Relaxation

Relaxation meditation is a practice in which you slowly tense and relax each muscle group, or follow a guided body scan, to release tension. Yoga Nidra, or ‘yogic sleep’, is a guided form you do lying down, resting between wakefulness and sleep while a teacher talks you through it. Many people use relaxation meditation to unwind after a demanding day or before bed. There is some evidence that relaxation and slow breathing may ease stress and anxiety; for sleep the evidence is limited: see “Relaxation: what the research says”.