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Yoga Nidra vs Meditation
Yoga Nidra is done lying down, guided by a teacher's voice. In the Satyananda tradition it is a pratyahara practice: the senses withdraw while awareness stays awake. Seated meditation asks for steady concentration, the dharana and dhyana that follow pratyahara in Patanjali's eight limbs. At the ashram, the Yoga Nidra Foundation course is the place to start.
Meditation
What is the difference between Yoga Nidra and meditation?
The main differences are posture, guidance and effort. In Yoga Nidra you lie still in shavasana and follow a voice, so there is nothing to hold; awareness simply moves where it is led. In meditation you usually sit upright and keep your own attention steady on one point, which asks for more effort and practice.
| Compared | Yoga Nidra | Meditation (dharana, dhyana) |
|---|---|---|
| Posture | Lying in shavasana, or sitting in a comfortable chair | Usually sitting upright and still |
| Guidance | Led all the way by a teacher's voice, live or recorded | Taught by a teacher, then often practised in silence |
| Effort | Relax and follow; nothing to hold | Steady, one-pointed attention |
| Aim | Rest with awareness, between waking and sleeping, and contact with the subconscious | A mind held steady on one point, deepening into meditation |
| In Patanjali's eight limbs | Pratyahara, withdrawal of the senses | Dharana and dhyana, which come after pratyahara |
The tradition
Is Yoga Nidra a form of meditation?
Yes, in the Satyananda tradition it is one of the Meditations from the Tantras: pratyahara practices that withdraw awareness from the senses and turn it inward, step by step. It is also called psychic sleep meditation. The ashram teaches the others too, such as Antar Mouna, Ajapa Japa, Tratak and Chidakasha Dharana, each as its own course.
Read about each one: Meditations from the Tantras, Antar Mouna and Chidakasha Dharana.
Sleep
Is Yoga Nidra the same as sleep?
No. In sleep, awareness is lost. In Yoga Nidra the body rests while the mind stays awake and aware, in the state between waking and sleeping that usually comes by chance, for two or three minutes, as we wake or fall asleep. Falling asleep in the practice is common at first, and Yoga Nidra does not replace a night's sleep.
Staying awake is a skill. The Yoga Nidra course, online or at the ashram, teaches both how to get good sleep with Yoga Nidra and how to stay awake during it.
NSDR
What is the difference between Yoga Nidra and NSDR?
NSDR, non-sleep deep rest, is a term the neuroscientist Andrew Huberman coined as a plain name for Yoga Nidra; it now also covers other kinds of deep relaxation. Many people meet Yoga Nidra as a short relaxation. Practised in full, as the Satyananda tradition teaches it, it includes the sankalpa, visualisation and work with the subconscious mind.
How the term began, and why NSDR is not a replacement for sleep: Sleep Foundation, What is non-sleep deep rest?
Shavasana
Is Yoga Nidra the same as shavasana?
No, though they share a posture. Shavasana is the pose of lying flat on the back, and the relaxation done in it. Yoga Nidra is usually practised in shavasana, but it adds a guided structure in eight stages: internalisation, sankalpa, rotation of consciousness, breath, opposite sensations, visualisation, the sankalpa again and externalisation.
Each stage, step by step: what is Yoga Nidra.
Vipassana
How is Yoga Nidra different from Vipassana?
They come from different traditions. Vipassana is a Buddhist insight meditation, usually practised sitting, often on silent residential courses. Yoga Nidra comes from the Tantras, through Swami Satyananda Saraswati, and is practised lying down with a guiding voice. The ashram's retreats are not silent Vipassana-style retreats: silence is kept from 9 pm to 9 am.
What a retreat day here includes: meditation retreats in India.
Beginning
Which should I start with?
If you are new, Yoga Nidra is an easy way in: lying down, you do not have to worry about how you are sitting. The Yoga Nidra Foundation course, online or at the ashram, is the place to start. Antar Mouna also welcomes beginners, as does the 1-week Meditations from the Tantras retreat.
Yoga Nidra Foundation Course
Five sessions of an hour and a half, online or at the ashram, or as a recorded package.
1-Week Yoga Nidra Retreat
Yoga Nidra in the afternoons, asana and pranayama in the mornings, at the ashram.
1-Week Meditations from the Tantras Retreat
One or two of the tantric meditations in depth, for beginners and experienced practitioners alike.
Questions about Yoga Nidra and meditation
Is Yoga Nidra better than meditation?
Neither is better; they do different work. Yoga Nidra is rest with awareness, guided and lying down. Meditation trains a steady, one-pointed mind. In Patanjali's eight limbs, pratyahara comes before dharana and dhyana.
Can Yoga Nidra be done sitting?
Yes. It is usually done lying in shavasana, but you can also practise it sitting in a comfortable chair.
Do I need a teacher for Yoga Nidra?
Begin with a teacher or a recording: the voice holds your awareness, so you do not have to remember the steps. The ashram's teacher training asks for one to two years of steady practice without a recording.
Is NSDR the same as Yoga Nidra?
Not exactly. NSDR began as a plain name for Yoga Nidra and now also covers other kinds of deep relaxation. The full Satyananda practice includes the sankalpa and visualisation.
Where does Yoga Nidra come from?
From the Meditations from the Tantras. Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a direct disciple of Swami Sivananda of Rishikesh, rediscovered it and simplified it. It is the hallmark of the Satyananda Bihar School of Yoga.
Where can I learn Yoga Nidra and meditation?
At Shankar Prasad Ashram near Gokarna: the Yoga Nidra Foundation course, online or at the ashram, the 1-week Yoga Nidra retreat, and the Meditations from the Tantras courses and 1-week retreat.
Please note. Yoga, Yoga Nidra, pranayama and the Ayurvedic guidance described here are practices for wellbeing. They are not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and they do not replace your doctor or therapist. Please do not stop or change any medicine or treatment because of a course. If you have a medical or mental health condition, are pregnant, or are unsure whether a practice is right for you, speak to your doctor first and tell the teacher before you join.