on breathing

I had a longer post that was scheduled to go out yesterday, but a bit of illness has befallen me, and I was not able to edit it fully.

Instead, I’m offering you a resource I discovered via the podcast The Huberman Lab, produced by Stanford opthamologist and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. As his website introduces, “Dr. Huberman will discuss neuroscience: how our brain and its connections with the organs of our body control our perceptions, our behaviors, and our health. He will also discuss tools for measuring and changing how our nervous system works.”

The particular resource is called Non-Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). I think we can all acknowledge that sleep is one of the most powerful tools we have for healing and resetting ourselves. But, the course of a given day may not allow us to get extra sleep. When those days occur, Huberman encourages us to practice Non-Sleep Deep Rest. If you are a yoga practitioner, you have probably also heard the term yoga nidra or yogic sleep.

This practice allows us to recalibrate our nervous system by easing us into a state of deep relaxation. Huberman’s 10 minute free practice on YouTube has been very helpful for me.

When I find myself lacking focus - jumping from one task to the next - or fixating on a specific thought or feeling low energy due to illness, I queue this up. Every single time I have walked away feeling refreshed and my battery reenergized.

If you give it a try, my recommendation is to not focus on doing it “right” - the main benefits come from the long, slow exhales through your mouth. If the visualization is challenging, simply listen for the queues on the breathing.

Be well, beautiful people.