Breathe into Sleep
Calm your mind and body with this simple breath meditation
Do you ever have problems getting to sleep at night? I’ll bet that you have. Whether you experience it often or only occasionally, lack of sleep can be annoying and debilitating, affecting all aspects of life and especially your mindset.
I couldn’t get to sleep the other night due to some severe pain from a migraine headache. As you can imagine, I laid there feeling myself becoming more stressed and anxious, not only because I was in pain, but because I knew I had to get up in a few short hours for work and I needed to sleep.
What did I do? I turned to my breath for help. Our breath is always with us and is our strongest ally in any stressful situation. I started by noticing my breath and began to lengthen my inhales and exhales. Then I recalled a very simple breath meditation that I had learned over the years and I decided to try a version of it that could be adapted for sleep. It helped me calm down and I felt myself drifting off.
It’s so powerful and so easy that I want to share this version with you.
Sa Ta Na Ma Breath Meditation
“Sa Ta Na Ma” may be translated to mean “truth” or “my true essence/my true identity”. It is rooted in the mantra “Sat Nam”. What I love about this meditation is its universality. I’ve experienced it in a traditional yoga practice and also as part of a school mindfulness program. I was first introduced to it through a Christian mindfulness teacher and then experienced it again during a yoga teacher training. There are versions that include hand gestures (mudras) as well as the version I’m sharing here that only focuses on the breath.
In this meditation, the breath is used as a bridge between your body and your mind. The mantra helps to sharpen your attention away from the thoughts swirling around your head. It will help you become more embodied to allow you to slow down.
To use this meditation to help calm you for sleep:
As you’re lying down in your bed, start with a brief body scan and begin to relax your body into the mattress.
Close your eyes and tune into the subtlety of your breath. Really notice each inhale and exhale. Continue to notice your breath and try to lengthen your inhales and exhales.
When you’re ready, on an inhale, internally say “Sa”. Pause briefly at the top of your inhale and as you exhale, internally say “Ta”. Pause briefly. On your next inhale, internally say “Na”, pause, and then notice your mind saying “Ma” on the exhale.
Keep trying to continue slowing the breath and repeating that sequence:
Sa- inhale
Ta - exhale
Na - inhale
Ma - exhale
If your mind wanders and you forget where you are in the sequence, simply start with “Sa” again on your next inhale.
It’s really that simple.
If “Sa Ta Na Ma” doesn’t resonate with you, I’ve also experienced and used the following translation:
Sa - birth (the beginning)
Ta - Life (our existence)
Na - Death (transformation of consciousness)
Ma - rebirth (regeneration, resurrection)
So, you could repeat the words “birth, life, death, rebirth” instead.
Birth - inhale
Life - exhale
Death - inhale
Rebirth - exhale
This meditation can also be helpful anytime during the day when you want to calm yourself. Simply close your eyes and silently say “Sa Ta Na Ma” as you breathe. You can also add a mudra by touching your thumb to each finger one at a time while you repeat the mantra. This gives the mind something else to do if you’ve been worrying and your thoughts seem to be spiraling out of control.
By practicing a meditation like Sa Ta Na Ma you’re helping free yourself from unhelpful thought patterns, settling your mind and calming your body, not only in preparation for a good night’s sleep but also in living your very best life.
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
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