Dear J
In your introduction to yoga practice, you said that yoga is very helpful for both mental concentration and sleep. I have been suffering from severe insomnia for eight years. I have tried many treatments. So far, there has been no significant benefit. You have definitely said that yoga is beneficial. Are you sure about that?
M
Dear M,
Insomnia is a common problem in this century. Only a small percentage of people suffer from complete insomnia. However, a significant number of people are experiencing some level of insomnia. They may not realize if the problem started on a small level.
The development of insomnia follows an evolutionary process. Let me explain it this way.
A person’s lifestyle may contain certain shortcomings and inadequacies. For example, there is no order in his life. His eating and working hours are not regular. The way he sits is not correct.
B. The body adapts itself to that lifestyle. Eventually, the body adjusts and begins to perceive that lifestyle as normal.
C. But the body is designed to function only in a certain way due to its structure. Disrupting this order leads to the development of diseases. If a person keeps changing his sleep schedule continuously, the body loses the ability to create normal sleep. An irregular diet disrupts the normal production of digestive juices. This leads to inadequate digestion of food. Undigested food causes hemorrhoids.
E. Digestion and sleep are interdependent. Indigestion leads to insomnia. Insomnia leads to digestive problems. If we do not sit properly, digestive problems and insomnia occur.
This physical issue affects the mind. The mind becomes worn out and irritable. When we are worn out and irritable, we tend to gravitate toward activities that stimulate our adrenal glands and excite us. We will immerse ourselves in an activity, unaware of the passing of time. It’s an action akin to scratching an itch. However, the act of scratching intensifies the itching and disperses it. We perceive this excessive excitement as a sign of a faster life. However, this is merely a form of basic adrenal stimulation. It will only lead the mind to more boredom.
F. The mind will make us seek more and more excitement. It will make us postpone sleep. Individuals who suffer from insomnia experience this peculiar pattern. Their bodies are experiencing a loss of order and degradation. Therefore, they are bored, and this boredom drives them to seek excitement. Continued excitement leads to increased cases of insomnia.
The only treatment is to get out of this vicious cycle. No medicine will be effective unless we break this clutch. Allopathic medicines provide artificial sleep. If a person exceeds the age of 70, they may consider using allopathic medicines. It can be challenging for him to change his lifestyle.
When people use medications to achieve artificial sleep, their brain power begins to decrease. Memory fades. Attention becomes impossible. Consciousness keeps flowing without settling anywhere. While awake, the mind continues to run like a random stream, filled with irrelevant thoughts and memories. That is a massive self-destruction. Young people should not resort to that path.
The only way to overcome insomnia is to change the lifestyle in a suitable manner. There is no other cure. Yoga and meditation are the only ways to change our lifestyles. Yoga and meditation simultaneously train the body and the mind. The only way is to do that training persistently, completely, and continuously. That is to say, the only solution is to turn around and embark on a different path.
Joining a yoga group, attending direct training as often as possible, and receiving guidance from a direct teacher will aid this process. If we practice yoga alone, we won’t be able to sustain it over time. We can attend camps and meetings for that purpose repeatedly.
Insomnia is not easily curable. If one can cure it, it is only through yoga.
I have spent twenty years working in an industry where insomnia is a common occurrence. Everyone who recovered from insomnia in this industry relied solely on yoga practice.
Jeyamohan
