Many teachers are guiding students in a variety of yoga nidra practices, some true to the ancient methods and some quite innovative and contemporary. However, yoga-nidra itself is a term that is need of a definition.

We propose a conference of , or more a dialogue among

1. sleep researchers and other neurologists and
2. practitioners of yoga meditation

with emphasis on yoga-nidra methods under the following proposition of the definition of yoga-nidra:

“Yoga-nidra (Yoga Sleep) is to be defined as the experience of a state of Conscious Sleep in which the subject is showing all the symptoms of deep non-REM sleep, producing delta (1-4 hertz) brain waves, and is at the same time fully conscious of the events in his surroundings. However, a lower state of yoga nidra begins with theta brain waves during which volitionally directed intuitive creativity begins.”

The presenters in the conference will

• Define sleep from the perspective of yoga, Vedanta, Buddhism and other related traditions,
• Similarly define yoga-nidra (Yoga Sleep),
• Present a variety of preparations for entry into yoga-nidra state,
• Present any researches or propose possible avenues of research in the phenomenon of conscious sleep exhibited by some yogis under the definition given above,
• Explore the possible implications and applications of yoga-nidra practices to 
  • help alleviate the fact  and some of the effects of sleep disorders,
  • provide suggestions for reducing the stress caused by the contemporary social phenomenon of sleep deprivation,
  • look into the yoga-nidra practice as a partial substitute for the common sleep in a society that is so pressed for time,
  • use yoga-nidra for creativity and for enhancing intuitive faculty,
  • state the ancient methods that lead one beyond yoga-nidra.

The practicums, led by those proficient and experienced, will

• guide the participants through preparatory practice of yoga-nidra,

and, the personnel of the Swami Rama Laboratory of Meditation Research will, on selective basis,

• undertake EEG testing of the changes in brain wave patterns of participants during the above practices.