Midweek Meditation: Nama-Stay in Bed

There are a lot of pieces to the health and wellness puzzle. There’s movement (yoga, walking, biking), stress reduction (meditation, breathing), nutrition (does banana bread for every meal count?), and then there’s sleep. And, oh, how elusive sleep can be.

I, like a lot of other people, often have trouble with sleep. Back in the day, pre-coronavirus, I taught early-morning yoga classes, so hitting the hay at a sensible time and staying asleep was crucial for me when I had to wake up at 5:00 a.m. to interact with humans. I have my tips and tricks that do help; CBD gummies, melatonin and tryptophan, herbal teas. But when I’m wide awake at three in the morning, questioning every life decision I’ve ever made, I also wonder, “Why the f&$* can’t I sleep?”

So when I’m trying to get myself back to bed, I like to listen to a yoga nidra meditation. Yoga nidra is a type of yoga where you comfortably lay down, and are in a state of consciousness that is between being awake and being asleep, where the practitioner (you, guided by the voice on the meditation app) systematically brings awareness to various parts of the body. This isn’t active movement, but more like a mix between savasana and a soothing nap.

The particular meditation I use for this is from Insight Timer: Yoga Nidra for Sleep. It's 22 minutes long and, if you’re lucky, you won’t hear the end of it. :)

Sweet dreams!