In Sanskrit, ‘yoga’ means ‘union’ and ‘nidra’ means ‘sleep’. Yoga nidra is the conscious relaxation of the mind to enable the subconscious to be accessed while in a complete state of rest. This may seem a little complicated, and truth be told, it is. You have to be fully awake in your mind while your body is fully relaxed to such an extent that you drift between consciousness and unconsciousness.
Although not scientifically proved, it is the generally accepted belief that the subconscious mind far exceeds the conscious mind in terms of ability. In fact, there are a number of people who claim that our conscious mind operates at only between 3 percent and 15 percent of its capability, while the rest is in the realm of the subconscious.
By accessing the subconscious, we are therefore benefiting in a number of ways.
One of the biggest benefits of “Yoga Nidra” is the power it gives you over your own mind. It is possible to influence your mind along a certain path using “Yoga Nidra”. By planting a seed into the subconscious and focusing on that thought while in yoga nidra, it is possible to change your entire personality along a certain line. This is extremely beneficial for people who are looking to change their ways of thinking, looking at new approaches, or simply looking to achieve certain goals.