Yoga Nidra Meditation: The Sleep of the Sages — Mysticism

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Yoga Nidra Meditation: The Sleep of the Sages

Name: Yoga Nidra Meditation: The Sleep of the Sages
Price: 16.95 USD
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ISBN: 9781620556771

✍️ Bonnasse, Pierre

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

This insightful guide delves into the ancient Indian practice of Yoga Nidra, often called the "sleep of the sages." It offers a structured approach to exploring the subtle realms of wakefulness, dreaming, and deep sleep while maintaining alert awareness. Through detailed instruction on postures, breathwork, and guided meditations, readers learn to consciously observe and address emotional, mental, and energetic blockages. Bonnasse provides a pathway to profound relaxation, inner tranquility, and self-discovery, complete with practical sessions for immediate application.

Bonnasse, Pierre

📚 all books by this author (3) →

🌌

Mysticism

Praise for this book

“Pierre Bonnasse's Yoga Nidra Meditation is no glib self-help book about using modern yoga nidra--the practice of visualizing images, having awareness of breath, and remaining immobile while in a lucid, sleep-like state--for getting rid of stress and anxiety.”

— Elliott Goldberg, author of The Path of Modern Yoga

🏛 Inner Traditions International 📅 2017 📖 160 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781620556771

Fun Fact

Pierre Bonnasse's "Yoga Nidra Meditation" serves as an excellent entry point for those serious about inner exploration. It excels in demystifying this profound practice, offering clear, actionable guidance and complete sessions. While not a deep dive into advanced philosophical esoterica, it provides a solid foundation for practical application. Those seeking purely academic or historical treatises might find it too practical, but for experiential seekers, this is an invaluable guide.

📝 Description: Yoga Nidra Meditation: The Sleep of the Sages

A practice to consciously explore wakefulness, dreaming, deep sleep, and the very structure of your emotional, mental, and energy bodies - Details the simple postures of Yoga Nidra, breathing exercises and guided meditations, and tips for maintaining awareness in the liminal state that precedes sleep - Explains how Yoga Nidra allows you to explore different states of consciousness and any blockages in the emotional, mental, and energy bodies - Includes four complete sessions as well as pointers for creating your own sessions Known as the "yoga of conscious sleep," Yoga Nidra is an ancient Indian practice that allows you to consciously explore the states of wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep as well as your own psyche by combining deep relaxation with attentive awareness. Stemming from Hindu, Buddhist, and Tantric philosophies, the practice--which could be called the "sleep of the sages"--centers on techniques for putting the mind and body to sleep while keeping your consciousness alert. Through Yoga Nidra you can directly observe and understand specific physiological, emotional, and mental processes within yourself as well as experience moments of great inner tranquility, joy, and well-being. Providing a step-by-step guide to Yoga Nidra, Pierre Bonnasse offers a full range of practices focused on the time of awakening and that of going to sleep, yet adaptable to any time of day or night. He details the simple postures of Yoga Nidra and includes preparatory techniques that work with breath and guided meditations to help you become an attuned observer of your inner world. Offering tips for withdrawing the senses and maintaining awareness in the liminal state that precedes sleep, the author explores how all practices in this discipline begin with a phase of relaxation and observation of breathing, followed by immersion into a very subtle awareness of the physical, energy, and mental bodies. He explains how Yoga Nidra sessions allow you to discover "that which is held on to," making it is easier to let go and become free from all states and processes. A session can explore different states of consciousness as well as your senses, desires, and fears. The higher states of more advanced sessions focus on the energy body and its components: the chakras, nadis, and pranavayu, the vital breath and autonomic functions of the body. Including four complete sessions as well as pointers for creating your own, Bonnasse shows how Yoga Nidra offers positive, stabilizing, and therapeutic effects for the body, emotions, and thoughts. It is the ideal practice for getting rid of stress, anxiety, and the fear of death the source of all other fears. Connecting Indian and Western philosophical ideas, the author shows how sleep can be an opportunity to practice a form of yoga that changes not only our nights but every minute of our days.

📑 What's inside

PREFACE
Yoga Nidra: A Journey into the States of Matter, Consciousness, and the Joy of Being
INTRODUCTION Indian Philosophy and the Limbs and Paths of Yoga
PART I The Philosophy of Yoga Nidra
The Origins of Yoga Nidra
States of Consciousness
Who Am I?
The Sheaths of the Being
Awareness, Energy, Elements, and States of Matter
Qualities of Sleep
An Approach to Indian Psychology
The Manifestation of Phenomena
The Energy System in Yoga
The Phenomenal World and Constructions of the Mind
The Unconscious Mind
Fears, Desires, and Suffering
Sleep and Death
PART II The Practice of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra as a Practice
The Limbs of Yoga According to the Nidra Tradition
Preparatory Exercises
Exercises for Falling Asleep
Exercises for the Night
Exercises for Waking Up
Yoga of Dreams--Svapna Yoga
Protocol for Yoga Nidra
The Art of Living in Total Awareness
Fields of Application for Yoga Nidra
The Ultimate Surrender
PART III
Putting Yoga Nidra into Practice
Four Practice Sessions Micro-Practices
Session 1: Blue Star (Nilatara Yoga Nidra)
Session 2: Contemplation of the Elements (Mahabhuta Visarga Yoga Nidra)
Session 3: From the Sound AUM to Non-contact (Pranava Asparsha Yoga Nidra)
Session 4: The Art of Dying (Marana Yoga Nidra)
Practices to Inspire and Create Your Sessions
APPENDIX "The Taste of Yogic Sleep" An Interview with Pierre Bonnasse
Notes Suggested Readings Index

