Join the Sleep Revolution!

I am a devotee of sleep. Sleep is so high on my list of priorities that I'll often forego a "fun" night out because I'd rather enjoy the simple pleasures of the next day rather than a couple hours of excitement. This may seem extreme, but there it is. I so love going about my day fresh, simply feeling good to be alive, enjoying a clear mind, stable emotions and a happy body. It's not that I'm a total stick in the mud who doesn't ever do something that will compromise my sleep, but this gives you some sense of how much I value it. (And if I miss a few nights of good sleep, I am sure to make it up.)

From what I've been reading of late, I'm lucky to have had this priority in terms of its impact on my health and well-being over the years. It hasn't just enhanced my quality of life, it's contributed to my health and productivity in numerous ways. Since I hope the same for you, I encourage you to read Arianna Huffington's new book, The Sleep Revolution: Transforming Your Life, One Night at a Time. The book, released today, came to my attention because our iSleep Easy app is recommended in it. That was good news for us, of course, but it's even better news that this book has the potential to bring the importance of sleep to everyone's attention and vastly improve many lives as a result.

Trouble sleeping? Many of us find a good night of sleep elusive. My devotion to sleep partly grew out of many years of insomnia earlier in life. I tried many things and found many ways to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more deeply. Much of the inspiration for our iSleep Easy app grew out of my own experience.

If you aren't already, I hope you will be inspired to give sleep the priority in your life it deserves. You deserve it.  I hope you'll join the "Sleep Revolution"!

Guided Meditation for Renewal

Every moment is fresh and new, unlike any that has gone before or will come again. So often expectations based on what has happened in the past cloud our ability to let in what is actually happening now. This latest Guided Meditation for Renewal podcast is an opportunity to let go of expectations, ideas about how things are or will be, and be open to change. Life is constantly creating and renewing. We breathe in oxygen to enliven and nourish all our cells. The out breath carries away what isn't needed. Every cell in our body is being replaced with new cells. This meditation invites you to open to the flow of life energy, allowing it to renew you and your life on all levels.

This meditation was recorded live with my guided meditation group. I am thankful that they came up with this theme. It was interesting to hear everyone in the group describe their unique journey with this meditation. I would love to hear about yours!

Healthy Body Guided Meditation

Our new podcast meditation is designed to help you visualize a healthy body. Many people have requested this, each with a different angle. Many wanted to visualize a specific goal. While I allowed time at the beginning of the meditation  for people to set a goal, I created a meditation focused on the health of the body as a whole. This is like watering the root of a plant to benefit the whole plant, rather than focusing on any one part. This Healthy Body Guided Meditation targets the core systems of the body which bring oxygen, nutrition and energy to the cells -- the heart, lungs, and digestive systems. Strengthening those supports the health of all of the other parts of the body and can help the body with healing. Simply putting your attention on your body brings energy to it. You can use this meditation to enjoy a sense of well-being and enliven your body.

As with all of my meditations which involve visualization, be easy about the process. You don't need to follow every word or see everything clearly. You can simply sense something in a vague way. The important thing is not to strain to follow the meditation. Let it unfold in a way that is natural for you. Whatever comes to mind as you try to visualize or sense something is just the right thing for you at that time.

Of course, simply visualizing good health and healing is not enough. For a healthy body, we need a healthy diet, exercise, enough sleep and so on. For healing, it may be necessary to see a health care provider and use appropriate therapies. But visualization can play a big role in moving the body toward health, partly by helping us tune in to our body, listen to its needs and do what is needed to be healthy.

To learn more about visualization, read Dr. Andrew Weil's article on Guided Imagery -- http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART00468/Guided-Imagery-Therapy-Dr-Weil.html

For more on my approach to visualization, read this blog post -- Intuitive Visualization in Meditation