What if I told you? You could conduct a life-changing yoga practice without getting up? No physical activity is required. Sounds too wonderful to be true? It’s not.
Yoga Nidra is highly peaceful, refreshing, and stimulating. It reduces anxiety, improves cognition, and supports restful sleep. Additionally, it is accessible to all ages and fitness levels.
As its popularity develops, more students and teachers are learning about and practicing Yoga Nidra. Not surprising. Finding peace in a busy world can seem impossible.
Yoga Nidra saves us. With This exercise, you can relax into joyful awareness and melt stress and tension.
Everyone can practice Yoga Nidra. It offers excellent benefits to those who struggle to let go, lack sleep, trauma, burnout, or worry. As more individuals experience its medical qualities, this exercise is gaining popularity worldwide due to its powerful impact.
What is Nidra Yoga, and what isn’t it? Discover the real meaning of Yoga Nidra and how it may improve your health.
What is Yoga Nidra
You can practice yoga Nidra, also called “yogic sleep,” at different levels based on your skills and style. We can practice Tantric Tibetan dream yoga through lucid dreaming. [1]
In this article mostly we will talk about the current style of Yoga Nidra that was created by Swami Satyananda. As the Indian Sanyasi says, “it is a method for causing complete physical, mental, and emotional relaxation.”
The word comes from two Sanskrit words: yoga, which means “union,” and Nidra, which means “sleep.” As you might expect, Yoga Nidra is different from regular sleep.
Meditation and yoga nidra are two different techniques that sometimes come together. You need to know that one can’t replace the other. Of course, they go hand in hand, but they build different “spiritual muscles” and have different effects.
I believe in the transformative power of Nidra Yoga, and through my writing, I aim to share the knowledge and techniques that have helped me and my students achieve greater health and inner peace.
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Yoga Nidra vs Meditation
Meditation is often a part of yoga nidra, and other types of Yoga. Focusing your mind on one thing at a time, or noticing things without judging them, is what meditation is all about.
Some experts think of yoga nidra as a type of guided meditation. Others say that yoga nidra is different from meditation because it is done while lying down instead of sitting up.
Yoga Nidra is also different because it involves falling asleep, which only sometimes happens during meditation.
How Yoga Nidra Works
In this state, the parasympathetic nervous system activates. While on the other hand sympathetic nervous system deactivates.
The mind stays awake and open to meditation’s healing and creative thoughts. It is effective because healing words, images, and recommendations can resonate deep in our minds and subconscious.
Yoga Nidra is related to hypnosis but different. The brain waves of yoga nidra participants in 2022 showed that some regions were asleep and others were awake.
How is Yoga Nidra practiced?
Guided meditation provides deep relaxation while preserving consciousness. It is practiced lying down, making it accessible to most. It may be implemented step-by-step:
- Find a peaceful spot: Choose a peaceful, unirrigated place to start your practice. A Yoga tangle, pad, or soft blanket will improve your comfort.
- Lay down and relax: Lay on your back with your arms slightly away and palms up. Your feet should be slightly apart and drop naturally to the sides. Make necessary changes to ensure comfort.
- Close your eyes: Close your eyes gently to focus inward.
- Consider your breath: Rest your body and mind with a few deep breaths. Release stress by breathing.
- Be Careful: Maintain awareness of the guide’s instructions and concepts while relaxing deeply. Conscious relaxation differs from sleep.
- Rest easy: Let go of physical and emotional strain during the practice. Trust experience and act.
- Rise slowly: After the session, the instructor will gently bring you back to mindfulness. Spend time becoming conscious while sitting or moving.
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Yoga Nidra Benefits
Yoga Nidra has been shown to help people who are stressed, anxious, or have trouble sleeping. The International Journal of Yoga released a study in 2018 that split 60 college professors into three groups: one group did yoga nidra, one group meditated, and the third group did nothing.
Researchers kept an eye on the participants’ feelings of stress, anxiety, and depression for three months. They discovered that yoga nidra and meditation could help people deal with stress, but yoga nidra was better at lowering worry.
A case study in 2017 in Sleep Science Practice looked at How Yoga Nidra Helped People with recurrent insomnia. Even though only two people were in this small study, both got better after doing yoga nidra.
Yoga Nidra for Beginners
You may wonder if this yoga suits children if you’re new. A resounding “yes” may result. It is one of the best open-ended relaxation strategies for modern contemplators and mindfulness practitioners. What makes it peak for students:
- No prior experience is required: No prior yoga or reflection is needed to improve it. Everyone can follow a simple and directed plan.
- Low effort: It needs less physical effort than challenging yoga poses. Just lie down and relax.
- Stress reduction: It reduces tension and anxiety, making it useful for beginners in managing their mental health.
- Better sleep: Beginners can conquer insomnia by practicing this yoga regularly. [2]
Conclusion
Yoga Nidra, the ultimate relaxation technique, offers a profound opportunity to relax, rejuvenate and access inner peace in today’s busy world. With its accessibility to beginners and many benefits, it is a practice that can change your life. So, why not try Yoga Nidra and begin the journey to a more relaxed and balanced existence?
Source:
Clinic, C. (2024, July 2). What is yoga Nidra? Cleveland Clinic.
Reeves, J. (2023, April 19). What is yoga nidra? Ekhart Yoga.
HealthinPedia Author
Elyce, a Wellness Writer and Content Creator from Adelphi University, is also a Yoga and Meditation Coach, Outdoors Enthusiast, and Breast Cancer Survivor. With over 20 years of experience as an E-RYT 500, she brings a deep dedication to yoga and meditation. Elyce's wealth of knowledge and experience shines through in her role as a teacher, writer, and mentor. She is the co-founder and content creator of the Refined Flow 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training program, as well as a core faculty member at Omega for 11 years. Additionally, she is a teaching staff member at the Radiance Sutras Meditation Teacher Training.
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