Yoga + Nidra

There are many ways to understand a subject. But when a subject or a philosophy is written in a language called Sanskrit, a very important aspect of comprehension is to understand the word itself. By merely trying to decode the word, we unlock everything that is hidden inside. If we merely contemplate upon the word, the entire plethora of experiences that is assimilated, compounded, consolidated, is awakened in us. Or we become open to each one of them.

When we say “Yoga Nidra,” what is the meaning of the word, “Nidra?” Ordinarily, “Sleep.”

But it is incomplete if I just say that Nidra=sleep. There is so much more to it and we may be missing the point. There is also a prefix to this and that is “Yoga.”

When we say “Yoga,” and we try to find a parallel in English, it may be “union or yoking.” Or in simple words “coming together.” But that is not all there is. Because what is unique about Sanskrit, is that every single syllable has meanings. Every syllable—has 20 possible meanings/distinct vibrations. Whoa!

So, imagine when all these syllables are combined, how many combinations and permutations come together? And to compound it, the word has a root. This root becomes an inner compass, an anchor point.

The word, “Yoga,” is actually made up of four mantras, four seed sounds: yung, ung, gung, and aha. (Read more about this in my latest book, Yoga Ancient Heritage Tomorrow’s Vision.)

The root is yuj—which means yukti—“uniting”, “coming together,”—in a way to mean “dissolution,”— When 1+1 = none, that is real Yoga

It’s not the creation of a new entity/state; but in the dissolution of all possible pluralities, diversities, divisions, differentiation, and all possible individuations. That state is combined with Nidra, which means, “sleep.”

The word Nidra is composed of two parts: Ni and Dru. The prefix Ni means negation, nothingness, void, empty, dissolution and also absolute state. Dru means “to draw forth (from within).” Now let’s combine these two things. Ni + Dru. We ordinarily translate this word (Nidra) as sleep. Basically, it means, “to draw forth from within a state where there is negation of cognition. And that happens in deep, dreamless sleep.

Now there are many kinds of ways in which we can reach this state of sleep. Here are some examples:

1.Sleep of physical/mental/emotional exhaustion

2.Induced sleep with herbs/medicines/supplements

3.Sleep that is in case of depression/grief

4.Sleep with dreams

What I’m trying to say is when we simply say the word “sleep,” we do not realize that there are layers to it. But when we talk about Yoga Nidra, we are not talking about the sleep that is relaxation, dreaming, and the sleep that is just some sort of passing out, the sleep that is induced. We are talking about the realm of deep, dreamless, sleep.

We are talking about the state where there is cognition of all possible negations. Got the difference?

Ordinary sleep is negation of cognition. Yoga Nidra is cognition of all possible negations.

All this is deduced by simply deconstructing the word itself.

PREPARE FOR YOGA NIDRA WITH THESE THREE PRACTICES

Relax your Senses

Deep Tissue Relaxation

Guided Relaxation

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