Yoga, you likely think of deep breaths and even deeper stretches. But the popular yoga nidra doesn’t require body movement at all. Rather, it’s a meditative experience focused on achieving a relaxed state that hovers somewhere between sleep and wake. If you have trouble sleeping or deal with brain fog, new research shows it might offer the help you’ve been seeking. Yoga nidra is a meditative practice where you lay flat on your back while being guided through a series of instructions. The instructions aim to help you set an intention for the session, control your breathing, visualize specific parts of your body, and allow your thoughts and emotions to wander. Scientifically speaking, the sessions involve tapping into your autonomic nervous system to calm down the body. It’s very similar to meditation, but it gets you to a more relaxed state with slower brain waves. If you want to get started with yoga nidra, it can be done in a studio class or at home with the help of a recorded session. Session lengths vary. The practice the study participants followed lasted 20 minutes, with an additional three minutes of instruction before and after the main session. A standard session includes seven steps: preparation, samkalpa (resolution), body part awareness, breath awareness, feeling and sensation, visualization, and ending of practice.
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Friday, June 27, 2025