Sometimes the reason we can’t fall asleep at night is that we can’t stop going over something. We review what we said or he said or she said (or all of the above).
Then we repeat the whole inner dialogue seconds later.
If your mind is sounding like a broken record because of an
obsessive thought process, it’s time to bring your meditation skills to the table.
Take a patient attitude. If you are forceful and judgmental with yourself, you will feel stuck in the repetitive thought (and even more stressed out).
As you exhale, imagine clearing away some space in your mind.
Begin to make your inhalations a count of 4 and your exhalations a count of 8. If this feels beyond your capacity, try inhaling for a count of 2 and exhaling for 4 until you become relaxed enough to increase the count.
After a few minutes, bring in a breath retention. Inhale for 4. Retain the breath for 7. Exhale for 8. This type of breathing is not only a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system but also a way to restrain reactivity.
It may only take a few breaths before you find yourself moving away from
your recycled thoughts. If you need more time, take more breaths.
Become the owner of a more spacious mind.
Courtney Sunday from Toronto, Ontario
Courtney Sunday is a writer, yoga teacher, Pilates instructor and Thai massage practitioner. She teaches corporations in Toronto the fine art of breathing deeply, and travels too much for her own good. She likes to cook meals from scratch using ingredients from her garden, and would mill her own flour and make her own butter if she had more hours in the day. You can find out more about her at www.courtneysunday.com.
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