Jonny Miller guides a 14-minute NSDR practice combining breathing, progressive muscle release, and body scanning to induce deep rest. The session uses imagery of heaviness and weightlessness to help you develop interoception and rejuvenate without sleep.
Chapters
Welcome to this guided NSDR practice. When you're ready to begin, please lie down and settle on your back. Be sure that whatever you're resting on is soft yet supportive. If you like, you can also place a rolled blanket under your knees for additional lower back support. And consider the use of a cervical pillow to support your neck. Now position your head so that your neck and upper spine are completely free of tension. It can also be helpful to have a eye mask for the duration of this practice or to be in a room without any bright light. Begin by resting your arms by your side with your palms faced turned up, nothing touching your fingertips. Feel your whole body begin to soften. And as you listen, just allow these directions to gently wash over you. The more effortless you can be, the better for this time. There's nothing to reach for and nothing to accomplish. Will be entering a deep state of rest coupled with a slight trace of awareness. So simply relax and be aware. This practice is all about learning to become completely effortless. Close your eyes, let your body open and settle deeply and completely. Relax. Allow your upper and lower teeth to part slightly. Begin by taking a few slow, comfortable breaths, breathing in and out through the nostrils. And sense that each time you exhale, your body relaxes a little bit more. Continue to breathe in smoothly. As you exhale. Release all stress and tension. Remember not to try. Breathe in and out effortlessly. Continue to breathe smoothly for a few more moments, refining the balance of your breath so it's even and smooth. Now allow your breath to become involuntary. We're going to scan the body and create relaxation through tensing individual muscles. So starting with your feet, as you breathe in, tense and contract the muscles in your feet. Exhale and let go. Inhale. Contract your calves and shins. Exhale and let it go. Inhale and contract your thighs. Exhale and let it go. Inhale. Tense your glutes and your hip flexors and let it go. Inhale and tense your belly, your lower back and let it go. Inhale, tensing your diaphragm and your intercostal muscles. And exhale, let it go. Inhale. Tense your upper chest and your shoulders and exhale with a big sigh. Let it go. Now inhale and clench your hands into fists. Exhale and let it go. Inhale, tensing your whole arms. And exhale and let it go. Inhale. Squeeze your jaw and your face and your eyes and let that go. And finally, with one big inhale, tense your entire body. Hold 2, 3, 4. And let it all go. From here, sense your body at ease Your mind open and at peace. Feel your body opening to the earth. Your whole body is softening. Facial muscles relax. Jaw, tongue, lips, all relax. Your eyes relax. As they succumb to the pull of gravity. Feel a growing sense of peace and appreciation for exactly where you are right now. And now you're ready for the next stage. A scan of points throughout the body. As I guide you through these points, don't actively concentrate on them, but rather just be aware of the specific area that I'm directing you to. This part of the practice will develop and refine your sense of interoception, the specific nerve clusters throughout your body. Okay, to start off, please bring your attention to the point between your eyebrows. Relax the whole body and be aware of the point between your eyebrows. Bring your attention to your throat. Be effortless. To the center of your right shoulder joint. Center of your right elbow. Be effortless. Right wrist, tip of your thumb. Relaxing your whole body. Right index finger, middle finger. Relax. Ring finger, little finger. Relaxing your whole body. Move back into your right wrist. Right elbow, right shoulder. Staying effortless. Center of your throat. Please move your awareness to your left shoulder joint. Left elbow, left wrist, tip of the left thumb. Relax. Tip of the index finger. Middle finger, left ring finger, little finger. Relaxing your whole body. Bring your awareness to your left wrist, left elbow, left shoulder. Center of your throat. Whole body effortless. Draw your attention down to your sternum. Relax the right chest. Be aware of the right chest. Now the center of your breastbone and left chest. Be mindful of the center of your throat. Your whole body relaxed. Move your attention to the points between your eyebrows. Relaxing the whole body. Staying aware of this point between your eyebrows. And now the next stage of the practice. You're going to imagine feeling different sensations. And once again, remember to be effortless. Imagine that the body is heavy. Feel as though your entire body is sinking into the earth. Every part of the body, arms, legs, torso, head. Being drawn to the center of the earth. Even the eyes and the eyelids are heavy. Feeling your whole body heavy. Be effortless. Feel the whole body heavy. Now feel the body weightless. The head is weightless. Arms weightless. Whole body weightless. The body is so light that you can sense a space between your body and the surface on which it is resting. Be aware of the space between the body and whatever it is resting on. Just relax. There's nothing to do, nothing to look for. Be effortless and just observe. Please bring your attention to your breath and watch as the breath moves in and out through the nostrils. Begin to notice air passing through your nostrils, feeling it rise smoothly on inhale and falling softly on exhale. All right, please become aware of your breath. Be aware of the body breathing and gradually become more conscious of the sounds around you. Slowly come back to your breath. Come back to your body. You can take your time, start to move any way that feels good, maybe moving the fingers, moving the toes, bringing in slight twists. When you're ready, inhale and roll over to your right side to adjust. Now in your own time, gradually come to a seated position and open up your eyes. This practice of non sleep deep rest is now completely it.
