When sleep is elusive

Maya, our kelpie

A commonly experienced benefit of mindfulness practice is improved sleep. The difference this can make to the quality of life is profound.

When we can’t sleep, the harder we try, the more sleep eludes us. We tend to tense up, making dropping off to sleep even harder. If on the other hand your intention is to relax and simply rest rather than sleep, then the pressure to sleep fades and more often than not sleep comes of its own accord. Below is a technique to help you relax and rest.

How to relax and rest;

Get comfortable in your bed. Bring your attention to your face, noticing any tightness in the tiny muscles there and soften and release, let the jaw be loose.

Become aware of the in and out breath, noticing the soothing nature of the breath, releasing any tension with each out breath.

While still aware of the breath, focus most of your attention now on the neck, shoulders and torso noticing any tightness there and soften and release.

If at any time you become distracted by thoughts, that is normal, simply return your attention to the sensations in the body, continuing with the relaxation and rest process.

Moving now slowly to the arms, hands, legs and feet noticing as you go any tension and releasing and softening.

Repeat the process knowing that you are getting the rest you need for the next day.

Warning, sleep is a likely outcome of committing to this process!