Sleep can be described as a surrender. But what if you are mentally 'on guard' at night. You stir and think, stir and think. With a busy mind if someone just tells you to 'let go', you may well ask yourself ‘how?’. And you can be so tired, and still not sleep.

There are tools you can use. Yoga is one - a helpful journey towards restful sleep. Poses with mindfulness allow you to start to rest your guard. And there are particular poses to allow you to start to close down for the night. Then we have 5 other tools at Jiva Health - Massage, Tapping, Access Consciousness, Split Second Unlearning and Sound Therapy.  

Tip 1 – Reduce incoming information

Start an earlier wind down for bed with little in that period of time that you need to process or react too…like listening to/reading the news or checking to do lists or your phone.  Gentle movement or restorative yoga allow for going inwards. Putting your legs up the wall is a go-to yoga pose to encourage sleep. Or butterfly in bed. 

Tip 2 – Forgive to forget

A bit like ‘never go to bed on an argument’ in your wind down time you can be aware of anything negative you maybe holding onto that doesn’t take you into a restful place. That is still there in the back of your mind. A mental technique you can use is the Ho’oponopono practice of forgiveness ‘I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you’.  It’s a profound cleansing practice. Or thinking of a few things you are grateful for switches your brain towards surrendering. 

Tip 3 - Eyes down left 

This is much less well known. Part of Split Second Unlearning. You have a biofield or screen where your life is running like a movie with the important things in front of you. A bit like the ‘Matrix’ film. If you are remembering something like the spelling of a word you will usually look up to the top left. If you are unsure of an answer your eyes will scan side to side, searching. Sleep is on the bottom left of our screens. What can you do to take yourself gently down to the bottom left? Close your eyes. If counting sheep has been a thing for you, you could count them down the hill to the left in your head, with your eyes going with you. There are many other ways. I have known people push buttons, throw things out on their way down, see things changing colour. You are the meaning maker. So what you know can work for you. Take it down left. 

To learn more about your mind and what you are doing at night book in a session of Split Second Unlearning - unlearning the emotional memory image you may have about sleep - from the root. 

Tapping is also a scientifically proven method to help with sleep and there are particular practices to help you come 'off guard'. 

See our therapies here

Tip 4 – A positive story and remembering process.

Do not complain about your sleep. Just stop. Complaining is a repetitive action. Not only may you not have slept well. You then mentally repeat it as you complain. It's basically practicing not sleeping. Instead say 'I may sleep tonight'. Then mentally look forwards. Take yourself ahead 6 months from now. Look back to now having successfully drifted off in your way to a deep blissful sleep

Tip 5 - Sound Therapy

Anxiety, stress and pain are three of the main causes of insomnia and sleep deprivation; and in a vicious cycle, a lack of sleep can exacerbate all three conditions. 

Deep meditation, especially powered by the healing deep vibrations of gongs, produces calming, pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects in the body that can help achieve a good night’s sleep. Unlike sleeping tablets, sound therapy does not leave you feeling drowsy or tired the next day, instead it promotes homeostasis – or balance – within the body.

We have a regular Tuesday yin yoga and sound class and monthly sound baths.