Insomnia - yoga has a cure

Insomnia

Insomnia which is not concerned with any physiological disorder is easily cured by simple yogic practices. The insomnia caused by continuously meandering thoughts coming to the mind and then causing sleep disorder can be cured by several yogic practices, but the simplest of this is the yoga nidra. (this word has to link to the next paragraph describing the Yoga Nidra)

Yoga Nidra

This can be done before sleeping. Mostly the persons with insomnia have to keep awake for long time in their beds waiting for the all elusive sleep. Day-by-day this gets compounded because as you reach bed, you start thinking of the insomnia.

The problem is not physiological, but the psychological and it is because of the shower of thoughts which is difficult to stop.

Yoga helps in diverting form the unending sequence of thoughts which makes the mind so active that it can not go to sleep.

How to do?

Lie down straight on your back on a flat bed. Have a good look at the bed you are lying on. Switch off the light of the room now. It is best to have a hard bed so that your backbone is straight in that posture. Your legs are straight and the fingers of the toe are pointing up. The hand is straight, palm facing upwards and the distance between the body and the palm is half a feet.

Close your eyes. Take three deep breaths. With every breath, remember your god, or a super power that you pray.

Now start breathing normally. See yourself lying on the bed and see yourself lying motionless with no activity. Try to see you face and body for some time. Do not stress too much. You will be irritated to find that it is so difficult to remember ones own face and own body. Do not stress too much. If irritation sets in leave it.

Start looking at your toe.

Your thumb, the nails, the back fold of the thumb, the separation between the adjacent finger and the thumb.

Middle finger of the toe. Try to look as much detailed as possible. Ring finger, index finger and the other finger. Try to be as minute in your observation as possible. See it lying idle, without any activity, and see that this your body.

Look at the foot palm; try to see the palm in totality, look at the front of the palm, the thick bones of the palm.

Look at the leg, the calf of the leg, and the bones of the leg. The knee bones, the knee lobes, thigh upper, thigh lower.

Similarly do for the other leg. Try to be as minute as possible.

By this time your legs would have become heavy like a log and you will feel some irritation. If you want move the legs and body a little bit because straining to concentrate will actually distract.

After the legs so the same thing for the hands, the whole body.

By this time you should be able see your entire body as lying on the bed, the body is light, the body is without any strain. You are taking deep and calm breadth.

Stay in such condition for some time. Enjoy the calm, the peace of mind. There is no tension, watch thoughts coming and going, do not try to stop any of them, be observant and only observant.

Stay for some time and then relax.

Go to sleep.