{"id":40935,"date":"2026-10-23T16:19:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T15:19:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/?p=40935"},"modified":"2026-10-27T15:36:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T15:36:33","slug":"how-to-guide-yoga-nidra","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/how-to-guide-yoga-nidra\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Guide Yoga Nidra: the Stages, the Sankalpa and What Teachers Need to Learn"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style>.entry-title,.post-title,h1.title,.page-title,article header h1,.entry-header h1,.entry-header .entry-title,header.entry-header .entry-title{display:none !important}:root{--by-green:#2d3a2e;--by-terra:#B4564C;--by-sage:#caddc0;--by-cream:#faf8f5;--by-taupe:#8f7d71;--by-dark:#2c2422;--by-body-txt:#66615c;--by-faq-lbl:#7a8c7e;--by-terra-light:rgba(180,86,76,0.08);--by-sage-light:rgba(202,221,192,0.25);} .by-article{font-family:'Poppins',sans-serif;color:var(--by-body-txt);max-width:860px;margin:0 auto;line-height:1.8;} 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!important;display:inline-block;} .by-photo-hero{border-radius:0;padding:0;min-height:500px;display:flex;flex-direction:column;justify-content:flex-end;background-size:cover;background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;} .by-photo-hero .by-photo-inner{padding:56px 52px;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:left;width:100%;} .by-photo-hero .by-hero-label{color:rgba(255,255,255,0.72);} .by-photo-hero h1{font-size:52px;color:#fff;margin:0 0 18px 0;text-align:left !important;} .by-photo-hero .by-hero-intro{font-size:16px;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.68);max-width:560px;margin:0 0 18px 0;} .by-hero-meta{font-size:12px;color:rgba(255,255,255,0.48);letter-spacing:0.06em;font-family:'Poppins',sans-serif;display:block;} h1 em,h2 em,h3 em{padding-right:0.1em;} .by-cert-strip{display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:flex-start;justify-content:center;gap:30px 38px;background:var(--by-green);border-radius:12px;padding:36px 28px;margin:8px 0 40px 0;} .by-cert-item{display:flex;flex-direction:column;align-items:center;gap:11px;} .by-cert-svg{height:50px;width:auto;display:block;} .by-cert-cap{font-size:9px;font-weight:700;letter-spacing:0.18em;text-transform:uppercase;color:var(--by-sage);} @media(max-width:600px){.by-cert-strip{gap:24px 28px;padding:28px 20px;}.by-cert-svg{height:42px;}.by-hero{padding:40px 24px;}.by-hero h1{font-size:38px;}.by-stats-bar{grid-template-columns:1fr;}.by-benefits-grid{grid-template-columns:1fr;}.by-cta{padding:36px 24px;}.by-cta .by-cta-btns{flex-direction:column;align-items:center;}.by-cta .by-cta-btns a{width:100%;text-align:center;}.by-photo-hero{min-height:340px;}.by-photo-hero .by-photo-inner{padding:32px 20px;}.by-photo-hero h1{font-size:34px !important;}.by-photo-hero .by-hero-intro{font-size:14px;}.by-body h2{font-size:26px;}.by-body h3{font-size:21px;}.by-stat-num{font-size:36px;}.by-benefits-grid{gap:10px;}}<\/style>\n<article class=\"by-article\">\n<div class=\"by-hero\"><span class=\"by-hero-label\">Yoga Nidra Teacher Training<\/span><h1>How to Guide Yoga Nidra: the Stages, the Sankalpa and What Teachers Need to Learn<\/h1><span class=\"by-hero-intro\">Yoga Nidra looks simple from the outside: people lie down and listen. Guiding it well is another matter. This article explains what the practice is, what the research does and does not show, where it comes from, the role of the Sankalpa and the eight stages of a session, based on the course manual written from Carla Gon\u00e7alves&#8217;s teaching.<\/span><span class=\"by-hero-meta\">By Carla Gon\u00e7alves \u00b7 7 min read<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-stats-bar\"><div class=\"by-stat-item\"><span class=\"by-stat-num\">8<\/span><span class=\"by-stat-lbl\">stages in the traditional structure of a Yoga Nidra session<\/span><\/div><div class=\"by-stat-item\"><span class=\"by-stat-num\">1976<\/span><span class=\"by-stat-lbl\">year Swami Satyananda Saraswati published the book that systematised the practice<\/span><\/div><div class=\"by-stat-item\"><span class=\"by-stat-num\">73<\/span><span class=\"by-stat-lbl\">studies in a review that found less stress and anxiety, though of limited quality<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-info-box\"><p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> To guide Yoga Nidra, a teacher leads students lying in comfort through eight stages, from internalisation and the Sankalpa (a personal intention) to the body scan, breath, opposites, visualisation and a gentle return. It asks for a calm voice, slow pace, a prepared script, careful safety awareness and honest language about benefits.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">The practice<\/span><h2>What is Yoga Nidra?<\/h2><p>Yoga Nidra is a practice of deep relaxation and meditation that leads the practitioner into a state of <strong>conscious sleep<\/strong>, the sleep of Yoga. The senses are drawn inwards, what the tradition calls praty\u0101h\u0101ra (Bryant, 2009). The body rests while the mind stays awake enough to follow the teacher&#8217;s voice and, later, to remember it.<\/p><p>This condition is rare. In daily life, either awareness is awake and the body is active, or the body rests and awareness fades. Yoga Nidra works in the narrow gap between the two. The practitioner usually lies still for thirty to forty minutes, with no task other than to listen.