Yoga Nidra: The Sleep Meditation for Restorative Rest and Relaxation

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Table of Contents

Tell Me More About Yoga Nidra

How Yoga Nidra Works

What Does Yoga Nidra Do?

Getting Started with Yoga Nidra

Modifications and Variations of Yoga Nidra

Tips for a Successful Yoga Nidra Practice

Safety Considerations and Contraindications

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In the chaos of our daily lives, we’re constantly being pulled in a million different directions and stretched so thin, it feels like we might snap at any second. We often find ourselves craving some rest andrelaxation, so that we can feel restored and rejuvenated. Enter: yoga nidra.

“It’s a practice for deep relaxation, healing, integration, and wholeness on all levels of being,” saysKarla Helbert, an internationally certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) and author of “Tips for Calming Body and Mind: Breathing Lessons.”

If you’re curious about yoga nidra, we’ve got you. In this article, we explore how yoga nidra works, the benefits it offers, and some tips to help you get started with it.

At a GlanceYoga nidra is a form of guided meditation that involves elements like abody scan meditationand visualizations.What’s super cool about it is that researchers who have studied it have found that the brain goes into a unique state where it is asleep, while we’re actually awake and conscious. Apart from being deeply relaxing, being in this state also unlocks several mental, physical, and emotional benefits.So go on, get comfy, and come with us on a relaxing yoga nidra journey!

At a Glance

Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation that involves elements like abody scan meditationand visualizations.What’s super cool about it is that researchers who have studied it have found that the brain goes into a unique state where it is asleep, while we’re actually awake and conscious. Apart from being deeply relaxing, being in this state also unlocks several mental, physical, and emotional benefits.So go on, get comfy, and come with us on a relaxing yoga nidra journey!

Yoga nidra is a form of guided meditation that involves elements like abody scan meditationand visualizations.

What’s super cool about it is that researchers who have studied it have found that the brain goes into a unique state where it is asleep, while we’re actually awake and conscious. Apart from being deeply relaxing, being in this state also unlocks several mental, physical, and emotional benefits.

So go on, get comfy, and come with us on a relaxing yoga nidra journey!

As old as yoga itself, yoga nidra is a meditative practice that was first recorded in ancient Hindu texts known as the Upanishads, which date as far back as 600 BCE.

In Sanskrit, the term ‘yoga nidra’ means ‘yogic sleep,’ but the practice is really meant to help us hover between a state of sleep and wakefulness—it’s essentially awareness in a fully relaxed state, Helbert explains.

If you’re worried it involves something complicated, you can relax (pun intended!). Unlike other forms ofyoga, yoga nidra typically doesn’t require any complicated asanas, or poses. It simply involves lying down in a comfortable position as your guide takes you through the meditation.

“Yoga nidra consists of a deceptively simple set of practices for enhancing health, healing, resiliency, and well-being at all levels of body, mind, and spirit,” says Richard Miller, PhD, a clinical psychologist and author of “Yoga Nidra: The iRest Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing.”

“There are different styles of yoga nidra, but all include a body scan and an awareness of breath,” says Helbert. She adds that many may also includeimageryor visualizations of different kinds, such as nature, colors, or representations of the elements, like earth, air, water, or fire.

Yoga nidra moves us through each layer of our being—physical, mental, energetic, intuitive, and spiritual—allowing us to experience the inner peace that yoga teaches us is always part of each one of us.—KARLA HELBERT, C-IAYT

Yoga nidra moves us through each layer of our being—physical, mental, energetic, intuitive, and spiritual—allowing us to experience the inner peace that yoga teaches us is always part of each one of us.

—KARLA HELBERT, C-IAYT

While many otherforms of meditationhelp us relax, yoga nidra represents a unique state where we’re fully conscious but we demonstrate all the symptoms of a deep,non-REM sleepwithdelta brain waves.

Helbert explains that in this state, the parasympatheticnervous system—the rest, relax, and digest side of our nervous system—is activated, and the sympathetic nervous system—thefight or flight mode—is able to deactivate.

The mind remains awake and aware, open and receptive to the messages of healing and creativity shared during the meditation, Helbert adds. She explains that this is powerful because the words, images, and suggestions of healing can sink deep into our consciousness and subconsciousness, resonating within.

