Using meditation to enhance or induce restful sleep simply requires a state of deep relaxation. Meditation techniques that cultivate mindfulness are especially effective to reduce the stress, anxiety and restlessness that prohibits sleep. Mindfulness is the quality of being fully engaged in the present moment without judging or assessing what is happening. Project Meditation notes that low levels of serotonin are associated with insomnia and these levels of serotonin may be increased with meditation that leads to deep relaxation.
Guided relaxation
There are several guided meditations on the market designed to guide you through relaxing visualizations. These meditations are suggestive and engage your mind and body into a state of deep and complete relaxation. When the mind enters this state and releases incessant thinking, sleep naturally follows with ease. When choosing a guided meditation, be sure that it is specifically intended to induce sleep. The use of natural imagery such as waterfalls and ocean waves are particularly effective.
Mindful breathing
Similar to the folk remedy of counting sheep, breathing meditation requires such focus and concentration from your mind that it becomes exhausted and naturally falls into a sleeping pattern. Lying down is a popular way to meditate which adds to the lure into sleep. Begin lying in bed and keep your awareness focused on the feeling of the breath in your abdomen. Pay attention to the rise and fall of your belly. Most recommend that you keep your attention on your abdomen as opposed to your chest, throat, etc. This is the most soothing area to focus upon your breathing.
Give more attention to your exhalation rather than your inhalation and begin to count during each exhalation. The exhale is believed to be more relaxing than the inhale. Continue counting the exhalations until you fall asleep.
Progressive muscle relaxation
This technique is basically a self-body scan that is much simpler than it sounds. Begin lying down comfortably. Begin at your feet, tighten and squeeze the muscles as much as possible for 10 counts and fully release them. Then, for 10 counts, pay attention to the way that region of your body feels without labeling the feeling. Proceed upward to your calves and repeat the same exercise for every muscle group until you've reached your head. This techniques actively cultivates mindfulness by bringing your awareness to the places where tension is held in your body.
Member Comments
cindisilva April 28
by cindisilva on April 28, 2011 at 6:00 PM
I invite you to watch my video on how to meditate on my you tube channel CindiSilva Teaches. You might also want to try the full body meditation. I hope this helps. A simple meditation exercise you can do any time, anywhere is breathe 3x, half smiling -- on the in breath pay attention to how it feels as the air goes into your nose as you inhale, and on the out breath pay attention to how it feels as the air leaves your nose as you exhale. I think of this as a happy up yourself meditation, because doing this simple meditation for about 1 minute brings you clarity, gives you a boost of energy and happiness by keeping you calm.
Cindi Silva Communication Coach|
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