<\/p><p>It is often confused with \u015bav\u0101sana. \u015aav\u0101sana is a posture. Yoga Nidra is a guided practice with its own structure that uses that posture. Five minutes of rest at the end of a class is not Yoga Nidra, although it is often the door through which students come to it.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Physical.<\/strong> Release of muscular tension through conscious relaxation of each part of the body.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Mental and emotional.<\/strong> Tension from worry and overthinking eases as attention withdraws from external stimuli.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Psychic.<\/strong> Access to material the waking mind does not easily reach, such as memories, patterns and resistances.<\/p><div class=\"by-sage-box\"><span class=\"by-sage-title\">Key takeaway<\/span><p>Yoga Nidra is not sleeping. It is staying at the door of sleep, awake inside.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">Brain and history<\/span><h2>What happens in the brain, and where Yoga Nidra comes from<\/h2><p>During the practice, brain activity moves down from beta to alpha and theta, the band of <em>hypnagogia<\/em>, the transition between waking and sleep (Mavromatis, 1987; Ogilvie, 2001). In EEG studies the most consistent finding is an increase in theta, especially in experienced practitioners, but the research is still scarce and preliminary (Kachera et al., 2025). The popular idea of a &#8220;conscious delta&#8221;, deep sleep experienced with awareness, comes mainly from individual demonstrations and has not been confirmed (Parker et al., 2013; Parker, 2019).<\/p><p>Hypnagogia can bring vivid images, sounds or the sense of floating. In large surveys, between a quarter and more than a third of people report hypnagogic hallucinations while falling asleep (Ohayon et al., 1996; Ohayon, 2000). A good teacher mentions this briefly beforehand so that nobody reads it as a warning sign.<\/p><p>On benefits, the manual asks for honest verbs. Stress and anxiety are the most studied: a review of 73 studies found reductions, although the studies are still of limited quality (Ghai et al., 2025; Ferreira-Vorkapic et al., 2018). During the practice the heart slows and heart rate variability rises (Markil et al., 2012). Yoga Nidra does not replace medical or psychological care.<\/p><p>Historically, it is a modern practice with ancient roots. In the Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata, yoganidr\u0101 is the cosmic sleep of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u, not a technique (Birch &#038; Hargreaves, 2015). The goddess Nidr\u0101 appears in the Dev\u012b M\u0101h\u0101tmya (Coburn, 1991). The structured practice was systematised by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar School of Yoga in his 1976 book, inspired by tantric techniques such as ny\u0101sa (Satyananda Saraswati, 1976\/2009). From the 2000s Richard Miller adapted it to clinical settings with iRest (Miller, 2005).<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>What research suggests.<\/strong> Reduced stress and anxiety, and signs of the body entering rest mode.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>What is still preliminary.<\/strong> EEG findings on theta, and effects on sleep, blood pressure and concentration.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>What is tradition.<\/strong> The stories of Vi\u1e63\u1e47u and Nidr\u0101: symbolic material, not the description of a technique.<\/p><div class=\"by-sage-box\"><span class=\"by-sage-title\">Key takeaway<\/span><p>A teacher who separates fact, tradition and interpretation inspires more confidence, not less.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">Intention<\/span><h2>The Sankalpa: the intention at the heart of the practice<\/h2><p>Sankalpa is a Sanskrit term meaning resolve, intention or aim. In Yoga Nidra it is a short, affirmative statement the practitioner consciously chooses to plant in the subconscious. In Satyananda&#8217;s language, the deeply relaxed mind becomes receptive, and the subconscious is compared to fertile soil ready to receive seeds. Historians note that the Sankalpa, as he teaches it, is close to nineteenth-century Western techniques of autosuggestion and relaxation (Birch &#038; Hargreaves, 2015).<\/p><p>The Sankalpa is personal and should not be suggested by the teacher. The teacher offers criteria, a few examples and time. As the manual observes, the first wording that occurs to someone is often a complaint disguised as an intention, and the work lies in turning it into a real affirmation.<\/p><p>It is also meant to stay. Keeping the same Sankalpa for weeks or months matters: changing it at every session is like digging up the soil every day to check whether the seed has sprouted.<\/p><div class=\"by-sage-box\"><span class=\"by-sage-title\">Key takeaway<\/span><p>The Sankalpa organises the whole session: it is planted near the beginning and returned to near the end.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">Structure<\/span><h2>The eight stages of a Yoga Nidra session<\/h2><p>Yoga Nidra has been adapted to many styles, but many teachers follow the traditional eight-stage structure. The first four stages lead inwards. The next four work at the deepest point and then bring the practitioner back. Each teacher may adjust the sequence slightly, while keeping the essential elements.