In many ways, Yoga Nidra is more similar to meditation than to what most people think of as yoga. It doesn’t involve any stretches or poses. Yoga Nidra instead focuses on relaxing the body and reaching deep consciousness. Unlike meditation and most yoga asanas, Yoga Nidra is done whilst lying down. It also involves more structure than guided meditation, with 10 primary steps. A session that lasts about 45 minutes is ideal, but if you’re just starting out or don’t have that much time, you can certainly do a shorter session. Yoga Nidra can be practiced on your own or in a classroom setting, such as the sessions we offer at El Yak.
Yoga Nidra works by directly affecting your autonomic nervous system, which is in charge of the things your body does automatically, like maintaining your heart beat, blood pressure, body temperature, digestion, and metabolism. The autonomic nervous system is made up of two parts — the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system helps your body manage stressful or emergency situations by controlling your fight-or-flight response. Sometimes, after traumatic experiences, your body may get stuck in fight-or-flight mode – one of the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Practices like meditation and Yoga Nidra can help calm your sympathetic nervous system and allow the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to take charge. The parasympathetic nervous system, known as the rest-and-digest mode, controls your body when it’s in neutral and works to conserve and restore energy. Another way to activate your PNS is by stimulating the vagus nerve.
It’s often said that 30 minutes of Yoga Nidra can be equivalent to 2-4 hours of sleep. This is due to the profound rest the body and mind enter during the practice, though this can vary between individuals. Yoga Nidra not a replacement for nightly sleep, but can significantly improve overall sleep quality by reducing stress and altering brain chemistry.
Yoga Nidra allows you to access delta brainwaves, which are responsible for the healing and restoration that happens in your brain and body during deep sleep. Activating delta brainwaves during Yoga Nidra allows your mind and body to rest while you’re awake. Yoga Nidra also activates the pineal gland. The pineal gland is about the size and shape of a pea that sits at the top of your brain stem. It’s part of your endocrine system, which secretes hormones. The main job of the pineal gland is to control your circadian rhythm, otherwise known as your body’s sleep/wake cycle. It does this by secreting the hormone melatonin, which is mainly known for synchronising your circadian rhythm, but also helps regulate menstrual cycles and prevent neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
The benefits of practicing Yoga Nidra include improved quality of life, better sleep, reduced stress, enhanced cognitive function, better emotional regulation, and overall well-being.
Source: WebMD
