Dancing in my sleep

Today’s post is from Char Brooks.

Yay, Char! And thank you! I also dance in my sleep.

Insomnia

My revelation about Shiva Nata taking years or possibly a lifetime to learn was absolutely true (see “It only took a year“) — I learned that taking it slow and forgetting about mastering it was the idea here.

None of my traditional “hurry up and learn it” strategies would cut it.

As I was going to bed the other night, I remembered Havi’s Dance of Shiva ebook and decided to take a look.

In the past several months, I’ve had insomnia. Sleep affects everything in such a basic way. Those of you who don’t have sleep issues may take it for granted — maybe not.

When I go several days with disrupted sleep, I notice that I have more chronic pain, am prone to being tearful and irritable, and in general can’t accomplish much.

I’ve tried so many things to deal with this — everything works for a while, and then it stops. It’s gotten to the point that I don’t welcome bedtime anymore as I’m afraid I’m in for another night of sleeplessness — and how it will cost me during the day.

So it hasn’t been much fun being me lately.

Drifting off…

As I read the book in bed, I noticed that one thing Havi suggested was trying Dance of Shiva in the morning. I made a note of that one — and as I drifted off that was one of the last things I remember.

I tossed and turned, got up at 3am sleepless as usual — yet remembering that I had been dreaming of practicing Dance of Shiva. Eventually drifted off again thinking that I had a plan for when I got up — and somehow felt comforted by this. Hopeful that things may change with or without a good nights sleep.

The point of what I’m saying here is that that hope that things may change is what helped me wake up facing today in a different way. It helped me rest even when I wasn’t sleeping.

Having a plan. Remembering the power of possibility.

Just reading about Dance of Shiva and hearing the possibilities (that my brain can change, that my patterns can rearrange themselves) somehow changed my sleep pattern.

I know I’m not the only one who has mastered insomnia from time to time only to have it come back again. I’ve tried so many things to get me through this. It’s been painful.

But the promise of a different kind of pattern for rest through practicing Dance of Shiva — regardless of what actually happens during the night — gives me hope today and is helping me think more clearly.

And that the idea of practice could be so loosely interpreted as to mean reading about it, watching the DVD, or even just thinking about it — well, that’s just amazing.

Thanks, Char, for giving us more to think about. And for the reminder that intention is a plan. And that possibility is everywhere.
– Havi