We are living in a world of overwhelm and stress influenced by external factors that demand our attention, and result in an addictive behaviors and lower energy levels. These distract us from what we really love and what we are really meant to be doing, our purpose and our passion. Our spirituality is an important aspect of human functioning. Spiritual people have strong relationships, high self-esteem, are optimistic, and have meaning and purpose in life. When we are exhausted, our vibration is low and we cannot access what is important to us and our true being.
Sleep is necessary and vital for our spiritual health and being present with what is. Living in the future contributes to anxiety and living from the past through fears creates depression, both of which have a deleterious effect on all levels of our well-being.
Why are we so Disconnected?
It is recommended for a healthy adult to have seven to nine hours of sleep, however we are all individuals and each have different requirements. In this fast paced society, our world has changed so much in the last 70 years. We have lost on average one and a half hours per night since that time. Much of that is contributed from electronic devices with instant notifications or push alerts, twenty four hour business open times and increased night shift work to name a few. Technology can connect us to anyone in the world at anytime, yet we have never been so disconnected from ourselves than every before. Real personal conversation and communication is lost because we are so addicted to digital technology and this is actually exhausting us even though most of us don’t actually realise this . We are so distracted and caught up in the business of life that we have forgotten all about our much needed sleep, slowing down and being present to the here and now and the people around us. According to the World Health Organisation, stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century.
Our perception of sleep has lost its values and we don’t respect sleep in this modern world. We say things like “I’ll sleep when I dead” or “I don’t have time for sleep”. These very words have energy and meaning deep in our subconscious mind. Being mindful of the language we use, shapes our attitudes and meanings. We don’t even understand sleep to value its full potential. There is not one system or cellular function in our body that does not benefit from a good night’s sleep. We spend so much time in a responsive state always wanting more, and very little if any, in a reflective state to appreciate all the miracles around us.
Deep Sleep and Dreaming
Deep sleep turns down the flight or fight response, enables recovery and increased vitality, helping to create a greater resilience to stress and external co-dependencies. When stress is reduced, your ability to tap into your intuition, to meditate well, to connect to whatever you believe in, something bigger than yourself, is greatly enhanced.
During REM (Rapid Eye Movement) or dream sleep, all our emotions are processed and we somehow try to make sense of our feelings and emotions of the day. This in turn gives us meaning to life and is a vital part of being connected to our true self. Depriving a person of REM sleep can have a deleterious effect on a psychological level.
Dreaming has also been responsible for some of the most creative ideas in history. In 1965, Paul McCartney composed the entire melody for the hit song Yesterday in a dream. When Paul awoke he went from his bed to a nearby piano where he played it. Einstein, discovered the principle of relativity and the speed of light – after having a vivid dream. Dreaming also puts us in touch with that deeper part of our subconscious where our greater meaning of life and life purpose are stored. Imagination and dreaming is the only state of mind that allows us to be free from the limiting reality we live in.
How to get more Connected
It is commonly known by experts that various forms of meditation, deep relaxation and exercise or movement are an effective way to sleep soundly, to be more spiritually connected and grounded.
We are living in a state of co-dependencies and oblivious that smarter sleep can in fact help us be more at peace with ourselves and therefore a better version of ourselves, living the life that your soul desires, including helping others and making the world a more acceptable and collaborative place with contribution and giving back.
Here are 3 top tips to reduce stress during the day and enhance your spiritual connection at night:
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- Worry Journal: We are so distracted during the day, by the time our head hits the pillow all our thoughts and concerns come flooding into our head in the still of the night. Anxiety and worry are the biggest culprits to preventing most of us from getting to sleep. A worry journal can help. Writing all your problems in the journal gives them a place to be stored other than your head. It is a very effective way to clearing your head enabling your brain to slow down and drift off to a pleasant night of sleep.
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- Gratitude: Write down something you are grateful for every morning and every evening. When you expression gratitude in the morning it really sets you up for the down, increasing your resilience to stress and creating a deeper connection with yourself. When you express gratitude before you go to bed, you are raising your vibration right as your head hits the pillow. This will enhance your sleep and send you into a deep slumber where you will get a deeper connection to your subconscious.
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- Meditate: Meditation in the morning will again set you up for the day, increasing your vitality and reducing stress. An evening meditation is a great way to wind down before bed.
Conclusion
Taking time out of the hectic fast paced society we live in today, we can become aware of what is. Getting good quality sleep can greatly enhance access to our deeper self and our intuition. We become conscious of our thoughts and feelings and we can hear our gut and soul whispering to us. When we listen, we get incredible wisdom and clarity of our own meaning of life. We have incredible power within us all waiting to be awakened.
So, unwrap the presence, with smarter sleep and live with energy and optimism, helping others and especially our children, our next generation. Sleep well.
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