We often think that the only way to rest and recuperate is through sleep,
But that simply isn't true.
We can mimic the brain pattern of sleep via the technique of NSDR,
Non-sleep deep rest.
I want to show you how you can do this so you can get rest whenever you want to,
Not just when you're in bed.
Okay,
So your choice today,
Either laying down or sitting up.
Laying down may be really nice for today,
That would be my preference,
But totally up to you.
Once you've decided on your preferred position,
Then bring the eyes to close and let's begin.
Now shifting into this state may be a little jarring at first,
But that's okay,
We're often told that we can relax,
But we don't often allow ourselves to relax.
But I promise you,
This is the time you definitely can.
So take a moment and give yourself that permission.
The next 10 minutes or so,
You can totally relax.
Nowhere to be,
Nothing to do.
Start by just noticing the pace of your breath,
And you don't have to say whether it's good or bad,
Just notice the speed,
Just as an observation.
Now whatever that speed is,
I want you to try slow it down by just 10%.
No need for a calculator or a metronome,
Just guesstimate,
And see if you can bring that down another 10%,
Just allowing your breath to be slower than you started,
And you can maybe more deliberate,
Still relaxed,
You shouldn't have to force any of this.
And roughly every five rounds of breath,
You can just try to slow it down ever so more.
Again,
Don't force anything,
Just allow this to happen naturally.
Great,
And while you're doing that,
I want to introduce you to your wonderful brain.
Say hi.
Your brain deals with 17 gigabytes of data every day.
That's 16 movies worth,
It's a lot.
It processes 11 million bits a second.
But as you know,
Not all of it is worthwhile.
So we have a dedicated part of the brain that helps us focus on the information that is important.
Let's initiate that part together now.
So you can do this just by focusing on the external environment to start.
Becoming aware of what sounds are in the room you're in right now.
Now just be careful,
I'm not asking you to think about what makes that sound or why it's happening in your area right now.
I just want you to focus on what sounds you hear.
Just enjoy the sounds.
See if you can notice sounds that are far,
Far away.
And then see if you can notice any sounds that are really close by.
Perhaps your breath.
And now let's change the sensors we're using.
See if you can notice the feeling of the external environment in the body.
So start by noticing anything you are laying or sitting on.
Just focusing on the areas of contact with that bit of furniture.
Notice how your body presses in to that furniture.
And then notice how the furniture presses back.
Notice any pockets of warmth where your body is in contact with this furniture.
Now notice areas that are a little bit cooler on the body.
Noticing how the clothing you're wearing feels on your skin.
Now let's shift that focus to the internal aspects of your experience and what's happening inside your own body.
We can start by focusing on how your tongue feels in your mouth.
Not something we do every day.
But notice the weight of it.
And notice how it sits in your mouth.
Move it side to side.
Just notice what a dense muscle this is.
This versatile muscle that makes you capable of speaking in your chosen language,
In any language.
This thing that allows you to communicate with others.
Just feeling it.
Bring some gratitude towards it.
Now let's stay in the mouth and see if we can mentally feel each one of your teeth.
Start with the top row.
Just moving left to right.
See if you can make a mental connection with each one of your teeth.
And if you're finished with the top row,
Do the same with the bottom row.
It's strange how you can feel your teeth without feeling your teeth,
If that makes sense.
You can know the thickness of the back teeth and the flatness of the front teeth with this mental mapping that you've developed.
Shift your attention now to your hands.
And in the same way you connected with your teeth,
See if you can mentally connect with the fingers on your left hand.
Your thumb.
Your index finger.
Your middle finger.
Your ring finger.
And your pinky.
Now on to your other hand.
And on your own,
Do the same.
And once again,
Notice the difference between each one of the fingers.
With your eyes closed,
You can still feel the difference in thickness,
In length,
Even in weight.
Now with this newfound gift to connect with your body,
This ability to give your body all the attention it deserves,
You can send your attention down towards your feet.
And begin to go through each muscle from your feet all the way to your head.
Noticing it,
And then switching off any muscles you feel just need a little bit of encouragement to relax.
Spend as much time as you need with each body part.
And just surf your way up and down the body,
Reminding different parts of the body to switch off.
And now slowly starting to notice how your entire body is relaxed,
Maybe for the first time today.
Your brain just enjoying the outside world,
Noticing it without the need to change it.
Feeling how good you feel in this moment,
Without the need to be anywhere else,
Without the need to do anything else.
Breathing slow,
Laying still,
Enjoying nowhere to be and nothing to do.
