The Headspace Guide to: Mindfulness & Meditation

by Andy Puddicombe

Exercise 10: sleeping meditation This exercise is also available as a guided meditation at www.getsomeheadspace.com/headspace-book/get-some-headspace Before going to bed, make sure you’ve been to the bathroom, locked the door, turned off your phone and done all the other things you usually do before going to bed. If you find it helps, you could even prepare a few things for the morning or make a list of things you need to do the next day. Having got ready for bed, lie flat on your back under the covers, as if you were about to go to sleep. If you find it more comfortable, place a thin pillow under your head. It doesn’t matter if you usually sleep on your front or side, this exercise is best done lying on your back and you can always flip over afterwards. As you lie there, take a moment to appreciate the sensation of sinking into the bed, the feeling that your body is being supported and that you have reached the end of the day, with nothing more to do. Once you’re lying comfortably, take five deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, just as you do in the core technique. As you breathe in, try to get a sense of the lungs filling with air and the chest expanding. As you breathe out, imagine the thoughts and feelings of the day just disappearing into the distance, and any feelings of tension in the body just melting away. This will help to prepare both the body and the mind for the exercise ahead. Step 1: Begin by checking-in, in the usual way, n...