Suffer from insomnia? Try yoga nidra

Insomnia and lack of sleep can be a real pain in the neck. It is estimated that fifty percent of adults in the United States struggle with insomnia. Sleep is essential for the body and mind to rest and recover. Not being able to get enough sleep at night on a consistent basis can lead to serious health issues. So how can fifty percent of the population in one of the richest countries in the world suffer from insomnia? Obviously they can get the best mattresses and the pillows and figure out the right temperature … right?

The causes insomnia are many. The symptoms vary from: difficulty falling asleep at night, waking up earlier than anticipated and getting woken up frequently. Insomnia can be caused due to: medical conditions such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome and periodic body movements. Unmanageable stress, anxiety and nervous system issues and depression can also cause insomnia in an individual.

So how can yoga nidra help? Yoga nidra is an ancient Indian technique that is thought to be able to address underlying causes of insomnia. An overactive nervous system is balanced through the practice of yoga nidra. Often, emotional imbalances can occur due to lack of sleep. Yoga nidra is known to be able to address both physical and medical causes of insomnia.

The techniques used in yoga nidra help facilitate healing through relaxing the body.  The positive effect of this is the restoration effect on emotional, mental and physical health. Practicing yoga nidra is also thought to have the ability of balancing the brain by brining balance in the two hemispheres. It dives deep into the minds of the practitioner by bringing in images and feelings that cause pain, anxiety and other feelings and encourages the practitioner to let them go.

Yoga nidra sessions begin with some gentle asanas and setting an intention. Then, the practitioner’s awareness is brought to all areas of the body. By establishing a connection with the breath, the practice is designed to lead the practitioner into a deep state of integration. If you are a beginner, yoga nidra is ideal to do at the end of your sequence. Here, the practitioner consciously takes the attention to different parts of the body and relaxes them. Yoga nidra helps to conserve and consolidate energy and relax the entire system. Yoga nidra cools down the body, restores the normal temperature and activates of the nervous system to absorb the effects of the asanas.