Yoga Nidra, also known as the “sleep of the yogi / yogini”, is one of the numerous relaxation methods. To be more precise, Yoga Nidra is a Pratyahara practice. Pratyahara means something like “withdrawal of the senses” and is the fifth of the eight stages of Ashtanga Yoga according to Patanjali. In the Yoga Nidra units I lead, I follow the sequence developed by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, which is also taught at the Bihar School of Yoga in India. Yoga Nidra is generally practiced lying on your back, motionless, and lasts between 20 and a maximum of 60 minutes.

Fixed components are:

Preparation
Antar Mouna
Sankalpa
Nyasa
Immersion
Repetition Sankalpa
Ending

At the moment I mostly use Yoga Nidra in my breathing courses or in my Yin Yoga classes as a relaxation exercise at the end of the practice, but it is also an excellent method for freedivers and their mental training.