Yoga nidra, the ally of insomnia

Nothing is more restful than a good night’s sleep, done right. But there is one alternative in particular that could be just as well. A combination of meditation and yoga which seems to work great: it yoga nidra. Yoga and meditation experts believe that a yoga practice nidra’s 30 minutes can be as restful as four hours of sleep.

Further studies are investigating why, but existing scientific literature claims it is related to brain wave changes that occur during yoga nidra.

But what does this yoga nidra consist of? And which benefits can it affect our health? Here is everything you need to know.

What is yoga nidra?

The famous yoga guru Swami Satyananda Saraswati defines yoga nidra as “the attaining of boundary between waking and sleeping states“. Also known as yogic sleep, this meditation practice prompts the body to relax deeply while the mind remains inwardly alert.

To practice yoga nidra, you have to lie on your back on the floor in the position of the corpse, otherwise known as Savasana. Based on the guided meditation you choose (there are many on YouTube), you are asked to start perceiving the body according to the areas of tension. Awareness of the breath and the body part indicated during meditation are key aspects to achieve the deep relaxation response that yoga nidra offers.

What is the secret of this self-care method? And why is it indicated to improve rest? What differentiates this form of meditation from standard yoga classes is that balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system: this allows you to relax the different brain waves (beta, alpha, theta and delta), resulting in deep sleep.

The ultimate goal is to achieve one hypnagogic state, which oscillates between wakefulness and sleep. It is that magical moment just before falling asleep, when the body is in deep relaxation, while the mind is still clear.
As you progress through the four stages of brain wave activity, your physical and mental wellbeing improves as stressful thoughts and tension begin to wear off.

The four phases of the brain waves

Beta and Alpha

First, guided meditation will lead you through active thinking, which is characteristic of where beta. For example, if you are awake and having a conversation with someone, you are in beta. As your meditation practice continues and your brain waves begin to slow down, you will go through the relaxed state of mind alpha waves. Do you find it difficult to “turn off” your mind? Supplements can be taken to reduce stress and improve concentration.

Theta

Once you have reached the beta state, the yoga nidra meditation process takes you deeper into the state of where theta. Here, thoughts slow down even more, as theta waves hover in the 4-8 Hz range compared to the 8-12 Hz of beta waves. In this state, super learning (the ability to learn a large amount of material in a short period of time) is at hand.

As with hypnosis, this is the state where negative thought patterns can be released, along with the heaviness of everyday life. This elects the theta state as a privileged place to address the bad habits settled in the old neural pathways and change them for the better. In other words, it literally can rewiring the brain. Forever.

Delta

Finally, the guided meditation will take you to the delta state, which is known to be the most restorative for the mind and body. During this state of brain wave activity, several hormones are released, including growth hormones (GHRH), which stimulate the pituitary gland. Meanwhile, the stress hormone cortisol is at its lowest. This completely restores the mind and body. Unfortunately, nowadays it is all too common for people not to achieve theta and delta sleep at night, so, in layman’s terms, our bodies don’t have the opportunity to fully recover and heal.

Yoga nidra not only improves rest, but also …

There are others too benefits of yoga nidra, proven by scientific studies.

– 150 women with premenstrual syndrome showed improvement in symptoms after 6 months of yoga nidra, which was particularly beneficial for hormone regulation.
– 100 women with depression and anxiety related to menstruation have benefited from yoga nidra therapy.
– Yoga nidra significantly reduced levels of stress and anxiety in 80 university students.
– 30 minutes of yoga nidra for 90 days have stabilized glucose levels in the blood in diabetics.
– War veterans reported having significant relief in symptoms of the post-traumatic stress disorder (anger and anxiety) and an increase in feelings of relaxation and inner peace.

How is yoga nidra practiced?

Lie on your back in a comfortable position. If you need it, cover yourself with a sheet or place a pillow under the popliteal cavity to support the knees. You will need to stay in position for half an hour, so feel comfortable.

First, you will set yours Sankalpa (your deepest intention, a purpose) for the practice. Think about a goal you want to achieve during the time you have set aside for yourself. You will then be asked to think about different parts of the body (like a scanner) and to notice the sensations. You will become aware of the breath and meditation will provide guided instructions on how to breathe to go deeper into the resting state.

You will also be guided in visualizations of the light. This is where the magic begins to happen as you calmly sink into the four states of brain wave activity.

At the end of the practice, you will reflect on the journey you have taken within yourself with your yogic guide. By bringing awareness back to the present reality, you will reaffirm your Sankalpa. You will return to a sitting position to honor the space you have dedicated to yourself, feeling deeply at peace.