I’ve always been a bad sleeper. Even as a child I would spent entire nights tossing and turning and would end up being exhausted for school the next day. As I got older I tried various approaches to combat my insomnia, and they all worked to some extent, but none as well as yoga Nidra. Not only did my sleep improve but I felt much calmer and more relaxed during the day.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is the practice of entering the conscious state of mind that falls somewhere between sleeping and being awake. You are awake during the entire time you practice, but you’re not exactly alert. The goal is to enter a conscious sleep state and totally relax your brain, thus releasing any unwanted tension in your body.
Yoga Nidra and Brain Waves
What makes Yoga Nidra so powerful isn’t just the physical rest—it’s what happens in your brain.
During a typical day, your brain operates in beta waves, associated with thinking, alertness, and sometimes anxiety. But as you practice Yoga Nidra, your brain gradually slows down through:
Alpha waves: Present during light meditation and relaxation.
Theta waves: Associated with dreams and deep creativity.
Delta waves: Found in deep, restorative sleep.
Yoga Nidra gently guides the brain into alpha and theta states, where healing and integration occur—without losing conscious awareness. This is why even a short practice can feel incredibly rejuvenating, sometimes more so than a full night of sleep.
How to do Yoga Nidra
Preparation
Choose a comfortable place where you won’t be interrupted or distracted. Don’t do yoga nidra in your bed because you will likely fall asleep midway through the exercise.
Set aside about 10 to 30 minutes
Make sure you are comfortable by wearing comfortable clothes and by adding extras like pillows or blankets to support your body. If the room is cool cover yourself with a blanket.
Lie down on your back with your legs extended and your arms by your sides, palms facing up. If you are not comfortable on your back then any other position is fine: you can lie on your side, sit in a chair, or even stand. Don’t tell anyone this but I sometimes do yoga nidra while taking a bath. It’s one of those tiny Japanese baths that are just big enough to sit in.
There are two ways you can do this exercise: you can either do a body scan or a guided meditation.
Body scan
Close your eyes and take a few slow and relaxed breaths. Focus your attention to your right foot. Keep your attention there for a few seconds, while relaxing your foot. Then move your attention up to your right knee, right thigh and hip. Become aware of your whole right leg. Repeat with your left leg. Then, move your attention to the genital area, stomach, navel region, and chest. Next, focus your attention on your right shoulder and right arm, palms and fingers. Repeat with the left shoulder and arm. Now pay attention to you throat, face and finally the top of your head.
Guided meditation
Before beginning the exercise search YouTube for a guided yoga nidra meditation. Most of them are 10 or 20 minutes long. Select one you like and then play it. I've added my two favorite one below.
Closing
Take a deep breath in, and relax in this still state for a few minutes. When you are ready slowly open your eyes and gradually become aware of your surroundings.
The 61 Points of Yoga Nidra
One of the most powerful techniques in Yoga Nidra is known as the 61 Points Practice, or Shavayatra (the “inner journey” in Shavasana). In this practice, awareness is guided through a sequence of 61 specific points on the body. The attention moves in a set rhythm, bringing relaxation, concentration, and deep inner stillness.
Unlike a general body scan, the 61 Points method is precise. Each location is touched by awareness for just a moment before moving on. The effect is twofold: the nervous system is soothed into profound rest, and the mind is gently trained to stay present.
How It Works
You begin by lying down comfortably in Shavasana (corpse pose). With eyes closed, awareness is rotated through each point in turn. The journey starts at the forehead and throat, moves down the right arm, then the left, circles through the chest and navel, continues down the right leg, then the left, and finally returns to the crown of the head.
The 61 points are:
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Head & upper body: forehead, throat, heart, chest, navel, crown
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Right side: shoulder → elbow → wrist → each fingertip → wrist → elbow → shoulder → throat
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Left side: shoulder → elbow → wrist → each fingertip → wrist → elbow → shoulder → throat
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Torso: heart → right chest → heart → left chest → heart → navel
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Right leg: hip → knee → ankle → each toe → ankle → knee → hip → navel
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Left leg: hip → knee → ankle → each toe → ankle → knee → hip → navel
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Closing sequence: navel → heart → throat → forehead → crown of the head
YouTube Videos
Ally Boothroyd is a Yoga Nidra educator & YTT facilitator, yoga educator & meditation teacher. She has a whole selection of Yoga Nidra videos from short 10-minute video to longer 35-minute ones.
If you prefer a calm male voice try this 15-minute one. Tim uses the 61 points of Yoga Nidra. Also, this video has no ad at the start. Hope it stays that way.
I’m Dr. Rodger Douglas, DMH, a South African-born homeopath now based in Osaka, Japan. With a psychology degree from Nelson Mandela University and a diploma from the Hahnemann College of Heilkunst, I specialize in holistic care for fibromyalgia. I serve clients by phone or video across the US, Canada, the UK, and beyond, shipping remedies directly from Japan.