The trick with insomnia is this:
Don't fight it
Don't think about it...
Don't worry...
Easier to say than to do,
and
this is your chance to learn to meditate
whether you want to or not
...
this is the secret:
finding something soft and eyes closed
that is more interesting than thinking
a lot more interesting
and guess what:
movement with attention
that is slow
and had variation
and is soft
and had breaks/ rests/ pauses
suits that requirement completely
...
so
here's a good one,
and it helps with necks, backs and shoulders, too.
lie on your side,
in bed
eyes closed,
knees bent comfortably and one hand on top of the other
with your arms straight
in front of you
do things and then rest
1. take your top arm forward ( the direction your nose is pointing is forward)
so that your top hand goes past your bottom hand
do this very slowly
keep this top arm straight and bring the hand and arm back, so the fingers begin to come
up on your lower wrist
go back and forth and feel the movement in your shoulder
and your back
rest
2.
Do all the above and add on breathing
either way:
breathe in as you go forward and out as you come back
or
breathe out as you go forward and breathe in as you come back
do this slowly
about ten times,
seeing if you can feel something new and different and pleasant
in your body each time you do this
rest
3. Do all the above
and start opening your hand like a flower as you roll forward
and bringing all your fingers together like an octopus all legs touching as you come back
go
slow
go
really really slow
feel
the fingers
feel
your breathing
feel your ribs rolling
feel
you shoulder blade moving
feel
the
vertebrae in your spine moving
feel
the pleasure in
feeling/ sensing yourself
at least ten times rest
after those four ,
lie on your back and rest
and imagine the whole sequence in your mind
as you feel rather than do it in your body
then do it again,
but add on:
be aware of your neck
feel how it rolls a little one way and the other
do all four steps
one by one,
nice long rests,
and have your neck as part of this
after those four,
take a big rest
if you want more complicated versions,
come take lessons
or call
and we'll arrange verbal lessons if you aren't in Austin..
but keep doing this
as you get more and more happy
and soft with
fingers
spine
neck
shoulder
ribs
breathing
take lots of rests
do it a bunch on one side
so slowly than you can imagine,
almost like it's sleep movement
take lots of rests
you might fall asleep
that's okay
you might keep enjoying this
and
radically improving your spine neck shoulder and brain and fingers
that's okay, too
smile while you do this
sense your toes
and send happiness to them,
and let them send
happiness to you
good,
cheers
chris
CAT AND COW
IN SITTING ON A CHAIR
Come to the front of the chair
Both feet on the floor
CAT:
Back is rounded
by
Pulling stomach in
Rolling back on your pelvis
Lowering your sternum
Letting your head slump down
COW
Back is arched
by
Pushing stomach forward
(extra credit, figure out how to do this on the outbreath)
Rolling forward on your pelvis
Raising your sternum
Letting your nose lift up toward the sky (Do not cram your neck way back)
NORMAL DEAL
In sitting
alternate cat and cow
slowly
taking a few turns to mainly notice the pelvis
a few turns
to mainly notice the ribs and arch/ round of the spine
and
a few turns
feeling your head's involvement in this
and
then
a few turns feeling it all together
VARIATION ONE
In this variation your head does the opposite as the "normal" version
So
VARIATION ONE -- CAT
All is the same except for the head:
Back Rounded
by
Belly in
Pelvis rolled back
Sternum down
and
Head goes UP this time
Two ways to notice this:
The head goes back as the back goes back
and
Your head is rotating the same way your pelvis is
VARIATION ONE -- COW
All is the same except for the head
Back Arched
by
Belly forward
Pelvis rolling forward
Sternum up
and
Your HEAD goes DOWN this time
as before;
Head and belly going forward
and
Your head is rotating the same way your pelvis is
LINK THESE UP:
AND
go slowly
and pay attention
and enjoy the movement
and find something new and delicious
and interesting
each time you do the movement
Go LESS than your full range
Use LESS force
Use MORE attention, ease and pleasure
Enjoy
CAT AND COW AS THEY DO IT IN YOGA
ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES
NORMAL CAT
Back arched up toward the ceiling
as
Pelvis tucks under
Belly tucks in
Head lowers toward the pelvis
And your sternum moves as if down into your belly
NORMAL COW
Back and ribs come toward the floor
as
Your pelvis rotates so your butt is moving toward the back of your head
The back of your head , as you nose lifts, is moving toward your butt
Your sternum is expanding and coming as if up toward your neck
CAT and COW in Yoga:
Go back and forth between these two
VARIATION TWO
Put your weight on your left hand and knee
Have your right knee free
As you do cat,
Bring your right knee toward your nose
As you do cow
Bring your right foot back and up toward the ceiling
Alternate these two
VARIATION ONE IN THE YOGA VERSION
HANDS AND KNEES VARIATION ONE, CAT
Your back is up toward the ceiling,
Rounded we call it, though blah blah, it could seem an arch
Think of rounding forward in standing or sitting,
This is rounding, just go along with it
Your back is toward the ceiling
Your pelvis is tucked under , tailbone tucked under, as if toward your head
Your belly is pulled in and up toward the ceiling
and
Your head is looking up toward the ceiling/ sky also
as before:
the back and the head are both toward the sky
and
the pelvis and the head are rotating the same direction
HANDS AND KNEES VARIATION ONE, COW
Your back is arched
Meaning ribs are pushed "forward" if forward is the way your chest points
or
Ribs and belly are pushed toward the floor
and your sternum lifts a bit toward your neck
and
Your pelvis rotates as if the point your butt toward your head
and
Your head this time is
Going down toward the floor
as before:
The ribs and mid section is toward the floor and so is your head
and
Your pelvis and your head are rotating in the same direction
Combine these two
Go slowly
Go slower
Stop a lot
Feel it
feel it
feel it
as sensation
it's very relaxing
and
brain expanding
as are
all of these lessons
cheers
Chris
often we are doing something along
the lines
of holding our breath
waiting for
"something bad to stop"
or
"something good to start."
a minor problem with this:
we miss the now
.......
the birds fly to their nests,
the sleep
or
to feed their babies
somewhere
or sometimes
they must make birdie love
else where do those eggs and
babies come from
and they are just
doing what they are doing
and that's good enough for them
......
we have long hard days,
sometimes
how can we lean into them
and breahte
and sense our bodies
and relax?
