I do not typically achieve a restful slumber from Sunday into Monday. The shift from weekend to work week is challenging at times. My full-time job requires that I get up at 5:15 am. It isn’t the early hour that bothers me; quite the contrary, I love the quiet morning, watching the sunrise, and I am defiantly more productive and creative in the dark and quite hours of a new day.
Unrestful Slumber
The issue is lack of sleep. Only on Sunday into Monday does my mind stir in the middle of the night, desperately trying to remember where I left off in my work the week before and what tasks I must complete Monday morning. It’s as if my brain has a mind of its own, refusing to let me rest peacefully.
My job, luckily, is not so demanding that I have to bring work home with me. I have the luxury of leaving it behind at the office. Yet, somehow, this doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to my restless nights. My mind attaches itself to thoughts and worries, spinning them around like a merry-go-round that refuses to stop. It’s my monkey mind at its worst.
See, my friends, it doesn’t matter how many years I have practiced meditation; the mind is the mind.
It grasps.
It clings.
It wants.
It’s a frustrating experience, lying awake in the darkness, feeling the weight of unfinished tasks and looming deadlines. It’s as if my mind is playing a cruel trick on me, sabotaging my well-deserved rest. I toss and turn, desperately trying to find a comfortable position, but my mind keeps chattering away, reminding me of all the things that I need to do.
Meditation for Restful Slumber
I fully understand of the importance of a good night’s sleep. It rejuvenates the body, enhances cognitive function, and improves overall well-being. Yet, despite knowing all this, I find myself on this night each week trapped in a cycle of sleeplessness and restlessness. Subsequently, this is where my meditation practice yields dividends allowing me to cultivate restful slumber.
Meditation allows the space to recognize these attachments and shift awareness from thoughts to an anchor such as the breath. Meditation cultivates the knowingness that we are not our thoughts and emotions. Like our breath, they flow through us; thought leads to thought as breath leads to breath.
At night, when our thoughts become more profound and darker, breaking free from compulsive thinking can be challenging. Remembering to breathe can feel like a difficult task. Getting out of bed during these hours can help shift my focus from my thoughts to my body and the space around me. I can detach from my mind by taking a few moments to stretch my body and bring awareness to my physicality. Adding breathwork while standing allows me to feel a sense of calm throughout my body, mind, and spirit. Only then can I return to bed, aware of my comfort level, temperature, and breath; I can let go and rest.
Listen to the Restful Slumber Meditation and find calm.