How often do you wake up feeling rested and restored after a night’s sleep?  Many individuals feel challenged to fall asleep, stay asleep or enjoy the nourishment of a fulfilling night’s sleep.  I would encourage each of you to assess aspects of your sleep hygiene and ask yourself how you might make positive changes.  First of all, be mindful about having drinks with caffeine  (as well as eating chocolate which can stimulate the endocrine system) too late in the day/evening; perhaps you need to also be mindful about the amount of liquid you drink before sleep if you find yourself waking up to go to the bathroom.  Avoid getting on your computer or other electronic devices within an hour of sleep.  Begin to dim the lights in your home to stimulate your melatonin.  Start to decrease outside stimuli which can over-excite the system.  Also, avoid having lights from alarms, answering machines, or clocks close to your bed.  I personally find it helpful to set a routine such as putting on some lotion or massage oil on my feet and hands as well as on my shoulders.

In terms of Reiki, do you remember to do your energy clearing before going to bed?  You can set your intention to have a good night’s sleep and recalling aspects of your dreams that could be helpful to your learning,   growth and healing.  I sometimes do a chakra balancing while in bed in that state between awake and falling asleep.  If I am too charged up or connecting energetically with individuals or circumstances, I might draw the sequence of symbols in my left hand, energetically write and state my intention 3x,draw the symbol sequence again, bring my right hand over the left , and send Reiki to having a deep and restorative sleep.  One can also picture a beautiful flower with petals over each chakra and see the petals closing slowly and comfortably; this allows the energy to quiet down and to prepare yourself more deeply for a delicious state of sleep.

If you have a dog or cat at home, watch them sleep and allow their behaviors to inspire and teach you.  Remember that our sleep is also impacted by what we are thinking and feeling; make certain that you are giving yourself regular Reiki self treatments and also working with your Reiki Ideals.