So, thirdly; Start breathing comfortably but deeply, in through your nose & out through your mouth. Imagine that you are breathing from that area of your abdomen just beneath your belly button. Make in-breath last to a count of 5 and out-breath to a count of 6. Continue for at least 2 minutes, and notice what happens.

This 5:6 ratio seems to be a simple yet powerful way you can induce a relaxed state at will. The art of Yogic breathing is called Pranayama. Pranayama offers many different approaches for cleansing mind & body through breathing exercises. Here’s one of them (with thanks to RA Wilson):

Fourthly (this may seem a bit odd to do, I’d recommend not doing this in front of friends or at work!) ; Lie on your back & pant like a dog, breathing rapidly in & out through your mouth 20 times. Then, breathe slowly, deeply and gently in and out 20 times through your nose. Once again, do mouth-panting 20 times, then resume gentle nose-breathing. Notice what happens.

This technique is referred to as breath of fire, and typically results in a state of… well, you find out!

These techniques can be very powerfully utilised when wanting to get in control of your state if you are going through a period of change such as reducing your weight, stopping smoking or developing more confidence.

Please remember that most people don’t breathe nearly enough. Start to breathe more deeply and notice how much better you feel. Have lots of fun with this. Notice how good you can make your self feel when you breathe differently.

Step 5. Avoid overeating.

If, like many people, you enjoy a bedtime snack then keep your late night meal small and avoid high protein foods and foods that contain a lot of fat or sugar.

Try a small bowl or cereal or a low-fat yoghurt.

Step 6. Clear out your worries and concerns.

If you’re type of person who goes to bed with your mind racing and runs over all of worries and concerns of day then here’s a tip for clearing clutter from your head.

Shortly before you go to bed, take a notebook and write down all your worries and concerns. The simple act of committing these to paper will allow your mind to let them go and relax.

Step 7. Take positive steps to induce relaxation.

It’s easy to talk about need to be relaxed when you settle to sleep, but how often do you actually take steps to relax yourself, rather than hope that relaxation will come.

Add relaxation, and perhaps meditation, exercises to your bedtime routine!

Climb into bed about 15 minutes before it’s time to turn out light. Get comfortable, close your eyes and practice one of many relaxation or meditation exercises available. With a little practice you’ll find yourself falling asleep before you’ve finished your exercise.

The natural remedy for insomnia

The seven steps outlined here are just a small sample of many things that you can do to cure insomnia.

The secret to curing insomnia doesn’t lie in all too commonly used sleeping pills, but is to be found in a few simple changes to your lifestyle and in setting yourself a clear routine.

Make a few simple changes to your lifestyle today and start enjoying better sleep tomorrow.

Copyright 2005 Donald Saunders - http://help-me-to-sleep.com

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