In some ways, yoga nidra is similar to ahypnotic state, but it’s not quite the same thing.A 2022 study that examined participants' brain waves during yoga nidra sessions found that some parts of the brain were asleep, while other parts of the brain were awake.

Research shows us that yoga nidra offers several mental, physical, and emotional benefits:

Yoga nidra promotes emotional healing and helps us become more in tune with our mind, body, and environment. Practicing it regularly is believed to help create a stronger mind-body connection.—SHELBY HARRIS, PSYD

Yoga nidra promotes emotional healing and helps us become more in tune with our mind, body, and environment. Practicing it regularly is believed to help create a stronger mind-body connection.

—SHELBY HARRIS, PSYD

A 2023 review notes that yoga nidra shows potential as a noninvasive, cost-effective, and easily accessible approach to help treat many health conditions, as a complementary form of treatment along with primary treatment.

How Meditation Impacts Your Mind and Body

You can do yoga nidra at home, using a guided meditation recording. Or, you can do it in a yoga studio, with a teacher who will guide you through the steps.

Either way, these tips can help you get started with it:

Resources to Get You Started

Here are some free resources to help you get started with yoga nidra:

A Beginner’s Guide to Chakra Meditation

These are some ways to adapt your yoga nidra practice according to your needs.

Yoga Nidra for Specific Purposes

If you would like to use yoga nidra for a specific purpose, such asbetter sleeporstress-relieffor example, here are some options:

Yoga Nidra for Different Populations

These are some tips that can help you adapt the yoga nidra practice for different needs:

Dr. Miller recommends working with a trained yoga nidra teacher who can adapt the practice to you, in order to empower you while respecting your age,culture, religious orientation, occupation, and mental and physical health.

An experienced teacher can change the language of the script or use particular kinds of imagery for different groups, Helbert says.

Different images, different points of focus, or different voices will all result in different experiences for each of us, so it can be helpful to explore what works best for you, Helbert adds.

We asked the experts for some tips to help us establish and maintain a successful yoga nidra practice. Here’s what they had to say:

Guided Meditation for Sleep: How to Get Started

While yoga nidra is generally considered safe for most individuals, there are certain safety conditions and contraindications to be aware of.

If you’re pregnant, have had recent surgery, or have chronic/serious health issues, Dr. Harris recommends proceeding with caution. “Listen to your body, and if something feels off, stop and check with your doctor.”

Other potential contraindications may be for those who may have had any mental health crises, traumatic experiences, or severe mental health conditions such asschizophrenia, says Helbert. “Yoga nidra creates a non-ordinary state of consciousness and in that state, you may feel a lack of sense of self which can feel unsettling or even scary.” Sometimes, the practice can also bring up deep fears, difficult memories, or frightening visualizations, she adds.

When Should You Not Do Yoga Nidra?You should definitely not listen to a yoga nidra—or really any guided meditation—while driving or operating machinery, or simply if you need to be paying attention to what is happening around you, Helbert says.

When Should You Not Do Yoga Nidra?

You should definitely not listen to a yoga nidra—or really any guided meditation—while driving or operating machinery, or simply if you need to be paying attention to what is happening around you, Helbert says.

Keep in Mind

Yoga nidra is generally considered safe and can be customized for different needs. However, it may not be safe for people living with certain mental and physical conditions, so it’s best to proceed with caution and only attempt it under the guidance of a healthcare provider and an experienced instructor if it’s contraindicated for you.

What Is Yoga Therapy?

