THE EFFECTS OF YOGA NIDRA
What it does
Reduces Stress: Yoga Nidra activates the pineal gland, which helps the body release melatonin - a powerful hormone known not only for supporting sleep, but also for its anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effects. The cool thing, is they still do not know yet how it regulates the immune system, it just does. As melatonin levels rise, cortisol (the body's primary stress hormone) naturally decreases, helping shift the nervous system out of "fight or flight" and into a parasympathetic state.
This practice is especially beneficial for anyone experiencing a high stress lifestyle and/ or managing an auto-immune disease. And for people under chronic stress, this can provide a profound sense of calm and reset.
A study showed that against traditional medication, when Yoga Nidra is used regularly for 3 consecutive weeks it significantly reduces depression, anxiety and insomnia and was shown to be more effective than the medication itself.
Improves Sleep Quality: 75% of total sleep time in adults is know as Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) however due to our modern lifestyle (screens, processed foods etc) this stage of sleep is limited causing a sleep deprived, caffeine dependent society. Yoga Nidra calms the nervous system and allows the brain to drop from active beta brain waves to slow wave delta brain waves - (NREM). Yoga Nidra promotes restorative rest as just one session is equivalent to 4 hours of deep sleep. Over time, it also helps rebalance disrupted sleep cycles, which are increasingly common in screen bound, always on work cultures.
Promotes Deep Healing: Deep rest is essential for physical and emotional recovery. For anyone managing chronic stress, burnout, or recovering from illness, Yoga Nidra supports cellular repair and nervous system regulation, offering a powerful antidote to technology overstimulation.
People who are recovering from chronic illness, surgery or chronic stress need deep states to rest and restore. Yoga Nidra induces the body into a deep rest, supporting the body into ‘slow wave sleep’, which allows for regeneration from a cellular level.
Enhances Mental Clarity: The practice bridges wakefulness and sleep, accessing deeper layers of consciousness and supporting emotional processing. It helps quiet mental chatter and clear cognitive overload - like closing tabs on a busy computer screen which allows for renewed focus and clarity on all levels!
Sunday reset - spring series
As a physiotherapist, I've spent 15 years working with people whose bodies are holding more than they realise.
Chronic pain that doesn't respond to treatment. Fatigue that sleep doesn't fix. Immune systems that keep failing. Nervous systems are stuck in a low-grade chronic stress.
We treat the symptoms. But rarely do we treat the state the body is living in. The patient has normalised it and doesn’t even notice it.
The truth is, most people in our Western always-on society do not know how to rest. I didn't. We are information-overloaded, overworked, and when we finally stop the mind keeps racing, ruminating, replaying. Rest becomes another thing we can't quite get right.
This is why I started integrating Yoga Nidra into my clinical practice and why the emerging neuroscience behind it matters to every healthcare professional, not just those working in wellness (Western medicine needs science to make people listen).
In 2024, researchers at IIT Delhi and AIIMS Delhi published the first brain imaging study of Yoga Nidra in. Using fMRI scanning, they found that the Default Mode Network, the area of the brain responsible for ruminating negative thoughts, becomes significantly less active during the practice. The more accumulated practice a person had, the more pronounced the biological effect in the brain.
Even first-time practitioners - people who never practiced meditation before - showed meaningful activity in the brain regions responsible for emotional processing and sleep regulation from their very first session.
How does this matter in the clinical setting? Because a dysregulated nervous system is not a mental health problem in isolation, it shows up as chronic inflammation, poor immune function, disrupted sleep, hormonal imbalance, and slow tissue repair. All things we see every day in physiotherapy. And this low-grade chronic stress, that we do not notice within ourselves and in our patients, is now scientifically linked to long-term illnesses and auto-immmune diseases.
In my clinical opinion Yoga Nidra is not a ‘wellness fad’ or an ‘alternative therapy’, it is an evidence-informed tool for creating the biological conditions in which deep healing becomes possible.
