Background: The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates vital functions such as heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure. Heart rate variability (HRV) serves as a non-invasive marker of autonomic balance. Yoga Nidra, a guided relaxation technique, is known to promote parasympathetic activity and stress reduction. However, limited evidence exists on its immediate effects on cardiac autonomic regulation in young healthy adults.
Aim: To evaluate the immediate effect of a single Yoga Nidra session on heart rate variability among young healthy adults.
Materials and Methods: A pre-post single-group quasi-experimental design was adopted. Twenty healthy participants (5 males, 15 females; mean age 21.00±1.34 years) were recruited through convenience sampling. Baseline HRV was recorded for 5 minutes after 15 minutes of rest, followed by a 20-minute guided Yoga Nidra session in Shavasana. Post-intervention HRV was then recorded using STREME ECG and analyzed with Kubios HRV software. Time-and frequency-domain parameters were compared using paired t-test or Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test (p<0.05).
Results: Yoga Nidra produced significant autonomic modulation. Heart rate decreased (p<.001) and RR interval increased (p = .001). Time-domain indices SDNN (p = .022), NN50 (p = .012), and pNN50 (p = .007) increased significantly, while RMSSD showed a positive trend (p = .056). In the frequency domain, HF power increased significantly (p = .044), with no significant change in LF power (p = .430) or LF/HF ratio (p = .869).
Conclusion: A single 20-minute session of Yoga Nidra elicits an immediate enhancement in parasympathetic activity and overall HRV among young adults. The findings suggest that Yoga Nidra is an effective, non-invasive relaxation technique for promoting autonomic balance and cardiovascular well-being. Further studies with larger samples and longitudinal follow-up are warranted.
International Journal of Yogic, Human Movement and Sports Sciences
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