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5. Calm Mind for better sleep
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Dismantling anger
When allowed to fester, anger can certainly disturb sleep, so it is important to come to terms with the feeling and handle it in a positive, constructive way.
Try to get to the root cause: why are you angry? Then think of ways to alleviate the feeling, eg: expressing it calmly to another person.
If you are angry with yourself over a mistake you may have made, remember that you are only human, and work on ways to rectify the situation that is troubling you.
Diffusing anxiety
Stress and anxiety can be major factors in insomnia. Ongoing worries, perhaps over money or relationships, create tension that has a detrimental effect on your nervous system, out-look and sleeping patterns. If this anxious state continues, it can lead to illness.
Regular exercise will help rid your system of the adrenalin produced by an anxious state, and meditation will help to restore your equilibrium.
Meditative / visualization
Meditating can help bring mind and body into a state of harmony. It is a way to balance an active life with calming period of inner reflection, and has the benefit of promoting easy, restful sleep.
Regular meditation, combined with positive affirmations, can help you to “centre” your mind, alleviating stress and allowing you to see a clear way forward through the daily problems and challenges you may face.
Ease into meditation:
Choose a quiet place for meditating, one where you won’t be interrupted.
Get into a comfortable position: sitting cross0legged is a traditional pose, but you may sit in a comfortable chair.
Close your eyes, breathe deeply with your hands resting on your lap, and allow all thoughts to slowly leave your mind, as sand trickles through the neck of an hourglass.
You may wish to focus on a word, or mantra, such as “OM”: repeat this sound slowly as you exhale, over and over until tension has left your body and mind.
Or you could visualize a colour, allowing it to surround and suffuse you with its calming rays.
Allow 10 to 20 minutes each time you meditate; doing this twice daily is an effective way to restore composure.
Informal meditation can be done any time you need a break; close your eyes for a few minutes and breathe deeply.
Leaving troubles behind:
This meditation is sometimes called the “railway tunnel.” Designed to help you focus on the present and leave you unfettered by past worries, it can be a very effective means of paving the way to sleep.
To help you focus your mind, light a candle before you begin the meditation.
Imagine strolling along a path between two high banks, with a dull, cloudy sky above…. A heavy back-pack makes your steps heavy and slow.
You trudge along, feeling damp and cold. You reach the entrance to an old railway tunnel….. it is very dark, but you can see a point of light at the end, which is reassuring. As you enter, all your self-doubts begin to surface. You are aware of your failings and regrets. Let them rise gently to the surface of your mind. The back-pack is getting lighter as they surface.
There is a pool of light on the floor ahead from an air shaft. As you go through the light, you remember a happy time, when you felt really good about yourself.
As you move into the darkness again, you feel lighter; your back-pack is emptying, but the doubts are rising up to the surface once more…. The circle of light at the end of the tunnel is growing, but here is another air shaft. As you pass through the light, another good memory comes into your mind.
Now you are back in the gloom, but it doesn’t seem as intense as before. It is getting lighter and warmer, and you experience more good memories…. As you near the end, you notice that the sun has come out, and you feel as if your load has disappeared. Warmth begins to replace the cold you felt before.
Eventually, you step out into the sunshine with a light tread, valuing yourself and the world much more. You realize you have so many opportunities awaiting you, and new chances to accomplish things. Your contribution is important, and you are a valuable and lovable person.
Steps to sleep
The following visualization is similar to the traditional sleep cure of “counting sheep.” Try taking a few deep breaths before beginning, as you prepare to let go of the day’s cares.
Imagine a staircase stretching down in front of you, made up of ten steps covered in soft, natural-coloured carpet, perhaps lit with candles or lanterns.
You are standing on the tenth step. Count backwards from 10 to 0, and as you count backwards, imagine each number as a step, and each step as a step down the staircase into deeper and deeper levels of relaxation, so that by the time you get to 0, you can allow yourself to be as deeply relaxed as you can manage, while still being aware of the sounds around you.
Stairway visualization:
Make sure you are warm and comfortable before you begin.
If distracting thoughts enter your mind during the visualization, just let them gently drift back out.
Visualize a staircase, inviting you down into a state of complete relaxation.
Imagine taking the first steps down, on step 10 feel yourself relaxing and letting go, feeling beautifully at ease and at peace.
On step 8, you are becoming more relaxed… on step 7, you are drifting deeper….and deeper down still.
By step 6, you are calmer…. And calmer… halfway down, you are letting go and feeling good.
On step 4, you are relaxing even more. By step 3 you are sinking deeper.
On step 2, you are enjoying pleasant, peaceful feelings, half-awake, half-asleep.
On step 1, you are feeling beautifully relaxed.
On reaching the bottom, you are so pleasantly relaxed you can allow your mind to drift into sleep.
Affirmations:
Speak or read these affirmations each night when you go to bed to remind yourself of your inner strengths before going to sleep.
• I enjoyed solving the problems I dealt with today, having done the best I could do.
• I enjoyed being calm and patient today, even when others were not.
• I will sleep deeply and peacefully, to awake in the morning fresh and full of energy.
Add time for contemplation or prayer to your bedtime ritual.
By reaching out to your god or the universe with a prayer before sleep you will experience feelings of peaceful release and freedom from worry.
