Amy Weintraub outlines a study which shows in women with menstrual disorders and mild to moderate anxiety and depressive symptoms, yoga nidra significantly reduced their anxiety and depression.
In a six-month study that evaluated the effect of Yoga Nidra on anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorders, 126 women were divided into either an intervention or a control group. The authors conclude that “the patients with mild to moderate anxiety and depressive symptoms improved significantly with ‘Yoga Nidra’ intervention. There is no significant improvement in the patients with severe anxiety and depressive symptoms.”
Comment from Amy Weintraub: I would hypothesize that the instruction to lie down in yoga nidra practice for someone with severe anxiety and depressive symptoms, does not meet the current mood, and could actually exacerbate those symptoms. If someone is highly anxious, it may be best to meet that anxiety with a vigorous physical practice before lying down for the Nidra intervention.
Rani K, Tiwari S, Singh U, Singh I, Srivastava N., “Nidra as a complementary treatment of anxiety and depressive symptoms in patients with menstrual disorder,” International Journal of Yoga2012 Jan;5(1):52-6.
Abstract: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22346067
This summary was kindly provided by Amy Weintraub http://yogafordepression.com/