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Yoganidrasana

Yogic Sleep Pose

yoga = yoking, nidra = sleep

Written and reviewed by The Kriya Yogi · Updated 21 September 2026

Lying on the back with both legs behind the head and the hands clasped beneath the back.

Family
Supine
Level
advanced
Lineage
modern
Works on
hips · spine · shoulders

The yogic view

Despite the name, this is neither the relaxation practice known today as yoga nidra nor a posture from the classical texts — it is a twentieth-century shape that borrowed a suggestive name.

How to practise

  1. Lie on the back and draw both knees towards the chest.
  2. Take the right leg behind the head, then the left, crossing the ankles.
  3. Reach the arms around the outside of the thighs and clasp the hands behind the back.
  4. Rest the back of the pelvis on the floor rather than rolling onto the neck.
  5. Breathe slowly for three to five breaths.
  6. Release one leg at a time and rest with the knees bent.

For seated or floor-based work, use a clean, stable surface. Our natural cork yoga mat offers a grounded 5 mm surface for regular practice.

What research shows

Because the practitioner is on their back, the spine is supported and the neck carries less than in the seated versions, which is why many people find this more accessible than dvi pada sirsasana. The limit is hip external rotation and flexion; the hands clasping under the back should not be used to crank the legs deeper. Breathing stays possible only if the throat is left open, and that is the honest test of whether the posture is available today.

Questions about Yoganidrasana

+ How long should you hold Yoganidrasana?
Yoganidrasana suits a longer, quieter hold: roughly one to three minutes, or five to eight slow breaths if you are moving in and out of it as part of a sequence. Where the posture is one-sided, practise both sides for the same length of time. Let the breath decide: if it becomes short, held or noisy, you have stayed too long or gone too deep.
+ Is Yoganidrasana suitable for beginners?
No — Yoganidrasana is an advanced supine posture. It asks for strength, range and control that take a long time to build, and it is much better learned with in-person guidance than from a page. Work through the preparatory postures listed below first, and treat the full shape as a long-term project rather than a goal for this month.
+ What are the modifications for Yoganidrasana?
Work with the shape rather than around it: reduce the range, shorten the lever by bending the nearest joint, and raise the floor toward you. Three adjustments apply to almost any posture: raise the hips on a folded blanket or cushion in seated work, bend the knees in anything that loads the back of the legs, and use a wall, chair or block to take weight and remove the fear of falling. A supported version practised often produces more change than a deep version practised rarely.
+ Who should avoid or modify Yoganidrasana?
For Yoganidrasana specifically: neck injury; hip injury; spinal injury. More generally, modify or skip it if you have an acute injury or recent surgery in the area it loads, if you are pregnant and have not been given individual guidance, or if the shape produces sharp, pinching, radiating or electric sensation. Numbness, tingling or pain travelling down a limb is a nerve signal to stop and be assessed, not to breathe through. This page is educational and is not medical advice.
+ What should you practise before and after Yoganidrasana?
Prepare with Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby Pose), Eka Pada Sirsasana (One Leg Behind the Head Pose). Release afterwards with Shavasana (Corpse Pose). Both lists are links on this page, and either can be shortened when time is limited — but do not skip preparation for a posture that loads a joint at end range.
+ What does Yoganidrasana mean in Sanskrit?
Yoganidrasana translates as yogic sleep pose — yoga = yoking, nidra = sleep The name follows Sanskrit convention, but the posture itself is modern and is not described in the classical texts.

Prepare with

Release with

Cautions

  • neck injury
  • hip injury
  • spinal injury

More supine

Keep reading

Educational content, not medical advice. Check with a doctor before starting new practices if you have a health condition or are pregnant.