New Delhi, Oct. 31 -- One of the buzziest practices in modern wellness is NSDR, an acronym for Non-Sleep Deep Rest. It is a term coined by Stanford neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. It sounds quite technical for something that largely involves being still while seated or lying down, closing your eyes and listening to a guided audio with cues for breathwork, visualisation and body-focussed attention.

It also sounds familiar. Yoga nidra has been asking people to do something similar for decades. The practice involves lying on your back while a teacher guides your attention through different parts of the body. You notice the breath, consciously relax and try to remain aware even as the body becomes deeply still.

From the outside, NSDR looks ...