The Best Time Of Day To Do Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra is typically a form of guided meditation, a technique of Pratyahara (withdrawal of senses), allowing you to scan your body and be in a state of relaxed consciousness as your mind falls into a place between sleep and wakefulness.

And, to attain this state, you need to learn to go into a deep state of voluntary sleep and remain fully aware of the environment. But, what is the best time to do yoga Nidra? In other words, what is the best time of day to do yoga Nidra to reap all the benefits?

You can practice yoga Nidra at any time, except right after eating, because you may most likely fall asleep. The best time to practice yoga Nidra is just before sunrise, around sunset, and after your meditation. In addition, give yourself about 2 to 3 hours after a meal before you begin your Yoga Nidra practice.

Read on to find out step by step how to practice Yoga Nidra, its amazing benefits, and how it can help you reach your health and fitness goals.

Table of Contents

What is Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra is a technique for attaining a profound state of relaxation that happens between sleep and awakening. Following the directions of a guided video, you practice Yoga Nidra laying down on your back in savasana (corpse posture).

The idea behind practicing yoga Nidra is to relax your brain and reach a conscious sleep state, releasing any unnecessary tension in your body. For example, a 30-minute activity can be equivalent to three to four hours of restful sleep for the body if done correctly. In other words, Yoga Nidra magnifies your consciousness, expands your mind, and deepens your intuition.

However, some people find it challenging to stay awake since you remain “awake” for the duration of your exercise but are not entirely conscious.

Is Yoga Nidra a Form of Meditation?

Yoga Nidra is a form of meditation, but yet it is not meditation. Even though there are overlaps, there also are key differences between Yoga Nidra and meditation.

With yoga Nidra, you are lying down on a yoga mat, blanket, or even your bed, and the goal is to go into a deep state of conscious awareness sleep, meaning a deeper state of relaxation with awareness.
With meditation, you are sitting on a mat, blanket, or bed but in a waking state of consciousness while concentrating the mind and allowing and observing thoughts to come and go.

While meditation and yoga Nidra effectively reduced anxiety and stress, yoga Nidra seemed to be more effective in reducing anxiety, revealed a recent study issued by the International Journal of Yoga.

The researchers concluded that yoga Nidra could be a helpful tool in reducing anxiety’s cognitive and physiological symptoms.

Yoga Nidra is an easy, pose-free way to slow down and relax.

What Do You Need Before Your Yoga Nidra Practice:

Find a quiet and dark place for your practice, free from interruptions, disturbances, and noise. If you can’t keep light out of your practice room, use a black-colored handkerchief to cover your eyes.
You need a yoga mat or blanket on the floor (Here’s a link to buy on Amazon)
A small, soft pillow to support your head. (Available on Amazon)
Sleep mask (Also available on Amazon)
You can also cover yourself with a light blanket or wrap ( here’s a link to buy on Amazon)

Practicing Yoga Nidra Step by Step:

Lie down on your back in Shavasana or corpse pose on a mat, blanket, or even your bed and a pillow supporting your head.
Close your eyes and relax. And try to keep your mind alert and focused on your breath as you progressively relax throughout these exercises.
Breathe deeply, gently, and evenly, without any noise or pauses.
Start by paying attention to your right foot. Keep your attention there for a few minutes, and then let it relax. Proceed towards your right thigh, right knee, and then hip. In the end, be aware of the entire right leg.
Repeat the same procedure with the left leg. And there is no need to touch any part physically; pay attention to each part of your body.
Similarly, pay attention to different body parts such as the chest, genitals, abdomen, and navel.
Now turn your attention to the right shoulder, then proceed towards the right arm and then towards the palm and fingers.
Repeat it with the left shoulder.
Turn your attention to your throat, then neck, face(every sense organ), forehead, and finally on the top of the head.
Take a few deep breaths and relax entirely.
Slowly and gently turn towards your right side and rest there in the same pose for another few minutes. Turning towards the right side helps to breathe through the left nostril, helping you in cooling the body.
Take enough time and then slowly and smoothly get up. Become aware of your body and surroundings, and then gently open your eyes.

How Long Should Yoga Nidra Be?

Regular Yoga Nidra sessions last between 15 minutes and 1 hour depending on your experience, your availability, and other personal factors.

In addition, Yoga Nidra helps you relax, cleanse and rejuvenate the body and mind.

What Is The Best Time Of Day To Do Yoga Nidra?

Yoga Nidra may be practiced at any time of day, as a general rule. However, one restriction must be adhered to: you must allow yourself enough time to digest your last meal properly. That implies you should not practice for at least two hours after consuming food. Because you run the danger of being overcome by tiredness if you don’t.

Even though you can practice at any time, there are several times when being conscious in the Yoga Nidra state is easier. This is due to your biological clock. You have periods of increased alertness and periods of increased sleepiness. You can choose the optimum moment for you by paying attention to your natural routine.

Is Early Morning a Good Time To Do Yoga Nidra?

Brahmamuhurtha, a time frame beginning at 03:40 and ending at 04:28, is the optimum period for Yoga Nidra. You can choose your own time according to your routine and comfort level.

The goal of yoga Nidra is to take your attention to different body parts consciously and relax them. It is an effortless process with conscious relaxation.

