Wellness Joy

Yoga Nidra Sleep Meditation

Yoga nidra, or yogic sleep, an ancient technique from India, is an immensely powerful sleep meditation technique, a state in which the body is completely relaxed, and achieves a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, typically induced by a guided meditation. It is among the deepest possible states of relaxation while still maintaining full consciousness.

Practicing yoga nidra daily shows improvements to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and overall well-being for women experiencing menstrual irregularities and psychological problems.

Yoga nidra is the yoga of aware sleep. In this lies the secret of self healing. Yoga Nidra is a pratyahara technique in which the distractions of the mind are contained and the mind is relaxed.

Satyananda Saraswati

History
Yoga nidra, a conscious awareness of the deep sleep state, is as old as yoga itself, as the first mention of yoga nidra is in the Upanishads. Lord Krishna is associated with yoga nidra in the epic Mahabharata.

In modern times, Satyananda Saraswati claimed to have experienced yoga nidra when he was living with his guru Sivananda Saraswati in Rishikesh.

Yoga Nidra

Yoga nidra is associated with increased dopamine release in the brain. It helps activate the relaxation response and improve the functioning of your nervous system and endocrine system, which affects your hormones. 

Yoga sleep meditation helps cells regenerate and repair, and  regular practice helps to alleviate stress & anxiety and improve self-esteem.

This yogic sleep meditation reduces the desire for action and thus the reduced flow of blood in parts of the brain connected with controlling actions. It improves heart rate and all the autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating and abdominal pain respond well to this meditation technique.

Yoga Nidra Technique

Yoga Nidra is an ancient technique where the practitioner takes you into the deep states of conscious relaxation. It is a systematic practice of moving awareness from your external world to the inner world. It brings you to a state of deep sleep where your senses, intellect, and mind relax.

This state with relaxed brainwave activity where slow alpha waves, and even slower theta waves, produce deep relaxation and are the entry points to the subconscious.

Yoga Nidra Practice Duration

Standard Yoga Nidra sessions last between 15 minutes and 1 hour, although advanced practitioners have been known to practice for much longer. There is some evidence that an hour of Nidra is equivalent to several hours of ordinary sleep.

Best Time to Practice Yoga Sleep Meditation

It’s best to practice Yoga nidra in the morning, after asana or meditation, or before you go to sleep. You should not do this right after eating, as you may be more inclined to fall asleep then. You may consider practicing Yoga Nidra if you are suffering from insomnia or sleep related issues.

Yoga Nidra Guided Meditation, Youtube

Yog Nidra, guided meditation by Brahma Life, is in Hindi and focuses on deep sleep. Get into a daily habit of listening to this before sleeping at night. A good sleep is extremely important for a good life. Due to the high stress lifestyle, getting a fully relaxed night sleep is very tough. This guided meditation will take you into a deep sleep mode, making both your mind and body feel completely relaxed. 

Though there are several excellent guided meditations by saints such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Sadhguru, but very few focused on Yog Nidra on YouTube.