It’s no secret that people—especially Americans—are stressed right now. Whether it’s money, work, love, health, or a combination of factors, having a good stress relief and stress reduction system in place is more important than ever. While stress is an unavoidable part of life, prolonged stress is not. If you’re feeling stressed all the time, it’s time for better self-care practices. In addition to regular yoga, you can also reduce stress by practicing yoga for relaxation.
What is Yoga Nidra?
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is basically the art of yoga nidra. Sounds great if you hate exercise, right? The term “Yoga Nidra” means “yoga sleep”). The term refers to the hypnotic state of consciousness between waking and deep sleep. While it may seem a bit silly at first, yoga relaxation is actually a fantastic practice for relieving stress (and many other physical and mental conditions) by consciously placing your body in a relaxed but conscious state. Yoga relaxation practitioners can do this by listening to someone conduct a guided meditation online or in person.
By following a series of verbal instructions, the listener can enter a dreamlike world where the senses are withdrawn but the mind becomes aware of the dream. This is very similar to lucid dreaming. In fact, Yoga Nidra is the deepest state of relaxation you can achieve without losing consciousness and falling asleep. Unlike meditation, yoga nidra allows your mind to wander and drift – it’s actually considered one of the benefits of yoga nidra, as it helps you think creatively and identify unconscious forces that may be supporting your stress in your day-to-day life factor.
What Are the Benefits of Yoga Nidra?
What Are the Benefits of Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra may sound appealing, but there is actually proven science behind it. Yoga Nidra induces a state of consciousness in which the brain produces theta waves of four to seven hertz and delta waves of one to three hertz. The Theta state is a state of extreme relaxation in which the body enters a kind of hypnotic state—in which you may experience dreamlike visions that you can control or consciously alter. After all, this is the same state you enter during REM sleep.
You may not think about your brainwaves every day, but your natural brainwave state (which can be determined by your diet, activity level, genetics, and more) can dramatically change the quality of your life. For example, as discussed in the Natural High Life article, people with ADHD have slower theta and alpha brain waves and too few gamma waves. This can lead to poor concentration, depression and even learning difficulties. Optimal brainwave levels can help you process information better, learn more easily, and enhance your senses.
Yoga Nidra Increases Dopamine
Yoga Nidra Increases Dopamine
Scientists also performed brain scans on people while practicing yoga nidra and found that yoga nidra actually increased dopamine by 65%! It’s a massive surge of feel-good chemicals in the brain that make you happier and regulate your mood. Boosting your dopamine levels during times of stress can help you break out of negative thought patterns and see talent in the fight. It might even spur you to think about ways to solve the problem that caused the stress in the first place.
Increasing dopamine levels can also help with:
- low blood pressure
- low cardiac output
- Reduced blood flow to body organs due to shock, sepsis, and trauma
- chronic pain (especially back pain)
- arthritis
- Insomnia
- tinnitus
It can be used as a treatment for severe trauma
It can be used as a treatment for severe trauma
If you’ve had a major trauma in your life, it can take a while to realize how that trauma still affects you—even if it was years ago. When things happen in your life, your body responds to protect you. This can mean your diaphragm is elevated, your breathing becomes shallower, and your chest and shoulders may be tight. Author Louise Hay has some great resources on her website to help people recognize the symptoms of PTSD.
Fortunately, Yoga Nidra is a scientifically proven way to reduce PTSD and trauma symptoms. In an article for The Boston Globe, author Jan Brogan describes how to use Yoga Nidra to heal trauma. According to the article, “In 2006, the Department of Defense conducted a study at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to examine the effectiveness of yoga relaxation therapy for soldiers with PTSD returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. This resulted in a nationwide Yoga relaxation is being incorporated into weekly treatment plans for Soldiers at several VA facilities.”
Reduce symptoms of type 2 diabetes
Reduce symptoms of type 2 diabetes
Yoga Nidra is also beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. In addition to lowering stress levels, it can also help people intentionally lower blood sugar levels without resorting to medication. Believe it or not, researchers actually proved this in a pretty amazing 2009 study. People all over the world are suffering from weight gain due to increased calorie intake and reduced physical activity, and this may be an important resource in helping people manage their symptoms.
Anyone can do it, regardless of mobility and athletic ability
The great thing about yoga nidra is that anyone can do it. Elderly people, children, and even those with chronic illnesses can practice yoga nidra. You don’t even need yoga experience to get started. All you need is an internet connection