Welcome to the Longevity Blueprint.
I'm Linda Friedland.
And this is the third in our series on REM sleep.
We spoke about what exactly is REM sleep.
What it is required for in our brain functioning.
And we've had one video on working through a body scan to enhance REM sleep.
Our body scan worked through the body,
Releasing physical tension to quiet the nervous system and turn on the vagus brake,
The vagal nerve brake.
Guided imagery works through a different door.
It works through the mind.
Here's what's genuinely interesting about it.
When you vividly imagine a scene.
You rarely imagine the sound of water.
The warmth of sun on your skin.
Green grass,
The ocean.
Your brain activates many of the same regions it would if you were actually there.
This isn't a metaphor,
It's measurable.
Some researchers call this dream rehearsal,
The idea that guided imagery deliberately and gently primes the same imaginative machinery your brain will hand over to dreaming once you're asleep.
It works on a part of your brain called the amygdala.
The brain's alarm system.
A wandering anxious mind before bed keeps that alarm system too alert.
Which delays sleep onset and can fragment the sleep that follows.
A vivid,
Calm,
Sensory-rich scene gives your mind somewhere absorbing and safe to go.
Far away from the looping thoughts that otherwise keep the alarm system online.
Let's give your mind that somewhere to go now.
We're going to start a guided imagery practice.
Settle into bed.
And let your eyes close.
Let your breathing slow just slightly.
In for the count of 4.
And out a little longer.
For the count of six.
Breathe in again.
Slowly.
And art.
A little longer.
Now picture a place where you feel completely at ease.
It might be the beach at the end of the day.
Or a quiet path through a forest.
Or gentle.
Patch of cool soft grass next to a riverbank.
Or somewhere entirely your own.
Let the image form gently in your mind.
Notice the light first.
Soft golden light.
Low in the sky.
Notice the temperature on your skin.
Warm air.
A light breeze.
You're comfortable,
Easy.
Listen for the sounds that belong here.
The waves.
The leaves moving.
Or total quiet.
Let it fill in all around you.
Feel the ground beneath you.
The sand or soft earth.
Or grass.
Solid.
And supporting you completely.
Continue to breathe.
Is nowhere else you need to be.
Nothing here is asking anything of you.
You may choose to get up,
Walk a little further.
And Harit.
Noticing the colors.
Textures.
Feeling of ease settling deeper into your body with every step.
And now let yourself find a place to rest.
Lie down in the warmth soft grass.
The beach lets your whole body grow heavy,
Safe.
There's nothing more to do.
Let this place stay with you as your mind grows quiet.
And let sleep come.
In its own time.
REM sleep.
Is enhanced with calming the body and quietening the mind.
Many different doors into the same nightly work.
Your brain is built to do.
Tonight you don't need to check a screen.
To know this is working.
You can feel it right now.
Enhance your sleep.
Age boldly.
Live well.
And sleep peacefully.
