We’ve all experienced those sleepless nights. Times when hard-to-shake worries popped into your mind moments before falling asleep. While tossing and turning, you dread the next day and that murky, drowsy feeling of sleep deprivation.
Without a doubt, these modern times have made re-learning how to sleep better a necessity. Juggling work and home life obligations, anxiety about current social and political uprisings, and our insatiable need to contribute to social media easily shifts our brains into overdrive. Even when ready for much needed relaxation, our busy minds continue working. In desperation some may turn to a sleeping pill or even a strong drink. Can there be a better answer?
Fortunately, deeper relaxation and disconnecting from your thoughts and worries can be a learned natural process. If falling asleep is difficult for you, you might want to consider trying yoga. Yes, yoga!
Yoga and a Good Night’s Sleep
Many people picture yoga as fit women in tight clothes contorting on a colorful mat. This popular form of yoga, known as Hatha Yoga, is just one type of the many yoga practices out there. Besides postures and poses, more passive techniques of yoga use breathing and meditation to help calm your thoughts before sleep. One form of yoga quickly gaining popularity for achieving deeper relaxation is called Yoga Nidra. It just might be what you need to enjoy quality sleep quicker.
What is Yoga Nidra?
The practice of Yoga Nidra–sometimes considered yoga sleep–puts the body in a deep state of conscious rest. According to Yogatoday.com, the practice helps the mind and body sink into the threshold between being asleep and awake–that gray area we often experience right before falling asleep. This state of consciousness can help “attain deeper knowledge, creativity, and even transform the nature of one’s personality.” Falling asleep during this practice is common, but that doesn’t mean missing out on the benefits.
Regular practice of Yoga Nidra allows you to reach a deeply relaxed state quicker while being able to detach from the troublesome thoughts and emotions often keeping you awake.
The best part of Yoga Nidra: it is accessible to everyone. No special equipment or advanced flexibility is required. Practice it on the floor or even your bed with a simple recording accessible from your phone.
How It’s Done
By laying in a relaxed posture and following the directions of a guided meditation, you could soon enjoy a completely relaxed physical, mental, and emotional state. During the guided meditation, some simple exercises include: setting an intention for your session, attention to breathing, systematically focusing on each area of the body, and experiencing sounds around you without labeling or judging them. Variations of the practice exist, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one that resounds with you.
In addition to inducing sleep, Yoga Nidra can help you explore a deeper meaning in your life and create a better sense of calm in your everyday routine.
Discovering Yoga Nidra is Easy
Some local yoga studios offer Yoga Nidra classes usually lasting between 30 and 45 minutes. If you don’t have the time or desire to visit a yoga studio, the internet has many resources helping guide you through a Yoga Nidra session. A simple Google search or browse through YouTube can provide instant instruction on this specialized guided meditation technique.
As you discover a natural way to de-stress and fall asleep, you might want to consider sleeping on a more natural mattress. At My Green Mattress we specialize in handcrafting mattresses with all natural and organic, eco-friendly materials like American eco-wool and organic Dunlop latex made from the sap of a rubber tree. Our non-toxic mattresses can be an excellent complement to your budding Yoga Nidra practice.