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Pierre Bonnasse delivers a clear, instructional manual that demystifies Yoga Nidra for the modern seeker. The text excels in providing structured guidance on postures and breathwork, making the practice approachable for immediate application. However, readers seeking rigorous academic analysis of Vedic texts or complex metaphysical theory may find this work too practical and light on scholarly depth. It is not suited for those who prefer abstract philosophy over tangible, step-by-step meditation techniques. This is a functional guide for experiential learning rather than theoretical study. The tone remains warm and inviting, focusing on personal transformation through conscious sleep. Ultimately, it succeeds as a user-friendly resource for spiritual growth, though it lacks the historical density expected by serious scholars of Indian philosophy.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers seeking a gentle yet profound entry into the world of conscious sleep will find immense value in this accessible guide. It is ideal for those feeling overwhelmed by modern life and craving a structured path to inner tranquility without the rigidity of intense physical yoga. By mastering the sacred art of Yoga Nidra, you unlock deep relaxation and self-discovery through practical sessions on breathwork and posture. This book serves as a compassionate companion for anyone wishing to address emotional blockages and explore the subtle realms between wakefulness and dream states while maintaining alert awareness. It offers immediate applicability, making it perfect for beginners or seasoned practitioners looking to deepen their understanding of the 'sleep of the sages.'

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.6/5

★★★★★

For seekers eager to explore the hidden dimensions of consciousness and unlock deeper self-understanding. If you're drawn to practices merging profound relaxation with acute awareness, or wish to address inner blockages with a gentle yet powerful method, this book is an essential companion.

Reader rating

4.6

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

Pierre Bonnasse delivers a clear, instructional manual that demystifies Yoga Nidra for the modern seeker. The text excels in providing structured guidance on postures and breathwork, making the practice approachable for immediate application. However, readers seeking rigorous academic analysis of Vedic texts or complex metaphysical theory may find this work too practical and light on scholarly depth. It is not suited for those who prefer abstract philosophy over tangible, step-by-step meditation techniques. This is a functional guide for experiential learning rather than theoretical study. The tone remains warm and inviting, focusing on personal transformation through conscious sleep. Ultimately, it succeeds as a user-friendly resource for spiritual growth, though it lacks the historical density expected by serious scholars of Indian philosophy.

❓ Frequently asked questions

Yoga Nidra involves a deliberate cultivation of awareness during a state of deep relaxation, unlike unconscious sleep. It's about maintaining an alert consciousness while the body and mind are at rest, allowing for intentional exploration of inner states.

Absolutely. By consciously observing your emotional and mental landscape during the practice, Yoga Nidra provides a unique opportunity to identify, understand, and ultimately release blockages, fostering greater inner peace and emotional balance.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Navigating Consciousness's Depths

This volume meticulously outlines how to consciously traverse the often-unseen landscapes of wakefulness, the dream state, and profound sleep. It emphasizes cultivating an alert awareness even as the body rests, allowing practitioners to gain unique insights into their own mental and emotional architecture, transcending ordinary perception.

Unveiling Inner Blockages

Beyond mere relaxation, the book presents Yoga Nidra as a powerful tool for introspective self-healing. It guides the reader through methods to identify and understand subtle imbalances or obstructions within their emotional, mental, and energetic bodies, fostering a path towards greater integration and holistic well-being through direct observation.

Practical Mastery & Application

Far from purely theoretical, Bonnasse's work provides concrete, actionable steps for engaging with this transformative practice. It includes specific postures, breathing exercises, and four complete guided sessions, alongside invaluable advice for developing personalized practices. This ensures readers can immediately begin their journey into conscious relaxation and self-exploration.

📜 Historical context

Rooted deeply in ancient Indian spiritual traditions, Yoga Nidra draws wisdom from Hindu, Buddhist, and Tantric philosophies. It represents a sophisticated evolution of meditative practice, shifting the focus from mere physical stillness to a conscious, internal journey through the mind's states. This lineage positions it as a bridge between active awareness and the profound repose of deep sleep.

📚 Glossary

Yoga Nidra
Liminal State
Sankalpa

📔 Questions to reflect on

Reflect on a time you felt profoundly relaxed yet completely aware. How did that experience differ from ordinary rest or sleep?
Consider an emotional or mental pattern you wish to understand better. How might the practice of maintaining awareness in deep relaxation help you observe it without judgment?
What specific intention (Sankalpa) would you cultivate if you were to embark on a regular Yoga Nidra practice, and why is this significant to you?