Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Go to sleep with it...wake up with it.

It's a strange and mysterious thing. That whatever we go to sleep with is precisely what we wake up with. I'm not talking about the man (or woman) beside you. I'm talking about those thoughts that are flyin' around in your head as you fall asleep. No matter how deeply you sleep or how many vivid dreams you may have, you're still going to wake up with whatever you were thinking about before you went off to LaLaLand.

There are some who believe that when we sleep we return to the Source from whence we came. Others believe slumber is nothing more than an unconscious state. And still others believe that sleeping is as close to death as we get while we're still here.

As far as I can tell, the jury is still out.

I like the "return to Source" one. Makes me happy to think about being able to "cross over" and come back again. Cool stuff. But then, consider the source (by that I mean the person who's writing this). I also believe in Santa Claus and magick. So it's not a stretch for me to grab hold of the crossing over thang. It's just fun to think about. And you know me...I'm all about the fun.

So then....let's say you lie down in bed and try to get your brain to stop whirring. You may have some little tricks you use to reach those ends. But still...it just keeps a-whirrin' and a-buzzin'; those pesky words you heard from a crabby neighbor or that spat you had with your bonehead roommate or the nasty confrontation you had with your boss. The words and the feelings they evoke just won't go away. Like gnats flyin' up your nose. ICK.

Finally, without a hint as to how or why, you fall asleep. And you dream. And dream. And dream.

And then you wake up....only to find those same thoughts right there at the forefront of your mind.

DANG IT!

OR....

You put on some soft music. And you slow down your breathing. And you just focus on that breath...in and out, in and out, in and out. You don't even have to try to stop your brain because you're so focused on the breathing and the lovely music and the coziness of your bed and that wonderful pillow you just bought that is absolutely perfect. There you are, lying in bed, with nary a thought about anything. And then ....ZZZZZZZ. Deep, restful slumber. When you wake up, you're refreshed and rested and happy to be alive. You hear the birds singing and the roosters cock-a-doodling (if you happen to be so lucky to have roosters nearby) and the trees whispering in the soft, morning wind. Your dog comes in with tail a-waggin', happy that you're awake. He jumps up on the bed and you snuggle for a little while, with a grin as big as a Cheshire cat. Your body is tingling. Your heart is full. Your new day has begun.

See the difference here?

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