The Art of Sleeping Well

As we head into the season of Autumn in the northern hemisphere, we enter a magical time of release and transformation. The arrival of Autumn is a reminder to pause and reflect, serving as a preparatory phase that requires vigilance and inner balance as we discern what to harvest and what to release.

Now is a good time to manage the foundational elements of your life, to tend to your immune system and get your house (your body) in order for the transformation ahead. One major thing you can do to support yourself right now is to prioritise good quality sleep.

The ramifications of poor sleep quality are vast, affecting your cognitive clarity, problem-solving abilities, immune system resilience, and ultimately, your ability to reach your full potential. Whether you value productivity, progress, and action or cherish pleasure, happiness, and enjoyment, putting sleep at the top of your list of priorities is highly recommended!

A good night's sleep aids clear thinking, sharp decision making, better coordination and strengthens your overall well being. By safeguarding your nightly rest, you also provide yourself with the opportunity to rejuvenate, repair, and heal, both physically and energetically. In doing so, you can wake up with renewed vigour and have the resilience to bounce back from any setbacks. So, what is there not to like!

As someone who has personally grappled with sleep challenges from childhood well into their forties, I deeply empathise with those who have found themselves trapped in the dreaded cycle of restless nights. It’s frustrating if not agonising when you're exhausted and desperate to rest and yet somehow, sleep remains elusive. I have experimented with many different approaches to improving my zzz’s over the years, working out what rocks the boat and how to steady it. I can now honestly say that 85% of the time I am someone who thoroughly enjoys her nightly zzzz’s!!! The remaining 15% is more often than not self-inflicted, but at least now it is a choice!

There may be no quick-fix solution however, the art of sleeping well is a skill that can be honed, maybe even perfected. When you embark on a dialogue with your own body, enabling the cultivation of healthy habits and attitudes, you can override the patterns that keep you tossing and turning beneath the sheets. And the first step is prioritisation.

It’s time to foster a deep appreciation for sleep and cultivate a healthy relationship with this essential aspect of your daily routine. During sleep, you not only rejuvenate physically, mentally and emotionally, you also enter a magical realm where your energy aligns and communicates. A time when you can receive clear guidance and messages from your dreams and develop a strong connection with your intuition.

Let us look briefly at a few of the areas that make a profound difference to our success.

Habits

Becoming aware of your beliefs and attitudes about sleep is crucial.Your personal story and expectations about sleep influence the outcome of your sleep habits. In order to create habits that serve you, it is important to acknowledge the ones that don’t!

The Circadian Rhythm

Your 24 hour clock has distinct stages that interact to create optimum states such as alertness, relaxation and sleep. Syncing with these stages helps your energy flow in a way that maximises the benefits each stage has to offer.

Somatics

Engaging in body centred practices establishes a dialogue with your subconscious programs. In my experience, somatic practices are the quickest way to create habits that serve our overall well-being.

We have created a series of videos on YouTube which will go deeper into each of these concepts. You can find these in the resource section below. And if you’d like to dive even deeper, our sleep bundle The Art of Sleeping Well(which is essentially a mini course) is now live! The bundle includes a full hour long workshop on The Art of Sleeping Well as well as a library of specially crafted somatic practice sessions and meditations to support you in drifting off to sleep, making the most of the circadian rhythms and addressing and reprogramming habits around sleep - and more!

Before we sign off I just wanted to let you know I am offering an in person evening workshop: The Art of Mastering Good Quality Sleep in Lewes in November and, in October a Sunday afternoon special: The Art of Release - Clearing the Way for New Possibilities.

Wishing you sweet dreams in the golden season to come

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