In this bustling world that we inhabit, it’s now becoming more and more challenging to find time to relax and let go. Yoga Nidra loosely translates to yogic sleep or psychic sleep; it’s a state of consciousness between sleep and wakefulness.

Yoga Nidra is an ancient practice from the Tantras and it was adopted by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of the Bihar school tradition and was one of the first teachers to have taught Yoga Nidra. Yoga Nidra was also practiced by sages so they could consciously watch their samskaras or the impressions of their mind. The practice was used by the US Army to help soldiers recovering from PTSD.

It is a guided meditation practice that involves systematically relaxing different parts of the body while maintaining awareness and focus on the breath and mental imagery. It transcends and differs from modern conventional meditation in the sense that it offers a journey through various layers of consciousness.

Research studies have demonstrated how just one session of yoga nidra is equivalent to many hours of sleep and is also currently being used to help with various sleep disorders. It has been shown how with regular practice there was an improvement in sleep quality, severity of insomnia, depression, and anxiety; there was also a lowering of stress scores. So yoga nidra is a great practice to implement anytime there is a feeling of lethargy or tiredness.

Since the practice works on the level of the subconscious mind by putting you in a hypnagogic state, it’s also one that helps to work on certain behaviors and observe patterns.

The benefits of this practice are manifold, even Dr. Andrew Huberman talks about NDSR (Non – Deep Sleep Relaxation) that’s inspired by the eastern practice of Yoga Nidra.

Some of the benefits of yoga nidra on the body include:

• Deeper relaxation – there is a guided body scan that allows practitioners to work on fully relaxing the body.
• Greater awareness – since meditation has various important stages, it allows practitioners to move their awareness to the present moment.
• Helps with stress and anxiety – through the practice of yoga nidra, we work on the subconscious patterns that allow us to connect with ourselves and move away from these patterns to become more free.
• Activation of the Parasympathetic Nervous System – the practice taps into the rest and digest response of the parasympathetic nervous system that allows one to move into deeper states of relaxation.

There are also various positive effects of practicing yoga nidra on the mind:

• Improves creativity – it’s a wonderful practice to understand and process the workings of the mind and think outside the box.
• Move out of additive tendencies – the practice helps us see any patterns or addictive tendencies and move away from them promptly.
• Focus – it’s a wonderful practice to increase awareness and focus
• Anger management – an understanding of all the past trauma and conditioning that we’re holding onto helps to become more aware when one is angry and manage anger better.
• Clarity – what most people lack nowadays is clarity of thought in terms of what to do in life and how to go about their responsibilities, regular practice of yoga nidra helps to develop that clarity.

In a world that seldom pauses, the art of Yoga Nidra beckons us to slow down, reconnect with ourselves, and discover the boundless reservoirs of inner peace. Its rich historical lineage, coupled with contemporary scientific validations, positions Yoga Nidra as a transformative practice for those seeking holistic well-being and a profound sense of calm amid life’s chaos. As you embark on this journey, let the layers of consciousness unfold, revealing the serene landscapes that reside within.

• By Carolyn Theresa Simon, a yoga expert.