Sleep Meditation: A Guide to Drifting Off Peacefully

The Racing Mind

Insomnia is often caused by a mind that won't quit. Replaying the day's events, worrying about tomorrow—it's a cycle of stress. Meditation breaks that cycle.

Technique 1: The Body Scan

Lie on your back. Close your eyes. Start at your toes. Tense them for 5 seconds, then release. Feel the tension melt away. Move to your calves, knees, thighs, hips, all the way up to your head. By the time you reach your scalp, your body will be heavy with relaxation.

Technique 2: The 4-7-8 Breath

Inhale quietly through your nose for 4 seconds.
Hold your breath for 7 seconds.
Exhale completely through your mouth for 8 seconds.

Repeat this cycle 4 times. It acts as a natural tranquilizer for the nervous system.

Technique 3: Visualization

Picture a place where you feel perfectly safe and calm. A cabin in the woods, a hammock on a beach, a cloud in the sky. Engage all your senses. What does it smell like? What do you hear? The more detail, the deeper you go.