12 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, Kanchibhotla D, Kumar K, Sharma GS, Gupta R, Batmanabane G.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Parker S, Bharati SV, Fernandez M.Defining yoga-nidra: Traditional accounts, physiological research, and future directions.Int J Yoga Therap. 2013;23(1):11-6Datta K, Mallick HN, Tripathi M, Ahuja N, Deepak KK.Electrophysiological evidence of local sleep during yoga nidra practice.Front Neurol.2022 Jul 12;13:910794. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.910794Rajagopalan A, Krishna A, Mukkadan JK.Effect of Om chanting and yoga nidra on depression anxiety stress, sleep quality and autonomic functions of hypertensive subjects: A randomized controlled trial.J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 13;34(1):69-75. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0122Vaishnav BS, Vaishnav SB, Vaishnav VS, Varma JR.Effect of yoga-nidra on adolescents well-being: A mixed method study.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):245-248. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_39_17di Fronso S, Robazza C, Pompa D, Bertollo M.Dreaming while awake: The beneficial effects of yoga nidra on mental and physical recovery in two elite karate athletes.Heliyon. 2024 Jan 5;10(1):e24180. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24180Nayak K, Verma K.Yoga nidra as a mental health booster: A narrative review.J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;14(6):100842. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100842Datta K, Bhutambare A, V L M, Narawa Y, Srinath R, Kanitkar M.Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with yoga nidra practice in novices.PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0294678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294678Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D.The impact of yoga nidra and seated meditation on the mental health of college professors.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):215-223. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_17Datta K, Tripathi M, Verma M, Masiwal D, Mallick HN.Yoga nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.Natl Med J India. 2021 May-Jun;34(3):143-150. doi: 10.25259/NMJI_63_19Devraj JP, Santosh Kumar B, Raja Sriswan M, Jagdish B, Priya BS, Neelu SB, Desai Rao V, Kumar M, Geddam JJB, Hemalatha R.Effect of yoga nidra on blood pressure, Hs-CRP, and lipid profile of hypertensive subjects: A pilot study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 30;2021:2858235. doi: 10.1155/2021/2858235Musto S, Hazard Vallerand A.Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review.J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023 Nov;55(6):1164-1178. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12927

12 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, Kanchibhotla D, Kumar K, Sharma GS, Gupta R, Batmanabane G.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Parker S, Bharati SV, Fernandez M.Defining yoga-nidra: Traditional accounts, physiological research, and future directions.Int J Yoga Therap. 2013;23(1):11-6Datta K, Mallick HN, Tripathi M, Ahuja N, Deepak KK.Electrophysiological evidence of local sleep during yoga nidra practice.Front Neurol.2022 Jul 12;13:910794. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.910794Rajagopalan A, Krishna A, Mukkadan JK.Effect of Om chanting and yoga nidra on depression anxiety stress, sleep quality and autonomic functions of hypertensive subjects: A randomized controlled trial.J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 13;34(1):69-75. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0122Vaishnav BS, Vaishnav SB, Vaishnav VS, Varma JR.Effect of yoga-nidra on adolescents well-being: A mixed method study.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):245-248. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_39_17di Fronso S, Robazza C, Pompa D, Bertollo M.Dreaming while awake: The beneficial effects of yoga nidra on mental and physical recovery in two elite karate athletes.Heliyon. 2024 Jan 5;10(1):e24180. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24180Nayak K, Verma K.Yoga nidra as a mental health booster: A narrative review.J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;14(6):100842. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100842Datta K, Bhutambare A, V L M, Narawa Y, Srinath R, Kanitkar M.Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with yoga nidra practice in novices.PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0294678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294678Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D.The impact of yoga nidra and seated meditation on the mental health of college professors.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):215-223. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_17Datta K, Tripathi M, Verma M, Masiwal D, Mallick HN.Yoga nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.Natl Med J India. 2021 May-Jun;34(3):143-150. doi: 10.25259/NMJI_63_19Devraj JP, Santosh Kumar B, Raja Sriswan M, Jagdish B, Priya BS, Neelu SB, Desai Rao V, Kumar M, Geddam JJB, Hemalatha R.Effect of yoga nidra on blood pressure, Hs-CRP, and lipid profile of hypertensive subjects: A pilot study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 30;2021:2858235. doi: 10.1155/2021/2858235Musto S, Hazard Vallerand A.Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review.J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023 Nov;55(6):1164-1178. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12927

