Why You Need to Add Yoga Nidra to Your Routine
3 min
©Sergey Mironov
Are you familiar with Yoga Nidra? We’ll tell you what’s behind this move, also called the yogi’s sleep, and why there’s more to deep relaxation than just lying around.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a yogic form of deep relaxation that leads to relaxation on a physical, mental, and emotional level. According to the traditional philosophies of yoga, 30 minutes of a Yoga Nidra practice is as relaxing as two hours of deep sleep, and dissolves negative thought patterns to boot. You can think of Yoga Nidra like a guided meditation while lying down.
This “yogic sleep” is based on knowledge from ancient tantric scriptures. The form we recognize today was developed by the yogi Swami Satyananda Saraswati in India. It’s since gained popularity as an effective form of stress management around the world.
The word nidra comes from Sanskrit and means “sleep” or “sleepiness,” and this state of mind is considered one of the obstacles on the path to enlightenment. A Yoga Nidra practice allows you to enter a sleep-like state in which the alpha waves in your brain dominate, which keeps you feeling mentally aware despite feeling relaxed.
Yoga Nidra isn’t about being passively spaced out, but is rather a form of conscious sleep, a sleep without tension.
By consciously focusing on your body, sensations, and intention, Yoga Nidra helps you unite body and mind and eases your consciousness into rest. After a Yoga Nidra practice, you should ideally come back to everyday life more relaxed and with more clarity of thought.
The aim of Yoga Nidra is to dissolve physical, mental, and emotional tensions, to break the constant carousel of thoughts in your head, and to reduce stress in the long term. In yoga philosophy, Yoga Nidra is a state of Pratyahara, or a withdrawal of the senses to turn inward.
Also worth reading: Do you find it hard to relax in everyday life? In our article 9 amazing tips to bring you to a calmer place, you’ll find the best tricks to switch off.
What Effect Does Yoga Nidra Have?
A state of Yoga Nidra activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which balances the body from usual everyday stress in which the sympathetic nervous system is in charge. It brings you into a sleep-like state where your brain is able to produce alpha waves.[1]
Different frequencies of brain waves relay information about your mental activity. Simply put, the frequency ranges of your brain waves can be divided as follows: Beta waves promote a state of activity and focus, alpha waves induce relaxation, theta waves bring on sleep, and delta waves bring on deep sleep.
Alpha waves are slow brain waves that are present in a very relaxed waking state. Even in the moment between sleep and wakefulness, shortly before falling asleep, it’s alpha waves that dominate, according to sleep researchers.
During Yoga Nidra, your brain moves between alpha waves and the even slower theta waves that dominate during light sleep. Psychologists call this the hypnagogic state.
Among other things, this change in brain frequency during Yoga Nidra dissolves stress where it starts: in the brain. While in evolutionary biology stress exists in the case of acute danger (saber-toothed tigers) and is immediately relieved by an appropriate reaction (running away or fighting), stress today is more of a psychological phenomenon:
Work, social obligations, the idea of not accomplishing enough, having to squeeze in that workout, and other everyday issues and to-dos are stressors whose psychological causes you can address in Yoga Nidra practice.
Read more: Want to learn more about foods that can help your body fight stress? Read our article on stress-relieving foods
Effects of Yoga Nidra
How Yoga Nidra works exactly is individual and also depends on your experience and approach. Possible effects Yoga Nidra can have with regular practice:
- more serenity and more resilience
- lower irritability
- better quality of sleep
- better concentration
- health benefits associated with reduced feelings of stress and lower release of stress hormones.
Who Should Practice Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is suitable for anyone who could use a little more relaxation or wants to strengthen their connection to themselves. Performed regularly, Yoga Nidra is a useful method to become more resilient and to relax yourself internally even in stressful situations.
Since the exercises take place lying down, there aren’t any physical prerequisites or equipment needed. If you have depression, trauma, sleep disorders, or other health concerns, it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor or therapist and your yoga teacher before practicing Yoga Nidra.
How Often Should You Practice Yoga Nidra?
The more regularly you practice, the more effective your Yoga Nidra practice will be – ideally, you’ll manage to take 30 minutes every other day or even every day for yogic sleep. It doesn’t always have to be in the evening. Mornings, lunch breaks, or whenever fits well into your daily routine can also be ideal.
Summary
- Yoga Nidra is a traditional form of deep relaxation from India that has become a popular stress management method worldwide.
- During Yoga Nidra, alpha waves prevail in the brain. It brings you into a relaxed state of complete clarity between sleep and wakefulness.
- Yoga Nidra is best learned under the guidance of an experienced teacher.
More healthy living tips from foodspring:
- Resilience: The power to bounce back
- How to sleep well: 8 tips for a good night’s sleep!
- 9 Yoga Poses for Beginners to bring relaxation to your life
- Hatha Yoga: The yoga style for strength and relaxation
- Meditation: Slow yourself down! Here’s our best tips
Sources for this article
We at foodspring use only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial policy to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
