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Kenny Carmody

@KennyCarmody

Dec 22, 2024

What is Yoga Nidra/NSDR?

Yoga Nidra, an ancient practice now widely recognised under the term Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), serves as a bridge between wakefulness and sleep, offering a unique state where one is deeply relaxed yet fully conscious. The term "NSDR" was coined to encapsulate this practice in a way that resonates with those unfamiliar with traditional yoga, emphasizing the scientific underpinnings of what it achieves.

At its core, Yoga Nidra/NSDR is not just about relaxation; it's about entering a state where the mind can rest without losing awareness, a state where the body's need for deep rest is met without the full transition into sleep. Here's how:

- Neurological State: This practice shifts brain activity from the higher-frequency beta waves associated with active thinking to the lower-frequency alpha and theta waves. These waves are hallmarks of deep relaxation, reduced anxiety, and enhanced creativity. Studies using EEG have captured these shifts, showing a progression from the awake state to one where the brain is in a restorative mode, akin to the early stages of sleep but without losing consciousness.

- Autonomic Nervous System Balance: Yoga Nidra/NSDR acts on the autonomic nervous system by enhancing parasympathetic activity. This is the "rest and digest" system, counteracting the "fight or flight" response of the sympathetic nervous system. By doing so, it reduces heart rate, lowers blood pressure, and can decrease cortisol levels, which are indicators of stress.

- Mechanism of Action: The practice typically involves a guided meditation where you're led through a series of steps:
- Body Scan: This involves moving your awareness systematically through different parts of the body, promoting awareness and relaxation. This can lead to a decrease in muscle tension and an increase in muscle relaxation, evidenced by electromyography (EMG) studies.

- Breath Awareness: By focusing on breath, practitioners can influence the vagus nerve, increasing vagal tone. This has been shown to improve heart rate variability, a marker for overall health and resilience to stress.

- Visualization and Intention Setting: Often, Yoga Nidra includes elements of visualization or setting a 'Sankalpa' (a resolve), which can influence the subconscious mind, potentially aiding in personal growth or behavioral change through neuroplasticity.

- Dopaminergic Effects: Recent research suggests NSDR can increase dopamine release in the brain, akin to the effects observed post-sleep. This neurotransmitter is vital for motivation, pleasure, and cognitive functions like memory and attention.

- Sleep Enhancement: Even though NSDR isn't sleep, it can mimic some of its restorative benefits. For those with insomnia or poor sleep quality, NSDR can serve as a tool to enhance sleep architecture by allowing the body to experience rest in a shorter period, thus potentially reducing sleep debt.

- Cognitive and Emotional Regulation: By engaging in this practice regularly, one can enhance cognitive flexibility and emotional regulation, areas where the prefrontal cortex, influenced by the calm induced by NSDR, plays a significant role.

In essence, Yoga Nidra/NSDR is not just a practice but a state of being, one that modern neuroscience and psychology are beginning to understand and harness for health and performance enhancement.

A Huge Yoga Nidra and NSDR Thread:🧵[01-10]

Let’s start👇

1. Historical Roots

Yoga Nidra, known in Sanskrit as "yogic sleep," has its roots embedded in the ancient Indian traditions of yoga and tantra, but its journey into the scientific realm is a fascinating tale of cultural heritage meeting modern research:

- Ancient Origins: This practice finds mention in ancient texts like the Upanishads, particularly the Mandukya Upanishad, where it's described in relation to the different states of consciousness — waking, dreaming, deep sleep, and Turiya, a state of pure consciousness beyond the other three. Yoga Nidra was part of the broader tantric practices aimed at self-realization and spiritual awakening through deep relaxation.

- Revival and Modernization: The modern form of Yoga Nidra as we know it was largely popularized by Swami Satyananda Saraswati in the 1960s. He systematized the practice, drawing from traditional sources but making it accessible to the general public. His work, "Yoga Nidra," detailed step-by-step methods to induce this state, which has since become a cornerstone of modern yoga practices.

- Neurophysiological Understanding: From the 1970s onwards, scientific interest in Yoga Nidra began to grow, especially with the work of researchers like Elmer and Alyce Green, who studied Indian yoga masters like Swami Rama. They observed unique brainwave patterns during Yoga Nidra, unlike those seen in normal sleep or meditation, showing a blend of alpha, theta, and occasionally delta waves, indicative of a state between wakefulness and deep sleep.

- Scientific Validation: Over the decades, research has evolved:

- Stress and Anxiety Reduction: Studies have validated Yoga Nidra's efficacy in reducing markers of stress, like cortisol levels, and improving psychological states through mechanisms involving the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis.

- Hormonal Balance: Research has shown impacts on hormonal regulation, particularly in women with menstrual irregularities, demonstrating a decrease in stress-related hormones like prolactin and an improvement in hormonal balance.

- Sleep Science: The practice is linked to changes in sleep architecture. It doesn’t replace sleep but can enhance sleep quality, possibly by providing similar benefits through a different state of consciousness.

- Neuroplasticity and Learning: There's emerging evidence suggesting that Yoga Nidra might facilitate neuroplastic changes, aiding in learning, memory consolidation, and emotional processing by engaging the brain in a restful yet aware state.

- Functional Connectivity: Recent functional MRI studies have begun to map out how Yoga Nidra affects brain networks, showing increased connectivity in areas associated with self-awareness, emotional regulation, and the default mode network, which is active during introspection.

