Yoga Nidra in Healthcare Settings
Yoga Nidra in Healthcare Settings
Is there a path to blending modern Western medicine and the teachings of yoga? Certainly! In fact, many medical practitioners suggest a general yoga practice as a parallel addition to medications, procedures, and lifestyle changes.
Yoga has an increasingly prominent position in Western medicine as scientific studies confirm what the yoga tradition already knows - yoga helps to heal. Yoga Nidra, specifically, has an abundance of evidence suggesting its power to influence the body and mind.
What is Yoga Nidra?
This "yogic sleep" is neither a state of sleep nor full awareness. Yoga Nidra lulls you into that blissful stage between being awake and drifting off, those moments just before you succumb to sleep. In medical terms, this is the hypnagogic state. In this state, suggestions from our subconscious rise to our attention.
Not only is Yoga Nidra the intersection of sleep and awake, but the parasympathetic nervous system and the sympathetic nervous system join here, too. While the body is deeply relaxed, there is mental activity. Finding and exploring this hypnagogic state is more complex than meditation alone, and has benefits beyond generally relaxing.
Yoga Nidra is a guided experience, compete with pranayama, a detailed body scan from the fingers inward, intentions, visualizations, and sensory exploration. Pupils are encouraged to avoid traditional sleep during Yoga Nidra to enjoy the complete experience.
There are endless ways to describe the benefits of Yoga Nidra. You become relaxed yet energized and fully connected to yourself. Tension and subsequent pain may disappear. It's commonly described as a restful three-hour nap in 20 minutes.
What Science Tells us About Yoga Nidra
The scientific method and peer-reviewed sciences have explored the powers of Yoga Nidra, with promising discoveries:
Meditation and Yoga Nidra appear, on the surface, to have similar effects on the mind. However, Yoga Nidra seems to be more effective in easing anxiety and promoting overall relaxation. (1)
Insomnia is another condition that can benefit from Yoga Nidra. The sympathetic nervous system is not as active due to Yoga Nidra, creating more peaceful sleep. (2)
While studying menstrual irregularities, researchers found a positive correlation between Yoga Nidra and blood pressure and hand grip, and the ratio of heart rate to expiration and inspiration. (3)
For the diabetic patient, Yoga Nidra combined with medication creates better control of blood glucose fluctuations when compared to medications alone. (4)
Many other studies examine the relationship between Yoga Nidra and depression, post-traumatic stress (PTSD), and pain management. Perhaps the most positive aspect of participating in Yoga Nidra is the absence of contraindications. Everyone can participate and benefit.
Bringing Yoga Nidra into a Healthcare Setting
You may have first discovered Yoga Nidra in a yoga teacher training or studio setting, but now this practice can be found in hospitals, clinics, and even corporations.
For example, The Veterans Affairs Hospital system is integrating Yoga Nidra to aid patients with PTSD and trauma. The VA system is also actively researching this application.
Yoga Nidra is also used in The Christ Hospital for insomnia, addiction, and PTSD. Their cancer units also integrate yoga therapies, like Yoga Nidra, into a care plan.
World renowned hospitals like Johns Hopkins and the Cleveland Clinic have wonderful resources about yoga therapies and Yoga Nidra for patients. Large corporations like the tech firm Next Jump incorporate Yoga Nidra to encourage healthy sleep for their employees.
There is a collection of science that supports the benefits of Yoga Nidra for a myriad of ailments. While researchers are beginning to understand the mechanisms of how the practice works, patients, yogis, students, and workers alike can all reap the benefits.
Learn More about Yoga in a Healthcare Setting with Advanced Yoga Teacher Trainings
Yoga as a part of a wellness process blends seamlessly with many health treatments. To learn more about yoga in healthcare, browse Prema Yoga Institute’s Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List to stay up to date about the benefits of yoga in a healthcare setting.
In fact, PYI is currently holding our Yoga in Healthcare course. We invite you to consider enrolling in this course or some of our online advanced yoga teacher trainings at Prema Yoga Institute. Our courses are accredited and will count as CE Credits with Yoga Alliance or towards your RYT500.
Visit Prema Yoga Institute to learn more about our training, which is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022!
PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!
If you have any questions about this topic, contact us at Prema Yoga Institute.
