Non Sleep Deep Rest NSDR
Non Sleep Deep Rest NSDR
I want to talk about a practice I’ve been doing consistently for a few weeks, and the profound effects I’ve experienced.
First a little background about how I came to this practice.
During my routine year end review of 2023, I realized that I’d been working in overdrive for over 6 months and couldn’t get out of this gear.
My usual methods of movement and meditation were not working.
In fact, I noticed that my entire healthy lifestyle which is comprised of running/walking, all styles of yoga from vinyasa to restorative, weekly acupuncture, daily meditation and prayer — all this amazing stuff was not deleting a feeling of panic-driven vigilance that seemed to accelerate time and make my days go by sooooo fast.
I had a hunch that my nervous system was fried and needed a massive reset. Visions of autoimmune conditions that can follow prolonged states of exhaustion haunted me.
Even though I was not totally convinced of this hunch, it made more sense than theories like ‘you’re 50 and people have less energy’, ‘you are in a new city and have more stress from the unknown’ etc.
So I embarked upon a month of self care. In fact, I quietly dedicated the entire month of February to what I define as self-care in this moment (which may be different from you).
This is what I did:
Non Sleep Deep Rest YouTube videos (30 min-2 hours)/day
Gentle Yoga/Tai Chi/Walking (30 min/day)
Qi Gong body tapping (5 min/day)
Only ran when I felt like it (1.5-3 miles)
As I write this, we are barely into 3 weeks of February and I feel profoundly different.
One of the biggest revelations is that it feels like there are more hours in a day. I am rushing less. I have a more realistic idea of how much time it takes to do basic things (I know this sounds simple, but I had to make major adjustments in this department).
My old self might allocate 15 min for shower/dressing and grooming, 30 min to eat, etc. This is how you live when you have monumental projects on your plate, and every second of the day needs management.
That is no longer how I need, or want, to live. So I padded each task and client appointment with ample time before and after so that the overall pace of my day became more languid.
***
That’s the long preamble to the subject of this post which is Non Sleep Deep Rest, also known as Yoga Nidra or Yogic Sleep.
[I believe there is a difference between NSDR and Yoga Nidra, NSDR being an umbrella term that accompanies various states of deep relaxation. For the purposes of this article, written by a non NSDR expert, I use the terms interchangeably.]
Non Sleep Deep Rest has been scientifically proven to induce deep nervous system rebalancing. 30 minutes of NSDR can be compared to several hours of sleep due to the deep delta brainwaves states the body enters. I’ve heard these metrics for decades in reference to meditation, but I can’t honestly say that 30 min of meditation has ever felt like I slept for 2 hours.
With NSDR though, I can honestly say it feels like the deepest, most profound cellular reset. Just a quantumly new level of groundedness and inner peace. If you don’t currently have a lot of stress, or are not coming off a stressful period in your life, perhaps this practice will not feel as dramatic for you. I don’t know. Judging from the comments on these YouTube videos though, thousands of people’s experience of daily living has changed as a result of regular practice. Some people even report getting off anxiety pharmaceuticals.
The best thing about Non Sleep Deep Rest is that it is WAYYYYY easier than meditation.
Just build a human nest (or lay in your bed) and turn on a video. [I discourage doing it in bed to make a separation from sleeping and this practice, but find what works for you.]
NON SLEEP DEEP REST NSDR TECHNIQUES
I have not studied this but superficially speaking, common techniques include those used in guided meditation like ‘Rotation of Consciousness’ and ‘Rotation of Imagery’, among many others.
I find both techniques utterly fascinating. In Rotation of Consciousness the narrator mentions specific points along the body and you are invited to bring your attention there. This technique scrambles my brain slightly when the cues alternate from right to left; it’s a pleasantly gentle disorientation.
In Rotation of Imagery the narrator asks you to picture a series of images. This is just such a beautiful technique that reminds me of being a child, laying in the grass and watching clouds. Intuitively, I feel this technique amplifies creativity and activates the third eye.
WHERE CAN I TRY NSDR and or YOGA NIDRA?
Ally Boothroyd is the undisputed queen of Yoga Nidra videos on YouTube. Some of my favorite videos are:
YOGA NIDRA with Singing Bowls (35 min).
YOGA NIDRA with Rain Sounds for Anxiety (40 min).
YOGA NIDRA for Deep Rest (30 min).
YOGA NIDRA for the Heart Chakra (37 min).
What Exactly is Yoga Nidra?
There is so much more to Yoga Nidra and all states of NSDR. If you tried any of these videos, I’d love to hear your experience!
Namaste,
Catherine & Satya
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Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
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