
beliefs are also employed.
Another important part of therapeutic Yoga Nidra
is the use of visualization to create positive images while
placing the awareness on affected parts of the body. Positive
awareness injects energy for healing into those parts.
--Dr.
Shankardev Saraswati
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