Sweet Dreams

It can be hard to sleep when the weather is hot. I don’t like using my AC at night. I prefer a ceiling fan and open windows, but that means it’s warmer than usual when I’m trying to fall asleep and stay asleep all night.

I’ve been writing about different energy-clearing and strengthening exercises and here are a few that help me sleep.

Soothing the Triple Warmer

The triple warmer is an acupuncture meridian that runs from the ring finger on each side of the body, up the arm, across the top of the shoulder, up the neck, and curving behind each ear to end up at the temple. This meridian is associated with our fight/flight/freeze nervous system and can be overstimulated. To soothe it and calm the nervous system, simply trace the path of the meridian backward with your fingers. Start at the temple. Use your right hand to reach across to the left temple and vice-versa. Gently pass your fingers from the temple, over the ear, down the side of the neck and arm, and off the ring finger. Repeat several times on each side.

Cross-Crawling

Take a few minutes before you hop into bed and march slowly in place. Swing your arms over your raised knee, twisting your trunk from side to side. Approach this exercise slowly—not as a vigorous exercise. Think about your feet, placing them carefully on the floor as you swing to and fro. Cross-Crawling can help unscramble your energies which will also calm the nervous system.

Grounding

Take a few minutes either before getting in bed or sitting up in bed before lying down to ground yourself. Imagine growing a root system from your hips down into the ground. Imagine inhaling all the way down into the roots, and exhaling all the way up from the roots. It might help to imagine that you are in some beautiful, natural place like the beach or in the forest. Try to imagine a very strong root system, one that effortlessly anchors you to the Earth. This can help organize your energy field and has the further effect of slowing down and focusing the mind.

Bedtime Intentions

Bedtime is a great time to set intentions. You might want to set an intention for your sleep or for how you want to feel when you wake up. You might want to set a dreaming intention or a general well-being intention. If you focus your mind on your intention it helps focus and organize your thinking. When setting an intention, it is important to imagine as fully as possible, how it will feel when your intention actualizes. Relax your body and use your imagination to pretend you have already achieved your intention.

For more info on all things energy medicine, check out Donna Eden’s Work: Energy Medicine: Balancing Your Body's Energies for Optimal Health, Joy, and Vitality https://bookshop.org/a/89539/9781585426508

If I spend more than about 20 minutes trying to fall asleep, I usually get up and drink some cool water. Or sit in another room for a while. I might listen to a meditation on my phone, but I keep the lights out and I don’t use the time to look at any screens.

I, obviously, am not licensed or qualified to give any medical advice. But for these warm nights, I wanted to share some tools that I have used successfully.

Sweet Dreams…