Yoga Nidra is not concentration
In yoga nidra, concentration is not necessary — quite the opposite, it should not be attempted. Simply let the mind move from point to point, and be aware of every experience. In trying to concentrate in yoga nidra, you come to learn the natural flow of awareness which carries the mind ever deeper into the Self.
It doesn't matter whether you hear the teacher's instructions or not. Even if you are dreaming of something else entirely, the teacher's suggestions will still act upon the subconscious. It is natural for a yoga nidra practitioner to miss some of the instructions, because during the practice the conscious mind very often withdraws, and the subconscious comes to the fore. Whatever is being said then becomes fixed within it. Whether you practise yoga nidra with a teacher, or listen to a recording of a class, and your mind drifts and wavers, it makes no difference.
In yoga nidra, it does not matter whether you achieve calm. Even if, during the practice, your mind is full of anxiety and worry, fantasy and imagination, it makes no difference. If you are shaken and unsettled, it makes no difference. Even if you are mentally tormented, it makes no difference. In yoga nidra, what matters most is simply surrendering to the teacher's instructions and perceiving whatever experience may arise with complete awareness and detachment.
Yoga Nidra, Swami Satyananda Saraswati
Piyush Mittal
Nirmala Institute of Yoga and Ayurveda
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Piyush Mittal
· Founder of the InstituteTeacher of Integral Yoga, expert in traditional Ayurveda, and practitioner of Marma point therapy. For years he has combined authentic, source knowledge from India with a modern understanding of health and human development.
