Resting without trying to sleep
Guided rest is a way to lie still and pay attention without making sleep the goal. What it is, how it differs from a nap, and how to begin.
Some rest is not sleep. Lying still with your eyes closed, paying gentle attention, can be its own kind of pause, in the afternoon or in the evening.
Guided rest
The guided rests on the Sleep page take ten or twenty minutes. You lie down, and a few prompts move your attention through the room, the breath, and different areas of the body, with long quiet stretches between them.
They share a shape with yoga nidra, which in its modern form is a guided practice done lying down, with attention moving around the body in turn.
Not the same as a nap
A nap is aimed at sleep. Guided rest is aimed at attention, and sleep is neither the goal nor a problem. If you fall asleep, that is fine. If you stay awake, that is fine too.
Getting set up
Lie on your back with a cushion under your knees, or on your side with one between them. Cover yourself with a blanket, because stillness can feel cool. Start the guidance and put the screen face down.
Coming back
When the rest ends, take your time. Move your fingers and toes, roll to one side, and sit up slowly. Notice how the room looks before you go back to the day.
When to skip it
If lying still brings up something difficult, open your eyes and sit up. The guided rests on your side are another option if lying on your back is uncomfortable.
Sources
- Yoga nidra, in its modern form, is a guided practice done lying down, in which attention moves around the body in turn. Yoga nidra (Wikipedia)