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>1. Internalisation.<\/strong> Settles body and mind in comfort and quiet so that deep relaxation can begin.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>2. Sankalpa.<\/strong> The practitioner brings their chosen intention into focus.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>3. Rotation of consciousness.<\/strong> Also called the body scan: attention travels through the body part by part, in a fixed order.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>4. Breath awareness.<\/strong> Deepens relaxation and steadies the mind, using the one function that is both voluntary and automatic.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>5. Exploring opposites.<\/strong> Contrasting sensations teach the mind to move between states, building emotional flexibility.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>6. Creative visualisation.<\/strong> Guided imagination that supports creativity, introspection and connection with the subconscious.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>7. Return to the Sankalpa.<\/strong> Restates the intention at the deepest point to help consolidate it.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>8. Externalisation.<\/strong> A gradual return to waking so that the practitioner finishes balanced.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"by-img-full\" src=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/byr-manual-03.jpg\" alt=\"Practitioner lying on her back with a bolster under the knees and a folded blanket under the head\" style=\"mix-blend-mode:multiply;\"><span class=\"by-img-caption\">Supported \u015bav\u0101sana, the usual position for Yoga Nidra.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">The training<\/span><h2>What you learn in the course<\/h2><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/yoga-nidra-course\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">Yoga Nidra Teacher Training<\/a> turns this map into a teaching skill. Carla&#8217;s manual covers the method behind each stage, and the course shows you how to lead them in practice rather than simply read them aloud.<\/p><p>Safety is treated with the same care as technique. Accessible does not mean suitable for everyone in the same way: deep relaxation and visualisation can bring up difficult memories or emotions. With people who have a history of trauma, psychiatric conditions or severe depression, the practice should be followed by their doctor or therapist, and the way it is led changes. The course teaches how.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Guiding each stage.<\/strong> How to lead all eight stages, with the reasoning behind their order and how much you can adapt without losing the essentials.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Voice and pace.<\/strong> Tone, timing and pauses, and how to hear your own guiding from the listener&#8217;s side before you teach.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Writing a practice.<\/strong> Working from the sample script in the manual and then writing your own, adapted to your students and context.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Preparation and safety.<\/strong> Room, comfort and props, talking about hypnagogic phenomena, trauma-informed adaptations and a careful return to waking.<\/p><p class=\"by-item\"><strong>Practice and assessment.<\/strong> Four guided practices with Carla, a final exam and a class of your own assessed by her.<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-body\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">Course facts<\/span><h2>Yoga Nidra Teacher Training at BeYoga: the facts<\/h2><p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/yoga-nidra-course\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">course<\/a> is online, self-paced and in English, with 10 hours of content. It is taught in Carla&#8217;s own voice, translated with AI and reviewed by the BeYoga team. The theory is on video, with the matching part of the manual under each lesson.<\/p><p>You receive four guided practices from 17 to 59 minutes, an interactive manual and a PDF workbook. Certification requires a final exam with 80% or more and a 30-minute class of your own, in audio or video, assessed by Carla. The course gives 10 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education from a YACEP. It costs 175 euros, with 4 months of access.<\/p><p>You can read more <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/about\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">about BeYoga School and Carla Gon\u00e7alves<\/a>, explore the <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/meditation-course\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">Meditation Teacher Training<\/a>, or see <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/yoga-courses\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">all our online courses in English<\/a>.<\/p><div class=\"by-sage-box\"><span class=\"by-sage-title\">Key takeaway<\/span><p>Ten hours, four guided practices, an exam and a class assessed by Carla.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n<hr class=\"by-divider\">\n<div class=\"by-faq-section\"><span class=\"by-section-label\">Frequently asked questions<\/span><h2>How to Guide Yoga Nidra: frequently asked questions<\/h2><div class=\"by-faq-list\"><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Is Yoga Nidra the same as \u015bav\u0101sana?