Are you resting? Exploring the role of sleep in wellbeing
Rest remains one of the most misunderstood aspects of human health. We live in a society that often glorifies busyness and productivity, viewing sleep as merely downtime or, worse, a necessary inconvenience. This fundamental misunderstanding has led to a chronic rest deficit across modern populations, with profound consequences for our physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.
Rest: Beyond Simple Recovery
True rest isn’t merely the absence of activity. It’s an active state of restoration that our bodies and minds require to function optimally. Sleep represents the deepest form of this restoration—a complex biological process that science is still unraveling. During sleep, our brains clear metabolic waste, consolidate memories, and regulate hormones essential for everything from appetite to stress response.
Yet despite its importance, sleep remains relegated to the margins of health discussions, often sacrificed for work, entertainment, or the endless scroll of digital distraction.
The Yogic Understanding of Sleep
Yoga philosophy has long recognized sleep as far more than a biological necessity. In classical yogic texts, deep, restful sleep (nidra) is considered one of the essential states of consciousness alongside waking and dreaming. The quality of this sleep directly influences one’s capacity for spiritual development.
According to yogic wisdom, proper sleep allows prana (life energy) to circulate freely throughout the body, removing blockages and restoring balance. This understanding predates modern science by thousands of years, yet aligns remarkably well with current research on sleep’s restorative functions.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali specifically mention that both excessive sleep and insufficient sleep create obstacles on the path of yoga. This balance point—not too much, not too little—reflects yoga’s broader emphasis on finding the middle path in all aspects of life.
Practices for Deep Rest
Yoga offers practical tools for cultivating healthier sleep patterns:
- Restorative poses that activate the parasympathetic nervous system
- Breath awareness techniques that calm mental activity
- Simple meditation practices to release the day’s accumulated tension
- Yoga nidra, or “yogic sleep”—a guided practice of systematic relaxation
These approaches don’t force sleep but rather create conditions where natural sleep can emerge unobstructed. They address sleep at its roots rather than merely treating symptoms.
Kaivalyadhama, a pioneer in yoga research since 1924, integrates traditional wisdom with modern science to study the impact of yogic practices on sleep and well-being. Our evidence-based approach enhances rest and recovery through specialized therapies and workshops. Explore More
~ Written by Ritika S