Release Into The River • A Guided NSDR Journey
NSDR ~ stands for 'Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest' and is a guided technique to induce a state of 'waking sleep.' Over the course of 20 minutes, you'll be guided through a presencing and releasing practice, followed by a thorough body scan. As your body drifts off to sleep, your mind will stay alert and present. Creating greater harmony within your internal landscape, melting stress, cultivating calm and restoring your nervous system. This practice is ideal for mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
Transcript
Welcome to this guided NSDR practice.
Take the next few moments to get completely comfortable.
Lying comfortably on your back,
Either on a yoga mat or your bed.
Be sure that wherever you're resting is both supportive and comfortable.
You will stay here completely still and without movement for the length of this practice.
If you'd like,
You can place a rolled blanket under your knees,
A thin cervical pillow under the curve of your neck,
And a blanket over you to stay warm.
Relaxing your neck,
Wiggling out the shoulders,
Feeling heavy in your hips,
And arriving in a fully neutral spinal position that supports your rest.
If you are in a bright room,
Consider placing a soft cloth or mask over your eyes so you can be fully immersed in this practice.
Rest your arms by your side with your palms facing up or on your low belly for extra grounding support.
Feel your whole body begin to soften as you arrive in this place.
Close your eyes down,
Drawing your attention inward.
As you listen,
Allow my directions to guide your experience.
There is nothing to do here except listen to my voice and allow the instructions to bring you deeper into complete relaxation.
Allow your breathing to flow at a natural pace.
You'll soon enter a deep state of rest that is different than sleep.
This practice will help you linger in that place before sleep occurs,
Where there is a slight hint of awareness in the mind and pure relaxation in the body.
This practice is all about learning to become and to be completely relaxed.
Begin by taking three rounds of relaxing breaths,
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
Extend the exhale to be slightly longer than the inhale,
Knowing that as you complete these breaths,
You are calming the nervous system and cultivating a sense of presence.
Calling all participants to be relaxed and calm,
Calling all parts of you home to the present moment and releasing any mental activity about the past or the future.
Confirming to yourself that you are now engaging in the practice of non-sleep deep rest and there is nothing else to do in this moment but listen.
Allowing your upper and lower teeth to part slightly,
Softening your jaw and continue to feel your body relaxing with every exhale.
You do not need to try and relax.
Simply allow the wisdom of your breath to bring relaxation to you.
Consider the idea that pure rest and relaxation are your most natural states.
You do not and cannot work to attain them.
They are always there beneath the surface of activity awaiting your return.
As you breathe naturally,
Notice if you feel closer to this state of pure grounded,
Effortless relaxation with each exhale allowing one more layer to effortlessly dissolve.
The breath is your guide in helping you to relax throughout this whole process.
Just breathe naturally.
Just breathe naturally.
As you do,
Visualize yourself at the edge of a beautiful river with fresh cool mountain water flowing down.
As you approach the edge and kneel down,
You see a hand-woven basket off to the side.
In this basket,
You place any thoughts,
Worries,
Concerns,
Plans or questions that are active inside of you now.
Lovingly releasing them just for this practice,
Knowing that you can pick them back up at the end.
Placing this basket now in the water with all of the contents that you've added to it.
Notice any lightness you feel as it flows away,
Leaving you here in this place with the opportunity to begin anew.
You're now going to allow your awareness to scan different parts of your body.
Following my guidance and simply being aware of my guidance and simply allowing your awareness to move effortlessly throughout your physical body,
Noticing any sensations that arise and simply allowing them to be.
If you come across any areas of tension or tightness,
Notice and soften into the impermanent experience.
You may notice that your experience shifts throughout this practice.
Simply allow whatever arises to be there,
Remembering that you can always come home to your breath and to your natural essence of relaxation.
Beginning with the forehead,
Bring your attention to the center of your forehead.
Completely relaxed and effortless as you become aware of your forehead.
