First and foremost do I need to be flexible for yoga nidra? Nope. Don’t let the name fool you, yoga nidra practice does not involve any handstands or down dogs or any other active asanas (aka postures). In fact, all you need to practice yoga nidra is a comfortable place where you can either lie down or sit for 20-45 minutes. That’s it! Yoga nidra is a “conscious sleep” practice where your body and mind are completely relaxed and at ease, but your consciouses remains active while the session giver guides you through a relaxing practice. Sounds pretty amazing already right?? Well to add to its greatness, just 20 minutes of yoga nidra is similar to 4 hours of sleep (yes, you read that correctly, 4 hours!) The deep relaxation your body and mind experience during a session stills the mind waves as you go into a conscious sleep state. Yoga nidra is an ancient tantric practice that was revitalized in the 1940’s. Since then, yoga nidra has become an increasingly popular practice. Psychologists and counsellors world-wide are even starting to incorporate yoga nidra into their services. If you’ve practiced yoga nidra before, you already know about many of the amazing benefits, but here are a few more you probably didn’t know already: 1.Yoga Nidra can help you fall asleep and stay asleep: That’s right, regular practice of yoga nidra can make those restless nights a thing of the past for you. Recent scientific studies have shown that regular practice of yoga nidra can reduce insomnia meaning better sleep for you! A recent study of patients with chronic insomnia found that those who practiced yoga nidra regularly reported sleeping longer and feeling more rested in the morning. 2.Practicing Yoga Nidra can increase positivity Bye bye negativity! A clinical study by the National Institute of Health proved that during a yoga nidra session the brain releases dopamine, that chemical in our brains that helps with motivation and pleasure. So the same feeling of joy you get while eating a chocolate bar can happen with regular yoga nidra practice (minus all the calories!) 3.Yoga nidra is already being used to help treat menstrual abnormalities, post- traumatic stress disorder, diabetes, anxiety and depression! Researchers everywhere continue to study and be amazed by the physical and mental benefits this simple, yet powerful practice can have! And the best part, Yoga nidra can be practiced anywhere including your bed, couch, living room floor, or outside in your shaded garden. Since the world has hit the pause button on travel, Diya Yoga has started bringing yoga nidra sessions directly to you at home! Follow us on Facebook or Instagram to find out the date and time of our next monthly session. See you there!