Could meditation help you sleep better? Most people these days follow a highly sedentary lifestyle. We spend most of our time at our desks in a high-pressure environment.
You’re under a lot of stress from the workplace and in a bad mood when you get home from the office. Stress from the workplace affects the environment at home as well and makes you feel all the worse for it.
As a result, you find yourself tossing and turning in bed as you try to sleep. You wake up tired, in a really bad mood, stressed, and full of tension about the day ahead. Your day has already got off to a bad start. It gets worse as you get to the office.
Is there a way to get out of this vicious cycle?
Yes, meditation. Meditation has many benefits – it improves mood, decreases anxiety, helps you sleep better, and minimizes the risk of heart attack and stroke. It helps you focus on your work, makes you alert and sharp, and even boosts your IQ.
There are different types of meditation techniques for sleep and stress reduction. Studies show that meditating for just 10 to 15 minutes can reduce stress and improve the quality of your sleep to a substantial extent.
Here’s a look at a couple of simple meditation techniques you can incorporate into your daily routine.
Before You Begin
Before you start with each meditation technique described here:
- Sit comfortably on a chair or the floor in a cross-legged position.
- Make sure that your spine is straight and your body is in a relaxed position.
- Keep your eyes closed.
Here’s a look at two simple meditation techniques that you will find easy to follow.
The Mouth Breather
Inhale slowly through the nose, and take deep, long breaths. Feel your stomach rising even as you inhale and feel the air filling up the abdomen, upper and middle chest.
Exhale as gently as possible through the mouth, and feel the upper chest drop down as you do. Contract the middle chest and feel the ribcage moving down towards the abdomen.
Repeat this for up to 10 minutes.
The Retrospect
Breathe slowly in and out, and focus on the breath as you breathe. Repeat this about 5 times.
As you breathe, remember your daily experiences in reverse order – going back from the evening to the morning. Look at the events that occurred detached and objectively, without getting emotional about them.
When you are through this, remain seated, and continue breathing slowly with your eyes closed for 5 breaths. Then you can open your eyes.
Both techniques are easy and take only a few minutes a day. You don’t need any specialized training to follow them. You can start practicing them for immediate stress relief and better sleep.
Finally,
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