Jennifer Williamson - Sleep Rituals: 100 Practices for a Deep and Peaceful Sleep

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Copyright 2019 by Jennifer Williamson.

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First Adams Media hardcover edition January 2019

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Interior design by Katrina Machado

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data has been applied for.

ISBN 978-1-5072-0952-3

ISBN 978-1-5072-0953-0 (ebook)

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This book is intended as general information only and should not be used to diagnose or treat any health condition. In light of the complex, individual, and specific nature of health problems, this book is not intended to replace professional medical advice. The ideas, procedures, and suggestions in this book are intended to supplement, not replace, the advice of a trained medical professional. Consult your physician before adopting any of the suggestions in this book as well as about any condition that may require diagnosis or medical attention. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

Sleep is a time to heal, a time of peace, a time when every heavy thing from your day falls away so you can rest your body and recharge your soul. Indeed, the most profound gift of a restful sleep is the way you are strengthened from within: it makes life feel lighter . The rituals in this book will help you enter the deep, nourishing stages of sleep that make it possible for your total well-being to blossom.

In this accessible guide to a restful slumber, you will learn how to turn your mind, body, and space into an ideal sanctuary for sleep. No more rushing from task to task and hoping your brain shuts off on command Sleep Rituals shows you how to slow down and explore the qualitative difference between day and night. Using these one hundred easy and peaceful ritualspersonal practices you treat with intentionyoull be able to tune in to your body and your surroundings and tune out superficial noise and worry, clearing space in your mind for sleep. Each restorative practice in this book, whether it calls for a cup of tea or therapeutic touch, serves as a chance to get to know (and enjoy) yourself better. The intimacy of that self -exploration is a divine relaxation.

Expect more than a collection of habits in this bookafter all, healing and renewal require something richer than mindless repetition. Rituals enhance your ability to sweeten your life through something as simple as how you prepare for sleep. Youre both harnessing your relationship with yourself and your relationship with sleep to make joy, creativity, and well-being a daily reality. You can most certainly expect to wake up, work, play, love, give, and grow more gracefullyall because youve given yourself the essential gift of real rest.

CHAPTER 1

For most adults, 79 hours of sleep are essential for building emotional resilience, physical stamina, mental clarity, creative capacity, and healthy relationships. Your quality of life depends on making sleep a priority. While an upheaval in lifestyle is not necessarily the key to better sleep, a tender loving tweak in your perspective may be.

Mastering the subtle art of loving yourself to sleep requires you to treat the mundane like it matters, too, because its the foundation any successful ritual rests on. A beautiful ritual practice creates the conditions necessary for sleep, but dont dismiss the routine that breathes consistency into your life. This includes going to bed and waking up at the same time each day and also the ways that you go about making that a reality. Attended to with care, even something as casual as dimming the lights becomes an invocation for sleep. Sleep loves this kind of consistent, detail-oriented, respectful attention.

You dont need to change everything all at once. Start with one small change at a time. Treat this prep time with the same devotion that makes a ritual so powerful. Pay attention to the subtleties of your transition from day to night. If you start here, tonight, with the quiet pact to honor the little things, you have already begun the healing work.

Better sleep requires a bedroom that is set up for sleepand only sleep. With todays constant flow of information and stimulation, it is more crucial than ever to sanction off a space where you can disconnect from stress and reconnect with peace. Treating your bedroom like the most sacred space in your home is one of the most revolutionary decisions you can makeyoull be spending about one-third of the rest of your life here. Let this be a pleasurable place to come home to. Design it with comfort, security, restoration, and sensuality in mind. This one conscious act of self-care will breathe harmony into all areas of your life.

Creating a serene bedroom begins by declaring the purpose of this space: rest, intimacy, and perhaps contemplation. Set your own personal intention for the bedroom by choosing a word or phrase that depicts what this space is going to be used for from now on. For instance, you might declare something like This is where I love, rest, and dream. Every time you walk into your room, reaffirm its purpose.