We have become so dependent on pharmacology in Western medicine that any types of interventions that don’t involve a prescription or medical procedure are looked at with suspicion. The bottom line is that we are afraid of things we do not know. Yet there are plenty of non-medical interventions capable of helping with a variety of issues. Take guided sleep meditation. It’s the perfect example.
Guided sleep meditation is rooted in the ancient eastern practices of yoga. That alone gives plenty of people reason to fear. But really, there is nothing to be afraid of. It is possible to practice guided sleep meditation without embracing any of yoga’s religious aspects.
No, guided sleep meditation doesn’t include prescription medications. But that is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s good. Most sleep medications come with unintended consequences and side effects. These side effects are the main reason doctors recommend using sleeping pills on a limited and temporary basis.
More Aout Guided Sleep Meditation
Guided sleep meditation is a form of meditation that utilizes a guide to help the practitioner through a particular process. Scott Moore, a Utah-based sleep meditation teacher and international yoga expert, specializes in a practice known as yoga nidra.
Yoga nidra is often referred to as ‘yogic sleep’ because it’s designed to help practitioners reach a state that is somewhere between fully awake and fully asleep. When practiced at bedtime, it can help practitioners fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night.
The principle is quite simple: a guide leads practitioners through the process of focusing on the sensations of the body – in the moment – rather than the thoughts of the mind. Simply by shifting focus, it becomes easier to step back from the stresses of the world and begin to relax.
Guided Through a Body Scan
Guided sleep meditation relies heavily on what is known as the ‘body scan’. The guide instructs practitioners to focus on a particular part of the body and to simply feel its sensations. As those sensations are felt, practitioners are encouraged to relax the body part. The guide then moves practitioners from one body park to the next, repeating the same process of feeling its sensations and relaxing it.
By the time the body scan is complete, practitioners should be totally relaxed and in tune with their bodies. The thoughts that keep them awake are in the distance. They have reached a state of calm and mindfulness that facilitates sleep.
The Controlled Breathing Component
Some sleep meditation guides also include controlled breathing in the process. Controlled breathing usually precedes the body scan, as practitioners are encouraged to spend some time paying attention to how they breathe. Different breathing techniques may be employed depending on the guide’s goals. Regardless, controlled breathing also contributes to relaxation.
Think of it as similar to what your mother used to say when you got all worked up as a child. She would say something like, “Stop and take a breath. Now relax.” Your mom may not have been a yoga nidra expert, but she was wise enough to know that getting you to stop and control your breathing would help you calm down.
Live or With an App
As we close out this post, note that guided sleep meditation can be accomplished with a mobile app or a live guide. Obviously, you probably don’t want a sleep meditation expert in your bedroom every evening. But consider taking one or two classes per week and then supplementing in the evenings with a mobile app. There is nothing to be afraid of. Guided meditation will not harm you.
