Ever drink too much coffee in the afternoon to the point where you were so jittery that you couldn't sleep that night (feeling wired)? Then, because you didn't sleep well the night before you woke up feeling completely exhausted (feeling tired)?
That's how Kristine was feeling when she came to work with me.
Kristine, the owner of a small advertising agency, landed "her dream client". This client came with lots of income, big demands, and major deadlines. Her first big project was a 9 week design of a commercial campaign that had her working well into the nights.
The result? She nailed the project! Which was very exciting.
Until the pressure and sleepless nights took a toll on her. In the aftermath of her accomplishment, Kristine noticed that she felt wired and tired, all the time. She was wide awake at night, and exhausted during the day, barely able to make it through the work day.
All of her normal engagements for fun -- such as exercise, hanging out with friends and loved ones -- started to slip away because chronic fatigue was taking over. Kristine could no longer muster the energy to do anything beyond her work.
So she compensated by drinking more coffee and eating carbs to make it through each day, which left her wide awake at night.
When we started working together, feeling wired and tired was "normal" for Kristine. She suffered from what I see so many business owners suffer from: an overstimulated nervous system, worn out Adrenal Glands and a confused circadian rhythm (the inner clock of the body that triggers sleep at night-time).
Her sympathetic nervous system was stuck in "fight or flight" mode, flooding her body with excessive cortisol, and drinking coffee and eating carbs all day increased her evening blood sugar.
I designed a 5-part Peak Performance Training Program for Kristine and we got to work. First step was to stimulate Kristine's parasympathetic nervous system so that she could feel calm and relaxed, and fast. We set out to accomplish this with the daily practice of Yoga Nidra.
Yoga Nidra means "yogic sleep" in Sanskrit and is research validated as an effective tool for stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Studies show that the state achieved during the entire practice of Yoga Nidra is both a state of being conscious and asleep simultaneously.
One study done at the State University Hospital in Copenhagen by researchers, Dr. Hans Lou and Dr. Troels Kjær, showed study participants experiencing Theta brain waves and Alpha brain waves during the Yoga Nidra practice (as indicated by EEG). Theta waves are the type of brain waves that occur during stages 1 and 2 of sleep and during these stages of sleep the parasympathetic nervous system is actively restoring homeostasis in the body. Alpha waves occur during a conscious yet relaxed state.
Both brain wave types were seen in study participants during the entire Yoga Nidra practice, indicating that the practice of Yoga Nidra brings you into a state similar to "conscious sleep".
If you'd like to experience a shortened version of Yoga Nidra for yourself, comment below and ask me for the link.
I'll send you the link to a 14 minute Yoga Nidra recording -- deep conscious sleep to restore yourself to a sense of calm and deep relaxation.
www.SusanLiddy.com