The perfect nap that leaves us refueled with energy is something we all love. But finding time to nap on a busy/ getting the duration of the nap right is a challenge:

Above all, according to Mathew Walker, the sleep scientist, napping is okay along as it does not impact the quality of deep sleep you get at night which is extremely critical for rejuvenation and recovery.

So what’s the solution to de-stressing your mind and body on a long day or during travel when you don’t have enough time to get a full nights rest - Yoga nidra aka Non- sleep deep rest (NSDR)

Yoga nidra is meditation technique known to activate the para-sympathetic nervous system which is responsible for reducing stress (cortisol) and increasing dopamine (57%) thus leaving us feeling relaxed and energetic.

Andrew Huberman, Ph.D. on Instagram: "NSDR (Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest) to INCREASE DOPAMINE * - On the episode of the Huberman Lab Podcast out, now I discuss science-based tools for increasing creativity. - I describe a study in which human subjects did NSDR (non-sleep-deep rest) akin to yoga nidra but different, which involves lying relatively motionless, doing specific patterns of exhale-emphasize breathing, and a mental body scan. - Remarkably, that led to a 65% increase in dopamine (!) within the specific circuit of the brain involved in creative thinking. - I am not aware of any pharmacologic or other tool that can selectively elevate dopamine in that pathway, much less by such an impressive degree - You can learn about that tool and study and about various other science based tools to reliably access creativity on the episode. I also explained the neuroscience of creativity at the mechanistic level. At least what we know about it from peer reviewed studies. - You can find THE SCIENCE OF CREATIVITY & HOW TO ENHANCE CREATIVE INNOVATION episode in all formats (with references and links to scientific resources) by going to hubermanlab.com - Everything is timestamped so you can navigate quickly to the topics most of interest to you. - Please put your questions in the comments section below this post and as always, thank you for your interest in science! - @hubermanlab @stanford.med @stanford @nihgov @nimhgov @nih_nccih @societyforneuroscience @cellpress - #neuroscience #science #ciencia #neurociencia #neuroplasticity #dopamine nigrostriatal #nsdr #nonsleepdeeprest #hubermanlab #MRI #data #theta #yoganidra #meditation"

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet & Google on NSDRs:

"I found these podcasts which are non-sleep deep rest, or NSDRs," Pichai told the Journal. "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.”

Yoga nidra is generally thought/practiced as a form of guided meditation but can be done independently by self directing your body into a state of deep rest. Here’s how:

  1. Lie in Shavasana
  2. Take 5 deep breaths through the abdomen
  3. Move your awareness up starting from the toes to the crown of your head while consciously signalling the part of the body under awareness to realease tension and rest
  4. Allow your body to completely surrender to the ground
  5. Stay here for 5 min (You might fall asleep when you start practicing initially which is absolutely fine)
  6. Wake up by leaning towards the the right hand side of your body.

Let me try the guided medidation first:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLJu3wQA1Ko