Practice Polarity Breathing to Sleep Better
Linda E. Carlson, PhD, and her colleagues at the University of Calgary in Calgary, Alberta, conducted an eight-week meditation study involving sixty-three patients (published in 2005 in the International Journal of Behavioural Medicine). The researchers found that meditation significantly decreased sleep dysfunction in the study’s participants and improved their overall quality of sleep. Many types of mediation emphasize paying attention to your breath as a way to clear your mind and quiet your body. The following meditation, based on an ancient yogic breathing technique, balances the body’s yin (receptive/passive) and yang (assertive/active) energies and produces a calm, tranquil state. Practice this technique every night when you go to bed to help you relax and sleep better. (From the book ‘The Best Meditations on the Planet, by Dr. Martin Hart & Skye Alexander)