1 Ferreira-Vorkapic, C., Borba-Pinheiro, C. J., Marchioro, M., & Santana, D. (2018). The impact OF Yoga Nidra and Seated meditation on the mental health of college professors. International journal of yoga. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6134749/.
2 Datta, K., Tripathi, M., & Mallick, H. N. (2017, April 12). Yoga nidra: An innovative approach for management of chronic insomnia- a case report. Sleep Science and Practice. https://sleep.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41606-017-0009-4.
3 Monika, Singh U, Ghildiyal A, Kala S, Srivastava N. Effect of Yoga Nidra on physiological variables in patients of menstrual disturbances of reproductive age group. Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 2012 Apr-Jun;56(2):161-7. PMID: 23387245.
4 Amita S;Prabhakar S;Manoj I;Harminder S;Pavan T; (n.d.). Effect of yoga-nidra on blood glucose level in diabetic patients. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19810584/.
Learn to Modify Yoga Poses for Students in Common Injury Recovery - Wrist, Back, and Joint Pain
Learn to Modify Yoga Poses for Students in Common Injury Recovery - Wrist, Back, and Joint Pain
Yoga is for everybody and every body. Variations of poses, sequences, and transitions honor the uniqueness of the human body. These modifications create balance, security, and confidence to explore yoga in a personalized manner. In doing so, yoga is safe, accessible, and healing.
Yoga students must clearly understand beneficial movements and limitations from their health care provider and then pose modifications can be offered accordingly.
The Human Form Changes
Almost every yoga student experiences that feeling of uncertainty and comparison at some point. A dedicated practice can overcome many of these insecurities.
However, new negative emotions arise when our bodies change due to aging, injury, or disease. The once effortless Adho Mukha Vrksasana becomes Uttanasana, or the seemingly familiar Virabhadrasana I becomes Tadasana instead.
As a yoga teacher, it is important to understand that the body changes, and so must the teachings and the poses. It's a natural process to age and encounter disease and injury, and asana can adjust along the way. For this reason, it is highly recommended that yoga teachers take advantage of advanced yoga teacher training courses to better serve their students’ needs.
Advanced YTT for Holistically Addressing Yoga for Joint Pain:
Many of today's yoga classes will offer helpful support for the student with joint pain. Warmed studios, often with humidity, will help a yoga student’s body loosen up and prepare for movement. Dim lighting, soothing music, and gentle scents encourage all students to relax and focus on other parts of themselves aside from any discomfort.
As a yoga teacher, learning how to implement props into your teachings is vital for safe movement for many students with differing joint mobility. Become a master of props with bolsters, blankets, and blocks for supine or prone poses. Learn to implement straps, walls, and chairs to make standing poses accessible, for example.
Consider enrolling in advanced yoga teacher training to learn more about yoga modifications for joint pain.
A Practical Example of Yoga Pose Modifications for Wrist Issues:
Wrist stiffness or soreness after yoga is not uncommon among yogis, especially in poses that ask the wrist to extend while carrying a percentage of body weight.
Without props, suggest students grip with the fingertips. Pair this with shifting weight into the base of each finger instead of the heel of the palm. It might be the case that pointing the fingers in a slightly different direction is also helpful. Forming fists and resting on the metacarpals with the thumb pad on the earth can also provide relief.
A small cloth or towel can be rolled up and placed under the palm's heel to create the same effect. Wedges of many angles are also available. Alternatively, using blocks under the hands transfers some of the body's weight away from the wrists in poses like Adho Mukha Svanāsana. As a bonus of sorts, using blocks under the hands creates more room for other poses like lunges and some twists.
A Practical Example of Yoga Pose Modifications for Back Soreness:
Another source of challenge in the body is back soreness. The back is infinitely more complex than a wrist, and as such, requires a student to be fully aware of limitations and allowances.
Make use of yoga pose modifications that modify the surrounding joints and muscles to prevent strain on the back. For example, the pelvic tilt influences the low back and should be neutral or anterior to avoid excess strain. Similarly, tight psoas or hamstring muscles benefit from bent knees instead of stretching to a limit.
The low core muscles and mūla bandha (the root lock) offer counter support to the lower back. These muscles help stabilize the entire core when properly engaged.
For the upper body, encourage the head, neck, and shoulders to remain comfortable throughout the practice. Offer gentle movement without the goal of moving one's gaze to full expression, especially in twists.
