Meditation & Mindfulness for a Great Night’s Sleep™
Releasing the stress of the day and clearing the mind of the day’s issues are goals many attempt, but few achieve. Success requires a plan of action. We suggest meditation as a means of releasing stress and clearing the mind in order to achieve a Great Night’s Sleep™.
Meditation exercises can help you drift into sleep even when your mind is in overdrive. Headspace.com is a website designed specifically for professionals seeking to embrace a process of meditation and mindfulness to ease stress at the end of the workday. Headspace® provides suggestions to clear your mind and to ease you into sleep.
Step #1: Breathe
Sit comfortably in bed and take five deep breaths. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. As you breathe in, feel your lungs expanding. As you breathe out, imagine the day’s stresses floating away.
Step #2: Focus
Become aware of your physical environment. Take notice of which parts of your body are touching the bed. Concentrate on the texture and feel of the bedding on the surface of your skin.
Listen to the sounds around you. Consider whether the sounds enhance your meditation. If not, consider whether it is within your control to eliminate or to change these sounds.
Step #3: Breathe
Return to your breathing. Focus on the dynamics of your breath itself. Consider whether your breaths are deep or shallow, long or short, smooth or irregular. You need not change the rhythm of your breathing in any way. Simply find that rhythm.
Step #4: Rewind
Now that your mind has calmed and your breathing has found its rhythm, review the events of your day as an observer. Refrain from seeking resolution. Simply walk yourself through your day for several minutes.
Step #5: Refocus
As your thoughts reach the present, focus once again on your body. Envision your body, part by part, from your toes to the top of your head. As you envision each part of your body, switch it off for the night.
Take a moment to enjoy the relaxed feeling as you begin another Great Night’s Sleep™.
Updated Link August 3, 2022
