Episode 298 | Discover the Benefits of Yoga Nidra with Dr. Kamini Desai
In today's world, we are continuously working and tiring ourselves out to feel accomplished. This culture of overdoing has been hurting us for years. You have to remember that constantly driving yourself into the ground will eventually lead to burnout and disorientation. If you want to take the time to process your emotions or restore your energy, Yoga Nidra may be a helpful practice to try.
In this episode, Dr. Kamini Desai shares with us the benefits of Yoga Nidra and the science behind it. She also discusses how it can uncover unconscious emotions affecting our behavior and mindset. Kamini also talks about how it can help us deal with the uncertainties we feel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you’re curious about the power it can bring to your life, then listen to the full episode!
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Here are three reasons why you should listen to the full episode:
Discover how Yoga Nidra can help you during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Learn its scientific dynamics and how it can help you process your emotions.
What makes Kamini feel radically loved? Find out toward the end of the episode.
Resources
Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep by Dr. Kamini Desai
IAM Yoga Nidra app by Dr. Kamini Desai
Create a daily meditation ritual in just seven days! Download BUILD YOUR DAILY MEDITATION RITUAL and other freebies at RadicallyLoved.com!
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Episode Highlights
Yoga Nidra’s Role in the Time of COVID-19
When we encounter something, we see it as either an obstacle or an opportunity.
It’s an opportunity to assess the things you exert your energy on.
It's the time to face our aloneness and heal it from within.
What Is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is a sleeping meditation technique riding on the biology of your body.
It rests in the biological gap between us and our thoughts when we sleep.
Its value and benefits are for everybody.
Its principle is that the less you do, the more shifts happen.
Does Sleeping Hinder Productivity?
Overdoing is part of our culture. Society rewards people who are stressed and overwhelmed.
People often don’t get rewarded when they take care of themselves, so they dismiss resting and the non-doing aspects of life.
The more you rest, the more currency you have to work.
Yoga Nidra as a Spiritual Practice
Yoga Nidra reminds people of an abiding eternal awareness.
It helps you find peace within yourself, which you can access anytime.
Especially in the time of a pandemic, it’s vital to find calm spaces that you can go to when you need it.
Benefits of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra provides support to people on medication, for instance.
Because it releases serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins naturally, you feel an intense sense of well-being.
How Yoga Nidra Happens in the Heart
The heart is the primary conduit or collector of the energy of the source (called Prana or Chi).
The heart channels the energy into your body and returns it to the source.
Therefore, Yoga Nidra is about reconnecting with your source nature.
Restoration Through Yoga Nidra
Yoga teachers are only human, so they also feel depleted.
It allows us to recognize the source and state of our exhaustion and understand what to do.
The sooner we catch the feelings of depletion, the sooner we can put ourselves back on track.
The Science of Yoga Nidra
The amount of stress hormones released during a prolonged state of stress affects our brains.
The amygdala or the fear center of our brain becomes more activated. Also, our prefrontal cortex becomes thinner.
When our prefrontal cortex isn’t strong enough, our insecurities and worries can run our lives.
Within 11 hours of Yoga Nidra practice, the prefrontal cortex thickens considerably. In return, it increases your ability to manage stress.
Duration of Yoga Nidra Practice
Practicing Yoga Nidra is more about consistency. You can do it 5 days a week for 20 to 40 minutes.
In as little as 8 weeks, it can increase the size of the hippocampus.
Start by doing 3 months consistently, and you can feel your body craving and undergoing changes.
On Unprocessed Emotions
Incomplete events or unprocessed emotions are undischarged energy. It can run through your nervous system as if the event is still in play.
Yoga Nidra processes undischarged energy by removing the resistances and allowing energy to move gently.
Visceral Experiences During Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra provides a deeper state than sleep, and it gives you a chance to release and process the things you repressed.
Unconscious things affect our conscious mind and behavior.
Advice for Students Who are Afraid of Going Back and Practicing
Students must first understand that Yoga Nidra is a powerful healing modality.
They can talk to their body about what they’re ready to release.
Students with trauma and PTSD can do this practice while sitting down to slow down the process.
On Sankalpa & Setting Intentions
Yoga Nidra touches the core of our consciousness. However, if there are deeply seated beliefs or impressions, there would be an inner conflict.
It is also designed to work backward through the core of your consciousness. Sankalpa are like seeds planted to create positivity in your thoughts.
Discovering Yoga Nidra
Have someone who resonates with you to guide you.
Do it when you can.
Advice for People with Strong Rooted Principles Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
This pandemic is the time to remember what we have received and practice it.
You know what to do, and you know the practices.
If you pay attention to something, that’s where your energy flows.
5 Powerful Quotes from This Episode
“Anything that comes across our path, we can see it as an obstacle or an opportunity.”
“We tend to dismiss the rest, restoration, the non-doing aspects of life in favor of what's going to get us the acknowledgment.”
“The more that you relax, the more currency you have to do.”
“People will say, ‘Oh, my god, Yoga Nidra does terrible things.’ It's not doing terrible things. It's clearing out what was already in there.”
“Where attention goes, energy flows.”
About Kamini
Dr. Kamini Desai has created a unique collection of teachings merging the ancient wisdom of yoga with modern psychology for 25 years. She is the acclaimed author of Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep and Life Lessons Love Lessons.
Kamini is also a frequent guest speaker and teacher at several nationally accredited institutions. She is now the Education Director and Core Curriculum Developer of the Amrit Yoga Institute, which teaches advanced studies in eastern philosophy.
If you want to learn more about Dr. Kamini Desai’s advocacy, you can connect with her by visiting her website.
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To feeling radically loved,
Rosie