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, Kanchibhotla D, Kumar K, Sharma GS, Gupta R, Batmanabane G.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7Parker S, Bharati SV, Fernandez M.Defining yoga-nidra: Traditional accounts, physiological research, and future directions.Int J Yoga Therap. 2013;23(1):11-6Datta K, Mallick HN, Tripathi M, Ahuja N, Deepak KK.Electrophysiological evidence of local sleep during yoga nidra practice.Front Neurol.2022 Jul 12;13:910794. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.910794Rajagopalan A, Krishna A, Mukkadan JK.Effect of Om chanting and yoga nidra on depression anxiety stress, sleep quality and autonomic functions of hypertensive subjects: A randomized controlled trial.J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 13;34(1):69-75. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0122Vaishnav BS, Vaishnav SB, Vaishnav VS, Varma JR.Effect of yoga-nidra on adolescents well-being: A mixed method study.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):245-248. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_39_17di Fronso S, Robazza C, Pompa D, Bertollo M.Dreaming while awake: The beneficial effects of yoga nidra on mental and physical recovery in two elite karate athletes.Heliyon. 2024 Jan 5;10(1):e24180. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24180Nayak K, Verma K.Yoga nidra as a mental health booster: A narrative review.J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;14(6):100842. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100842Datta K, Bhutambare A, V L M, Narawa Y, Srinath R, Kanitkar M.Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with yoga nidra practice in novices.PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0294678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294678Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D.The impact of yoga nidra and seated meditation on the mental health of college professors.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):215-223. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_17Datta K, Tripathi M, Verma M, Masiwal D, Mallick HN.Yoga nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.Natl Med J India. 2021 May-Jun;34(3):143-150. doi: 10.25259/NMJI_63_19Devraj JP, Santosh Kumar B, Raja Sriswan M, Jagdish B, Priya BS, Neelu SB, Desai Rao V, Kumar M, Geddam JJB, Hemalatha R.Effect of yoga nidra on blood pressure, Hs-CRP, and lipid profile of hypertensive subjects: A pilot study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 30;2021:2858235. doi: 10.1155/2021/2858235Musto S, Hazard Vallerand A.Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review.J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023 Nov;55(6):1164-1178. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12927

Pandi-Perumal SR, Spence DW, Srivastava N, Kanchibhotla D, Kumar K, Sharma GS, Gupta R, Batmanabane G.The origin and clinical relevance of yoga nidra.Sleep Vigil. 2022;6(1):61-84. doi:10.1007/s41782-022-00202-7

Parker S, Bharati SV, Fernandez M.Defining yoga-nidra: Traditional accounts, physiological research, and future directions.Int J Yoga Therap. 2013;23(1):11-6

Datta K, Mallick HN, Tripathi M, Ahuja N, Deepak KK.Electrophysiological evidence of local sleep during yoga nidra practice.Front Neurol.2022 Jul 12;13:910794. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.910794

Rajagopalan A, Krishna A, Mukkadan JK.Effect of Om chanting and yoga nidra on depression anxiety stress, sleep quality and autonomic functions of hypertensive subjects: A randomized controlled trial.J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2022 Jun 13;34(1):69-75. doi: 10.1515/jbcpp-2022-0122

Vaishnav BS, Vaishnav SB, Vaishnav VS, Varma JR.Effect of yoga-nidra on adolescents well-being: A mixed method study.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):245-248. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_39_17

di Fronso S, Robazza C, Pompa D, Bertollo M.Dreaming while awake: The beneficial effects of yoga nidra on mental and physical recovery in two elite karate athletes.Heliyon. 2024 Jan 5;10(1):e24180. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24180

Nayak K, Verma K.Yoga nidra as a mental health booster: A narrative review.J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2023 Nov-Dec;14(6):100842. doi: 10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100842

Datta K, Bhutambare A, V L M, Narawa Y, Srinath R, Kanitkar M.Improved sleep, cognitive processing and enhanced learning and memory task accuracy with yoga nidra practice in novices.PLoS One. 2023 Dec 13;18(12):e0294678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294678

Ferreira-Vorkapic C, Borba-Pinheiro CJ, Marchioro M, Santana D.The impact of yoga nidra and seated meditation on the mental health of college professors.Int J Yoga. 2018 Sep-Dec;11(3):215-223. doi: 10.4103/ijoy.IJOY_57_17

Datta K, Tripathi M, Verma M, Masiwal D, Mallick HN.Yoga nidra practice shows improvement in sleep in patients with chronic insomnia: A randomized controlled trial.Natl Med J India. 2021 May-Jun;34(3):143-150. doi: 10.25259/NMJI_63_19

Devraj JP, Santosh Kumar B, Raja Sriswan M, Jagdish B, Priya BS, Neelu SB, Desai Rao V, Kumar M, Geddam JJB, Hemalatha R.Effect of yoga nidra on blood pressure, Hs-CRP, and lipid profile of hypertensive subjects: A pilot study.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Dec 30;2021:2858235. doi: 10.1155/2021/2858235

Musto S, Hazard Vallerand A.Exploring the uses of yoga nidra: An integrative review.J Nurs Scholarsh. 2023 Nov;55(6):1164-1178. doi: 10.1111/jnu.12927

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