Sleep is one of the most precious gifts any living being can get. But not all of us are lucky enough to enjoy this gift. Many problems like stress, worry, tension, illness etc prevent us from falling asleep. Insomnia is a sleeping disorder characterized by persistent difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep despite the opportunity. It is typically followed by functional impairment while awake. Insomniacs have been known to complain about being unable to close their eyes or “rest their mind” for more than a few minutes at a time.
Meditation leads to deep relaxation, better sleep, and the easing of symptoms in many medical conditions, including depression, binge eating and heart disease. Meditation is a safe and simple way to balance your physical, emotional, and mental state. It can alleviate many stress related illnesses and benefit everybody. Using meditation to cure insomnia is such a natural and safe way to treat and heal yourself and it is extremely worthy of your contemplation and consideration.
Many different types of meditations exist for you to choose from, each with numerous adaptations and versions. But there are a few caveats. Not all meditative techniques will help you to sleep. Some will actually cause further stimulation and keep you awake. For instance, the sensations in the chest, throat, and head are actively stimulating, and so observing the breath in those places would be counter-productive.
Relaxation Technique
Lying in bed, keep your awareness focused on the sensations of the breath in your belly, observing the rise and fall of the abdominal muscles. Also, pay more attention to the out-breath rather than the in-breath. The classic way to do this is to count at the end of each out-breath. You could also say the word “out†as you exhale. The out-breath is more relaxing, while the in-breath is more stimulating. If you find that you have a lot of physical energy, then imagine that your body is becoming very heavy, and that you’re being pressed down into the mattress.
