Cycle through your body one breath at a time. Repeat until rested. Gets you resting and sleeping fast, targeting both mind and body.
A.E.Veltstra
28 Jan. 2013
Lay down comfortably. This technique will induce sleep if performed regularly.
Do this every day before sleeping, for at least 6 weeks. It takes under 5 minutes. You need at least 3 weeks to get comfortable with the work-out, and 6 weeks to form the habit and notice impact on your sleeping.
1. Breath in. Count 1. Breath out. Focus on your feet and hands. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. Assign them the first colour that comes to mind. For now, I'll choose light blue.
2. Breath in. Count 2. Breath out. Focus on your ankels and wrists. Feel their presence. Assign them the same color as above.
3. Breath in. Count 3. Breath out. Focus on your lower legs and under arms. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. This will get easier over time. Assign them the same color as above.
4. Breath in. Count 4. Breath out. Focus on your knees and elbows. Feel their presence. Assign them the same color.
5. Breath in. Count 5. Breath out. Focus on your upper legs and upper arms. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. Assign them the same color.
6. Breath in. Count 6. Breath out. Focus on your hips and shoulders. Feel their presence. Assign the color. Since these are larger joints, you may require 2 breaths. If so, stay at count # 6.
7. Breath in. Count 7. Breath out. Focus on your belly. Feel its presence. If need be, clench and relax its muscles. Assign the color.
8. Breath in. Count 8. Breath out. Focus on your chest. Feel its presence. Assign the color. Remember to continue breathing!
9. Breath in. Count 9. Breath out. Focus on your spine and neck. Feel their presence. Assign the color.
10. Breath in. Count 10. Breath out. Focus on your head. Feel its presence. Assign the color.
Cycle
Restart at 1. Choose a new colour. The preferred method is to cycle through darkening colors. With each run, imagine your limbs and other body parts to grow heavier, so you feel reluctant to move them. Imagine your blood flow and heart beat going slower with each run.
Come back out
If you didn't fall asleep and arrived at your darkest color, cycle through the meditation runs again, this time assigning lighter and lighter colours, making your limbs and other body parts lighter and feel like you canpick them up again. Increase your blood flow speed and heart beat speed with each run.
By focusing on breathing and counting, you silence your mind. This will help you fall asleep. If you find your thoughts wandering, return to the last body part and resume the cycle from there. If you have yet to become used to meditating, know that it will get easier over time. As stated above, it will take about 6 weeks of regular exercise to form a habit.
If at first you find it hard to focus on a body part, try tightening and then relaxing its muscles or tendons. Avoid moving it too much.
We are looking to slow down our blood flow and reduce the speed of our heart beat. If succesful, you will fall asleep automatically. Over time you learn to recognise how far you need to go, to prevent falling asleep. Once your body and mind are relaxed, you can focus your mind on thought exercises.
Do this every day before sleeping, for at least 6 weeks. It takes under 5 minutes. You need at least 3 weeks to get comfortable with the work-out, and 6 weeks to form the habit and notice impact on your sleeping.
1. Breath in. Count 1. Breath out. Focus on your feet and hands. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. Assign them the first colour that comes to mind. For now, I'll choose light blue.
2. Breath in. Count 2. Breath out. Focus on your ankels and wrists. Feel their presence. Assign them the same color as above.
3. Breath in. Count 3. Breath out. Focus on your lower legs and under arms. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. This will get easier over time. Assign them the same color as above.
4. Breath in. Count 4. Breath out. Focus on your knees and elbows. Feel their presence. Assign them the same color.
5. Breath in. Count 5. Breath out. Focus on your upper legs and upper arms. Feel their presence. If need be, clench and relax them. Assign them the same color.
6. Breath in. Count 6. Breath out. Focus on your hips and shoulders. Feel their presence. Assign the color. Since these are larger joints, you may require 2 breaths. If so, stay at count # 6.
7. Breath in. Count 7. Breath out. Focus on your belly. Feel its presence. If need be, clench and relax its muscles. Assign the color.
8. Breath in. Count 8. Breath out. Focus on your chest. Feel its presence. Assign the color. Remember to continue breathing!
9. Breath in. Count 9. Breath out. Focus on your spine and neck. Feel their presence. Assign the color.
10. Breath in. Count 10. Breath out. Focus on your head. Feel its presence. Assign the color.
Cycle
Restart at 1. Choose a new colour. The preferred method is to cycle through darkening colors. With each run, imagine your limbs and other body parts to grow heavier, so you feel reluctant to move them. Imagine your blood flow and heart beat going slower with each run.
Come back out
If you didn't fall asleep and arrived at your darkest color, cycle through the meditation runs again, this time assigning lighter and lighter colours, making your limbs and other body parts lighter and feel like you canpick them up again. Increase your blood flow speed and heart beat speed with each run.
Discussion
By focusing on breathing and counting, you silence your mind. This will help you fall asleep. If you find your thoughts wandering, return to the last body part and resume the cycle from there. If you have yet to become used to meditating, know that it will get easier over time. As stated above, it will take about 6 weeks of regular exercise to form a habit.
If at first you find it hard to focus on a body part, try tightening and then relaxing its muscles or tendons. Avoid moving it too much.
We are looking to slow down our blood flow and reduce the speed of our heart beat. If succesful, you will fall asleep automatically. Over time you learn to recognise how far you need to go, to prevent falling asleep. Once your body and mind are relaxed, you can focus your mind on thought exercises.