I first came across yoga nidra in the early 2000s when I was doing my British Wheel of Yoga foundation course at Yoga Junction in London. At that time, the only resources around were from the Bihar school and Swami Janakananda. Now, as the popularity of yoga has grown and developed, so has yoga nidra. For example, Richard Miller has combined with clinical psychology with yoga nidra to help PTSD suffers.

I recently did a course with Melanie Cooper and Jennie Wadsten on yoga nidra. I was particularly interested in the rotation of consciousness because I had read about similar techniques in different traditions and how it can be used for relaxation and healing.

Origins: nyasa yoga

The rotation of consciousness evolved from the tantric practice of nyasa (Sanskrit for throw or project), according to Satyananda (1998). This involved the yogi feeling or placing specific mantras at different points on the body, with instructions given by a guru.

The 17^th century text Mahanirvana Tantra describes the technique of nyasa yoga: moving the awareness from one marma point to the next, with visualisation and mantra. Marma means sensitive or vulnerable. The points are similar in function to those in acupuncture as they can be used for diagnosing or treating disease. Marma points are at the intersection of nadis (psychic channels in the body where prana or prana flows).

One example of nyasa is Shava Yatra (61 points), also known as pilgrimage of the body, where a mantra is recited or a blue star place on each of the 61 points. The purpose of nyasa is to consecrate the body: make it sattvic (pure) for puja (worship).  (Stuetz, 2019). Various versions of the 61-point exercise can found online, including ones from the Himalayan Institute. I’ve included a version here: 61-point relaxation

Progressive Relaxation Techniques

Singleton (2005) believes early 20^th century Western hypnosis techniques influenced Satyananda. Autogenic Technique (AT) certainly had an influence on him, as it is mentioned in Satyananda’s book Sure Ways of Self-realization (1980). AT was first developed by Oscar Vogt, after he noticed some of his patients who he had hypnotised were able to put themselves into trance states. His work was further developed by Johannes Schulz, who had studied Raja yoga (Satyananda, 1980).

AT consists of six manifestations of relaxation in the body:

1. Heaviness in the musculoskeletal system
2. Warmth in the circulatory system
3. Awareness of the heartbeat
4. Slowing down the breath
5. Relaxing the abdomen
6. Cooling the forehead

You can read more about AT here: M12_CT_Autogenic_Training. As an acupuncturist, I find the visualisation of coolness in the head very interesting. According to Chinese medicine, many people suffer from hot heads, resulting in illnesses such as headaches and hypertension.

The purpose of AT, together with hypnosis and some meditation techniques, is “to attain a sense of pratyahara, sensory withdrawal…The individual is able to dive deep into his subconscious mind and can witness its activity” (Satyananda, 1980, p. 339).

Frawley & marma

Frawley gives a meditation in his book Ayurveda and Marma Theory where the consciousness is rotated through the 18 marma regions. Frawley describes marmas as ‘pranic control points’ and by guiding our attention there, the specific prana and areas of the body can be affected therapeutically (2005). More information about marmas, including the marma meditation, can be found on Frawley’s website.

Sequencing

Satyananda’s (1998) rotation of consciousness is based on the concept of motor homunculus or little man. This is a neuronal map of the physical body existing in the cerebral white matter. Some parts of the body occupy a greater part of the brain relative to their size as they have more sense receptors (e.g. hands, fingers, lips). Therefore, they are emphasized more in the rotation of consciousness (e.g. each of the fingers are mentioned). This sequence “induces a flow of pranic energy within the neuronal circuit of motor homunculus” (Satyananda, 1998, p. 36).

The Satyananda rotation starts with the right hand, goes to the upper part of body then lower, ending on the foot. This is then repeated on the left side. Unlike most of the other practices mentioned, rotation of consciousness is part three of a seven-part practice in Satyananda. Therefore, the end point of the rotation does not need to become a particular focus.

The marma meditation goes up the body, starting at the feet and ending at the head. The 61-point meditation has a circular route: starting and ending in the head.

The Satyananda rotation is not linked to the breath, particularly as the focus moves very quickly. There is just enough time to think of the body part, but not enough to visualize it, before moving on. However, the practices where the emphasis is on healing, e.g. marma meditation, the practitioner inhales and exhales at each point, “much like flexing and relaxing of the muscles” (Frawley, 2005, p. 52).

TCM tradition

As a licensed acupuncturist, I was interested to find a rotation of consciousness in the Chinese medicine tradition, called Yi Qi Gong (intention and Qi exercise). It was published by Wang Xian-bing in 1931 and is reproduced in Developing Internal Energy for Effective Acupuncture Practice (Solos, 2014).

In this form you imagine a ball of Qi moving through 64 acupoints. This sequence starts and finishes in the heart, because “the heart is the ruler of the body and the path to life and death” (Solos, 2014, p. 86). The purpose of the exercise is to encourage Blood and Qi to move freely through all the points and thus prevent disease. (In TCM stagnation of these substances is a major cause of disease). I’ve included a version here: Qi Gong Meditation.

Bibliography

Frawley, D., 2005. Ayurveda & Marma Therapy. Twin Lakes: Lotus Press.

Mirgain, S. & Singles, J., n.d. Whole Health: Chagen the Conversation Clinical Tool: Autogenic Training, s.l.: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Healt.

Satyananda, 1980. Sure Ways to Self Realization. Bihar, India: Bihar School of Yoga.

Satyananda, S., 1998. Yoga Nidra. Bihar : Bihar School of Yoga.

Singleton, M., 2003. Salvation through relaxation. Journal of Contemporary Religion.

Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, 2018. Your Home Practice Companion. London: Dorling Kindersley.

Solos, I., 2014. Developing internal energy for effective acupuncture practice. London: Singing Dragon.

Stuetz, B., 2019. [Online]
Available at: https://www.hridayaschoolofyogaonline.com/nyasa-origin-of-modern-yoga-nidra