Many faiths have formal bed time prayers such as the Christian “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray to God my Soul to keep” that are designed to comfort the individual and lend a feeling of protection during the seven or eight hours’ absence from consciousness. This is a nice way to round off the day and complete your thoughts.
Protection prayer:
“I ask God, the stars in the sky and the moon above
To look down upon me and all I love
To watch and protect us throughout the night
To keep us from danger
And fill our hearts and souls with golden light.”
Bedtime chant:
“Let me move beyond cares
Let me leave fear behind
Let me rest in a peaceful land
Let me wander to the farthest shores of dreams,
To learn what I will and see what I see
Then safely return when morning comes,
Refreshed and ready for a new dawn.”
Instant relaxation triggers:
Once you begin to experience the positive effect of meditation, you can utilize “triggers” – evocative words and images that take you back into a state of relaxation – during the day or to aid sleep.
If you have imagined being in a certain place, or speaking a certain word or phrase during meditation, you can do so again to evoke the same positive feelings. For example, you may have imagined yourself sitting near a peaceful lake: if you conjure up that image again during a stressful meeting or a traffic jam, the memory will help you to relax instantly.
Repeating words or catch-phrases that mean much to you – such as “field of flowers” or “entering the dream” – can have the same calming effect, and will bring an instant pause to stress. If you are lying in bed, restless, be patient and pursue the image or word until you are enveloped in a sense of calm.
Trigger happy:
You may be aware of certain physical symptoms during meditation, such as a timgling sensation in the hands or feet: this can be a useful trigger too. Imagine that you feel those symptoms, and within seconds you will gain the feelings associated with meditation.
This can be especially useful before an important meeting, or on any occasion about which you may be feeling a little apprehensive.
Use the triggers to gain the calm confidence you need and to put things into their proper perspective.
With practice, your mind will accept the linkages you have created, and will respond to these signals at any time, quickly and easily, giving you instant access to all the benefits that come with deep contemplation.
Lull yourself to sleep:
At the end of a hectic day, soothing music can help you to mentally wind down in a pleasant way. Likewise a blanket of neutral sound can help drown out the rest of the world, allowing your mind to reach levels of deep relaxation
Listening to classical music before bed may help you drift off to sleep. Music played on a single instrument, such as Slow Pieces for Spanish Guitar by Fernando Sor or piano pieces by Claude Debussy or Eric Satie, are good choices.
New Age music is also ideal – often slow and repetitive, it brings a meditative state.
Make a tape or CD containing your favorite pieces of music. Avoid anything with a fast beat or sudden tempo changes.
The more similar the pieces are in tempo and “feel”, the more soporific will be the effect as the repetition of similar notes will make your mind de-focus.
Natural sounds:
The sounds found in nature can have a hypnotic effect – very beneficial just before you go to bed. CD’s are available containing sounds, such as the jungle, bird calls and whale songs, running river, fountain water, ocean waves, heart beat. The sounds of the seashore are particularly relaxing and evocative.
Calming noise:
Some people find that white noise helps to curb the effect of environmental noise, such as background traffic or inconsiderate neighbors. Tune a radio to between stations, to where you will hear a hiss and turn the volume down low. Alternatively, leave a fan running, it’s humming sound has a similar effect. If you find it comforting to hear people, leave on a talk radio station at a very low volume.
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6. Serene Bedroom Environment
“You are Getting Sleepy - Hypnosis as Alternative Treatment”
One form of alternative medical treatment that can be used for treating a large number of illnesses and medical conditions is hypnosis.
The exact dangers and benefits associated with the practice of hypnosis are still being studied, but many patients have had great success with this technique.
“Sweet Sounds - Music Therapy & Guided Meditations”
In 1950, the National Association for Music Therapy was formed, bringing music therapy into the realm of professionalism. This was the root for music therapy.
Using music as a cure for a person’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing has been practiced for centuries, although it was never referred to as a professional science. Even though everyone does not consider it so, music therapy still makes up a significant part of alternative medicine.
Free Guided Meditation Videos are loaded on this page for you to watch & listen to learn how to Meditate.
“What is Light Therapy”
Many people pursue alternative health treatments when traditional medical procedures are not being as effective as they are needed to be.
Some, such as rolfing, acupuncture, and chiropractic procedures should only be done with a professional in the field.
However, other kinds of alternative medical practices can be discussed with your doctor and then practiced in your own home
“Amen - Prayer for Health”
The vast majority of people belong to one religion or another. In fact, about 95% of the American population believes in God. Therefore, when sick or in pain, it is common to pray for health and well being.
Does it work? Studies today are focusing on the validity of prayer for health.
The alternative to traditional treatments can be used to help a person both physically and spiritually, but studies are now looking at whether prayer can be used in place of other medical procedures or if it is simply something to use in conjunction with traditional treatment options.
I highly recommend you visit these quality sites for even more sleep aid information on how to get relief from stress & anxiety problems:
Stress Anxiety Solutions
Share my personal experiences of stress
and learn how I managed to
overcome anxieties in my life
Read the stories and gain help and advice for your brighter future
http://www.stress-anxieties-solutions.com
Relax and Sleep
Natural sleep solutions to help solve your insomnia. Discover the Sleep Secret that will relax your mind and body to enjoy great sleep every night...without the use of sleeping pills
www.relax-and-sleep.com
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