One of the most profound changes that has happened to me has been discovering (through Huberman Labs podcast) NSDR, or 'Non Sleep Deep Rest'..
Succinctly, Non Sleep Deep Rest (known in Yoga as Yoga Nidra) is a guided 'self hypnosis' state whereby your body enters a deeply relaxed state. Effectively taking a nap, without taking a nap.
It has been shown to help you consolidate learning more effectively, for example if studying or learning a new skill, doing NSDR after a learning bout will help you with that new information. I have used it during the day many times and the first time I did, (when I was really tired but didn't feel I had long enough to take a nap) I actually completed it and felt like I had actually been sleeping, like where you wake up groggy from a nap. The other time I use it frequently is if I wake up and cannot go back to sleep, which often happens to me. I can only remember two times where I have done it and not successfully fallen back asleep. Of course, like all meditative style practices, it is very easy to let your mind wander whilst you are doing it which can reduce it's effectiveness, but I believe my recent consistent work on meditation has helped me in this regard. As the man in the video says, if you get distracted, come back to focusing on my voice... Check out the video below and give it a go next time you are awake and can't go back to sleep, or are simply tired in the middle of a busy day. It's 20 minutes - what have you got to lose! And honestly, it's one of the most important things I have found. Do Non Sleep Deep Rest Now (youtube) If you want to know more about it, I highly suggest watching this short video below which is Dr. Andrew Huberman himself talking about Non Sleep Deep Rest. Dr. Andrew Huberman on Non Sleep Deep Rest
Thanks,
James
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