- Cultural to Clinical: From its origins in spiritual practice, Yoga Nidra has transitioned into clinical settings. It's now used in therapeutic contexts like PTSD treatment, chronic pain management, and as an adjunct to psychotherapy, showcasing its versatility beyond traditional spiritual practice.

- Global Adoption: With globalization, Yoga Nidra has been adapted into various forms, from traditional guided sessions to modern applications in wearable tech and apps, making it a subject of interdisciplinary research involving psychology, neuroscience, and even technology.

In essence, Yoga Nidra/NSDR's journey from ancient texts to contemporary labs illustrates a profound integration of human experience with scientific inquiry, providing a model for how traditional practices can inform and be informed by modern science.

2. Neuroscience Behind NSDR

Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR), or Yoga Nidra, is not just a practice for relaxation; it's a profound state of consciousness that has deep neuroscientific implications. Here's how it affects and is studied through the lens of neuroscience:

- Brainwave Patterns: When engaging in NSDR, there's a notable shift in brainwave activity:

- From Beta to Alpha: Initially, the brain might be in a beta state, associated with active thinking and alertness. As one enters NSDR, there's a transition to the alpha frequency band (8-13 Hz), which is linked with relaxation, reduced anxiety, and an open, reflective mind state.

- Theta Emergence: Deeper into the practice, theta waves (4-8 Hz) become more pronounced. These waves are associated with deep relaxation, creativity, insight, and the transition into the dream state. It's during this stage that the brain is in a highly restorative mode, enhancing memory consolidation and emotional processing.

- Delta Waves: In advanced practitioners or during particularly deep sessions, there might even be brief occurrences of delta waves (<4 Hz), typically seen in deep, dreamless sleep, indicating profound rest and healing at a cellular level.

- Neurotransmitter Modulation: NSDR has been shown to influence neurotransmitter systems:

- Dopamine: Studies, including those using PET scans, have observed an increase in dopamine release in the striatum, which correlates with feelings of well-being, motivation, and reward, similar to what occurs after restorative sleep.

- Serotonin: There's evidence suggesting an increase in serotonin, which plays roles in mood stabilization, sleep, and digestion, further supporting the emotional and physiological benefits of NSDR.

- GABA: By promoting relaxation, NSDR might enhance the activity of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which helps in reducing neuronal excitability, leading to calmness and possibly aiding in anxiety reduction.

- Functional Connectivity:

- Default Mode Network (DMN): NSDR can modulate the activity of the DMN, which is active when we're not focused on the external environment. This network is involved in self-referential thoughts, memory, and envisioning the future. Enhanced connectivity here might explain improvements in introspection and creative problem-solving.

- Emotional Centers: There's a noted increase in connectivity between the amygdala (involved in emotional processing) and areas of the prefrontal cortex, which could underpin the emotional regulation and stress reduction observed in practitioners.

- Sleep Architecture Influence: Although NSDR isn't sleep, it impacts sleep in several ways:

- Enhancing Sleep Quality: By providing deep rest during wakefulness, NSDR might help in resetting or enhancing sleep patterns, particularly beneficial for those with sleep disorders.

- Sleep Compensation: For those unable to get adequate sleep, NSDR can serve as a partial compensation, offering some of the restorative benefits of sleep in a shorter timeframe.

- Neuroplasticity:

- Learning and Memory: The state of relaxation and focused awareness in NSDR can facilitate neuroplastic changes, potentially enhancing learning by improving the consolidation of new information or skills.

- Emotional Processing: It might also allow for a reprocessing of emotional experiences in a safe, These technologies have been pivotal in understanding the brain during NSDR, providing insights into both the immediate and long-term effects on brain function and mental health.

- 3. Heart rate variability, cortisol levels, and other biomarkers are measured to corroborate the subjective experience of relaxation with objective physiological changes.

The neuroscience behind NSDR offers a window into how ancient practices can intersect with modern science to improve human health and performance, revealing why this practice can be so profoundly beneficial. [Video: Neuroscience of NSDR]

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Kenny Carmody

@KennyCarmody

Oct 25, 2024

Can you comment on SV40
promoters being LNP delivered as cytosolic DNA and the impact on the cGAS-STING pathway noted by Kwon et al.

Thread Below: 🧵 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31852718/

1. SV40 promoters, lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), and the immune response. The SV40 promoter is a powerful DNA sequence that can drive gene expression, but what happens when it’s introduced into cells with LNPs?

2. First, what’s SV40? It’s a sequence from the Simian Virus 40, known to enhance gene expression. We are not sure if it’s cancer-causing but data shows clear signs that is does, SV40 promoters can potentially impact cell regulation by ramping up the activity of nearby genes.

Read 17 tweets

Kenny Carmody

@KennyCarmody

Oct 20, 2024

Effect of Sunlight on Mitochondria

Sunlight and ATP Production: Sunlight, particularly in the red and infrared spectrum, stimulates cytochrome c oxidase in the mitochondria, enhancing ATP production (energy generation).

Thread [01-10] 🧵 below 👇 nature.com/articles/s4159…

1. Sunlight structures water within cells ( EZ Water), facilitating optimal electron transport in the mitochondria. “Depleted Water” in mitochondria enhances energy efficiency. An example of hidden effects of sunlight on water made 3 weeks after exposure.

2. Leptin and Energy: Light affects leptin signaling, which is crucial for energy balance and fat metabolism in the mitochondria. A lack of sunlight can lead to leptin resistance, weakening metabolic and energy production processes.

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