07/02/2024
If you haven’t tried Yoga Nidra check out this article and links to free guided meditations 🙏🏼
If you have ever taken a yoga class, then you probably experienced "yoga nidra" at the end, when the teacher guided everyone into an experience of deep rest and relaxation.
Now there are many wonderful guided yoga nidra videos available on youtube, that one can listen to at any time. Moreover, researchers around the world have begun to study the effects, finding that this practice balances the mind and body, resets the nervous system, and increases depleted dopamine levels!
Some scientists are now developing "Non-Sleep Deep Rest" (NSDR) exercises based on these ancient practices. If you have trouble sleeping at night, or experience anxiety any time during the day, these exercises could be transformative.
Yoga Nidra and NSDR deep relaxation practices are also a great way to calm your body and mind before meditation, when sick (or dealing with trauma) or whenever life feels stressful.
Here's two excellent Yoga Nidra guided meditations by Ally Boothroyd (Sarovara Yoga):
Yoga Nidra (20 minutes deep rest)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9r8jXUvsi3w&t=21s
30 Minute Yoga Nidra For Deep Rest
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mM5Oks8yZc&t=7s
And here's Dr. Andrew Huberman (Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine) explaining the "science" behind Yoga Nidra and why researchers are studying its powerful effects:
The Practice of Yoga Nidra to Improve Your Sleep and Stress | Dr. Andrew Huberman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rSOn0PurVc
10 Minute Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) to Restore Mental & Physical Energy | Dr. Andrew Huberman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHIbgSN2qAU
More info: The Origin and Clinical Relevance of Yoga Nidra (National Library of Medicine) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9033521/