[HellthSpot]

I used to be super hyperactive and my thoughts were like turbo Pong. One of my greater challenges was getting to sleep. No matter how exhausted my body was, my mind always kept me awake.

Here's something I wanted to share with all of you. It is probably the simplest, yet most effective technique to get some very much needed shuteye.

So here's how it goes:

Lay down on your back. Straighten out as much as you can. Put your hands on your chest or next to your body (whichever is more comfortable).

Relax your thoughts and body a bit.

1) Breathe in through your nose counting; 1, 2, 3, 4 seconds (for a full chest of air)

2) Lightly hold this breath counting; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 seconds

3) Slowly exhale counting; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 seconds (until all air is squeezed out)

4) Then continue step 1-3 two more times focusing on an even count.

5) Rest for a minute or two breathing normally. Maybe stretch out a bit.

6) Then repeat steps 1-5 two more times.

In whole, there will be 3 repetitions and 3 sets of repetition.

It also helps to do this a couple times throughout the day to let the mind settle down a bit. When I was taught this, I was cautioned to not overuse the technique to ensure that it's positive effects remain strong and continual.

I hope some of you find this useful. This method has helped me a great deal over the years.

-Erin