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>No. \u015aav\u0101sana is a posture: lying on the back in total relaxation. Yoga Nidra is a guided practice with its own eight-stage structure that usually uses that posture. A few minutes of rest at the end of a class is not Yoga Nidra, although it is often how students first come to it. Many teachers do, however, offer Yoga Nidra at the end of a Yoga session.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Is Yoga Nidra an ancient practice?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>It is a modern practice with ancient roots. The symbolic material is old: yoganidr\u0101 as Vi\u1e63\u1e47u&#8217;s cosmic sleep, and the goddess Nidr\u0101 in the Dev\u012b M\u0101h\u0101tmya. The structured sequence taught today was systematised by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in his 1976 book. Presenting the stories as symbolism rather than history protects both the practice and the teacher&#8217;s credibility.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>What if a student falls asleep during Yoga Nidra?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>That is fine. Rest counts too, and with regular practice awareness tends to stay awake for longer. Students often drift in and out of awareness during a session, and this does not mean the practice or the teaching has failed. What matters is that everyone is fully awake and well before they leave the class.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Is Yoga Nidra safe for everyone?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>It is accessible to most people and needs no particular fitness, mobility or experience. Accessible does not mean suitable for everyone in the same way. For people with a history of trauma, psychiatric conditions or severe depression, the practice should be followed by their doctor or therapist, and the teacher adapts how it is led. It never replaces medical care.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Does Yoga Nidra help with sleep?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>It may improve sleep quality and help with insomnia. The results are promising, but the studies are still few, so honest teachers say &#8220;may&#8221; rather than promise. Many people practise it before sleep, on waking or as a pause during the day. Our article on <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/yoga-nidra-sleep-guide\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">Yoga Nidra and sleep<\/a> explores this in more depth.<\/p><\/div><\/details><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Should I use a script to guide Yoga Nidra?<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p>Using a script is recommended, because preparing the text lets you structure the practice consciously. You can start from an existing script and later write your own, adapted to your students and context. Reading at the slow pace the practice needs takes much longer than you expect. The <a href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/yoga-nidra-course\/\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">Yoga Nidra Teacher Training<\/a> includes a sample script and teaches you to write your own.<\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-cta\"><span class=\"by-cta-label\">Learn to teach it<\/span><h2>Yoga Nidra Teacher Training<\/h2><p>Online, 10 hours of Yoga Alliance continuing education, four guided practices and a class of your own assessed by Carla.<\/p><div class=\"by-cta-btns\"><a class=\"by-btn-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/yoga-nidra-course\/\">See the course<\/a><a class=\"by-btn-outline\" href=\"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/yoga-courses\/\">View all courses<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"by-faq-section\"><div class=\"by-faq-list\"><details class=\"by-faq\"><summary class=\"by-faq-q\"><span>Sources cited in this article<\/span><\/summary><div class=\"by-faq-a\"><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Birch, J., &amp; Hargreaves, J. (2015, January 20). Yoganidr\u0101: An understanding of the history and context. The Luminescent. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theluminescent.org\/2015\/01\/yoganidra.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/www.theluminescent.org\/2015\/01\/yoganidra.html<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Bryant, E. F. (2009). The Yoga s\u016btras of Pata\u00f1jali: A new edition, translation, and commentary with insights from the traditional commentators. North Point Press.<\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Coburn, T. B. (1991). Encountering the Goddess: A translation of the Dev\u012b-M\u0101h\u0101tmya and a study of its interpretation. State University of New York Press.<\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Miller, R. (2005). Yoga nidra: The meditative heart of yoga. Sounds True.<\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Parker, S., Bharati, S. V., &amp; Fernandez, M. (2013). Defining yoga-nidra: Traditional accounts, physiological research, and future directions. International Journal of Yoga Therapy, 23(1), 11-16. