As The Sleep Ambassador™ (www.thesleepambassador.com), I am exposed to a wide array of sleep solutions. However, sometimes the simplest methods are the most effective. One caveat: If you have symptoms which might suggest a sleep disorder, be sure to check with your physician to determine if a sleep study or other evaluation is necessary. So, without a long dissertation about how to fall asleep, I have a few tips which can be very effective for easing into slumber:
Breathing- You are breathing anyway, so put your ATTENTION on the flow of the breath IN and the breath OUT. Don’t force the flow, just let it be natural. If you are really doing this and are focused on your breath, you will begin to relax. As a next step, be AWARE of the SPACE BETWEEN the breath in and the breath out. Don’t hold your breath, just be aware that the space exists. This as PRESENT as you can be and will help to settle your senses as you drift off to sleep. Bye the way, this technique is helpful in stressful situations as well.
Child’s Pose- I have found that getting into the yoga position known as “child’s pose” on top of my linens before getting under the covers is VERY calming and soothing before going to sleep. How long? A few moments or whatever feels good. When I do this, I can feel my whole body…and mind….begin to settle.
So, start simple and see what happens. The last thing we all need before bed is another complicated routine! And speaking of routines, there is a wealth of information on sleep tips (aka sleep hygiene) on various web sites.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Am I Celebrating?
It has been 6 years since Josh first communicated 17 Ways to Celebrate Life and I shared it as his birthday tribute. Each year thereafter, up until his 21st, Josh added a new way to celebrate life. (See the April 15, 2009 post below for 21 Ways to Celebrate Life.) Now, as another birthday…Josh’s 23rd …approaches, I remain committed to embracing life while it is mine, to being grateful for my many blessings and to be inspired by Josh. Along the way, there are moments of self reflection. One such moment came recently when thinking about Josh’s 21 Ways to Celebrate Life. I was struck with a question, “AM I CELEBRATING?” Until that instant I had not entertained this question. DOING any of Josh’s 21 ways is an act of honoring him but am I really CELEBRATING?
The answer was quickly apparent, catching me at the very essence of what I KNOW but do not always DO. By way of example, I selected one of the 21 Ways to Celebrate Life, #3. Run on the beach. Well, I was walking on the beach the other day. But was I REALLY engaged in the activity? Was I IN THE MOMENT, each moment? No, I was thinking about something I had to do or had done, or somebody….and the thought stream was endless. The “aha” moment followed….
Celebrating can ONLY happen IN THE MOMENT. What’s the rush to the next moment? And if I am in the past or the future as I have an experience, I never really have it. Reminder to self: LIFE HAPPENS NOW. To fully engage in any activity, to be fully immersed, I have to be in the moment, I have to surrender to what I am doing, feeling or thinking. That is where the celebration is found. That is where the magic of the moment is. Not in the past and not where I will be in a minute or two or tomorrow….but WHERE I AM NOW, at this instant. And this instant will NEVER come again. It is unique. Why would I want to miss it? And if it's not a happy moment or one of pleasure, the only way out of it is to go through it anyway. Knowing this motivates me to honor the now.
Another revelation came to me as well. The past happened and will not be repeated. Everything I already experienced was/is there, including Josh’s life. And Josh will not be physically in my future. But I can and do meet him IN THE NOW….when my awareness is fully in the moment. Maybe lately Josh has been coming to me in my dreams because I am not busy there. He can catch my attention in my dreams. And when he does, often very vividly, he talks to me and his expressions speak volumes. When awake, my mind is often active about the past and anticipating the future. At such times, I am missing the now…..until I catch myself and embrace the moment.
I must practice celebrating life consciously. I have a trick that helps me accomplish this and it works every time. I become aware of my breathing, in and out. And then, I become aware of THE SPACE BETWEEN my breath in and my breath out. I don’t hold my breath, but am just aware of that space. That is THE most present I can be. That is where and when I AM IN THE NOW. And that is where the celebration begins!
So, to honor Josh’s birthday this year and to CELEBRATE my life, I am going to practice making being in the moment a habit. What was already happened and I was already there. What will be has not happened so I can’t be there yet... NOW is THE only place to BE….and where celebrating life is possible.
The answer was quickly apparent, catching me at the very essence of what I KNOW but do not always DO. By way of example, I selected one of the 21 Ways to Celebrate Life, #3. Run on the beach. Well, I was walking on the beach the other day. But was I REALLY engaged in the activity? Was I IN THE MOMENT, each moment? No, I was thinking about something I had to do or had done, or somebody….and the thought stream was endless. The “aha” moment followed….
Celebrating can ONLY happen IN THE MOMENT. What’s the rush to the next moment? And if I am in the past or the future as I have an experience, I never really have it. Reminder to self: LIFE HAPPENS NOW. To fully engage in any activity, to be fully immersed, I have to be in the moment, I have to surrender to what I am doing, feeling or thinking. That is where the celebration is found. That is where the magic of the moment is. Not in the past and not where I will be in a minute or two or tomorrow….but WHERE I AM NOW, at this instant. And this instant will NEVER come again. It is unique. Why would I want to miss it? And if it's not a happy moment or one of pleasure, the only way out of it is to go through it anyway. Knowing this motivates me to honor the now.
Another revelation came to me as well. The past happened and will not be repeated. Everything I already experienced was/is there, including Josh’s life. And Josh will not be physically in my future. But I can and do meet him IN THE NOW….when my awareness is fully in the moment. Maybe lately Josh has been coming to me in my dreams because I am not busy there. He can catch my attention in my dreams. And when he does, often very vividly, he talks to me and his expressions speak volumes. When awake, my mind is often active about the past and anticipating the future. At such times, I am missing the now…..until I catch myself and embrace the moment.
I must practice celebrating life consciously. I have a trick that helps me accomplish this and it works every time. I become aware of my breathing, in and out. And then, I become aware of THE SPACE BETWEEN my breath in and my breath out. I don’t hold my breath, but am just aware of that space. That is THE most present I can be. That is where and when I AM IN THE NOW. And that is where the celebration begins!
So, to honor Josh’s birthday this year and to CELEBRATE my life, I am going to practice making being in the moment a habit. What was already happened and I was already there. What will be has not happened so I can’t be there yet... NOW is THE only place to BE….and where celebrating life is possible.
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