What is the RRP?


The Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP)  is a music-based listening therapy that supports nervous system regulation; specifically, by working with the autonomic nervous system.

The autonomic nervous system regulates organ and gland function (breathing, digestion, sleep, concentration, heart rate) automatically, without your conscious supervision and control. You cannot make your body digest better by thinking “digest better” in your mind. Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) decides how quickly or slowly peristalsis (squeezing muscle movement) takes place in your digestive system. Your ANS can be encouraged to flow more healthily - and that’s what the RRP music does - RRP entrains (encourages) your ANS into healthier rhythms, simply by you laying still and listening to the RRP music. There is no conscious work you need to put into RRP; simply listen and let the music talk to your autonomic nervous system!

Dr. Stephen Porges developed the Polyvagal Theory. The Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) was developed by Dr. Stephen Porges as the practical application of the Polyvagal Theory. RRP is designed to entrain physiological functions automatically. The RRP music syncs with the health natural biological rhythms of the body and stimulates the listeners ANS into these natural rhythms; this sends cues of safety to the nervous system.

The nervous system develops over time - it is not completely developed at birth. The nervous system continues to develop throughout childhood and into young adulthood (fully maturing around age 25). The most intense nervous system develop happens in the first 18 months of life, and most of the substantial development occurs within the first 6 years of life. However, at any time during a lifespan, the nervous system "wiring" can be re-trained by significantly challenging events (car accident, chronic illness, divorce, etc.) to become more sensitive/reactive and hypervigilant. When this happens, the autonomic nervous system becomes highly biased to identifying and interpreting environmental cues as a danger/threat (to an inaccurate extent), even cues that should be identified and interpreted as neutral or positive. 

Sound is key to safety. The first experience we have of the regulating capability of sound is when we were developing in our mother's womb. Before birth, a baby can hear the mother's voice and later, after the baby is born, this helps the baby to pair the voice to the face of the mother. Then, the mother's voice and face become the sound and image of safety for the developing young child. 

What will you do while listening? 

Listening is your main priority, but you can pick a chill activity to do "in the background" of your listening if you cannot tolerate stillness for 15 to 30 minutes. Ideally, RRP is listened to while being still (laying down).

  • draw

  • color

  • knit/crochet

  • do a puzzle (something simple while you listen to the music)

  • self-massage

  • fold laundry

  • doodle in a notebook

  • play with a fidget toy

  • do breathing exercises

  • spending time with a pet

  • simply daydream

  • let your hands/eyes explore a leaf, flower or rock from nature

Do you have choice in the music?

You will listen to the same music each time you listen. You may notice slight changes is volume or speed. At your body’s pace, you will move through Level 1, then Level 2, and finally Level 3. Each level has 3 songs that are listened to in order. Here’s what it will look like:

Level 1: 1A (30 minutes), 1B (30 minutes), 1C (30 minutes)

Level 2: 2A (30 minutes), 2B (30 minutes), 2C (30 minutes)

Level 3: 3A (30 minutes), 3B (30 minutes), 3C (30 minutes)

Do you have what you need?

Here is your checklist. 

  1.  A co-regulation partner with someone grounded & present. Kelsey will be your co-regulation partner for the RRP. 👉🏽 Schedule an intro call with Kelsey to ensure the RRP is right for you. 🤗

  2. 🤫 A quiet, safe space for listening.  

  3. Headphones: if you don’t have or cannot borrow, here are two good options:

  4. 📲 Download the Unyte app on your phone or tablet (login before our first RRP session) 

This information includes proprietary content about the Rest and Restore Protocol, used with permission from Unyte Health Inc. — leading provider of evidence-based listening therapies for nervous system regulation.