Clinical Benefits of Yoga Nidra
Given the impressive historical precedence and personal accounts of the relaxation benefits of yoga nidra, we are beginning to see yoga nidra studied clinically. Physiological parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, and blood lipid levels seem to be affected by regular yoga nidra practice.
Yoga nidra is a meditation practice that brings you to the edge of sleep. There is systematic relaxation of the physical body that helps diffuse tension in tissues like muscles, bones, and organs. With the body relaxed, emotional and mental tension can then be worked through on more subtle layers (koshas).
So, what is relaxation, anyway?
Relaxation can be understood on many levels. It can be viewed qualitatively as peace, a general overall feeling of well-being, or an internal sense of wholeness. It could also be viewed quantitatively, as a neurohormonal state with characteristic brain waves and physiological parameters.
In the brain we see that a relaxed state correlates with a transition from faster beta brain waves to slower alpha brain waves. Deeper meditative states are characterized by even slower theta brain waves. On a physiological level, we see that a relaxed state correlates with lower heart rate, lower blood pressure, and lower respiratory rate.
The growing incidence and prevalence of hypertension and its long-term risks (myocardial infarction, stroke, organ failure) indicate that our global society is in desperate need of relaxation.
There is now clinical evidence, qualitative and quantitive, that regular participation in yoga nidra has measurable effects in terms of relaxation. This includes synchronized activity between the left and right halves of the brain, lower blood pressure and heart rate, and lowered total cholesterol.
In a 2022 randomized controlled study of the effects of om chanting and yoga nidra on blood pressure and cholesterol levels, 2 months of a regular practice (5 days/week) of 5 minutes of om chanting with 20 minutes of yoga nidra was associated with a statistically significant decrease in blood pressure, decrease in total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides as well as an increase in HDL. Even small changes in these parameters can translate into significant reductions in adverse clinical outcomes, like fewer heart attacks or strokes.
Although this 2022 study possibly measured a compound effect, because two interventions were combined, the findings are consistent with earlier studies of the cardiovascular effects of yoga nidra alone. And while these physical effects are impressive, we know that there are even grander spiritual experiences available through regular yoga practice, ultimately leading to samadhi, or union with the divine.
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Anjana K, Archana R, Mukkadan JK. Effect of om chanting and yoga nidra on blood pressure and lipid profile in hypertension - A randomized controlled trial. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2022 Oct-Dec;13(4):100657. PMID: 36375220.
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. Epub 2022 Apr 23. PMID: 35496325
Swami Satyananda Saraswati. 1998. Yoga Nidra. Sixth ed. Bihar School of Yoga.