Now to the temples,
Bringing your awareness to your eyes and to the muscles behind the eyes,
Your eyelids,
The bridge of the nose,
Cheekbones on both sides,
Noticing awareness on both sides of the cheekbones,
The upper lip,
The lower lip,
The roof of the mouth,
The upper lip,
The roof of the mouth,
Inside the cheeks,
Both sides of the cheeks,
The tongue,
Bringing awareness to your tongue and relaxing the whole body,
Bottom of the jaw,
The right ear,
Folds of the right ear,
Inside the right ear,
And the space between both ears,
The left ear,
The folds of the left ear,
Inside the left ear,
And the space between both ears,
The throat,
Relaxing the whole body and bringing your attention to the center of the throat,
Base of the throat,
Center of your right shoulder joint,
Center of the right elbow,
The right wrist,
Back of the right hand,
Palm of the right hand,
Thumb of the right hand,
Right index finger,
Right shoulder joint,
Right index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The entire right hand alive with sensation,
Noticing any sensation or experience in your right hand,
Moving back up to the right wrist,
The right elbow,
Center of the right shoulder,
Center of the left shoulder,
Naturally allowing your awareness to shift to the left side of the body,
Noticing if your eyes move under your eyelids to the left and seeing if you can simply bring awareness to the center of the left shoulder,
Alive with the sensation of your natural awareness,
Center of the left elbow,
Center of the left wrist,
Back of the left hand,
Heavy,
Palm of the left hand,
Alive with sensation,
Thumb of the left hand,
Left index finger,
Middle finger,
Ring finger,
Little finger,
The entire left hand,
Noticing any sensation or experience in your left hand,
Moving back up to the left wrist,
Moving back up to the left wrist,
The left elbow,
Center of the left shoulder,
Allowing your awareness to travel to the left chest,
Center of the breastbone,
To the right chest,
Back to the center of the breastbone,
Ribcage,
The left side belly,
The belly button,
The right side belly,
Alive with your grounded awareness,
The pelvic bowl,
Bring your awareness to the entire pelvic bowl,
Center of the right hip,
Right upper leg,
Center of the right knee,
The right ankle,
Top of the right foot,
Bottom of the right foot,
Right big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
The littlest right toe,
The entire right foot,
Alive with sensation,
Noticing any sensation in your right foot,
Moving back up to the right ankle,
Right knee,
Right upper leg,
Right upper leg,
Right hip,
Center of the pelvic bowl,
Allowing your awareness to effortlessly travel to the left side of your body,
Center of the left hip,
Left upper leg,
Center of the left knee,
The left ankle,
Top of the left foot,
Bottom of the left foot,
Left big toe,
Second toe,
Third toe,
Fourth toe,
The littlest left toe,
The entire left foot,
Alive with sensation,
Noticing the sensation in your left foot,
Moving back up to the left ankle,
Left knee,
Left upper leg,
Left hip,
Left hip,
Center of the pelvic bowl,
The entire lower body on both sides,
Noticing sensation throughout the entire lower body on both sides,
Center of the pelvic bowl,
The sacrum,
And the full length of the spine,
Bringing your attention to the sacrum and the full length of the spine,
Including the cranium,
The lower leg,
The lower leg,
Including the cranium and the entire skull,
With the full length of the spine,
Expanding your awareness to include the entire upper body on both sides,
Bringing awareness to your entire upper body on both sides,
Expanding further out to include both the upper and the lower parts of the body,
Experiencing the whole body,
The whole body as one continuous flow of sensation,
Feeling your whole body from feet to head,
Pulsating and alive with grounded sensation,
Simply noticing and fully immersing yourself in the experience of your body right now,
Deeply relaxed and restful,
Simply observing and noticing.
Finally,
Let go of any sense of doing or trying.
For the final few minutes of this practice,
You have full permission to let go into a state of deep relaxation,
Fully letting go into this present state of deep relaxation.
Okay,
Please become aware of your breath.
Be aware that the body is breathing.
Notice air passing through your nostrils.
Feel your chest rise smoothly on the inhale and fall naturally on the exhale,
Noticing the sensation of being breathed.
Gradually,
Become more aware of the sounds around you.
Become aware of the surface beneath you and the weight of any coverings over you.
Come back to your breath,
Come back to the body,
And come fully back into the space.
Take your time.
You are welcome to stay lying here for as long as it feels good to you.
Your body will know when it's time to get up.
When that time comes for you,
Gently begin to move your body in a way that feels good,
Wiggling your fingers and toes,
Rocking your head from side to side,
And rolling over on your right side,
Where you will gently bring yourself up to a seated position,
At which point the practice of non-sleep deep rest is complete.
When you are ready,
Blinking your eyes open and an invitation to first bring your attention to something in the room that is natural,
Beautiful,
Or calming.
This might be a houseplant,
Artwork,
The nature outside your window,
Or something that feels authentically yours and beautiful.
When you are ready,
You may return to your day rejuvenated,
Relaxed,
And in a state of grounded presence.
