Aerial Yoga Nidra & Meditation for Better Sleep

How would you describe your own lifestyle? For most people, they would likely say that it is a healthy one. Some would say that it is fair, or some would be honest that it is not. But how can we genuinely say that we have a healthy lifestyle?

Among the factors we should consider to have a truly good way of living are diet, work-life balance, and the one that is almost always overlooked, sleep.

According to some research, a lot of people tend to sleep for less than seven hours a day. We cannot deny but there must have been some point in our lives, or we might still be at it, where we glorify the lack of sleep and our “ability” to stay awake for extensive hours. This is a habit that we should not be proud of, as doing so forces our bodies to work even when it is already drained of energy.

In this blog, we will be talking about Aerial Yoga Nidra and Meditation and how they will be beneficial in aiding your sleeping habits and sleep cycle. Believe us when we say that you really ought to try these safe and natural practices first before resorting to chemically-induced approaches. There is nothing to lose!

 

Our Modern Lifestyles

Yet, of course, there are a lot of reasons why we tend to stay awake for longer hours. For some, staying awake is intentional. The reasons for doing so may be to punch in more work hours finishing paperwork or for students, their school work.

Others may also do this because they are trying to escape from the hustle and bustle of the light of day and are more cozy with the comfort the night gives – I know because even I love it! It is really nice to end a tiring day under your sheets, with your favorite TV show playing, and maybe some snacks on the side! But don’t deny it, you often just find yourself still awake at 3am or even until the sun rises.

Yet, for other people, they really do want to sleep but their mind and body somehow prevents them from doing so. Once their head hits the pillow, the train of thoughts suddenly races out of the station and goes round and round their mind. Body aches might also start to be felt or become more apparent especially when you’ve have had a hard work day.

Both of these cases can be resolved by practicing self-discipline and discovering ways of re-channeling our energies into something productive which will help us wind down and finally get some rest.

 

Why is it important to get adequate sleep?

With all the things that we are doing in the modern world, having multiple careers, and always aiming for great things, we often tend to neglect to sleep and not let ourselves get the rest we deserve.

We believe that there is no point in getting all the things that you want in life by sacrificing the betterment of life itself. Yes, hustle, but there should also be times when you let yourself take things slow and even pause — even daily in the simple way of sleeping.

There are a whole lot of reasons that you should keep in mind whenever you feel like neglecting sleep or have observed that you are not getting the right amount of it.

To list some, here are four reasons why you should make sleep of utmost importance:

Keeping a Sharp Mind

Did you know that sleeping properly greatly contributes to your brain function? Yes! Sleeping allows your brain to recover after a full day of thinking. Not getting enough sleep could lead to problems such as short-term memory loss even up to long-term if it becomes a habit. Sleep deprivation is definitely not a flex, especially if you are in the academe or are a workaholic person. If you wish to keep that sharp mind of yours, get some sleep!

Sleep Sound, Stay Fit

Having a healthy sleeping routine also affects our metabolism especially as we grow older. For children, their metabolism is still significantly faster than those of adults. As we reach our twenties, our body’s metabolism gradually slows down making it easier for us to gain weight and harder to lose some (but still, it varies per individual). But where does getting the right amount of sleep stands? With the body’s Circadian rhythm.

Basically, circadian rhythms are our body clocks. These rhythms might be disrupted because of our own unhealthy practices. Circadian rhythms affect the functions of the internal organs such as the liver, muscles, and digestive system. For the liver, circadian rhythms signal when the organ should start handling fats. Unusual times of eating, for example, staying late at night could disrupt this process and may lead to weight gain.

Hormones, Hormones

In connection to staying fit, your hormones also play a vital role in terms of gaining weight and sleeping late. Ghrelin, or what we can also refer to as the “hunger hormone” rises up and one of those times are at night when we stay up late. To satisfy our hunger, we eat, and then back to the possible disruption of our circadian rhythms, leading to gaining weight.

Another hormone is Cortisol, more commonly known as the “stress hormone.” This hormone can keep you up at night especially if you have a lot of things in mind and is particularly overthinking about things that you did for the day, are doing, and are planning to do tomorrow. The best way to battle stress is to let it go and ease yourself down. Later, we will talk about an activity best fit for this :)

Healthier Breaths

Breaths? Does sleeping also affect the respiratory system? Surprisingly, yes! The explanation for this is simple: when we sleep, we consume less oxygen since our body is in recovery mode. People who have asthma or other respiratory conditions might worsen if they are not getting enough sleep in order to let their lungs recover.

In extension, others who do not have any pre-existing respiratory conditions and are sleep-deprived may also be prone to diseases, and acquire colds and other infections.

 

Does meditation work?

