Google CEO Sundar Pichai uses this lesser-known technique to unwind. Here's how to do it
Premium- Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai uses NSDR or non-sleep deep rest to unwind
When it comes to relaxing your mind and soul, different people use different techniques to calm themselves. For some, it could be yoga and meditation, others might swear by music, sports or something else. However, Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai uses NSDR or non-sleep deep rest to unwind. Stanford neuroscience professor Andrew Huberman who has termed it says the technique involves "self-inducing a state of calm" and "directing our focus to something."
In a recent interview with Wall Street Journal, Pichai said, “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."
Defining the technique, Professor Huberman said, “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."
What is Yog Nidra?
For this, you lie flat on your back on the floor with your eyes closed. You continue to follow the lead of the instructor who guides you through a number of activities. Following these instructions helps your body to relax and slows down your heart rate.
Tracee Stanley, yoga nidra instructor, said, “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."
Stanley describes the process as “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".
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