There are endless ways to use yoga props for back problems. When supine, blankets and bolsters support the neck, head, and under the knees. In seated folds, straps extend the arms, and blocks under the hands allow for additional space and safe folds while standing.
Enroll in Advanced Yoga Teacher Training to Learn How to Modify Yoga Poses for Students
Yoga is a beautiful practice for all shapes and experiences, and mindful guidance tailored to the individual will best serve your community.
Continue to research similar topics on our Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List for similar content. Additionally, consider enrolling in Advanced Yoga Teacher Training.
In fact, if you are looking to improve your yoga teacher training for injured students - we’d love to invite you to check out Prema Yoga Institute for Online Advanced Yoga Teacher Trainings.
Prema Yoga Institute is longer limited to New York City and is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022. PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!
If you found this information useful, visit our Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List for similar content.
4 Signs You Are Ready for Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (RYT500)
4 Signs You Are Ready for Advanced Yoga Teacher Training (RYT500)
If you have a clue, a gut feeling, or that quiet inner voice that prods you to take an advanced yoga teacher training course, you are ready. Although, it's human nature to ignore those callings. That's perfectly natural, so here are 4 more concrete reasons for you to pursue your RYT500 credentials.
1. There are questions for you to answer
Do your students ask questions that require more profound answers? This inquiry might be a literal question in the course of conversation, or you observe a student stumbling in their yoga journey, needing guidance. Would you like to be more knowledgeable with your answers?
Along those same lines, do you find yourself researching yoga topics online to dig a little deeper for answers? It doesn't matter if you research specific topics or crave learning more about everything; your search history knows your curiosity, and it's telling you to go forth and advance your teacher training.
Related article: “5 Reasons Every Yoga Teacher Should Pursue a 500-Hour RYT Certification”
2. You would like to enhance your yoga teaching career
Taking advanced yoga teacher training boosts your resume and improves your marketability as a yoga teacher. Your RYT500 title makes you desirable for leading specialty classes, workshops, and weekend retreats.
The education and practice that comes with an RYT500 also gets you closer to becoming a teacher of teachers, training the next wave of yoga teachers. You will also have ample teaching and practical experience to start your own yoga business. It's even possible to create an online format for your business.
With advanced studies comes expanded opportunities.
Related article: “Take Your Yoga Teaching Business to The Next Level”
3. You seek mentorship
The history of yoga is based on scriptures and teachings passed down from teacher to student over countless generations. It's essential to keep this history alive, passing knowledge from your teacher to your students.
If you don't already have a mentor, continuing your yoga education will help you find one. Or a second one, if that's the case. Mentors serve to provide emotional and practical guidance in all aspects of your yogic life. There is no safer feeling than developing a relationship with a mentor.
Perhaps, as a yoga teacher, you mentor some students who wish to follow in your footsteps and become teachers. What better way to show them the path than by going further down it yourself.
At the same time, becoming a student again is a humbling experience. Studying yields insights and reminders of the learning experience, thus creating a more profound empathy for your students and mentees.
Related article: “Enrolling in Advanced Yoga Teacher Training to Guide Other Teachers
4. You have a calling to study a specific aspect of yoga
What are you most passionate about in yoga? What would you say? Ayurveda, anatomy, philosophy, accessibility, or yoga therapy, to name a few? We all have passions and working towards your RYT500 certifications can help you fulfill those passions. Advanced yoga teacher training is also the first step towards the highly regarded yoga therapy designation, the certification of individual yoga therapists (C-IAYT.)
Related article: “Tips for Creating a Successful Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Practice”
You are ready, pursue your Advanced Yoga Teacher Training
Enrolling in advanced yoga teacher training course may breathe new life into your yoga career and help you enjoy your practice in fulfilling new ways.
There are many benefits to pursuing Advanced Yoga Teacher Training. And due to the recent boom in remote learning, many of the courses have gone online.
In fact, if you think you’re ready - we’d love to invite you to check out Prema Yoga Institute for Online Advanced Yoga Teacher Trainings. Prema Yoga Institute is longer limited to New York City and is now available online with interactive trainings through 2022. PYI is an accredited program based in New York city, teaching students around the globe through online classes. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you advance your yoga practice and teaching!
If you found this information useful, visit our Blog often or subscribe to our Mailing List for similar content.