You’ve pulled down the shades and turned off the lights. Your head hits the pillow and you sigh. Minutes pass and you realize you are still awake. Your mind is racing over the details of a meeting you’ve anxious about; or, you’re ruminating over the interaction you had with a friend that left you feeling unsettled. The frontal lobe of our brain is where we think, where our daily activities are planned and sorted out. It’s the part that gets over-stimulated and keeps us awake.

Photo by Flickr user CarbonNYC

Just before sleep our brains shift into theta wave, the state also created by meditation. This is a slower wavelength than when we’re awake editing, assessing and analyzing non-stop. From the theta wave we easily shift into sleep. And the beauty is our brain does that for us. All we have to do is prepare for sleep, that is, create the environment for it to happen. That’s where meditation comes in handy. Sometimes brushing our teeth and putting on pajamas isn’t enough.

If you are new to meditation the following exercise might take a little practice, although you may find benefits on your first attempt. Practicing the technique when you’re not sleepy will help increase your awareness of your brain and also the sensations of thinking.

Put your focus on the lower back of your brain (the opposite position of the forehead.) I immediately notice that my thinking gets fuzzy, like I can't hold onto a thought. Take a few breaths imagining the breath is gently soothing that section. To enhance this further, imagine a humming sound there.

Now, notice if you're more relaxed. You might mostly sense a change in your body. That’s fine. As our body relaxes, our mind relaxes and vice versa.

As a mental health professional, an owner of a fitness studio, a writer and a wife, mother and grandmother, I have found meditation to be helpful in every aspect of my life. Let's talk... My novel, A Barroom View of Love, is in an online contest. To watch the video pitch and vote go to nexttopauthor.com/?aid=580 You can also contact me at susanmmorales@yahoo.com or check out my websites: susanscottmorales.com and bodiesinbalancefitness.com