And why you should be doing it

Have you ever wondered what yoga Nidra is?

Yoga Nidra is a form of yoga done lying down in a guided meditation. It is designed to help you relax and de-stress.

This style of yoga can be a great way to relieve tension and anxiety. It can also help improve your sleep quality. If you’re looking for a way to wind down after a long day, struggling with insomnia, Yoga Nidra may be worth trying out.

It is also called yogic sleep. A guided meditation in which the instructor brings you into a consciousness that floats in the space between waking and sleeping. The in-between state in which you are still absorbing experiences from the outside world but are not fully aware.

Just 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra meditation has the restorative equivalent of 2 hours of sleep.

Brainwaves in Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra makes use of your brainwaves.

Beta brainwave – you are awake, aware, and actively thinking and moving

Alpha brainwave – you are relaxed but still awake

Theta brainwave – you’re awake and aware. Your thoughts have slowed down to the extent that you are focused more on one sense than the others. Common examples of experiencing the theta state would be running outdoors and getting into a meditative zone. Driving somewhere and suddenly realize you have no memory of the last few miles.

Delta brainwave state – you are asleep. Either in REM sleep or in a deep, dreamless sleep.

The goal of Yoga Nidra is to keep you hovering on the edge of theta and delta. You are aware only of the instructor’s voice, but you are not asleep.

This meditative state is associated with creativity, working through problems or issues, and sometimes uncovering forgotten or repressed memories.

This style of yoga has been used to treat PTSD and has been shown to reduce blood pressure, increase heart rate variability, regulate hormones, and stabilize glucose levels. 

Here are some other benefits –