What can you do to help yourself sleep easily? You might have heard of it already or have taken advice from people who have done it, but one of the most popular ways is meditating.

Everyone is entitled on getting a good sleep every single night, it just happens that we have our own responsibilities to make time for even at the expense of losing this vital rest.

Meditation is a very effective way of grounding yourself at the end of the day.

Being able to be aware of your surroundings and acknowledge your emotions and feelings helps you make peace with your present and somehow let the worries go and forgive yourself.

Meditation does not only affect you but your environment as well. It is as simple as being able to radiate your energy from within up to the very corners of where you’re at.

As we said, meditation before sleeping creates a space where you feel safe and sound and build a trust that you are in good hands and that you are going to be alright for the rest of the night until the morning comes, and even through the next day.

Meditation can come in many forms and it all depends on what you want. In here, you are the one in absolute control. Your meditation could be as simple as reciting your own personal affirmations, and chants, and even doing basic breathing exercises!

So, if you ask us if meditations do work, our answer is already obvious: they do! You just need to find the right fit and you are good to go. But hey! What better way to meditate than incorporating it into a fun, productive, and restorative activity? Read on!

 

What is Aerial Yoga?

If you have not heard of aerial yoga yet, then you are definitely in the right place!

Aerial yoga is a style of yoga practice that started a fair while ago when some well known names where looking for a way to stay fit without being too far away from their stronghold. With their innate creativity and passion for their sport, birth aerial yoga.

The practice was initially created for exercising, yet, as time passed by, yogis have discovered its restorative effects on the body and have then utilized and improved it up to the present.

Aerial yoga has a lot of potential participation in our lives: Primarily, it is a good way to engage in fitness, especially for those who are looking for a light and easy way to begin their fitness journey.

Second, the practice promotes inclusivity since the yoga hammocks and yoga swings are very resilient and can accommodate almost every age, shape, and size!

Third, aerial yoga’s benefits outweigh the possible fears and doubts that you might have. Yes, there is quite the height and the need for flexibility in most poses, but as beginners, you would not go straight into those complexities! You can always start with the few basic ones and, literally, work your way to the top!

 

What is Aerial Yoga Nidra?

Aerial Yoga Nidra, from the word itself, nidra, is also known as yogic sleep. In this practice, we utilize the benefits of being suspended from the ground through aerial yoga and incorporate it to achieve a relaxing snooze.

Laying down in the yoga hammock provides comforting pressure to your body, and lets it rest freely particularly your spine and muscles. This practice is also a meditation itself, promoting mental, physical, and emotional awareness to those who practice it.

A guided meditation, like aerial yoga nidra, helps you wind down easier since basically while in practice, there is an instructor guiding you, making you feel safe and allow you be comfortable for a much-needed shutdown.

Some of the benefits of doing Aerial Yoga Nidra are:

• Relieve stress
• Reduce insomnia
• Ease anxiety
• Promote recovery from PTSD

Combine all of these with meditation, your sleep could not have been so much better!

 

Why should you do Aerial Yoga Nidra & Meditation?

If you are one of those people who have tried countless activities that promised to help you sleep faster and easier and nothing has worked, then we strongly encourage you to try Aerial Yoga Nidra and meditation to support you!

Aerial Yoga Nidra is easy, beginner-friendly, and a very inclusive activity that could be tailored to cater to your needs. All you need to do is find the right equipment and instructor for you. In terms of equipment, Gravotonics is definitely your best choice!

Our Aerial Yoga Hammocks and Yoga Swings are specifically made to withstand even the hardest of pulling, carrying, and grasping in order to give you the best aerial yoga experience you can think of!

Our products are also well-suited for all the variations of Aerial Yoga that are available today! Aerial Yoga Nidra, along with the right meditation, could be the answer to easing your sleep deprivation and finally fixing your body clock.

 

Make sleep a priority!

Sleeping could be the last thing on the list of your priorities, as a busy person, right now. Yet, whatever age you might be when you find and read this blog, we highly advise you to think about it again and maybe put it a bit higher on that list.

It is best to keep in mind that simple practices lead to lifetime habits that greatly affect our lifestyles. The simplest act of making sleep one of our top priorities branches to various benefits that could not be achieved even if you go to the gym every day, eat a healthy diet or do any other stuff just to call yourself healthy and fit.

These factors work simultaneously and most definitely cannot function on their own. Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that we are human beings and that we get tired and that its okay if you choose to leave your worries for tomorrow. It is okay if you choose to work on that paper sometime the next day. It is okay to go and hit the sheets tonight. It is okay to rest and prioritize sleep for your well–being.

So, why not give Aerial Yoga Nidra a try to boost your sleeping ability?!