Yoga Nidra - The 20 Minute Miracle

I don’t sleep as well as I used to thanks to the changes with my hormones. So I’m always on the lookout for hacks to feel rested. I learned about yoga nidra from a podcast in which the guest survived the notorious lack of sleep in medical school with yoga nidra. I thought to myself, “if it helped them get through medical school, I need to learn more!” 

According to Wikipedia, yoga nidra, “or yogic sleep, is a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, like the “going-to-sleep” stage and is typically induced by guided meditation.” I have heard it said an hour of yoga nidra is the equivalent of 4 hours of sleep because it takes your brain through all the different sleep cycles. 

Needless to say, I have become a huge fan. I use it when I haven’t slept well and could use a nap but don’t have the time or don’t want the groggy post nap feeling. It leaves me refreshed, calm and ready for the rest of my day. All you have to do is lie down and press play. I find I fade in and out but never fall asleep. My favorite 20 minute yoga nidra meditation is by Lizzi Hill.