What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra, also known as “yogic sleep,” is a powerful meditation practice for deep relaxation. Just thirty minutes of Yoga Nidra is said to be the equivalent of two hours of sleep!

Yoga Nidra is done laying on your back, with the arms by the sides in a relaxed position. You’ll want a pillow, blanket, and anything else that will help the body become as comfortable as possible. Placing a light cover over the eyes also stimulates melatonin production and helps with going deeper into the practice.

The Practice of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra begins with choosing a san kalpa, or an intention. This is a statement starting with the words “I am…” and it is your tool for transformation. For instance, if you’re struggling with low self-worth, your san kalpa might be, “I am enough” or “I am lovable.” If you feel alone or like the world is against you, you could say, “I am supported” or “I am loved.” As your brain waves slow down through the practice, you’ll ask yourself to experience what it would feel like if your san kalpa were true in that moment. By having this emotional experience in a deep states of consciousness, your mind and body can be reprogrammed to feel your san kalpa as true in daily life.

A traditional Yoga Nidra meditation will then take you on a journey through the five “koshas” or bodies. This begins with the “annamaya kosha,” or physical body, by practicing a body scan. This exercise puts your body in a state of deep relaxation for the practice. Next you will practice awareness of your breath or “prana,” experiencing the “pranamaya kosha,” also known as the energy body. Breath and energy awareness can activate the parasympathetic nervous system to help the body rest and digest — which is a requirement for physical healing and reducing anxiety.

Next is the “manomaya kosha,” or mental body, where you will explore pairs of opposite emotions. This part of the practice is powerful for releasing emotions, letting go of negative beliefs, and understanding the polarity and fluidity of emotions. This is also a way to learn how to experience yourself as the neutral space between emotions (and thereby learn that you are more than your emotions).

The fourth kosha you will experience is the “vijnanamaya kosha,” or the intuitive body. Here you practice visualization — sometimes revisiting the past, envisioning your future, or tapping into your inner wisdom for greater understanding. By this point, you will likely have reached the alpha, theta, or even delta brainwave state, where the brain slows down almost to the point of sleep. Delta and theta are the brainwave states we were in from ages 0 to 5, when the brain was like a sponge, creating subconscious beliefs and personality. From this state you have direct access to change your subconscious programming and your emotional relationship with the past.

The fifth kosha is the “anandamaya kosha,” known as the bliss body. This is the experience of natural ecstasy that comes from deep meditation and connection. From this state, you can experience yourself as truly whole, complete, and perfect exactly as you are. You can release attachments, negativities, desires, and pain.

Finally, you will experience your sankalpa again from this deep state of wholeness. Once again, by introducing this productive belief into the subconscious, you plant the seed for it to be true in your daily life.

Benefits of Yoga Nidra

The practice of Yoga Nidra meditation is one of deep transformation and healing. It’s been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, obesity, health problems, addictions, and more. It regulates hormones and stabilizes glucose levels. A 2013 study showed that practicing Yoga Nidra improved anxiety, depression, and overall well-being for women experiencing menstrual irregularities and psychological problems.

Yoga Nidra has even been used within the U.S. Department of Defense to help veterans suffering from PTSD. At John F. Kennedy University, Vietnam and Iraq war servicemen with severe PTSD reported “reduced rage, anxiety, and emotional reactivity” after eight weeks of regular Yoga Nidra practice. Similarly, women who were victims of rape and sexual trauma “showed significant decreases in negative thoughts of self-blame and depression” by practicing Yoga Nidra twice a week for 10 weeks.

Yoga Nidra helps you feel connected and at peace. It reduces acute pain, stress, and negative thinking. Plus, one practice alone results in a 65 percent increase in dopamine. This practice is gaining popularity for good reason — it works.

Try a free Yoga Nidra meditation practice.