Yoga Nidra: A Guide to a Better Sleep

Sleep is very important to have a healthy and fit life. It is your sound sleep that gives you the energy to accomplish the daily chore. Only good food cannot give you a sufficient energy to deal with the modern stress of life. A balanced diet along with at least 8 hours sleep in the night is a key to a healthy lifestyle.

 

To keep the system going, you need to take care of your sleep pattern and this in turn gives you the strength to handle the never ending responsibilities on your shoulder. If you are suffering from sleep deprivation due to the daily stress of life, you can practice Yoga Nidra which is a form of meditation that relaxes you from within.  Yoga Nidra meditation takes you toward a relaxed and calmer state of mind and thus you get a better sleep during night.

yoga nidra

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga is a way of deep restoration that your body and mind needs to stay fit and healthy. To make the practice of yoga more effective, it is advised to end the entire yoga session with nothing but yoga nidra. The yoga nidra helps to cool down your body after yoga sequence. The yoga nidra can conserve the energy you have accumulated through the process of yoga postures.

On one hand yoga posture warms up your body and yoga nidra on the other hand basically relaxes your entire system. The term Yoga nidra also referred a “yogic sleep” is a state where you are between sleeping and waking. It is a state of consciousness where the body is completely relaxed and you as a practitioner become aware of the inner world in a systematic way by following a guided instruction. Yoga nidra is the deepest and the best possible state of relaxation when you are in your complete consciousness. The benefits of Yoga nidra are:

  • It activates your nervous system which can easily absorb the results of yoga postures.
  • It flushes all the toxins and negativity from your body.
  • It cools down your body after the yoga postures that have increased your body temperature.

Steps to Perform Yoga Nidra

During the process of yoga nidra, you have to concentrate on the different parts of the body. You have to perform the action consciously as it helps to activate the nerves and integrate the result of asana you have performed into your system.

  • To start with, first lie down on your back with your eyes closed and body completely relaxed. While taking deep breaths release all your excess tensions all over your body. Try to feel the sense of relaxation that seems to spread across your entire body. Make sure that you take a slow breath after initial deep breath. Make sure that you are lying in a comfortable position.
  • Take your attention to the right foot and slowly move upward and then repeat the process with the left leg.
  • Take your attention to each part of your body and feel the sensations.
  • You need to slowly feel your surroundings.
  • Relax and take your own time and get up when you feel comfortable and then slowly open your eyes.

With yoga nidra just let you go and enjoy the beautiful and relaxed effect of the process.