You have certainly come across the term Yoga Nidra. This means yogic sleep or deep rest without sleep and it induces a state of deep relaxation while maintaining awareness. Yoga Nidra is said to be effective in treating anxiety. Practicing Yoga Nidra causes many changes in brain activity, including areas related to emotional regulation, mind wandering, and sleep. In a first study, researchers from IIT Delhi, PURPOSE Delhi, conducted the first functional MRI (fMRI) study exploring the neural mechanisms of Yoga Nidra. The study titled “Functional Connectivity Changes in Meditators and Beginners Practicing Yoga Nidra” was published in the journal Scientific Reports. The study found that the more hours participants spent practicing meditation and yoga, the more noticeable the changes in their brain activity while practicing Yoga Nidra. 30 meditators (household heads with an average of 3000 hours of experience meditating and/or practicing yoga) and 31 matched novices were observed in the study. Professor Rahul Garg of IIT Delhi said: “According to Yoga texts, Yoga Nidra helps bring the “samskaras” buried deep in the subconscious to the surface and eventually helps release them, thereby enhancing health. The activation of brain regions involved in emotional processing is a very interesting finding in this context.” This study provides new insights into how Yoga Nidra affects brain function in individuals with experience meditating and practicing yoga as well as in beginners. Researchers found that meditators and those new to yoga responded differently to yoga nidra; The meditator reduced mental chatter during practice. “Reduction in head-talk was correlated with number of hours practicing yoga/meditation,” the researchers said. They found that the DMN or Default Mode Network operates differently in meditators and novices; The DMN is a group of interconnected brain regions that are active when we are not focused on the outside world. “It’s like a ‘background mode’ of the brain that’s active when we daydream, think about ourselves, or just let our minds wander,” the researchers explain. DMN connectivity refers to the level of brain regions communicate and work together”. How to practice Yoga Nidra? Students lie in a comfortable position, following verbal instructions to move through the different stages of relaxation, breath awareness, and visualization. This systematic approach relaxes the body and mind, promoting profound healing and reducing stress. It is known to reduce insomnia, anxiety, and stress-related disorders.
How yoga improves overall health
The practice allows one to reach a state of deep relaxation akin to sleep, but with heightened awareness, facilitating mental clarity and emotional balance. Regular practice can rejuvenate the mind and improve overall health.
