Hatha, Iyengar, ashtanga, vinyasa, kundalini: chances are you’ve heard of these forms of yoga – they’re the big five of the practice, the most popular forms offered at studios and gyms and in online classes. But there’s a lesser-known form of yoga that could change your life. Welcome to yoga nidra, the practice where you won’t stand on your head, do the tree pose or even go into downward dog – but you will feel fantastic and fully rested once you get the hang of it. In fact, just one hour of yoga nidra is said to be comparable to four hours of sleep.

It’s considered a form of sleep therapy and is a meditative practice that “holds you in perfect relaxation”, says Jeannie Holmes, a remedial yoga and meditation teacher and owner of The Healing Resolve retreat in Wilderness in the Western Cape. You simply lie and listen, following gently guided instructions to consciously let go of tension, pain and fear, restore bodily systems, harmonise the mind, balance emotions and rest deeply. The goal in yoga nidra is to move into a deep state of conscious awareness sleep, “which is a deeper state of relaxation with awareness”, says Judi Bar, a yoga therapist from the US.

“With meditation you’re in a seated position and in a waking state of consciousness while focusing the mind and allowing thoughts to come and go,” Judi explains. “Meditation makes it possible for us to get to the theta state – the state we go through to get to the delta state, which is the place of the deepest sleep cycle. “The delta state is a deep healing state and that’s where we’re trying to get through yoga nidra. In this state, the body and mind rest and the consciousness is awake.”Jeannie says yoga nidra is powerfully subtle and profoundly experiential. “You feel integrated, aligned and whole. After the practice you’re refreshed, restored and ready to move through challenges.”

Many yoga studios offer yoga nidra sessions in-studio and online. If you want to try it at home via an online session, it involves lying down on a well-supported mat or mattress, with a comfortable cushion under your head and a firm cushion under your knees for additional support, and your heels resting on the floor.

“A blanket is needed as the body temperature does drop when in relaxed awareness and you have more time healing the parasympathetic nervous system,” Jeannie says. The parasympathetic nervous system exists in quiet conditions, while the sympathetic nervous system drives the “fight or flight” response in stressful situations The main purpose of the parasympathetic nervous system is to conserve energy to be used later to regulate bodily functions such as digestion. When you join an online class, it’s important to position the camera towards your face and chest as the instructor teaches according to your heart rate, breathing and facial expressions. The instructor will look for areas of tension and cue accordingly to help you feel grounded and fully supported in the practice.