Jean, I've practiced dream work for many years with varying degrees of rigor, and have learned methods for falling asleep very soon if not always instantly after I lay down. The blue of the light spectrum from handheld devices blocks melatonin and acts as a strong disruptor of circadian rhythm. Also I'll want to quickly let go of discursive thought in the moments I'm heading to sleep, so looking at social media before bed was first to eliminate for both reasons. There are better ways, but the old counting sheep routine can work. One of the hardest habits that I've finally broken in recent times is that of keeping irregular sleep hours. With occasional glitches, I now go to bed and rise at the roughly the same times. This aids both sleeping and dreaming. Add these couple of things with your meditation and - sweet dreams!
Edward, I suspect that meditation alters my brain waves. I knew I needed to stop looking at the phone at bedtime, but it was weird that--after I began meditating--I just didn't feel the need to look at my phone at bedtime anymore. I agree that setting more regular bedtime hours helps, too.
Off topic, but relevant b/c it is in this week's Monterey County Weekly: Jane Smiley -- yeah, that Jane Smiley -- has been living in Carmel Valley since 1996 and has written five Young Adult novels set in a place that sounds a lot like San Benancio Rd/Corral de Tierra, one of Salinas' unincorporated neighborhoods off Highway 68. I've started reading one of them: all the devastating family drama of her grown-up novels, but with horses.
I used to do 30 min. to an hour, but I got out of the practice for years, so I'm starting over again at 20 min, and plan to expand that at some point. Ten minutes to start is fine, though. I do either "noting [labeling]" (where you track sensorial experience (labeling and acknowledging a sensory experience, e.g., breathing, hearing, seeing, discursive thinking, emotion, body feelings such as pain or itching, etc. ), or I focus on a kasina -- a colored or white or black disk, which helps with concentration.
Jean, I've practiced dream work for many years with varying degrees of rigor, and have learned methods for falling asleep very soon if not always instantly after I lay down. The blue of the light spectrum from handheld devices blocks melatonin and acts as a strong disruptor of circadian rhythm. Also I'll want to quickly let go of discursive thought in the moments I'm heading to sleep, so looking at social media before bed was first to eliminate for both reasons. There are better ways, but the old counting sheep routine can work. One of the hardest habits that I've finally broken in recent times is that of keeping irregular sleep hours. With occasional glitches, I now go to bed and rise at the roughly the same times. This aids both sleeping and dreaming. Add these couple of things with your meditation and - sweet dreams!
Edward, I suspect that meditation alters my brain waves. I knew I needed to stop looking at the phone at bedtime, but it was weird that--after I began meditating--I just didn't feel the need to look at my phone at bedtime anymore. I agree that setting more regular bedtime hours helps, too.
A Thousand Acres is the one that comes up the most in conversations about Smiley.
Off topic, but relevant b/c it is in this week's Monterey County Weekly: Jane Smiley -- yeah, that Jane Smiley -- has been living in Carmel Valley since 1996 and has written five Young Adult novels set in a place that sounds a lot like San Benancio Rd/Corral de Tierra, one of Salinas' unincorporated neighborhoods off Highway 68. I've started reading one of them: all the devastating family drama of her grown-up novels, but with horses.
Have to admit I have never read Jane Smiley. Maybe it's time!
Your 15 mins meditation @ morning / bedtime routine: Is it guided, or simply you watching your thoughts?
I used to do 30 min. to an hour, but I got out of the practice for years, so I'm starting over again at 20 min, and plan to expand that at some point. Ten minutes to start is fine, though. I do either "noting [labeling]" (where you track sensorial experience (labeling and acknowledging a sensory experience, e.g., breathing, hearing, seeing, discursive thinking, emotion, body feelings such as pain or itching, etc. ), or I focus on a kasina -- a colored or white or black disk, which helps with concentration.