Your Body Deserves This- 3 Reasons Yoga Nidra Needs to Fit into Your Life
Take a moment and think about your daily grind, what sticks out the most? Is it exhaustion, stress, anxiety or pain? Perhaps you’re just going through the motions and waiting for your alarm clock to signal another day of craziness. Whatever the case, your body might not be getting what it needs most to thrive, grow and handle life’s ebbs and flows. Sleep. Rest. Comfort.
Those three little words may not seem like much, but when they’re out of sync, so is the rest of your being. Rest and relaxation has been linked to better health, a more focused mindset and positive outlook on life. Not to mention when your body and mind are rested you’re able to function at your best with maintained focus, stamina and productivity. Discover an amazing tool that can lead you down a pathway of restoration and rejuvenation- yoga nidra.
So what is yoga nidra? Have you heard this buzzword but are still a bit fuzzy on what it actually entails? Maybe, and that’s ok. There’s so much going on in the yoga world and to be able to know and keep up with every change, style or flow is difficult. Let’s break it down.
Yoga nidra is a style of yoga and deep relaxation practice. It is linked to many physical, health, mental/emotional and higher self benefits. It’s also a practice that can be done by anyone, anywhere making it easy and accessible.
Lucky for you, we’re going to outline three reasons why yoga nidra, or sleep yoga, is an amazing healing tool that needs a place in your busy life. Uncover the benefits of yoga nidra. It’s time to regain your calm. You’re worth it!
Yoga Nidra- More than Just Relaxation
If you’re anywhere like ninety percent of the population your body needs, crazes and calls out for relaxation. There is so much going on in your daily life. You have a family, career, obligations. Just think about all the hats you wear on a daily basis. It’s exhausting and chances are you don’t take the time to sit down, relax and unwind. When your head hits the pillow, is it lights out and time to start your cycle again the next day? Most likely, yes.
“Yoga Nidra is much more than relaxation. It’s not sleep plus yoga. It is something else entirely. It’s a way of seeing yourself and experiencing reality perhaps in a way you never have before. And yet it may be the most rewarding and significant way to see and perceive all of life, not just yourself.” - Rod Stryker (one of the world’s leading yoga and meditation teachers)
Yoga nidra provides an outlet. A way to heal and give your body the restoration it needs and desires to function at its best. During yoga nidra, you spend more time in delta brain waves than in regular sleep. In regular sleep, it takes about 30-40 minutes to get to the delta stage of deep sleep and every ninety minutes in regular sleep, you go through a new sleep cycle so you are not in the delta sleep very long. This is why yoga nidra is so refreshing and rejuvenating. Your body reaches that deep sleep stage within five minutes. Can you believe it? In just five minutes as your teacher guides you through the meditations, you begin to heal, relax and find comfort. I can feel my body saying “thank you,” already!
When your body enters these deep sleep stages during yoga nidra you also start to reap the benefits of calming your autonomic nervous system, reduce stress, improve your thought patterns, confidence and your cognitive performance. The list goes on and on!
Yoga Nidra for Rest and Restoration
You know how important rest is for your mind, body and soul. But why is it so hard to take the time to reset? The truth is, your life is busy and you are constantly “on.” Wearing many hats, trying to juggle your obligations, career, family and friends all while keeping it together. This again is where yoga nidra comes in.
A huge benefit of yoga nidra is that it helps you set intentions and fulfill your goals by setting a sankalpa or intention deep into the subconscious mind. Over time, our subconscious mind wants to fulfill that intention. Yoga nidra allows you to connect with your true self, and rediscover the balance, ability and calm your body craves to be your best self. Imagine giving yourself the chance to unwind, reconnect and restore energy, comfort and a complete sense of ah. During yoga nidra your body will go through a deeply restorative guided practice where the instructor will take you on an inner journey allowing for healing, visualization and breath awareness.
If you find yourself restless at night or just unable to let go of your day and relax, yoga nidra will help you find the comfort and calm you need to move on and restore your energy and balance. Remember it only takes about 5 minutes to get to the deep sleep or delta brain waves, stage three. And you stay there longer. This is why you feel so restored, rejuvenated, and refreshed from a short Yoga Nidra session rather than a few hours of sleep! Amazing and so refreshing! Research shows that 15 minutes of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to 1 hour of sleep; 30-45 minutes is comparable to 3-4 hours of sleep.
Yoga Nidra’s Benefits for Your Health
The benefits alone from practicing yoga nidra are reasons why this beautiful meditative practice belongs in your life. Yoga nidra works with your autonomic nervous system so when you go through the guided meditations your body begins to reconnect with itself and heal. Some of the physical benefits of yoga nidra include-
✔️improved sleep patterns
✔️relief from chronic pain
✔️reduced inflammation
✔️relief from chronic stress
Doesn’t it make you feel so good to know that an easy and accessible style of yoga, one that anyone can do anywhere, can provide your body with relief, comfort and calm!
Yoga nidra also has been known to provide mental and emotional support. You will find more clarity, focus, concentration and peace through yoga nidra. Your creativity will flourish, your senses rejuvenate and if you experience anxiety, depression or PTSD, this practice will help you find balance and calm.
As you begin your yoga nidra experience your instructor will take you through an introduction, provide background knowledge and then lead you through the initial relaxation of grounding, breath awareness and/or breath counting. Going further, you will begin the most important part- the body scan. Get ready to find bliss, relaxation and the essence of yoga nidra that takes you into a deeper, delta state.
The most important part of yoga nidra is the body scan. This relaxing and mindful practice invites you to bring gentle awareness to different parts of your body. In return you’ll cultivate a mindful sense of presence, soften your muscles, regulate your breath and reduce levels of the harmful stress hormone cortisol. If you’re new to yoga or are just seeking a new practice to heal and rejuvenate, then yoga nidra is for you.
This guided full-body relaxation style from expert instructors like Ali, at Gentle Waves Yoga, is simple, easy to follow and brings numerous benefits to your mind, body and soul. It’s time to give your body what it deserves and discover how yoga nidra can help you turn away from the world for a bit and rest your body and mind all while staying alert. You will then set your intentions or Sankalpa and begin visualization through guided imagery all before coming out of the practice.
Yoga nidra truly is a way to bring back your body’s full potential and find calm, peace and serenity. What an experience, what a joy! It’s time you experience first hand what this restorative and healing practice can do for you. You deserve peace, restoration, and the ability to be your best now and always. Bring this practice into your life and believe in the journey!