Held In Rest—The Gift Of Restorative Yoga Nidra
We know that a lack of sleep is a form of torture and in early motherhood we can nearly be consumed by it’s exhaustion. The constant wake ups, broken sleep, up and down, and the never-ending of it all.
Yoga Nidra can be a wonderful practice to support us during this time. Not only is it fairly time-efficient in our busy days mothering, but also powerfully healing.
Personally, I find it difficult to enter deep undisturbed sleep in-between the night wakings and feedings of my daughter. I feel, since before pregnancy I have had less and less sleep in the delta state. And this is the most important sleep state for us to access. The delta brainwave state occurs during the deepest parts of non-REM sleep and is the most crucial for our physical and mental restoration.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra is often referred to as "yogic sleep". According to Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a pioneer of Yoga Nidra, the practice brings about deep relaxation through a guided meditation that invites the body into the delta brainwave state, while the mind remains gently aware. It is a state of stillness between wakefulness and sleep—a nourishing place where your nervous system can deeply trust and reset. Nidra is practiced lying down, making it especially supportive of mothers.
What is the Delta Brainwave State?
The delta brainwave state is the slowest and deepest type of brainwave, typically ranging from 0.5 to 4 Hz. It occurs during the deepest states of non-REM sleep and is associated with profound physical and mental restoration. In delta state, the body repairs itself, tissues regenerate, and the immune system strengthens. The mind becomes deeply restful with minimal thought activity allowing for emotional processing and subconscious healing.
The connection between Yoga Nidra and Delta Brainwaves.
During Yoga Nidra, the brain can enter the delta wave state while you remain consciously aware. This offers us the healing benefits of deep sleep with reduced stress and anxiety, nervous system regulation, cellular repair and increased melatonin and growth hormone.
This state is often why 20 minutes of Yoga Nidra is said to offer the same benefits of 2-3 hours of deep sleep.
The restful benefits of Yoga Nidra in Postpartum healing.
Yoga Nidra is a powerful tool for new mothers navigating the physical and emotional shifts of postpartum. A 2020 study by Sreedevi et al. found that Yoga Nidra significantly reduced postpartum stress and improved maternal well-being in women within the first 12 weeks after birth.
Kumar and Joshi (2009) reported that Yoga Nidra helped decrease symptoms of postpartum depression and supported better sleep quality in new mothers.
Healing benefits during Illness or Chronic Stress.
Yoga Nidra supports the body’s innate healing response by shifting from the nervous systems sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) dominance. This is essential for anyone recovering from illness or experiencing chronic stress.
Rani and Tiwari (2018) found Yoga Nidra effective in reducing psychomatic symptoms and promoting recovery in patients with chronic fatigue and autoimmune conditions.
Saxena et al. (2013) demonstrated that Yoga Nidra helped improve immune function reduced anxiety in patients with chronic health issues.
Why Yoga Nidra matters for Mothers.
Yoga Nidra invites us to gently rest in stillness when everything else feels heavy. It helps mothers to heal physically, emotionally and spiritually - often during times when their own needs are set aside.
I invite you to allow the power of guided Yoga Nidra meditations to be the sacred pause that restores what daily life quietly depletes.
Take a loving moment to honour yourself—you are worthy of rest too.
With all my heart,
Ashleigh xo