Bedtime meditations can be an invaluable addition to a sleep routine, helping reduce anxiety and promote faster sleeping patterns. There are various forms of bedtime meditation practices ranging from breathing exercises and visualisation techniques available online.
Trataka (candle gazing) meditation, in which participants stare without blinking at a candle to help lower their pulse rate and blood pressure, is one of the more popular practices, while gratitude meditation can help improve your sleep quality and duration.
Body Scan Meditation
The Body Scan Meditation is a mindfulness practice designed to train you in scanning your awareness across various parts of the body and noting sensations, with an aim of relieving tension and stress while improving physical and mental well-being. Use it any time it feels appropriate: before beginning work each day or anytime tightness arises in certain parts.
Meditation can be practiced while lying down, sitting up, or standing up and can take as little as five minutes – though for optimal results experts advise giving 20 or 40 minutes for optimal practice. Meditation begins by finding a comfortable position and closing or partially closing your eyes – whatever feels best to you. As you proceed through this practice, start to scan your body focusing on each part that comes into contact with the surface you are on. It is perfectly OK if thoughts wander from time to time; just allow them to go where they may and return your focus back onto whatever body part you were previously focusing on.
As you move through your body, take notice if any tension arises and breathe into that area, paying close attention to how the tension makes you feel and any emotions that surface; eventually reaching the soles of each foot before scanning all four legs and feet together before progressing to scanning each head by looking at scalp and neck regions before finally moving onto abdominal region and chest regions focusing on whole-body sensation before finally opening your eyes to complete meditation.
Candle Meditation
Focusing on an object such as a candle flame or image created in your mind, you can gaze upon it for as long as desired, without blinking or moving your eyes. As part of the practice, eye muscles may tire out and tears may well come pouring down, yet this is all part of its beauty.
Trataka meditation can help soothe your mind and boost memory, but requires intense concentration from beginners. With regular practice, however, this type of mediation can allow for longer and more intense periods of meditation.
Locate a quiet room and sit comfortably. Arrange a lit candle at eye level about 11″-25″ from your face. Take several deep breaths, and focus your gaze upon following its movement with your gaze. As thoughts or outside sensations come into mind, allow them to pass before returning your attention back to gazing upon its flame; eventually this focal point of awareness will lead to transcendent peace if gazed upon for as long as desired – this should be your goal!
While practicing candle meditation, you may notice your eyes beginning to water or tire quickly. Your brain may also become fatigued from processing so much information; therefore it is essential not to strain them too much during this practice. When this occurs, either open up and continue your meditation practice or close them and lie down for several minutes to give your eye muscles some rest.
Enhance the experience of meditation by visualizing an ever-flowing stream of infinite love that flows from your heart through candle flame, pouring out onto yourself and out into the world. Use this visualization to rid yourself of illness or negative emotions which might be hindering progress.
Visualization Meditation
Visual meditation involves creating an image in your mind to relax and unwind, using your imagination to imagine a scene that helps relax you. You can make this as simple or complex as desired and it can bring new ideas into your meditation practice. Visualizations can also help focus on goals or outcomes you wish to bring into reality and can create positive mental pathways to help achieve those goals and enhance life as a whole.
Start a visualization meditation by closing your eyes and taking several deep breaths to help relax. Imagine a place that feels safe and secure, such as a vacation spot or peaceful garden; use all five senses during this experience for maximum effectiveness.
Once you’ve discovered your place of peace, spend some time immersing yourself in it by visualizing and recalling its details in your mind. Add sounds, smells and touches that heighten the experience so it becomes even more powerful and memorable.
Chakra visualization is another popular form of visual meditation used to balance energy. During this practice, you focus on each chakra or energy center of your body and visualize their corresponding colors and locations – this practice helps keep you feeling energized and balanced in daily life.
Visualization meditation can also help you reach your goals or overcome a challenge more easily. Many professional athletes have harnessed its power, using it to prepare for important events or competitions by visualizing themselves doing well – their brain cannot differentiate between what they see and what actually occurs; so using visualization to boost confidence and motivation is an effective strategy.
Visualization meditation can also help heal both physically and emotionally. For instance, if you’re facing relationship troubles, cord-cutting meditation could help release negative energies and reconnect with your partner more easily.
See Your Future Self Meditation
Imagine Your Best Future Self (IVYF) can be an extremely effective means of motivation. Visualization provides an easy way to see the rewards of hard work, overcoming obstacles and reaching goals – while simultaneously increasing optimism and resilience.
This sleep meditation uses visualization to connect you with the best, most accomplished version of yourself, helping you refocus and stay motivated on your path towards success.
Begin by lying down comfortably, closing your eyes, and taking several deep breaths. When your body and mind have settled down, imagine you’re stepping onto a bright ship, floating amongst the stars, where your future self is inviting you to step off into the air and fly higher into the sky; your future self then offers words of support as you do so.
After some time has passed, your future self will offer you something to aid on your journey – this could be anything from an affirmation or mantra, to simply reminding you that you’re on the right path and can achieve anything. Listen back to this sleep meditation often for extra confidence and clarity from your future self!
Abide’s bedtime sleep meditation can provide extra motivation or help with staying on target with their goals, or assist those having trouble sleeping by relieving stress and anxiety so they can drift into restful slumber more easily. Simply click play below to listen to her soothing bedtime sleep meditation and start the new journey with peace and serenity.
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