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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Having a racing mind at night is very common. Shamash shares some personal experiences on how he works with turning off his mind in the evening.
Hey, Shamash here.
I've been asked the question, I
can't turn my mind off at night.
How do I do that?
Sleep can be one of our biggest
challenges in modern society.
And having a racing mind at night is such
a common issue that so many of us face.
So first of all, before I
start, remember, don't worry.
It's definitely not just you.
Today, I will share some quick fixes
you can try as well as some longer
term ideas that could help you too.
I found a combination of these approaches
have helped me on the days or weeks
when I've struggled to fall asleep.
So if you wish to try a quick fix,
first of all, have a go at doing
a body scan as you lie in bed.
One of my friends does this every
night and says it always helps
to calm his mind and fall asleep.
So the way to do this is just begin
with your feet as they're furthest
away from your head, and just feel the
sensations there for three breaths.
You can even wiggle your toes
a bit, if you like, to help
you feel the sensations there.
And then after feeling them
for three breaths, you just
gradually move up your body.
So you move up to your lower legs.
And again, feel the sensations there.
Count three breaths.
And then continue doing this as
you make your way up your body.
Your knees, your upper legs,
your pelvis, and so on.
If you somehow managed to make it
all the way to the top of your body
and haven't fallen asleep, just start
from the top of your head and make
your way back down your body again.
Now it doesn't exactly
have to be three breaths.
You can do five breaths or one breath or
two breaths, however many works for you.
As with all of these exercises
that I share, experiment and feel
free to do what works for you.
We all have different preferences.
Another easy solution would be to
listen to any of the guided meditations
that you have available in this app.
Any that you find soothing.
Some people find meditation's very
relaxing and a great way to fall asleep.
Others find guided meditations energizing.
So again, experiment to
see what works for you.
If there, if you find them
very energizing, then maybe
that's not the right approach.
When my mind is really kind of full
up with thoughts, one technique I
like is called mindful journaling.
I just take a few sheets of paper or
a journal, and I begin by taking a
few deep, slow and conscious breaths.
Then, I simply right down
a stream of consciousness.
I just keep writing
whatever comes into my head.
I find that after maybe even less
than five minutes, I just run
out of things to write about.
I always think I can keep writing,
but usually run out of things to
write and my head kind of empties.
Our worry is often a series of short
thoughts that just kind of keep
going around and round in our heads.
But once you write it down, they
can often lose their power and
seem quite boring, to be honest.
So, if you sit up in bed and do
some mindful journaling, just for
a few minutes with a dim light
on, that might work for you.
So you could try that.
Another unique approach is what
I call the opposite technique.
It's actually one of my favorite
techniques to play with.
If your mind has been racing and you've
been struggling to sleep, I'm guessing
that you've actually tried to stop
your thoughts and it hasn't worked.
So how about trying the opposite.
Instead of trying to stop your crazy
thoughts, try welcoming them in.
Say to your mind, Hey mind, sorry I've
been trying too hard to control you.
And I know you don't like that.
So now I invite you to
think as much as you wish.
I'll just be here watching you and
listening to you in a friendly way.
Think as much, or as little as you wish.
So over to you.
So you can try that approach
and see if that works.
I also use the opposite technique when
it comes to trying to fall asleep.
Instead of trying to fall asleep, I
sometimes play with the idea of trying
to stay awake and watching my thoughts.
That works for me sometimes too.
And I find it much less frustrating than
the effort of trying to fall asleep.
When you try this, if your mind can't
think of anything, that's great.
Just enjoy the silence of mind.
And if your mind does think of something
to think about, that's also great.
Remember the idea is that you
let your mind do the thinking
rather than you trying to think.
Your job is more just to kind of
sit back and watch and listen to
the mind, without any sense of
trying to control it in any way.
A bit like sitting back
and watching a movie.
You don't control it.
You just watch it.
Beyond these little tips and tricks
you can do in the moment, think about
having a regular bedtime routine
by going to bed at a certain time
and having some time to unwind.
If you're watching lots of television or
looking at screens just before going to
bed, that's most likely going to cause
your mind to be busy when you lie in bed.
So try leaving your phone in a
different room rather than your
bedroom and see if that works for you.
That does work for many people.
Also consider what activities
you did in the day.
Did you do any physical activity
to get your body moving?
Did you eat well?
If you consume a heavy meal just before
bed, that could cause your mind to race.
I know, for me, if I drink any caffeine
beyond about 3:00 or 4:00 PM, I
actually can't fall asleep easily.
And my mind starts to think a lot.
Caffeine usually stays in the system
for many hours actually, and affects
some people more than others.
Another nice routine to do before going to
bed is some nice, slow, mindful movements.
Any kind of simple
stretches will do, actually.
The idea is that you're aware
of the movement of your body
together with your breathing.
So let the movements be
nice and smooth and slow.
You could start simple by
doing even less than one minute
of stretching and breathing.
And then just do more than
that, if you feel called to.
So it doesn't have to be a long
session, if you don't feel like that.
Remember, if your mind is very busy
during the day, it's much more likely
to keep racing when we hit the pillow.
So think about smaller, easy ways
to be more mindful during the day.
That way, you become more present
with your moment to moment
activities, and you're less likely
to have your mind so busy at night.
One simple approach, for example, is each
time you sit down to have a meal, you just
take at least one deep conscious breath.
You feel each in and out-breath.
And then each time you notice
yourself feeling rushed or stressed
or anxious during the day, rather
than rushing even more, you just
stop and take at least one breath,
more if you want, but at least one.
This will begin to help you to be more
mindful during the day and make your
mind more settled once you do go to bed.
So I've given you quite
a lot of ideas there.
So try and see whatever approach you
feel you want to try and that you think
intuitively may be effective for you.
I recommend small, simple, easy steps and
playfully experimenting with different
techniques is the key to helping yourself.
Thanks so much for listening.
I do hope you're able to experience
a nice restful sleep soon.
Remember, you're certainly not alone
in having a busy mind at night.
May you be kind and understanding
with yourself the next time
you're struggling to sleep.
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