Rest is not passive nor do we need to earn it. It is medicine and it is time we start prescribing it.
I'm currently running Sunday Reset - a weekly online breathwork and Yoga Nidra series for people who need their nervous system supported. If you work with patients or clients (or for yourself!) who are carrying chronic stress, fatigue, or burnout - I would love to connect.
Sign up here -> https://forms.gle/prnhejMsYYxT2364A
Or email me to connect
#Physiotherapy #YogaNidra #NervousSystemHealth #EvidenceBasedPractice #HolisticHealth #Breathwork #ClinicalWellness
Castor Oil Packs: Natural Relief for Inflammation, Pain & Drainage
Castor oil packs have been used for centuries as a gentle yet powerful healing tool in natural medicine. Derived from the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), castor oil is rich in ricinoleic acid—a unique fatty acid known for its anti-inflammatory, circulation-boosting, and detoxifying properties.
When applied topically in the form of a warm pack, the oil penetrates deep into tissues, promoting relaxation, reducing inflammation, and supporting the body's natural healing processes. Castor oil packs provide a gentle way of improving blood flow to the organs in your pelvis and your liver and can be use to soften well-heal scar tissue after surgery. They are incredibly relaxing and a great excuse to lay horizontal!
While castor oil packs are well-known for supporting uterine health—helping with menstrual imbalances, fibroids, endometriosis and pelvic congestion—they’re equally valuable for liver detoxification and lymphatic drainage. The liver is our body’s primary detox organ and castor oil packs stimulate bile flow which acts as a clean up tool. It also reduces the liver's inflammatory markers (CRP) and prevents any further tissue damage caused by medication, alcohol use, metals and pathogens.
Incorporating castor oil packs into your holistic rehab program can help reduce stagnation, encourage better circulation, and support organ function naturally—making them a simple yet deeply nourishing self-care ritual.
Some people like to use them when they have their periods, and others prefer not to but if you have a heavy flow do use with caution.
As with all oils and anything trying new, you should apply a small amount on your skin and wait 24hours to see if you have a negative reason to it before getting fully stuck in.
To make your own DIY castor oil pack, you will need:
A bottle of high-quality cold -pressed organic castor oil
A piece of cotton flannel or muslin baby cloth - it needs to be large enough to cover your lower abdomen when folded in half.
A hot water bottle or heating pad
Another muslin square or small old towel to cover the pack with while you are using it.
An old towel to place underneath you and old clothes to wear as the oil does stain.
A glass container with a lid to soak the flannel in and to store it between uses.
Warning:
The oil does get hot easily and can burn your skin. So the hot water should be warm (80 degrees max) but NOT just-boiled.
The oil is thick and does stain - so have plenty of towels going and use old sheets the first time you do this.
Do not use after ovulation if you are trying to conceive.
Instructions: A short video clip: here
Fold your cloth so it is the size of your lower abdomen
Place your cloth inside your glass container
Pour the castor oil in the jar, soaking the cloth.
Place your old towel on your bed and have your towels at hand
Get your hot water bottle ready (do not pour boiling water into any hot water bottle, it must be 80 degrees and only ¾ quarter full)
Get your relaxing space ready, maybe some nice music, candle light, a book near and most importantly turn your phone off
Lay down on your bed / towel and be comfortable
Carefully remove the cloth from the container, unfold it, and place it across your lower abdomen OR your liver (on your right side rib cage)
The cover the saturated cloth with an old towel
Place the hot water bottle on top of the old towel
Take some deep breaths, relax, meditate, read a book or… fall asleep
Keep the pack on between 30-60mins
When you have finished, remove the saturated cloth back into the glass container. Place the lid on and it can be reused around 30times, though you will need to top it up with oil each time.
Wipe off any excess oil with your towels and relax or go to sleep 🙂
The recommendation is to do the pack three days a week for 3 months and assess if you feel they are helping you.
Get in touch if you tried this and what changes you see in your health!