What if you could fall asleep calmly and serenely? What if your alarm clock didn’t get you out of bed tired and unmotivated after the tenth “snooze”, but you were already fresh and alert before it even went off?
A relaxing meditation before going to sleep is your invitation to leave everyday life behind and calm your mind. It not only gives you deep sleep, but also the strength to start each new day with energy and clarity.
The calming effect of meditation: falling asleep made easy
Breath, also known as “prana”, is not only considered our life energy in Ayurveda. When we breathe in, we take in life-giving oxygen and transport it through our lungs to every single cell in our body. When we exhale, we excrete the harmful carbon dioxide.
However, especially when we are stressed and restless, we tend to unconsciously breathe incorrectly, which does not supply our body and mind with sufficient vital energy. This is where “pranayama”, as the conscious and controlled breathing during meditation is called in Ayurveda, can help us to bring our body and mind back into balance.
How does meditation affect our body?
Meditation activates the parasympathetic part of the nervous system, which is responsible for calmness and relaxation. This activation helps you to lower your heart rate, slow down your breathing and reduce the stress hormone cortisol.
With special meditation techniques before going to sleep, you can gently bring your body and mind into a calm and sleep-promoting state.
If you manage to incorporate meditation before going to sleep as a fixed ritual in your daily routine, you will soon notice how your sleep quality improves.
However, meditation is not just a method of calming down in the evening. It also helps you to build resilience in the long term and focus better on the important things in life. This effect makes meditation to fall asleep one of the most valuable practices you can use for your well-being.
H2: Practical tips for a calming evening routine
If you’re looking to meditate before going to sleep, it’s important to focus on the right technique for meditation and breathing exercises. To help you meditate before going to sleep, we have collected a few useful tips for you.
1st tip: Create a relaxing atmosphere
A calm, pleasant and well-tempered environment is essential for engaging in meditation before sleep.
- Dim the lights and light a candle!
- It is best to avoid using digital devices during and after meditation!
- Then choose a position in which you feel comfortable, whether lying in bed or sitting on a soft surface.
2nd tip: Use a calming breathing technique
“Pranayama”, conscious breathing, is an essential part of any meditation. A simple technique to prepare yourself for sleep is deep abdominal breathing.
To do this, place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly button! Now consciously concentrate on your breathing. Feel how the air flows through your lungs into your chest and down to your lower abdomen! As you exhale, first lower your hand to your stomach and then your hand to your ribs. The longer the exhalation, the more calming the exercise will be.
Another effective method, which can also be combined well with deep abdominal breathing, is 4-7-8 breathing. To do this, breathe in for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds and breathe out slowly for eight seconds! This exercise calms the nervous system and supports the transition to a relaxed state.
3rd tip: Use a guided meditation as an introduction
Guided meditations are also ideal to help you get started with meditation. One particularly calming form of meditation is yoga nidra, also known as ‘yogi sleep’.
This technique uses systematic focus, breath control and positive affirmations to guide you on a journey that brings body and mind into harmony.
How can you learn meditation to fall asleep?
We offer tailor-made programs and courses at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira for anyone who would like to delve deeper into this practice. We will teach you how to customize the breathing exercises to best integrate them into your daily life.
Whether you are a beginner or already have experience, our experts will support you in performing the techniques correctly and deepening them.
Treat yourself to our ROYAL AYURVEDA program (link), our WOMAN-STAY – TIME TO BE A WOMAN (link), TIME FOR ME! (link), or our MENO-CHANGE & MENO-CHANCE (link) program, which is specially tailored to your female needs and supports your body and mind in finding balance again.
No matter which program you choose, we will accompany you on the path to greater serenity, well-being and self-love. Take the opportunity to find your inner center and restful sleep in the harmonious environment of our yoga and meditation rooms!
