The Sleep Well, Breathe Well Meditation

I sometimes suffer from mild sleep apnea and have trouble getting a good night's sleep. Here is a simple trick I learned from the character Patrick Jane on The Mentalist. Patrick told a ruthless crime boss that he would sleep better if he did the following:

• Think 'one' while breathing in.
• Think 'two' while breathing out.
• Repeat until asleep.

Most relaxation exercises draw attention to the breath. Thinking of a word while breathing helps reduce mental chatter. Better breathing helps even if you do not fall asleep quickly. A win all around!

You could substitute words like 'sleep' 'well' or 'ah' 'ha' for 'one' and 'two'.

Sweet Dreams!

You can also apply the practice to your daily activities by focusing on your breathing and repeating 'breathe' 'well', 'breathe' 'deep', or any other two word mantra.

Yoga practice uses the mantra "So Hum". So can be translated as 'I am' and Hum can be translated to 'all of creation'.

Live well and prosper! (Spock)

— Greg Dixon