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17761\/ijyt.23.1.t636651v22018148\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.17761\/ijyt.23.1.t636651v22018148<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Satyananda Saraswati, S. (2009). Yoga nidra (6th ed., reprint). Yoga Publications Trust. (Original work published 1976)<\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Ferreira-Vorkapic, C., Borba-Pinheiro, C. J., Marchioro, M., &amp; Santana, D. (2018). The impact of Yoga Nidra and seated meditation on the mental health of college professors. International Journal of Yoga, 11(3), 215-223. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ijoy.IJOY_57_17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4103\/ijoy.IJOY_57_17<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Ghai, S., Odyniec, P., &amp; Ghai, I. (2025). Effects of Yoga Nidra on stress, anxiety, and depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1556(1), Article e70149. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/nyas.70149\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/nyas.70149<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Kachera, V., Patel, D., Mishra, S., Mishra, A., Gomes, J., &amp; Garg, R. (2025). The effects of Yoga Nidra practice on EEG oscillations: A systematic review [Preprint]. medRxiv. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1101\/2025.06.16.25329676\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1101\/2025.06.16.25329676<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Markil, N., Whitehurst, M., Jacobs, P. L., &amp; Zoeller, R. F. (2012). Yoga Nidra relaxation increases heart rate variability and is unaffected by a prior bout of Hatha yoga. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 18(10), 953-958. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/acm.2011.0331\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1089\/acm.2011.0331<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Parker, S. (2019). Training attention for conscious non-REM sleep: The yogic practice of yoga-nidr\u0101 and its implications for neuroscience research. In N. Srinivasan (Ed.), Progress in brain research: Vol. 244. Meditation (pp. 255-272). Elsevier. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/bs.pbr.2018.10.016\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/bs.pbr.2018.10.016<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Mavromatis, A. (1987). Hypnagogia: The unique state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep. Routledge &amp; Kegan Paul.<\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Ogilvie, R. D. (2001). The process of falling asleep. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 5(3), 247-270. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1053\/smrv.2001.0145\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1053\/smrv.2001.0145<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Ohayon, M. M. (2000). Prevalence of hallucinations and their pathological associations in the general population. Psychiatry Research, 97(2-3), 153-164. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0165-1781(00)00227-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S0165-1781(00)00227-4<\/a><\/p><p style=\"font-size:14px;line-height:1.6;\">Ohayon, M. M., Priest, R. G., Caulet, M., &amp; Guilleminault, C. (1996). Hypnagogic and hypnopompic hallucinations: Pathological phenomena? The British Journal of Psychiatry, 169(4), 459-467. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjp.169.4.459\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color:var(--by-terra);\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1192\/bjp.169.4.459<\/a><\/p><\/div><\/details><\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\", \"@graph\": [{\"@type\": \"BlogPosting\", \"headline\": \"How to Guide Yoga Nidra: the Stages, the Sankalpa and What Teachers Need to Learn\", \"description\": \"Learn what Yoga Nidra is, its eight stages, the role of the Sankalpa and what teachers need to learn to guide it safely, with evidence kept honest.\", \"inLanguage\": \"en\", \"image\": \"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/byr-manual-03.jpg\", \"author\": {\"@type\": \"Person\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/#\/schema\/person\/carla-goncalves\", \"name\": \"Carla Gon\u00e7alves\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/about\/\"}, \"publisher\": {\"@type\": \"Organization\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/#organization\", \"name\": \"BeYoga School\"}, \"about\": [{\"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"Yoga Nidra\"}, {\"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"Sankalpa\"}, {\"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"Guided relaxation\"}], \"mentions\": {\"@type\": \"Course\", \"name\": \"Yoga Nidra Teacher Training\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/beyoga.pt\/en\/oscursos\/yoga-nidra-course\/\"}, \"citation\": [\"Birch, J., & Hargreaves, J. 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The Yoga Nidra Teacher Training includes a sample script and teaches you to write your own.\"}}]}]}<\/script>\n<style>#comments,#respond,.comments-area,.comment-respond,.wp-block-comments,.related-posts,.yarpp-related,.entry-related,.post-related,[class*=\"related-posts\"],.post-tags,.tags-links,.entry-tags,.wp-block-post-terms,.entry-footer,.post-categories{display:none !important;} details[open] summary.by-faq-q::after{content:\"\\2212\" !important;color:#B4564C !important;}<\/style>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn what Yoga Nidra is, its eight stages, the role of the Sankalpa and what teachers need to learn to guide it safely, with evidence kept 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