Meditation Techniques To Relieve Insomnia

Meditation techniques to relieve insomnia are gaining attention and approval from the medical profession.

That’s good.

Those of us who meditation regularly, know that treating sleeplessness and sleep problems with meditation can be highly effective.

Meditation does not cure insomnia overnight.  You have to learn and practice, but when you meditate regularly with the intention of sleeping better, you should start to notice small improvements within a week, and be sleeping much more soundly in a month or so.

Meditation Techniques To Relieve Insomnia

How meditation works for those of us who have insomnia is that it helps to stop the thinking that can prolong the episode of sleeplessness by allowing the mind to settle. It also can help to reduce the anxiety associated with losing sleep. I’ve heard other insomnia sufferers say that the worry about sleeplessness can be as bad as the actual event of not sleeping.

How do we begin, then, to work with the mind that can either prevent us from falling asleep in the first place, or awaken us once we’ve settled down into a nice and cozy night’s rest?

We begin by practicing meditation during our waking hours.

While that may seem obvious, it’s amazing how many of us don’t think about fixing the broken sink until it’s really broken, or going to the doctor until our symptoms are out of control. In the same way, if we wait until we’re bug-eyed awake during the middle of the night, trying to practice at that point might be ineffective at best. So, begin practicing meditation during your waking hours. You may even find that if you’re tired enough, you’ll get drowsy while practicing. If this occurs, go lie down and take a nap.

As we become familiar with meditation practice, it’s important to apply our practice to as many different situations as possible, sharpening our ability to practice under less than perfect circumstances. So, we practice under all circumstances, getting used to working with our mind informally.

As you’re falling asleep, turn this process into meditation practice.

After you’ve settled down, begin your meditation practice and continue until you fall asleep. If you haven’t fallen asleep after 30 minutes, get out of bed, and do whatever it is that you do when you can’t sleep, for example read a book, watch TV, have some hot milk. Then, when you come back to bed, begin your practice again.

If you wake up in the night…

If you wake up in the middle of the night, like I do, begin meditation practice immediately. Sometimes this can result in your falling asleep almost immediately. But if this doesn’t happen, then do what you did at bedtime; practice meditating until you fall asleep or until 30 minutes have passed.  Original article here.

 

More Meditation Techniques To Relieve Insomnia

Yoga is a gentle exercise that focuses on the use of meditation and position of the body. There are some relaxing stretches that can be done in bed that can help in easing insomnia.

• Happy baby pose: While lying on the back, bring the knees up to the chest. Grasp the outsides of flexed feet with the hands and pull the knees out toward the armpits. This releases the hips and low back. It leaves the body looser and more relaxed.

• Goddess pose: Sit with the knees bent and open to the sides toward the floor. The soles of the feet touch. Lie back on the floor, keeping the soles of the feet together and place the arms at the sides of the body. This opens the groin and relaxes the inner leg where tension is held.

• Corpse pose: Lie on the back, allowing the arms and legs to naturally roll outward. Relax the entire body become aware of your natural breath. This relaxes the entire body one part at a time, moving from the toes all the way to the head.

Transcendental meditation

is a technique that focuses on repeating a mantra or chosen word. This can be done either in bed or out of bed. It releases the mind from stress, allowing the body to relax.

• Find a focal point for the meditation, a word or phrase of your choice that can be said over and over in the mind and creates calm rather than stress.

• When the mind wanders, bring it firmly but gently back to the focal point.

Visualization

 is focusing on something that is relaxing and calming. Some people find that thinking about sitting beside a stream or under a tree on a mountain are pleasant things to visualize. This supports a feeling of calm and relaxes the body and mind.

• Think of something that is relaxing and calming.

• Concentrate on feeling the coolness of a soft breeze or smelling the fragrance of a favorite flower or remembering something soothing from childhood.

Guided imagery

is another form of meditation that can help a person sleep. It combines meditation with relaxation and hypnosis. It is a technique that follows a guided meditation to a state of relaxation.

This requires either a guided imagery therapist or a recording to direct the meditation.

• This technique can be done while lying in bed or while seated. It should be done in a quiet room where focus and concentration can be achieved.

• A meditation teacher that specializes in guided imagery, or a CD player with a guided imagery recording, will guide the person through relaxation exercises and visualization.
  original article here

We have a lot more to say about meditation techniques to relieve insomnia.  If you have trouble sleeping, and would like to learn how meditation can help you get to sleep, please leave a comment below.

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