Yoga nidra is a beautiful process for finding deep rest and relaxation in a matter of minutes. To learn more about yoga nidra and its benefits, read on.

Did you know that according to recent studies 11% of American adults are chronically suffering from sleep deprivation?

That's a lot! So, 1 in 10 of the people you meet never sleep well or enough (if everyone you meet is energetic and perky then "statistically" speaking you must be the tired one...).

As looking after yourself and your body becomes more and more popular, people are beginning to turn to Yoga Nidra for help falling asleep.

In this post we are going to look at all things Yoga Nidra and sleep; what Yoga Nidra actually is, how it is different from sleep, the potential benefits for you, and how you can start getting a good night's sleep every night.

What is Yoga Nidra, and what is sleep?

Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice that you might have heard referred to as "yogic sleep". 

Despite the name, Yoga Nidra is not the same as falling asleep. Yoga Nidra is a guided meditation that includes a body scan and bringing your consciousness to different points in the body. Doing so is incredibly nourishing and restorative for your mind and body.

While the goal isn't to fall asleep (although some people do) Yoga Nidra offers deep relaxation and physical nourishment. Which is great if you lead a busy life!

For me, a Yoga Nidra class gives me the sense of becoming aware of awareness. My body and mind go into a deeply relaxed state. But my mind is awake in relaxation.

I know this seems a bit obvious, but if you really think about it do you know what sleep is?!

We all do it, and yet it's pretty hard to accurately describe.

Sleep is actually defined as an activity. While our bodies may be very calm and still, the brain is very busy, going through various phases. As we fall into deeper and deeper sleep our brain begins to produce delta waves. A disrupted cycle means you never go deep enough to feel rested and still feel tired when you wake up.

Most adults need between 7-8 hours of good quality sleep per night (that produces delta waves). There are so many negative consequences to not getting enough sleep, from generally feeling grumpy and irritable all the way to exacerbating mental health issues (including anxiety and depression) and even inducing hallucinations if the deprivation is long enough. We need sleep to grow, to keep our nervous systems functioning optimally, and to feel focused and calm on a day-to-day basis.

Yoga Nidra vs sleep: are they the same?

The short answer is no, they're not. Sleep is sleep, and Yoga Nidra is Yoga Nidra.

Both are relaxing, calming, and energizing. In fact, a 30-minute session of Yoga Nidra is equivalent to 2-4 hours of sleep (although sadly you can't keep scaling at this rate and replace sleep entirely with Yoga Nidra!).

While they are different and serve different functions, they do go nicely together and have some overlap in terms of benefits. Think of them as good teammates, rather than playing the same position.

If you practice Yoga Nidra you can improve your sleep quality. Much like meditation, Yoga Nidra helps to reduce stress, reduce tension, and to relax. And both of these lead to an improved night's sleep!

I want to try a Yoga Nidra session!

Awesome! I think you're going to love it!

When you're getting started it's best to have a teacher guide you through the Yoga Nidra sequence. It's hard to remember instructions AND relax! Let the teacher be your Yoga Nidra guide and help you explore this new and wonderful practice.

It can be a great mid-afternoon pick me up, as well as great stress relief, so rather than reaching for (another) coffee, why not lie down and press play on the video below.

To help you get started, here is a guided Yoga Nidra session by the Art of Living founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It only takes 20 minutes, so even if you're short on time you can still enjoy the benefits of this powerful practice.

Enjoy!

I just want to fall asleep

I suppose there are two main reasons you'd be reading this post. The first is because you're interested in Yoga Nidra. Perhaps you've heard yoga teachers talking about it and are curious to find out more.

The second is that what you're really looking for is help to sleep better, and have heard that Yoga Nidra is one way to get you sleeping deeply and easily.

Which is also fine!

If what you're really looking for is a good night's rest, in addition to trying Yoga Nidra, you might also like meditation, specifically SKY Breath Meditation. When it comes to sleep meditation and breath awareness can be a great help.

A meditation practice has so many benefits that it's hard to list them all here! While it started as an ancient practice for yogis seeking enlightenment, meditation is now a part of the self-care routines of everyone from CEOs to athletes to insomniacs.

SKY was created by Sri Sri, and is an effortless form of meditation. It even works for people who "can't meditate" and is effortless for them too! So even if you struggle to meditate, don't worry! You can still do SKY and transform your life.

Benefits include:

• Reduced cortisol levels

• Reduced anxiety and depression (both clinical and non-clinical)

• Improved sleep (both quantity and quality)

• Reduced stress and tension

• Greater awareness

• Improved sense of wellbeing

• Reduction in PTSD

All of these benefits lead to falling asleep more easily, and feeling better while you're awake! And just by breathing...which you do anyway?!

Imagine that... you waking up and feeling good?! You don't have to suffer from insomnia or restless nights anymore.

If you're ready to take your first step towards a new bed routine, I invite you to join us for the next introductory session. It’s a free, introductory session where you will learn an energizing technique from an expert Art of Living Instructor. They will also be there to answer your questions about SKY and tell you more about how it works.

Click the image below to sign up.