Insomnia Tip #21
Sleep with Your Head Facing North
And, obviously — unless you have a particularly unusual body — your feet facing south. This aligns your body with the magnetic field of the planet, bringing your own energies into harmony with those of the Earth. Sound like a pretty bizarre theory? Try it. You’ll see what a difference it makes.
Insomnia Tip #36
South, Not North
“I suggest you amend the tip on “sleeping with the head pointing North”. It has long been known in India that sleeping this way is damaging to mind and body, and that burying the dead with the head pointing northward makes the body decay more quickly. The premise is that the body can be seen as a large magnet, with the head as the north pole and the feet as the south pole. Since unlike poles attract, it is best to have the feet (south pole) facing North. This results in minimal blood circulation and low activity in the brain, and therefore more restful sleep.”- Ron
Insomnia Tip #23
Toe Wiggling
A relaxed body is essential for a sound sleep. This may sound like we’re contradicting what we just said about our minds keeping us awake, but it’s no contradiction. Eastern sciences (such as yoga) have known for thousands of years that the mind and body are connected (actually they’re not just connected, they’re one, but the idea that they’re connected is sufficient for our purposes here.) So if the mind is not relaxed, the body is not relaxed. Conversely, the body has to be relaxed for the mind to be relaxed. It’s a package deal.
So how do you relax your body? We’ve already mentioned milk, herbal teas, exercise, and avoiding caffeine. But there are techniques you can do directly with your body. Toe Wiggling is one of them.
Lie on your back (where you should be in the first place) and wiggle your toes up and down 12 times, wiggling the toes of both feet at the same time. This will relax your entire body, inside and out.
How does it work? According to the science of Reflexology — which has been around in other cultures for thousands of years — your feet are a kind of master control panel for the rest of your body. “Meridians” in the body — which are those channels of energy treated by acupuncture — end up in the feet. So the ends of those meridians in your feet connect with every organ and every part of your entire body.
When you wiggle your toes, you are stimulating — and thus relaxing — your entire body. (Incidentally, this is a good place to mention that you can be energized and relaxed at the same time. It’s a matter of the quality of that energy. If it flows freely and smoothly, you will be relaxed. If the energy flow in your body is restricted or blocked, you will be tense. And toe wiggling helps to bring about a relaxing, free-flowing energy.)
Note: This same exercise is also great first thing in the morning before getting out of bed in order to energize the body.
Insomnia Tip #24
Stomach Rub
This soothes down the digestive system and helps to bring about a deeper relaxation. An extra benefit is that it will help you to lose weight by improving the functioning of the digestive system.
Simply lie on your back and place your hand on your navel. Begin to make small circles in a clockwise direction as you gently glide your hand over your stomach. Let your circles gradually become bigger and bigger. When your circles reach the outside of your stomach, gradually reduce their size until you are back at your navel again. Then reverse the direction (to counter-clockwise) and do the same thing again. Repeat this whole series with your other hand. Do this several times.
Note: Food material moves through the colon in a clockwise direction. If you have trouble with constipation, make all your circles clockwise. If troubled by diarrhea, make all your circles counter-clockwise. Clockwise circles will alleviate the blockage, counter-clockwise circles will help solidify fecal material.
