Yoga Nidra or deep relaxation helps you to recharge your batteries by relaxing your body, mind & Spirit.
Yoga Nidra or also known as yogic sleep, is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the “going-to-sleep” stage, typically induced by a guided meditation. There is evidence that yoga Nidra helps relieve stress.1
Yoga Nidra is originally an ancient technique from India, now widespread worldwide and has even been used by the USA army to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder.2
During Yoga Nidra, the body is completely relaxed, and the practitioner becomes systematically and increasingly aware of the inner world by following a set of verbal instructions. This state of consciousness is different from meditation, in which concentration on a single focus is required. Think of Yoga Nidra as a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the “going-to-sleep” stage, which is induced by guided meditation.
History and Origins
Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice originating in India. Its roots can be traced back to Sankhya philosophy (first written down around 700 BC but dating back to around 1000 BC through verbal teaching). These early teachings were practised and expanded upon over the centuries through the non-dualist philosophy of Advaita Vedanta and the Tantric teachings of Kashmir Shaivism.3
The Ocean] becomes the bed of the lotus-naveled Vishnu when at the termination of every Yuga that deity of immeasurable power enjoys yoga-nidra, the deep sleep under the spell of spiritual meditation.
— Mahabharata, Book 1, section XXI4
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
The regular practice of yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating and abdominal pain respond well.
According to a Mindful Minutes article ( https://mindfulminutes.com/what-is-yoga-nidra/), aside from being relaxing and helping with reducing anxiety, it is restorative and restful. Studies have shown that yoga Nidra can also:
- Ease insomnia
- Decrease anxiety
- Alleviate stress
- Reduce PTSD, chronic pain and chemical dependency
- Heighten awareness and focus
- Transform negative habits, behaviours and ways of thinking
- Foster feelings of peace, calm, and clarity
What is the Difference Between Meditation and Yoga Nidra?
You might say isn’t Yoga Nidra the same as Meditation?
What is the Difference Between Meditation and Yoga Nidra?
| Meditation | Yoga Nidra | |
| Physical Positioning | Seated practice, where your body is comfortable, yet upright and alert. | Yoga Nidra is generally practised lying down so you can let go completely. |
| Attention | During meditation, you consciously place your attention on one anchor—usually the breath or a mantra | A guided practice. The practitioner helps guide your attention to specific places through a series of steps |
| State of Consciousness | In meditation, people can experience multiple states of consciousness within a single meditation | Deep sleep. You are no longer in the waking state of consciousness, but you also move past the dreaming state of consciousness and into the deep sleep state |
What is happening in the brain during Yoga Nidra?
Over the course of falling asleep, our brain waves move from the active, thoughtful beta waves (14-40 Hz), then pass through the relaxed, thoughtless state of alpha waves (9-13 Hz), and enter the slowest frequency of deep sleep, delta waves (1-3 Hz). Yoga Nidra guides practitioners into the “hypnagogic state”—the threshold between alpha and theta waves—the knife’s edge where the body “sleeps” while the mind is lucid.5
Studies have found that the Yoga Nidra practice (or “state”) appears to reflect an integrated response by the hypothalamus, resulting in decreased sympathetic (excitation) nervous activity and increased parasympathetic (relaxation) function6 Results show that there was a significant improvement in positive well-being, general health, and vitality in the Yoga Nidra group. The association of Yoga Nidra with a shift toward parasympathetic dominance7 is also related to high cardiac vagal control, which, in turn, is related to reduced anxiety and better subjective and objective sleep quality. In a study on the effects of Yoga Nidra oversleeping, the morning practice has been found to increase parasympathetic drive at night causing sleep to be more restorative, which may explain significant improvement in sleep-quality ratings.8 &9 The authors state that the probable mechanisms affecting sleep quality and subjectively feeling better and less anxious may be linked to cognitive structuring effects of this practice, which makes the mental processing of external inputs more relaxed. The underlying mechanisms involved with Yoga Nidra are not clear at present, but meditation in general is known to target deficits in executive attention that characterize mood and anxiety and psychological symptoms.
Sounds pretty neat, so how to practice Yoga Nidra?
