Who doesn’t want to get a better night’s sleep? Even if you are already a good sleeper, if you knew you could get better rest with Yoga Nidra-with very little effort-wouldn’t that be awesome?
Sleep is everything. And when you’re not sleeping, everything is harder.
Before we get into Yoga Nidra I want to stop and say that if you are having serious sleep issues, trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, and feeling exhausted even after a full night’s sleep then your first stop should be consulting your primary health practitioner.
Yoga Nidra can really help you to improve sleep quality and the ability to fall asleep in a relaxed state, but sometimes when our sleep has really gone off track we need a little extra support to reset.
It’s happened to all of us, myself included! If you feel like you are doing all of the right things and are still not rested then reach out and ask for additional support.
The good news is, Yoga Nidra can be used by anyone, regardless of what other things they are doing.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra isn’t really a form of meditation, but is often considered one. The nice thing is, if you are new to meditation, it’s a wonderful place to start and can really improve your sleep in the process.
Yoga Nidra is not a replacement for sleep, but 1 hour of Yoga Nidra is as restful on the body as an extra 4 hours of sleep.
Yoga Nidra or yogic sleep is amazing because it puts us in a state of conscious deep sleep. When we practice we become deeply relaxed, but also remain conscious. It’s a state where the body is completely relaxed yet capable of increasing awareness of the inner world.
Yoga Nidra is a state of being.
Yoga Nidra is different from hypnosis because in hypnosis the practitioner puts the individual into a deep sleep and then introduces suggestions into their psyche. In Yoga Nidra the practitioner guides the individual to choose their own goal or desire and allows exploration of what is already there. There is no introduction of new ideas from the outside world.
The brainwaves of sleep
When we sleep, our brain waves should follow a pattern of going from beta brain waves to delta in a systematic way.
Beta brain waves are our concentration & learning (this is where we spend most of our time each day).
Alpha waves are where we find relaxation and reflection.
Theta waves are dream and flow states.
Delta waves are where deep healing sleep occurs.
The problem is many people go from beta directly to delta without resolving muscle tension. When the relaxing alpha state is skipped, people wake up tired.
Yoga Nidra allows us to tap back into that alpha state and as a result, deep relaxation is extended.
While the goal of Yoga Nidra isn’t to go to sleep, many people find that they fall asleep when practicing and that’s ok! It means your body needed it–and since our #1 goal is to recharge if you need to sleep–let it happen!
I personally enjoy practicing Yoga Nidra at night when I am ready to fall asleep. Many times I do fall asleep during a nidra, but even when I don’t I find I fall asleep faster because it’s put me in a more relaxed state.
In my free program R+R lite on my virtual studio, I have a number of Yoga Nidra videos and audio files you can use to start adding Yoga Nidra into your life today!
And for the month of December, each Friday I will bring you a brand new Yoga Nidra on my podcast. You can check out the first episode in this mini-series below
Get better rest with Yoga Nidra
Want this Yoga Nidra without the intro and outro? You can get it and a bunch more in R+R lite.
Remember to check back weekly during the month of December. I will be adding a new Yoga Nidra each week both in R+R lite and on the podcast as my gift to you!
If you try any of my Nidras please let me know how they go. Did you fall asleep? Feel more rested? Enjoy a better night’s sleep? Let me know!