Cleansing a Poor Night’s Sleep

There is nothing worse than a rough night’s sleep. Tossing and turning and wakefulness can occur for a number of reasons—being too hot or cold, a noisy environment, overuse of technology, intrusive anxious thoughts, light pollution, dehydration, caffeine, or hunger. But we all need sleep! According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, “sleep removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake. Furthermore, research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep, increases the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity.”

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To support yourself, consider installing blackout shades, creating a wind-down routine like drinking herbal tea or taking a warm shower before bed, perhaps taking magnesium and calcium supplements, or dumping all your worries or things to do in a journal before bed. A cleanse before sleeping can help.

Clear Reactivity. About thirty minutes before you go to bed, lie on your back, head on a pillow, and (if you are able) place your legs on the wall. You can put a yoga mat, pillows, or blanket underneath your legs for comfort. Breathe into your lower abdomen area as you move through this cleanse.

Look Inward. How I feel in my body right now is ... inhale through your nose ... exhale through your nose.

Winding down from this day makes me feel ... inhale ... exhale ...

Loosening my body makes me feel ... inhale ... exhale ...

Tuning in to my inner self now makes me feel ... inhale ... exhale ...

Emit. Hum three times.

Activate. See it! Visualize a release, calm, letting go, surrender, and peace that is as effortless as the way you might release a handful of sand back onto the beach.

Nourish. Feel it! Imagine what it would be like to squeeze the sand in your hand and then let it go.

Surrender. Say: “I allow release. I allow surrender. I allow freedom. I allow digestion. I allow feeling.”

Ease. Say: “I am feeling. I am receiving. I am surrender. I am at peace. I am free.”

Adapted from EMOTIONAL DETOX NOW: 135 Self-Guided Practices to Renew Your Mind, Heart & Spirit by Sherianna Boyle. Copyright © 2022 by the author and reprinted with permission of St. Martin's Publishing Group.