How to Perform Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep)
The following steps show you how to perform Yoga Nidra. 8
- Choose a clear intention, and lie flat on your back, with your arms stretched out by your sides (or however feels most comfortable).
Place a pillow or folded blanket behind your neck for support, and use another pillow or folded blanket under your knees for added comfort.
- Close your eyes.
- Repeat the clear intention you chose in Step 1 three times.
- Take a couple of deep breaths, emphasizing exhalation.
- Starting with your right side, rotate your awareness through all parts on that side of your body — limb by limb — in fairly quick succession.
Follow this progression: each finger, palm of the hand, back of the hand, hand as a whole, forearm, elbow, upper arm, shoulder joint, shoulder, neck, and each section of the face (forehead, eyes, nose, and so on), ear, scalp, throat, chest, side of the rib cage, shoulder blade, waist, stomach, lower abdomen, genitals, buttocks, whole spine, thigh, top and back of the knee, shin, calf, ankle, top of the foot, heel, sole, toes.
- Be aware of your body as a whole.
- Repeat the rotation in Step 5 on the left side, ending with the whole-body awareness described in Step 6.
- Repeat Steps 5 through 7 one or more times until you achieve an adequate level of relaxation.
- Continue to be aware of the whole body and the space surrounding it, feeling the stillness and peace.
- Reaffirm your initial intention three times.
- Mentally prepare to return to ordinary consciousness.
- Gently move your fingers for a few moments, take a deep breath, and then open your eyes.
How is yoga Nidra beneficial during pregnancy?
There are no studies that specifically look into yoga Nidra & pregnancy, but there’s some evidence and a general belief that yoga may help you to:
- become more aware of your body
- cope with tiredness and lack of sleep
- relax and reduce stress and anxiety
- get clarity of mind and thought
- cope with labour pain
- ease nausea
During my Yoga lessons, I normally end off with a short Yoga Nidra practice, to ensure my students reap the full benefits of their yoga practice and feel at peace. Ending a yoga practice with Yoga Nidra it allows the student to fully immerse in a state of relaxation, and feel totally renewed & energized after the class.
For one-on-one Yoga classes contact Tamara@ever-journey.com
Wishing you calm, health & peace always.
All my love Tam
References :
- Yoga Nidra – from Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopaedia, Article What is Yoga Nidra, link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoga_nidra
- Veterans Restorative Project, What is Irest Article https://veteransrestorativeproject.org/home/39-2/#:~:text=iRest%20Yoga%20Nidra%20is%20a,of%20deep%20relaxation%20and%20meditation.&text=iRest%20is%20currently%20supporting%20active,settings%20across%20the%20United%20States.
- Ekhart Yoga, Yoga Nidra Article https://www.ekhartyoga.com/resources/styles/yoga-nidra#:~:text=Yoga%20Nidra%20is%20an%20ancient,1000%20BC%20through%20verbal%20teaching).&text=Yoga%20Nidra%20continues%20to%20evolve.
- “Mahabharata Book 1 Section XXI”. Sacred Texts. Retrieved 12 April 2019.Link to https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01022.htm
- Movement & Sports medicine https://www.msmchq.com/reads/10-benefits-of-yoga-nidra#:~:text=Yoga%20Nidra%20guides%20practitioners%20into,experience%20more%20than%20just%20yourself.
- Markil, Nina & Whitehurst, Michael & Jacobs, Patrick & Zoeller, Robert. (2012). Yoga Nidra Relaxation Increases Heart Rate Variability and is Unaffected by a Prior Bout of Hatha Yoga. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). 18. 953-8. 10.1089/acm.2011.0331.
- Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D. The Impact of Yoga Nidra and Seated Meditation on the Mental Health of College Professors. Int J Yoga. 2018;11(3):215-223. doi:10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_17
- 32. Patra S, Telles S. Heart rate variability during sleep following the practice of cyclic meditation and supine rest. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2010;35:135–40. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 33. Deepak KK. Neurophysiological mechanisms of induction of meditation: A hypothetico-deductive approach. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2002;46:136–58. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- https://www.dummies.com/health/exercise/yoga/how-to-perform-yoga-nidra-yogic-sleep/
