Relaxing Into the Present Moment — with Guided Audio
Relaxing Into the Present Moment
Letting go of your concerns about your past or future and bringing your attention to your present-moment experience is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for falling asleep effortlessly.
In a previous post (https://donsalmon7.medium.com/one-of-the-greatest-secrets-of-falling-asleep-ba91b868d841) I offered written suggestions for bringing attention to the present. Below is a video which guides you into the effortless experience of the peace, calm and contentment of the present moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn8r_Mt6Ra4&list=PLaCGyVFYXoBWjDdsqGLKq0Q69Cbn0Xtwh&index=2
Here are a few simple suggestions for getting the most out of this video:
Take a moment to get into a relaxed seated position with your back, neck and head fairly straight but not at all tense or rigid. This will help your breath flow more easily.
You can do the practice with your eyes open or closed. If you keep them open, let your gaze rest gently, without effort, on the center of the screen, while at the same time, allowing your attention to widen and take in the whole screen with your peripheral vision.
And this may the most important suggestion of all — let go of any strain or eagerness to get it right, any effort to makesomething happen. Just follow along for the fun of it as if you were a young child who’s not sophisticated enough to have ideas about how the practice is supposed to make you feel.
The ability to let go of our grown-up agendas is a powerful skill for recovering the natural capacity for effortless sleep.
You can use this video during a “wind down” period before sleep . . . or in the middle of night to help you go back to sleep . . . and, you can also use it for taking a short refreshing break during the day.
Please keep in mind that, although this practice is powerful on its own, to be truly effective for people with long-standing sleep issues, it would need to be part of a structured program that includes guidance by a qualified individual.
I’m a clinical psychologist with two certifications in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), as well as over 30 years of experience practicing and teaching Effortless Mindfulness and Yoga Nidra (also known as “Non-Sleep Deep Rest”).
In the 8-week online course on effortless sleep which I created with my wife, Jan Maslow (“From Restless Nights to Effortless Sleep), this practice along with others, is an integral part of a comprehensive program which combines the three modalities that extensive research shows to be the most highly effective for curing insomnia — as well as for improving the depth and quality of sleep, and providing more energy throughout the day:
· Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)
· Effortless Mindfulness
· Yoga Nidra (Non-Sleep Deep Rest).
For many people, successful completion of an online course depends on having support in the form of daily reminders and encouragement. For this reason, we chose to make the course a “course-community.”
I am there every day in the community’s virtual Conversation Lounge to answer questions, and help participants tailor the practices to their individual needs. In addition, there is the support of a community of fellow learners to motivate and encourage them along the way.
To learn more about the course, see www.RememberToBe.Life