Do you ever get into a mode of “rest and digest” or are you always in the “fight or flight” mode? Those are the two branches of the autonomic nervous system and I have a feeling that for many people, the “fight or flight” mode is more prominent. Sure, it’s important to activate that in moments where you need to get into action but you don’t want to be in that space constantly. It’s important to find balance.

How do we find that balance? Well, you could try practicing yoga nidra. A 30 minutes yoga nidra session is said to be the equivalent of two hours of sleep. Yes, I said two hours of sleep-and GOOD sleep.

Learn more about yoga nidra and how it can help balance your autonomic nervous system when you tune into Episode 7 of Swami Ji, the OG.

Everything in life requires balance. Night/day. Wet/dry. Warmth/Coolness.

For me this year has been tough. Too much to do. Too many dramas. Not enough space. I need my space! The leaves are getting ready to fall from the trees and I have not even planted my spring annuals! It’s really been too much! I need more space in my life! I need more balance. But I find whatever I can through my yoga practice. 

There are moments when my mind is fighting with the dramas. Or when I feel like I want to run away and hide. You may have heard of “fight or flight?” This is a physiological syndrome that occurs when you face a life-threatening event. You must make a quick decision to fight the threat or run from it and the body sends out all sorts of messages to ready the body for your choice. This process charges up those body systems that will save you and suppresses those you really don’t need. This is the job of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system - to save you. 

But what happens when the stress or drama becomes chronic? Well, the sympathetic nervous system doesn’t stop it’s response, it just changes it from a sudden surge of hormones and other secretions to help you fight or flee, to a different sort of response with hormones and secretions that in and of themselves can become life-threatening if they go on and on. Chronic digestive disorders, insulin resistance, foggy mental states, restless sleep, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, increased fat storage and more.

You see the autonomic nervous system has two branches that need to be in balance. The sympathetic that we’ve discussed – fight or flight – and the parasympathetic branch which is known as the “rest and digest.”

To keep these systems functioning optimally, we need to bring them into balance. But if we are always running, stressing, busy, worrying – the fight or flight becomes and remains dominant suppressing rest and digest.

How do increase the “rest and digest?” The only way is to remove the dominance of the fight or flight. Well, that’s not going to happen without some significant changes. We have to make space in our lived to let go – to be still – to relax. And when I say relax, I don’t mean watching TV, going out with friends, or even reading a good book. Yes, these things can slow us down but depending on what we are “taking in” during these times, they may not be relaxing at all. We have to look at what we are “putting in” to our body and mind. Will it add to the peace or continue to stimulate?

One of the best methods I’ve found to find a little space to balance my autonomic nervous system is through the practice of yoga nidra.  Thank God for yoga nidra. It's like a mini-vacation from my life. I can turn on a recording, be still and let the practice work its magic, releasing the stress I'm carrying in my body and mind. In 30 minutes I can go from stressed out swami to peaceful and present swami!

Have you ever practiced yoga nidra? The first time I practiced it was in the early 1980’s and I began teaching it in 1995. Hardly anyone had heard about it back then. About 10-12 years ago it became better known within the yoga community. Yoga Nidra workshops were more widely offered as well as teacher trainings. In June of this year, I was a main presenter at the First International Yoga Nidra Conference in Massachusetts. The dramatic increase in its popularity speaks to the value of the practice.

The word Nidra means deep sleep, but in yoga nidra the idea is to keep the awareness at the threshold between awake and asleep. It is at this point that the most physical, energetic, mental and emotional tensions are released. It has been said that a 30 minute practice is so powerful, it is the equivalent of 2 hours of good sleep…not just sleep, but good sleep.

There are different styles of yoga nidra and sometimes just lying down and doing nothing at the end of a yoga class is called yoga nidra – but it isn’t. Yoga nidra is a guided practice with verbal cues and measured spaces of silence that takes the awareness from the outside environment to the body, the breath, and the mind in a very systematic way. 

How the practice is designed can promote simple relaxation for about 15 minutes to a deep state of meditation when the practice is extended to 30-45 minutes. There are different stages to the practice that work on different areas of the brain to facilitate the release of suppressed tensions and emotions in a way that is supportive, non-traumatic and healing.

The style of yoga nidra that I have done for decades and have taught to at least 15,000 people is the original form of the practice. I believe this style is appropriate for anyone but it should be introduced in simpler forms in the beginning and then progress as each student is ready.

The practice is so simple. You get to lie down, preferably on the floor in what is called shavasana or corpse pose. On your back, feet apart and arms far enough from the sides to turn the palms upward comfortably. Extra support with a pillow or bolster under the knees will help those with sore backs. Just listen to the recorded voice guiding you through the practice.

The hardest part is staying awake! Most people don’t relax until they go to bed at night and then the relaxation is for the purpose of sleeping. So we train our brain – relax – sleep. It usually takes some time to be able to find that threshold between awake and asleep and hold the awareness there. 

I had a student who once described it as being a leaf floating on the water. One side is wet and the other dry. In yoga nidra a part of you is asleep and a part of you is awake. He went on to say that for most, especially in the beginning, it’s less like a leaf and more like a stone skipping across the surface-in/out, in/out, and then sink.

I have seen so many people gain so much from a regular practice of yoga nidra. Students who came to yoga with panic attacks requiring emergency room visits eliminated panic attacks and found the inner strength to manage their anxiety. Students with chronic pain find relief. Those with diabetes find they can better regulate their insulin needs. Hypertension medications are reduced or eliminated. Asthma improves. Memory improves. Emotional stability increases. Yes, the practice can make a huge difference in your life. Stress reduction is soooo important.

I encourage you to start with a little yoga nidra nap. You can download a free 10 minute practice on the home page of the Atma Center’s website – atmacenter.com. Start with that, lie down, preferably on the floor to feel more grounded and see if you can stay awake through the practice and how you feel after-more relaxed? Then try the next basic practices that are 15-25 minutes. These are available for a few dollars each on the same website. 

Don’t you think it’s time to balance your autonomic nervous system to improve your health at all levels? Give yoga nidra a try and let me know how it goes. 

Thanks for listening! Time for me to go do my daily yoga nidra practice!

To follow along on social media, find me on Instagram and Facebook.

Interested in trying yoga nidra? Head to our website for a free 10 minute guided practice to get you started.

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