yoga nidra

[Ed]

Dear John,

May I ask your opinion about yoga nidra? I notice that this practice makes me very relaxed but doubt in how much it is effective in integrating charged emotions.
Yoga nidra claims to let 'you move deeper into a samskara, are better able to understand your reaction, and then ultimately can allow the samskara to release into the ocean of consciousness. At that point, it is no longer a deep impression. You are liberated from that samskara!'.

Do you think yoga nidra can be have a added benefit to your practices?

thanks,

Ed

[John Ruskan]

Technically, Yoga Nidra is supposed to be yogic sleep, and is practiced lying down. Benefits can be obtained from the deep relaxation. Meditation with specific EC intent should be done sitting up, since you are generally more alert. Yoga Nidra can be useful to access the subconscious; however, you may be too sleepy to take advantage of it and to apply the EC steps. See how it works for you. If you are able to process suppressed feelings coming up, then it is working.

Releasing the samskaras sounds good, but I don't think it happens just by going into the yoga nidra state. I would say there must be alert conscious awareness of the feeling and the EC process.

[Ed]

thank you for your quick response John!