You are back home and ready to rest after a long day. This is the time to set aside all the stresses and relax.

Picture yourself in a hot shower with some essential oil (if you are an essential oil lover like me!) followed by a cup of tea or coffee.

Once you have enough down time to calm your body, you are ready for some mindfulness before sleep.

This article focuses on practicing a few moments of mindfulness to end your day with satisfaction.

How can I solve my sleeping problem naturally?

The night is a time to shut down your thoughts. Instead, what most of us do is thinking about what we did during day time or plan for tomorrow. Our mind works like a volcano that can erupt at any time.

An average person needs to sleep 7-9 hours at night. Some people boast about their ability to function despite lack of sleep. In the long run, poor sleeping habits may affect your overall health. So it is better to calm yourself before bedtime.

If you are a long-term meditator, you know the benefits of your evening dose of meditation very well. So you do not have to force yourself to spend some mindful moments in silence. Even if you are a beginner, you can have 3-5 minutes to experience the magic of mindfulness.

Is it bad to use digital media just before sleep?

Watching television or working on the computer until late at night does not help you sleep better. Studies have shown the blue lights on the computer can keep you awake.

So remember to set aside those distractors at your arm’s length. Some of us have the habit of keeping the mobile phone near the bed. Some scientists warn it can lead to brain cancer.

How can I sleep instantly?

Reflect on your day

Contemplate how you spent the day. If there is anyone who hurt you or harmed you, forgive them. On the other hand, if you hurt or harm someone, ask pardon mentally.

That way, you can get rid of any negative feelings before you prepare for meditation.

Be grateful

At the same time, if you or anyone else performed some good act, feel happy about it. Or else, be thankful for things that made your day convenient.

For example, be thankful it did not rain during the daytime so that you could go to work without any delay. Likewise, you can train your mind to see the positive aspects around you.

Meditation tips before bed time

Observe your breath

Breathing is a tool that can be best used in meditation. It is always with us, yet we are not aware of the presence of the breath. Now it is time to observe your breath.

Sit in an upright posture on your bed or on a meditation cushion.

Keep the right palm on the left palm. You can rest both palms on your lap.

Pay attention to the various sounds around you for a few minutes.

Then focus on your body posture. If it is not upright, adjust yourself. After the preparation, focus on the upper lip area below the nostrils.

If you are a beginner, simply be aware of your incoming breath and outgoing breath.

If you are familiar with breathing meditation, pay attention to which part of the upper lip area that the breath touches as you inhale and exhale. That way, you can keep focused on the point of touch of your breath.

Practice walking meditation

Walking meditation can be of great assistance in concentrating your mind before bedtime. It helps better blood circulation and gives a good massage to your weary feet.

Choose an indoor area that you will not bump into someone else. Decide on a starting point and a turnaround point. Stand still with your shoulders relaxed.

Then lift your right foot first and place it on the ground. Repeat it with the left foot. Follow this technique until you reach the turnaround point. Once you reach there, turnaround mindfully. Stand still for a moment. Then start over.

You can keep walking for a few minutes until you get concentration.

Apart from relaxing your mind, walking meditation helps you feel light in case you have had a heavy meal at night.  At the end of the day, you can go to bed with a light body and mind.

For more information on walking meditation, read Walking Meditation for Beginners: Tips to start

Loving kindness meditation

Loving-kindness meditation is a stress buster. It will train the mind to love yourself and others around you including difficult people in your life.

Unpleasant incidents happen in your life, but you can let them go without a hold on to them. Pardon those who have done any harm to you and ask pardon if you have done any wrong toward them.

You can free your mind easily and start facing the world afresh the next morning. For more information on loving-kindness meditation, read   https://www.earnestmind.com/loving-kindness-meditation/

How can I stop thinking while meditating?

Regardless of the type of meditation you practice, it is natural to arise some thoughts in the mind. Sometimes, the mind wanders away for a long time, and then you realize you are supposed to meditate.

The moment you are aware of the thoughts brings back your attention to the meditation object such as the breath or the movement of feet. Do not attempt to suppress thoughts because they have to pass away naturally.

When you noticed that your mind wandered away, bring your attention back to the meditation object without any agitation or negativity.

Can I lie down in the bed for meditation?

The simple answer is “yes.” Lie down comfortably on the bed and place one hand on your abdomen. Notice how the abdomen area rises as you breathe in. When you breathe out, it falls. This technique helps you with deep breathing and puts you to sleep automatically.

However, if you are practicing meditation for the upliftment of your mind and not just for benefits like recovery from insomnia, it is not recommended to use lying down posture since it would automatically put you to sleep instead of meditating.

Meditation before bed bring you immense benefits.

Some of them are;

• helps you sleep better and reduces disturbed sleeping patterns
• quiets the mind
• enhances inner peace
• when you sleep better, you can wake up afresh in the morning
• avoid bad dreams

Finally, it is our goal to end up the day with a happy mind. Meditation provides the best avenue to wrap up your day and start afresh the next morning. It is a lifelong practice that will keep you happy and healthy. Experience it for yourself and transform your life.

Photo by Ann Danilina on Unsplash, Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash