Thanks @hoodathunkit i’ve read the thread and I hear the concerns. I’ve also now done several led Nidra meditations and felt the massive benefits of the practice too.
Please be aware that I am not claiming that yoga nidra has no value. Like many cult related practices typically leaves people feeling euphoric, relaxed and with a strong sense of attachment to their teachers.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have no problem at all with people feeling euphoric and relaxed.
I do have a problem with the following issues
- Like any trance induction / hypnosis / breathwork practice YN facilitates a feeling of being “alive in the moment”. This can dissociate people from their skeptical and critical faculties. Personally I experience this kind of meditative altered state via strenuous exercise and being in nature. Other people can do whatever they find best for them, however the problem lies, as always, in the safety (or lack thereof) of the setting and the teacher.
- Yoga Nidra was devised by the sexual predator known as Swami Satyananda Saraswati. He describes how he invented YN in a book that can be accessed freely via the Wayback Machine here archive.org/stream/Yoga_Nidra/Yoga%20Nidra%20Bihar%20Yoga#mode/2up
- I have encountered various neo-tantric spiritual entrepreneurs who trained in YN at the Bihar / Satyananda yoga schools claiming, on their websites, that YN is much more ancient that the 1960s practice invented by Satyananda. I find such people lacking in credibility due to the lack or primary sources cited and also, well, the whole neo-tantric entrepreneur thing is very dodgy as any rational person will appreciate.
I would not give credence to someone whose romantic partner runs goddess/ sacred sexuality retreats anymore than I would to an anti-vaxxer, flat-earther or alien abduction therapist.
- During the various times that hippy women have attempted to convince me that YN is a wonderful practice that I absolutely must try, they have always recommended Una Dinsmore Tuli’s books as evidence or proof of YN’s effectiveness stand validity. The problem I have with Una Dinsmore Tuli is that her network of associates includes pimps and people who promote the sexual abuse of children.
Here is an example; Firstly a video of Colette Nolan who likes to call herself Lady Cunt Love www.youtube.com/watchv=6T3mXV8K8iw
In the video Nolan describes an allegedly empowering training course called “Cunt Loving Quest” that she offers.
She says she is working with various experts, on of whom is Una Dinsmore Tuli. Another is none other than Amara Charles teacher of Quodoushka (fraudulent, racist, sex cult training offered by the paedophile cult the Deer Tribe).
Video of Amara Charles promoting Quodoushka here
Horrifying discussions re the Deer Tribe on the excellent NAFPS website here www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=3542.msg30116#msg30116
and here
www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=12.msg13#msg13
long disturbing thread on Qoudoshka and child sexual exploitation here www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=528.0
- So , to conclude, YN may very well help some people feel good and sleep well, however it was invented by a sexual predator at a yoga ashram at the centre of a horrific child sexual abuse ring. Its main promoter / teacher / supervisor in the UK is Una Dinsmore Tuli a woman with network connections to a paedophile cult. Given that the central effects of YN are a dissociation from rational thoughts, trance induction and an idealising transference towards the teacher how can anyone in their right mind think it is a good idea?