Better
Sleep through Meditation
Anyone who's ever experienced a fitful night of sleep knows that "just relax" is
easier said than done. But do-it-yourself meditation practices may help you
prepare for rest, and put worries or discomfort behind you.
These techniques work best when done right before bed, in a quiet, calming
environment. But you can also practice them several times a day, recommended by
Jessie Bowen Silva Method Life Success Coach and Lecturer.
A big part of cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia is learning exercises to help your body relax before bed. One way to do this is through progressive tensing and relaxing of your muscles while lying in bed.
"You should personalize the experience as much as you want." You might start by
just noticing your breath with your hand on your tummy. Then with each out
breath, focus on a different section of the body and say a word like 'calm,'
'relax,' or 'peaceful,' whatever works for you. You're redirecting your
attention to a part of the body, and when the mind is focused on the body, it's
not thinking 'I can't sleep.'
The body responds to stress with muscle tension, which can cause pain or discomfort. Progressive muscle relaxation reduces muscle tension and general mental anxiety. Progressive muscle relaxation often helps people get to sleep.
Procedure
You can use a prerecorded audiotape to help you go through all the muscle groups, or you can
just learn the order of muscle groups and work through them from memory.
1. Choose a place where you can lie down on your back and stretch out comfortably, such as a carpeted floor.
2. Inhale and tense each muscle group (hard but not to the point of cramping) for 4 to 10 seconds, then exhale and suddenly and completely relax the muscle group (do not relax it gradually). Give yourself 10 to 20 seconds to relax.
3. When you are finished, return to alertness by counting backwards from 5 to 1.
Muscle groups and how to tense them
Wrists and forearms: Extend them and bend your hands back at the wrist.
Biceps and upper arms: Clench your hands into fists, bend your arms at the
elbows, and flex your biceps.
Shoulders: Shrug them.
Forehead: Wrinkle it into a deep frown.
Around the mouth: Press your lips together tightly. (Check your facial area for Back of the neck: Press your head back hard.
Front of the neck: Touch your chin to your chest. (Check your neck and head for tension
Back: Arch your back up and away from the floor.
Stomach: Suck it into a tight knot. (Check your chest and stomach for tension.)
Thighs: Clench them hard.
Hips and buttocks: Press the buttocks together tightly.
Lower legs: Point your toes toward your face, as if trying to bring the toes up to touch your head. Then point your toes away and curl them downward at the same time. (Check the area from your waist down for tension.)
Progressive muscle relaxation is included in the 2-day Silva Life System earn more .
Chest: Take a deep breath and hold it, then exhale.
Cheeks and jaws: Smile as widely as you can.
tension.)
Around the eyes and bridge of the nose: Close your eyes as tightly as possible.
(Remove contact lenses before beginning the exercise.)
Learn more a meditation.
Breathing from the abdomen and putting your attention on those breaths can help
you relax both during the day and in bed at night. Some people may enjoy lying
in a dimly lit room, closing their eyes, or listening to soft music while
focusing on their out breaths.
Another version of muscle relaxation: Imagine a wave of relaxation
flowing down your body, from your head to your feet. You can give the wave a
color, sound, or temperature.
You should personalize the experience as much as you want. You might
start by just noticing your breath with your hand on your tummy. Then with each
out breath, focus on a different section of the body and
say a word like 'calm,' 'relax,' or 'peaceful,'
You're redirecting your attention to a part of the body, and when the mind is
focused on the body, it's not thinking 'I can't sleep.'"
To learn more about meditation classes FREE Relaxation MP3 Download visit
www.the-silvamethod.com
and Weekly meditation classes visit karate international of Durham
www.kidurham.com
www.the-silvamethod.blogspot.com
and whatever works for you.