The Best Time Of Day To Do Yoga Nidra – altinify.com

Health Benefits of Yoga Nidra

Yoga Nidra offers tremendous health benefits, and here are the main health benefits of yoga Nidra

1- Yoga Nidra Promotes Calmness

After your first Yoga Nidra session, the first thing you will notice is how completely calming it is. In addition, resting in Yoga Nidra helps you feel calmer and recover your body heat to normal.

Positive recommendations for permanent and constructive transformation begin and emerge from ourselves in Yoga Nidra. This is known as Sankalpa or setting an intention. Healing and personal transformation are facilitated by the capacity to linger in a calm, happy mood.

2- Yoga Nidra Improved Hormone Irregularities, Blood Pressure, And Heart Rate Variables in Women

Yoga Nidra improved women’s blood pressure, heart rate, and hormone irregularities, found two small studies issued in the Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology.

However, researchers acknowledge that the sample sizes are small, and more longitudinal studies are needed.

Therefore, more research is needed to investigate the relationship between Yoga Nidra and women’s blood pressure, heart rate, and hormone irregularities

3- Anyone Can Do Yoga Nidra

Long asana holds, and intense vinyasa sequences are not for everyone. On the other hand, Yoga Nidra is a practice that everyone may undertake, from children to the elderly. It’s simple to follow for everyone of any age. All your body has to do now is lie down on the ground.

Even if you cannot lie down on the floor, you may perform this exercise while seated.

It is a great tool to dip into a state of deep relaxation quickly, to rejuvenate at any time and anywhere.

In the long run, yoga Nidra will become part of your day and help you enter a place of deep stillness and calm, happiest, lightest, and most inspired.

4- It Is Easy To Incorporate Into Your Daily Life

Whether traveling or at work and feeling exhausted, you can use your favorite audio and zone out completely for about 20 minutes, during which 2–5 minutes.

Trying to cleanse the mind, bring consciousness back to the breath, or find inspiration for concentration during seated meditation may be stressful.

There is no deep pondering or wondering why you are looking at a blank wall in Yoga Nidra because it is always guided. Yoga Nidra sessions might last anything from five minutes to an hour. The length is entirely up to you.

5- It Is a Simple Way To Reduce Stress

Yoga Nidra encourages a level of deep rest not seen in traditional meditation. Simply practicing the phases of body scan and breath awareness can relax the nervous system, resulting in reduced stress and improved health.

As we have already highlighted before, Yoga Nidra has astounding health benefits and it is an excellent way to reduce stress.

Practicing Yoga Nidra allows you to find yourself as an individual and transform yourself completely. It is truly magical how Yoga Nidra can impact your life.

6- Help You Get Rid of Your Day-to-Day Stress

Yoga Nidra will give you complete body relaxation, including joints, ligaments, muscles, organs, mind, heart, lungs, and vital body systems.

In addition, yoga Nidra can help you get rid of your day-to-day stress arising out of social, professional, and financial circumstances.

The relaxed and stable state of the body during yoga Nidra leads to

Calmer mind,
More mindful hours
Noticeably effective and productive hours during the day
Improved concentration/memory and, in a way, healthier
Connecting with your deeper, spiritual self.
A happier and blessed life

7- Mind Gets To Rest, And The Body Is Rejuvenated

Our mind is working and racing all the time during the day and racing in our dreams at night. Therefore, the mind is not getting enough rest day and night. And through meditation, yoga Nidra, the mind gets to rest, and the body is rejuvenated.

Remember, the body is an extension of the mind. A tired mind is like a running computer with 100 apps and windows open. It hangs and starts malfunctioning.

So, through meditation, Yoga Nidra, we close each app and window one by one until the mind becomes focused, disciplined, effective, powerful, multitasking, and eventually successful.

8- Helps Separate Yourself From Your Thoughts And Feeling

Yoga Nidra allows you to separate yourself from your feeling and thoughts. In addition, it helps you to release negative thoughts and emotions, brings calmness to your nervous system, and makes you feel peaceful.

It allows you to become more centered, focused, and relaxed since your senses are withdrawn, so the attention becomes more and more sharpened.

Is It Good To Do Yoga Nidra Before Sleep?

People often ask, can you do Yoga Nidra in bed, and can you do it before sleep? Yoga Nidra may be done at any time, including while you are attempting to go sleep in the evening.

When you perform it at night, you may use this method to stay in touch with your conscious mind as you relax—then you may fall asleep. So, if you’re going to use Yoga Nidra to sleep better, do so before bed.

In addition, you can practice Yoga Nidra at any time during the day to improve your sleep. On days when you’re feeling exhausted, use it as a 30-minute catnap during your lunch break.

How Often Should You Do Yoga Nidra?

If you want to get the benefits, you should practice as often as possible at least once a day (daily to many times each week). Consistent Yoga Nidra practice will lead you to reap greater benefits.

Emotional and mental habits often repeat themselves from day to day. However, after only a few sessions with Yoga Nidra, these tendencies fade away. It’s as though the refresh button has been pressed.

Wrapping Up

Overall, you can practice yoga Nidra anytime. Start with 15 or 20 minutes and work your way up. One of the biggest benefits is practicing can help you sleep tight through most of the night.

And like anything in life, don’t give up if you struggle with your first yoga Nidra session; it will get better with consistent and regular practice.