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Things that are on my mind,
besides drafting (and drafting) my novel, of course.
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Insomnia and Meditation
I’ve had the opportunity to listen to leaders across the globe (virtually) during the pandemic, including one guy (Amin Toufani) who got his graduate degrees at Stanford and Harvard at the same time. A recurring practice most mentioned? Regular meditation.
I thought I was too antsy to meditate. Too impatient. That the focus on breathing would cause me to actually have trouble breathing — cause me to panic. Like many things I’d “decided” at one point in my life, I was wrong.
And, if you suffer from insomnia, but haven’t tried sleep meditation for 30 days, you should. Like every change, it takes dedication and practice to achieve. My seventh grade drama teacher has had me meditating since I took her class 30 years ago, I just didn't know it. I discovered the “Deep Sleep Meditation” practice on my Calm app. It’s the same practice my drama teacher taught me (and has worked for me for decades now). With this practice, I fall asleep (or go back to sleep if something wakes me) in 10 minutes, pretty much guaranteed.
Lie in a comfortable position: On your back; neck in a neutral position, so breathing is optimized (see illustration); knees and arms slightly bent.
Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Be present. Let the day go. Don’t think about tomorrow. Enjoy this moment and the relaxation you deserve. You will be more effective the next day, if you can clear your mind, now. I focus just on the cool feeling at the base of my nostrils as the air goes in. I even say “in, in, in” and “out, out, out,” in my head, if I’m struggling to block out the day and focus. Feel the tension leaving your body through your extremities with each exhale.
Start at your feet and tense your feet hard for five to 10 seconds. Then, relax your feet. Take several gentle breaths after you release and focus on the feeling of your feet sinking into the mattress. Think about tension running out of your toes. Take your time.
Move up your muscle groups using this same procedure — calves, thighs, glutes, abs, low back, chest, upper back, arms, hands, neck, face.
Then tense your whole body and relax. Focus on just the present and the pleasant feeling of deserved sleep that will refuel and replenish your body for maximum productivity the next day.
Don’t be discouraged, if it doesn’t work the first time. But, if you stay with it, I bet you can master it in 30 days. It’s been my secret to sleep, when I am restless for decades, I just didn’t know it was meditation. The whole sleep meditation process is different than meditation for clarity, but, for me, starting with sleep meditation was easiest, then consider branching into morning sitting meditations.
Also, if you’re over 40, don’t drink caffeine after 2 p.m. No amount of meditation can help you sleep, if you’re over-caffeinated. It’s worthwhile to read about how alcohol disrupts sleep, as well. Even though you “pass out,” it’s really a sleep disrupter. But those are two other tangents you can think about tomorrow. For now, sweet dreams.