Instead of meditation, Google CEO Sundar Pichai uses 'NSDR' to relax – Know what it is

Most of us are familiar of the fact that work brings with a lot of responsibility and stress. In order to control this work-related stress, CEOs across the globe swear by meditation. However, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai uses a lesser-known technique to relax himself.

As unveiled by him in a interview with an international daily, Pichai uses something called as non-sleep deep rest or NSDR to unwind. The term was coined by Stanford neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman, who says it involves "self-inducing a state of calm" and "directing our focus to something."

Spilling secrets about his special relaxation technique, Pichai says, “I found these podcasts which are non-sleep deep rest, or NSDRs. So, while I find it difficult to meditate, I can go to YouTube, find an NSDR video. They're available in 10, 20, or 30 minutes, so I do that occasionally.”

As per professor Huberman, NSDR helps people to relax and fall asleep more easily. It reduces stress and anxiety, eases pain, and improves learning abilities. It can be achieved by two of what Huberman calls NSDR "protocols": yoga nidra and hypnosis.

Yoga Nidra is a technique wherein you have to lie flat on your back on the ground, typically with your eyes closed, and follow the guidance of an instructor, virtually or in-person. The instructor will lead you via a number of activities.  

As per yoga nidra instructor Tracee Stanley, you may be asked to scan for places of tension, focus on your breathing, bring your awareness to several body parts, or start diaphragmatic breathing. All these actions have to be performed with the intention of “giving the mind something to focus on”.

Following these instructions helps your body to relax and slows down your heart rate. This may also switch your brain from beta waves, that are linked to an active mind, to alpha waves, that are linked to a more relaxed state of brain.

Stanley added that yoga nidra might lead you to hover “in a liminal space between being awake and falling asleep”. Your body may physically fall asleep, while you still “maintain awareness both internally and simultaneously being aware of the surroundings”.

The other protocol – hypnosis is described by Huberman as “a state of calm and high focus”. It can be done with the support of a clinical hypnotists, or it can be self-induced with the help of hypnosis apps or videos.

Explaining the process further, Huberman said, “It's like looking at something through a telephoto lens. You're eliminating the surround. So, it's a state of high focus, which normally ... would be associated with a high degree of excitement or stress. But hypnosis is a unique state, because you have a high degree of focus, but you're very relaxed”.