Yoga Day 2024: Groundbreaking study reveals benefits of Yoga Nidra, also practised by PM Modi; read details

The eve of 10th International Yoga Day heralds a groundbreaking scientific study highlighting the profound benefits of Yoga Nidra, also known as yogic sleep. According to researchers, this practice induces deep relaxation, with observable effects discernible in brain imaging scans.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a staunch advocate of yoga, practices Yoga Nidra regularly. He has expressed that he engages in Yoga Nidra once or twice a week, emphasizing its benefits in promoting overall well-being, calming the mind, and alleviating stress and anxiety.

Professor Rahul Garg, a computer scientist specializing in Yogic Neuroscience and the lead researcher from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, suggests, "One is aware that PM Modi sleeps very little and is still super energetic and alert. This could well be because he practices Yoga Nidra effectively".

Researchers from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and IIT Delhi employed Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (f-MRI) to investigate the impact of Yoga Nidra on the brain, revealing it induces deep relaxation and heightened awareness. The study, published in Scientific Reports, highlights that individuals with prior yoga or meditation experience undergo more pronounced brain changes during Yoga Nidra practice.

Yoga Nidra, performed in the 'Shava Asana' or supine pose, involves guided audio to facilitate a state where external stimuli are minimized, allowing internal focus. The research utilized a module developed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, India, under the Science and Technology for Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) program, with f-MRIs conducted at the Mahajan Imaging Centre.

Described as 'non-sleep deep rest (NSDR),' Yoga Nidra induces deep relaxation alongside heightened awareness, enhancing meditative states and demonstrating significant mental health benefits.

The study hypothesizes that Yogs Nidra influences neural circuits involved in sleep, self-regulation, and mind-wandering, offering new insights into its effects on brain function among both seasoned practitioners and novices in meditation and yoga.

The study said, "The more hours participants spent practising meditation and yoga, the more noticeable the changes in their brain activity during Yog Nidra. These results could potentially indicate that experienced meditators have reduced mind-wandering compared to novices."

"According to Yogic texts, Yog Nidra helps bring the "samskaras" (or thoughts) buried in deep subconscious minds to the surface and eventually helps release them, thereby promoting health. The activation of brain areas involved in processing emotions is a very interesting finding in this context," said Professor Garg.

(Brain activations during yoga nidra, show stimulated auditory, language, motor, and limbic regions, and distinctive thalamic activation in meditators)

How does Yoga Nidra work

In their comprehensive 14-page scientific paper, researchers elaborate that Yoga Nidra utilizes audio-guided instructions to systematically direct the participant's awareness to various body parts, breathing patterns, or mantras, aiming to induce a state of profound relaxation akin to deep sleep, yet with conscious awareness. This differs from focused attention meditation styles typically associated with self-regulated concentration.

During Yoga Nidra, practitioners maintain a state of sensory withdrawal (pratyahara), internalizing four of their senses while remaining attuned to auditory instructions. This technique is valued not only for its ability to induce deep relaxation and heightened mindfulness but also as a pathway to progressively mastering profound states of meditation (samadhi).

Professor Garg, who spent over six years completing this pioneering study, practices Yoga Nidra himself and affirms its profound relaxation benefits, noting its effectiveness in reducing stress levels.

• Narendra Modi
• Yoga
• Yoga Day 2024
• Yoga Nidra
• Yogic Neuroscience
• Yogic sleep
• anxiety alleviation
• brain imaging scans
• deep relaxation
• functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (f-MRI)
• guided meditation
• meditative states
• mind-wandering
• neural circuits
• overall well-being
• samadhi
• scientific study
• sensory withdrawal
• stress reduction