Yoga Nidra in Healthcare Settings
Yoga Nidra in Healthcare Settings
Is there a path to blending modern Western medicine and the teachings of yoga? Certainly! In fact, many medical practitioners suggest a general yoga practice as a parallel addition to medications, procedures, and lifestyle changes.
Yoga has an increasingly prominent position in Western medicine as scientific studies confirm what the yoga tradition already knows - yoga helps to heal. Yoga Nidra, specifically, has an abundance of evidence suggesting its power to influence the body and mind.
What is Yoga Nidra?
This "yogic sleep" is neither a state of sleep nor full awareness. Yoga Nidra lulls you into that blissful stage between being awake and drifting off, those moments just before you succumb to sleep. In medical terms, this is the hypnagogic state. In this state, suggestions from our subconscious rise to our attention.
Not only is Yoga Nidra the intersection of sleep and awake, but the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system join here, too. While the body is deeply relaxed, there is mental activity. Finding and exploring this hypnagogic state is more complex than meditation alone, and has benefits beyond generally relaxing.
Yoga Nidra is a guided experience, compete with pranayama, a detailed body scan from the fingers inward, intentions, visualizations, and sensory exploration. Pupils are encouraged to avoid traditional sleep during Yoga Nidra to enjoy the complete experience.
There are endless ways to describe the benefits of Yoga Nidra. You become relaxed yet energized and fully connected to yourself. Tension and subsequent pain may disappear. It's commonly described as a restful three-hour nap in 20 minutes.
What Science Tells us About Yoga Nidra
The scientific method and peer-reviewed sciences have explored the powers of Yoga Nidra, with promising discoveries:
Meditation and Yoga Nidra appear, on the surface, to have similar effects on the mind. However, Yoga Nidra seems to be more effective in easing anxiety and promoting overall relaxation. (1)
Insomnia is another condition that can benefit from Yoga Nidra. The sympathetic nervous system is not as active due to Yoga Nidra, creating more peaceful sleep. (2)
While studying menstrual irregularities, researchers found a positive correlation between Yoga Nidra and blood pressure and hand grip, and the ratio of heart rate to expiration and inspiration. (3)
For the diabetic patient, Yoga Nidra combined with medication creates better control of blood glucose fluctuations when compared to medications alone. (4)
Many other studies examine the relationship between Yoga Nidra and depression, post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and pain management. Perhaps the most positive aspect of participating in Yoga Nidra is the absence of contraindications. Everyone can participate and benefit.
Bringing Yoga Nidra into a Healthcare Setting
You may have first discovered Yoga Nidra in a yoga teacher training or studio setting, but now this practice can be found in hospitals, clinics, and even corporations.
For example, The Veterans Affairs Hospital system is integrating Yoga Nidra to aid patients with PTSD and trauma. The VA system is also actively researching this application.
Yoga Nidra is also used in The Christ Hospital for insomnia, addiction, and PTSD. Their cancer units also integrate yoga therapies, like Yoga Nidra, into a care plan.
World renowned hospitals like Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic have wonderful resources about yoga therapies and Yoga Nidra for patients. Large corporations like the tech firm Next Jump incorporate Yoga Nidra to encourage healthy sleep for their employees.
There is a collection of science that supports the benefits of Yoga Nidra for a myriad of ailments. While researchers are beginning to understand the mechanisms of how the practice works, patients, yogis, students, and workers alike can all reap the benefits.
Learn More about Yoga in a Healthcare Setting with Advanced Yoga Teacher Trainings
Yoga as a part of a wellness process blends seamlessly with many health treatments. To learn more about yoga in healthcare, browse Prema Yoga Institute’s Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List to stay up to date about the benefits of yoga in a healthcare setting.
In fact, PYI is currently holding our Yoga in Healthcare course. We invite you to consider enrolling in this course or some of our online advanced yoga teacher trainings at Prema Yoga Institute. Our courses are accredited and will count as CE Credits with Yoga Alliance or towards your RYT500.
Visit Prema Yoga Institute to learn more about our training, which is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022!
PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!
If you have any questions about this topic, contact us at Prema Yoga Institute.
1 Ferreira-Vorkapic, C., Borba-Pinheiro, C. J., Marchioro, M., & Santana, D. (2018). The impact OF Yoga Nidra and Seated meditation on the mental health of college professors. International journal of yoga. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134749/.
2 Datta, K., Tripathi, M., & Mallick, H. N. (2017, April 12). Yoga nidra: An innovative approach for management of chronic insomnia- a case report. Sleep Science and Practice. https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-017-0009-4.
3 Monika, Singh U, Ghildiyal A, Kala S, Srivastava N. Effect of Yoga Nidra on physiological variables in patients of menstrual disturbances of reproductive age group. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012 Apr-Jun;56(2):161-7. PMID: 23387245.
4 Amita S;Prabhakar S;Manoj I;Harminder S;Pavan T; (n.d.). Effect of yoga-nidra on blood glucose level in diabetic patients. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19810584/.
