Yoga Nidra Routine For Restful Sleep

There is no alternative for a good night’s sleep, but there is a meditation and yoga combo that gets close to it. Yes, yoga Nidra is the best way to get restful sleep without any hurdles. Experts in yoga and meditation think that a 30-minute practice of yoga Nidra can be as restorative as two to four hours of sleep. While further research is going on to determine why this is the case. Experts believe it is due to the brain-wave alterations that occur during the performance of yoga Nidra.

WHAT IS YOGA NIDRA?

Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a renowned author and yoga teacher, properly answers the question “What is Yoga Nidra?”. They referred to it as “reaching the boundary between waking and sleeping states.” This meditation technique, also known as yogic sleep, encourages the body to relax completely while making the mind stay internally vigilant.

To begin practicing yoga Nidra, lie face-up on the floor in a yoga corpse posture, also known as Savasana. You are instructed to begin feeling your body for areas of stress based on the guided meditation you choose. Breath awareness and mindfulness are also important factors in obtaining the profound relaxation response provided by yoga Nidra.

What is the secret sauce to this self-care method? And why do individuals seek out yoga Nidra for sleep aids? This type of meditation differs from traditional yoga classes in that it balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This helps you to relax into different, beneficial brain wave states, culminating in deep sleep.

HOW DOES YOGA NIDRA ADOPT A HYPNAGOGIC STATE?

Yoga Nidra works by leading you gently through the four primary stages of brain wave activity: beta, alpha, theta, and delta. The ultimate objective is to attain a hypnagogic state, which is between the awake and asleep. It’s that enchanted period right before sleeping when the body is in profound relaxation, but the mind is still relatively lucid.

As you go through the four stages of brain wave activity, you may notice an improvement in your physical and mental well-being as unpleasant thoughts and tension begin to disappear. This is how yoga Nidra works from the inside out:

BETA AND ALPHA

To begin, the guided meditation will take you through the beta wave state’s active thinking. Essentially, if you’re awake and conversing with someone, you’re in beta. As your meditation practice progresses and your brain waves calm, you will enter a peaceful alpha wave state of consciousness. And if you’re having difficulty achieving that state of tranquillity and inner calm, don’t be afraid to seek assistance from a supplement.

THETA

Once in the beta wave state, the yoga Nidra meditation practice takes you deeper into the theta wave state. Here, your thoughts slow even more since theta waves measure between 4 and 8 Hz. Super-learning (the capacity to absorb a great quantity of information in a short period of time) is possible in this condition.

As with hypnosis, this is the condition in which negative thinking patterns such as the weight of daily life may be removed. This makes the theta state an ideal environment for addressing negative habits acquired in brain pathways and reprogramming them for the better. In other words, it permanently rewired the brain.

DELTA

This meditation guide will transport you to the delta state, which is recognized to be the most restorative to both the mind and the body. Our brains produce several hormones during this brain wave activity state, including GHRH, which promotes the production of growth hormones from the pituitary gland. Unfortunately, it is all-too-common these days for people not to attain theta and delta sleep in any given night. Thus, our bodies are deprived of the opportunity to completely recover and mend themselves.

When you reach the deepest levels of the delta state, you may have one of the most profound yoga Nidra experiences. Once you’ve done that, it won’t be long until you’re incorporating yogic practices into your weekly (or daily) mental fitness routine. Don’t be scared to accept a sense of “thoughtlessness” that will wash over you! After all, you don’t want to miss out on the potential advantages of yoga Nidra for sleep quality and general relaxation by being overburdened with decision fatigue. Yoga Nidra helps you get out of that bind and refresh your thoughts. As a result, you may call this condition the “secret sauce” of yoga Nidra.

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON BENEFITS OF YOGA NIDRA

Some research-based pieces of evidence support the yoga Nidra for having beneficial effects on health.

• After 6 months of yoga Nidra, 150 females with PMS symptoms exhibited improvement in symptoms. It proved to be very effective for hormone control.
• Yoga Nidra treatment helped 100 women suffering from sadness and anxiety related to menstruation.
• Yoga Nidra dramatically reduced stress and anxiety levels among 80 college students.
• In diabetics, 30 minutes of yoga Nidra each day for 90 days normalized blood glucose levels.
• Military combat veterans reported reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Such as anger and anxiety, as well as improved emotions of relaxation and serenity.

HOW DO YOU PRACTICE YOGA NIDRA?

Want to see what a yoga Nidra session is like? To summarise, you should lie down in a comfortable position. A blanket to keep you warm or a block beneath your knees for support are both options. Because you’ll remain in this position for at least 30 minutes, you should make yourself as comfortable as possible.

First, you’ll establish your Sankalpa (deepest purpose) for the exercise. Consider an objective you wish to accomplish within the time you’ve set aside for yourself. You’ll become aware of your breathing. The meditation will lead you through how to breathe to enter a deeper state of relaxation.

You’ll also engage in guided light visions. The magic begins to unfold at this moment as you quietly fall into the four phases of brain wave activity.

At the end of the practice, you will reflect on your journey with your yoga Nidra guide. You will restate your Sankalpa after bringing your consciousness back to the current reality. To acknowledge the space you’ve made, you’ll return to a sitting position, feeling completely at ease.