11 Reasons You Need To Practice Yoga Nidra

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Are you suffering from insomnia because your brain won’t shut down when you want to sleep?

Chronic stress is a huge problem and its affects are far reaching.

In fact, the top 7 causes of stress are:

• Job pressure
• Money
• Health
• Relationships
• Poor nutrition
• Media overload
• Sleep deprivation

And it gets worse.

According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, American Institute of Stress, NY, 77% of Americans regularly experience physical symptoms related to stress. 73% experience psychological symptoms related to stress. In terms of dollars, it costs US employers $300 billion in stress related health care and missed work.

Yikes.

Chronic stress puts your physical and emotional health at risk.

Chronic stress is also linked to the 6 major causes of death:

• Heart disease
• Cancer (and as a breast cancer survivor, I’m convinced my chronic stress was a contributing factor)
• Lung disease
• Accidents
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Suicide

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004, reducing my bad stress (worry, fear, anxiety, what if, perfectionism, people pleaser, etc.,) was a must. I KNEW it was time to kick my chronic stress to the curb.

So what’s the best way to reduce stress? I was already practicing yoga, which I contribute to my healing from both divorce and breast cancer. In 2009, five years after my original diagnosis, I stumbled into a a guided Yoga Nidra class at Kripalu.

Oh My God.

I walked out of class feeling like I was floating on clouds. And that feeling stayed with me for four days. I honestly believed that if everyone could feel the way I did after that session, the entire world would be a happy, saner, less stressed place.

If you can sit or lay down, you can do Yoga Nidra!

What exactly is Yoga Nidra?

In Sanskrit, nidra means sleep. Yoga Nidra is divine sleep and deep relaxation. During this practice, you allow your body and mind to engage your parasympathetic nervous system so that your whole body is able to rest, relax, recharge, and rejuvenate.

Yoga Nidra allows for deep healing to take place at both a cellular & subconscious level

11 Benefits of Yoga Nidra

I’ve trained with Yoga Nidra and master yoga teacher Jennifer Reis. I believe that Yoga Nidra will help you not only reduce and relieve stress but also help you live a happier and healthier life.

There are many benefits of Yoga Nidra, including:

1. Improves your sleep
2. Improves your focus
3. Improves your creativity
4. Improves your mood
5. Improves your perspective and outlook on life
6. Strengthens your immune system
7. Lowers blood pressure
8. Calms your mind
9. Helps balance your autonomic nervous system
10. Promotes deep physical and emotional healing
11. Reduces symptoms of chronic stress

Guess what – 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra equals 3 hours of sleep! And who doesn’t need an extra 3 hours of sleep in our sleep deprived nation?

If you or a loved one is experiencing any of the following:

• Fatigue
• Chronic headaches
• Upset stomach
• Muscle tension
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Chronic crankiness

I strongly recommend trying Yoga Nidra Meditations.

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