ABSTRACT
Yoga nidra, also known as 'yogic sleep', is a simplified form of an ancient tantric relaxation technique. The most general description of the practice is that it combines guided mental imagery with a specific yoga posture called Shavasana (or "corpse pose"). The goal of yoga nidra is to promote a profound state of relaxation, which differs from sleep inasmuch as there is still an awareness of one's surroundings. While several components of the practice have been known since ancient times, it was not until the 1960s that an updated and systematized system of practice was introduced to the public through the writings of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. Unlike other schools of yoga, which emphasize concentration or contemplation, yoga nidra's goal is complete relaxation. As such, its advocates claim that it is suitable for all individuals, from beginners to advanced practitioners of yoga. The calm inner stillness induced by yoga nidra is claimed by practitioners to be an effective stress management tool as well as a means for attaining greater receptivity to personal resolutions. These resolutions can range from the goal of achieving self-transformation, enhancing creativity, or improving one's learning ability. Additionally, yoga nidra is claimed to promote beneficial changes in physiological and mental health. The following narrative review summarizes the basic steps used to achieve the final state of yoga nidra relaxation as well as some recent experimental findings regarding its physiological and psychological effects. Standard research databases were searched for relevant articles. Clinical studies have shown that yoga nidra meditation is associated with positive physiological changes, including improvements in several hematological variables, red blood cell counts, blood glucose levels, and hormonal status. Two neuroimaging studies have shown that yoga nidra produces changes in endogenous dopamine release and cerebral blood flow, a further confirmation that its effects on the CNS are objectively measurable. The practice has also been shown to reduce psychometrically measured indices of mild depression and anxiety, although these benefits were not shown in an experimental study to extend to severe depression or severe anxiety.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: Post-menopausal life is fairly long period of life that is marked by poor health and sleep. Fatigue amidst extraordinary pandemic stress had taken a toll on the sleep quality and overall wellbeing. Yogic sleep can be instrumental in relaxing the brain and help in achieving self-control of mind and body in the post-menopausal life. This can be a non-pharmacological intervention to improve the wellbeing of women. Methods: Effect of 24 weeks of yoga-nidra practice and exercise module was tested in a post-menopausal subject after taking baseline of 4 weeks on parameters like sleep latency, total sleep time, mood on waking and during day, BMI, and activity rhythm of body using 24 h actigraphy and sleep diary. Results: After administering the dual protocol, there was remarkable elevation in mood both on waking up and entire day from 5th week onwards. Mood shifted toward a happier state. Latency to sleep decreased after 4 weeks, while total sleep time improved only after 16 weeks of dual management strategy. The BMI was also reduced to 28.4 from initial value of 30.3. Morning awakening patterns did not change, but it was not accompanied by pain or headache. Conclusion: The results indicated the therapeutic potential of yoga-nidra and exercise package in this actigraphy-based longitudinal pilot study. Yoga-nidra can be easily practiced at home, and thus, it is a promising non-pharmacological strategy for aging population in improving their wellbeing.
ABSTRACT
Objective: Despite the rapid growth of virtual health services in response to COVID-19, people affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) experience symptoms that can undermine their ability to access and benefit from such services. This study assessed the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of LoveYourBrain Mindset, a manualized, 6-week yoga, mindfulness, and psychoeducation program delivered online to people with TBI and caregivers. To enhance accessibility, participants choose between two interactive tracks, either a weekly 75-min gentle yoga class or a 45-min group discussion on Zoom. Participants also receive weekly pre-recorded tools by email (1-min psychoeducational videos, 45-min yoga classes, 10-min meditations, 25-min yoga nidra meditations). Methods: LoveYourBrain Foundation recruited prospective participants from October 2020-March 2021 through clinical, advocacy, and social media outreach. People were eligible if they were a TBI survivor or caregiver, age 15 to 70, able to participate in gentle exercise and/or group discussion, and consented for their data to be used for research. Self-reported survey data were collected electronically in eligibility and feedback forms. We assessed feasibility by describing the number of people enrolled, number of programs successfully offered, and mean attendance;usability by examining use of the tools;and acceptability by analyzing satisfaction measures. Results: A total of 62 programs were offered by LoveYourBraintrained Facilitators during the study period. No programs were canceled from low enrollment. Eight hundred and nine eligible people enrolled, including 733 people with TBI and 76 caregivers. Participants were majority white (n = 654, 80.8%), non- Hispanic (n = 690, 85.3%), female (n = 640, 79.1%), educated (college graduate/equivalent or higher) (n = 657, 81.2%), and had a median age of 43 years (range 18-80 years). TBI severity ranged from mild (n = 272, 38.1%), moderate (n = 247, 34.6%), to severe (n = 195, 27.3%). Participants were located mostly in 47 states in the US (n = 601, 74.1%) or 8 Canadian provinces (n = 192, 23.7%). A majority (n = 584, 72.2%) attended ≥1 interactive classes, while 26.8% were 'no-shows' (n = 217) and 1.0% withdrew (n = 8). Mean attendance in the interactive classes was 7 (SD 1) people per program. Most participants (n = 263, 74.0%) completed some tools in 5 or all 6 weeks of their program, most often the videos (n = 256, 72.1%), meditations (n = 142, 40.0%), yoga classes (n = 133, 37.5%), and yoga nidras (n = 105, 29.6%). Participants reported high satisfaction (M = 9.1 out of 10, SD 1.4) and a majority (n = 308, 86.7%) would 'Definitely, yes' recommend it to a friend or family. Conclusion: High attendance, engagement, and satisfaction with LoveYourBrain Mindset suggests that online delivery of yoga, mindfulness, and psychoeducation is feasible and acceptable for people with TBI and caregivers. The program's scalability has implications on expanding access to holistic health services for this marginalized community, yet greater efforts are needed to reach minority groups with disproportionately worse access to care, particularly Black, Indigenous and People of Color.