A Change of Plans

 I don't know how your brain works but mine rides on the ADHD train quite a lot. Meaning, I get started on one thing and my attention is immediately captured by something that may or may not be related to what I was doing to begin with.

Sometimes this results in doing a lot of things partway, sometimes in hyper focus where one thing gets done really well until I've exhausted it, or sometimes in me staring at a wall, trying to figure out why I can't read, listen, or speak.

All of this is to say that, while reading on the topic of the effects of meditation on sleep deprivation, I have discovered a new interest that I want to examine more closely. It is called Nidra Yoga.

Nidra Yoga is quite literally "yogic sleep," (Sanskrit) a form of meditation and deep relaxation. I became interested in it when reading an article (see link below) on it being used in midwifery in the UK in order to combat exhaustion and sleep deprivation in the midwives after a woman crashed her car and died.- She fell asleep at the wheel.

The idea is that it is taking a moment (or specifically, about thirty minutes) to rest, to take inventory of our bodies and our beings and to use this awareness to achieve more of a sense of peace and calm while being in a neutral, resting state. It has shown great success not only in the realm of sleep deprivation but also in dealing with anxiety, depression, pain management, and some traumas.

Nidra Yoga employs pratyahara or being aware of the senses, pranayama or being aware of the breath, and dharana or concentration. The person relaxes and listens to a set of instructions, as we often do during a guided meditation. In this state of yogic sleep, we enter alpha state. Our pineal gland is stimulated, releasing melatonin. (Sleep hormone that reduces stress and boosts our immune system!) 

I have been curious about that state between wake and sleep and this seems to take place in that state so it seemed like a natural bunny trail for me to want to follow. 

In the days since discovering this practice, I have tried to utilize it consistently. When doing it shortly after waking to get my husband off to work, I find that I am very sleepy and tend to simply fall back asleep. Many of the meditations have a Waking Up at the end of them but I found I was even sleeping through that and well into the day a few times.

I have begun doing a half hour or so each day about lunch time with much more success. My body has decided by that time that we are, indeed, awake and doing The Day Time Stuff and so I find I am much less likely to actually just sleep. I lie on my bed, dressed, on top of the blankets but under a light quilt as I seem to feel chilled and I select one of the meditations to listen to. I have a few that I like much better than others but I find it more helpful to listen to newer ones because they hold my attention and I am less likely to "just fall asleep." 

I do feel as though I am entering an altered state of consciousness when taking part in this practice but I find that I cannot do it consistently. It matters how comfortable I am, how quiet it is around me, and whether I really am just *so tired* that I cannot stay awake to complete the session. That said, I find that I am successful more than not and I do this practice every day except Thursdays when I am at school all day and doubt I could quiet myself enough in that setting.- I very much enjoy the time with myself but I feel like Thursdays would make it a stressful situation which is the opposite of my goal.

As far as effects of this practice, whether or not I am successful or just fall asleep for 30+ minutes, I do feel much more refreshed, relaxed, and ready to go afterwards. I find that I am more motivated and my brain (haha) is much quieter and able to focus, at least for a period. I believe my mood to be more stable and that I am generally less prone to irritation and frustration. I think it has made my other mindfulness practices (eating healthier and regular exercise) more palatable and that it complements them well. 

All of that said, I look forward to more weeks of discovery about this new practice. I think it will be one I will always use, from now on, in conjunction with others that I have grown to love and rely on over the years. Leave me a comment!

Dinsmore-Tuli, U. (2021). The radical act of rest. Midwifery Matters, 170, 20–22.

Reeves, James https://www.ekhartyoga.com/articles/practice/what-is-yoga-nidra

(2018, 12 October) Yoga Nidra. https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5225/yoga-nidra