(

(

1 3

2

4

Then expand

your attention

to include others like you, awake when they

would rather be sleeping. If there is a friend who

you know is often in a similar position, bring her

specifically to mind, otherwise imagine those in

your neighbourhood who might be awake right now:

insomniacs, a nursing mother, someone in pain, the

firefighter, nurse, police officer... each one of them

awake, just like you. You may like to hold the

images of these people in your mind and then wish

them well.

Conclude the practice by narrowing your

attention back to the breath for a minute

or two.

Connect with

the sense

you are never

alone... there

will always be at

least one other

experiencing

something

similar

Begin by becoming aware of the whole body. Bring
your attention to the breath, staying with the length
of the in-breath, noticing that moment when an in-breath
makes the transition to an out-breath, and then following
the out-breath. Continue, bringing the attention back if it
wanders.

After a few minutes, expand your attention from
the breath to the whole body, becoming aware of
how it feels physically to be awake. Notice how you may
move toward some aspects of your experience that you
like (such as a cool breeze touching warm skin), and pull
back from those that you don’t (perhaps tension in the
shoulders). Notice any thoughts or emotions that may
indicate how you are relating to whatever is arising. You
may like to reassure yourself by saying silently, ‘It’s okay,
let me feel this.’

Awake, just like me

One of the frustrations of not sleeping is feeling that you are the only
person awake, particularly if your partner is sleeping soundly next to you.
In this practice you connect with the sense that you’re never alone, and
there will always be at least one other experiencing something similar –
with insomnia, it is more likely to be thousands, if not millions.

be informed

be nourished

simply be

be energised

be inspired