I'm like a pencil;
sometimes sharp,
most days
well-rounded,
other times
dull or
occasionally
broken.
Still I write.
j.g. lewis
is a writer/photographer in Toronto.
Month: March 2017
Don’t go to bed angry. You will
just waste your time fighting with
feelings that must be resolved,
or accepted.
Emotionally, anger is the most
difficult to deal with as you are
try to sleep because it pushes
back against every other feeling
you hold.
The sheets are never comfortable
when you are angry, and the room
is either too hot or too cold, the
pillow feels like concrete, the
mattress is even harder.
Your eyes will remain open, more
often than not, as if you are
looking for answers for questions
you had never even thought of.
Of all the emotions, anger is the
most difficult to even try to sleep
with. It will not rest, and neither
will you.
j.g.l.
Posted on March 15, 2017 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
A breath is not something we have to think about. You’ve been breathing as long as you’ve been living. It’s quite organic. And necessary. You either do, or you don’t.
Through the day your breath is constant (as it is through the night), but for the sake of sleep and in the interest of dreams, now is a time for a think about how we breathe.
In yoga terms, this is your prana, and in so many ways your sleep is like a long savasana (corpse pose). The body is still and you set your intentions for what lies ahead. The first breaths of this period should guide you to your dreams.
Eyes shut, arms and legs fully extended in a comfortable, non-static position, breathe in deeply, filling your lungs with fresh night air and hold it in for four to six seconds. Then release, a full exhale. Let out more air than you take in, and with that exhale, release any nervous energy, negative thoughts, and compromising emotions. Empty your lungs entirely. Pause. Then inhale again; this time deeper, more, fully expanding your lungs, and another pause. Exhale.
This is not how you will breathe through the night, but the pattern should be repeated several times. It is fully conscious breathing, a complete inhale and full exhale, five to 10 times, or more. You will feel what works for you, and you will feel it fully.
These should be the final steps in ridding yourself of the day. Think of this as filling a paper bag with the stray thoughts. No, it’s not hyperventilating, but you can visualize, if you must, a balloon increasing in size. Then release.
Let everything out to make room for what will arrive through the night.
Your next set of breaths is still focused, but not nearly as deep. Chose a mental focal point, as simple as a colour, to train the mind to one place. Increasing the intensity of the colour as you inhale, deflating to the lightest shade possible on the exhale. Repeat, steadily, setting a rhythm from light to vivid, brightness to dark, and back again.
In a short time after a precise, pre-sleep breathing regime your body will begin to do what comes naturally. Your pulse will lessen, your blood pressure will drop, each cell of the body will react to this restful state. Slowly you will succumb to this drowsiness. Let everything go. Allow each part of your body to slacken; your jaw will drop, eyes slip further back in the sockets, and the muscles release any tension. You’ll feel the meat falling off the bone.
The lungs will continue to fill, but the chest will not rise and fall, as you enter a halcyonic state. The brain appreciates the dose of fresh oxygen, free of negative ions, and full of purpose.
You may remain in this neutral, seemingly motionless stage, or you may slip into the sleeping position that has served you well in the past. Stillness. The mind will remain active through several documented sleep stages, including REM, where the dreams (the major ones any way) mainly take place.
Like your breath, dreams can become a life force that pulls you through the day. Research indicates the mind is more active during the nocturnal state. By setting yourself up with a mindful breathing practice, without all the decisions and diplomacy that have dogged you through the day, you are better able to rejuvenate the body, activate the brain, and then wake up to the new day and do it all again.
deep breath
deep sleep
deep thoughts
deep peace
© 2017 j.g. lewis
Posted on March 14, 2017 by j.g.lewisLeave a comment
One pillow or two? Maybe more?
Well less might be best. Sometimes
even the softest pillow can elevate
your head, or bend your neck, in
ways that will restrict air, and the
flow of dreams.
Flat neck, flat spine, flat on your
back some of the time. You may
want to take an extra pillow or three
and prop up the feet systematically.
Elevating your legs above heart level
can do wonders for your circulation.
Eight to 12 inches above the heart
for about 20 minutes.
It works wonders, it has been said,
especially for those on their feet
all day.
I also think it allows the stuff dreams
are made of time to recirculate more
readily. A little pampering in bed for
thoughts running through the head.
j.g.l.
