"And if tonight my soul may find her peace in sleep, and sink in good oblivion,
and in the morning wake like a new-opened flower then I have been dipped
again in God, and new-created."
~D.H. Lawrence
photo by Kim Denise: "Striped Embrace"
I've been having some trouble sleeping lately, experiencing an unusual bout of insomnia, and it has me appreciating the gift of truly restful sleep. You know, that feeling of blissful surrender to the land of nod, when the body relaxes and thoughts dissolve as if into a mist and you pleasantly drift off into sweet oblivion. Ah yes...to sleep, perchance to dream.
It amazes me to think how much sleep most of us need—they say 7-8 hours a night is optimal for most adults (although some people do well with less), and young children need as much as 12-14 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is essential to our health and well being. While we sleep our body is busy doing maintenance and repair, and the brain is busy processing the events of our day. We need this time to renew body and mind.
Sleep is also a fertile time for creative problem solving. When the conscious mind takes a rest and becomes quiet and still, the subconscious mind comes out to play and we tap into a source of infinite creativity. Isn't it amazing how our dreaming mind creates these wonderful dramas for us to watch, like going to the movies, every night. Often our dreams show us where we are stuck in our life or relationships, suggesting what thoughts or beliefs or attitudes may be blocking our progress, and offer clues that may aid in our evolution. Dreams speak in a language of symbol and metaphor, and often in images that are shocking or disturbing enough to get our attention. I agree with those who say that whether or not we remember our dreams, they always serve a healing function, helping to bring balance to the psyche.
In appreciation and gratitude for the gift of healing, restorative, creativity-generating blissful sleep! And now, off to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.
It amazes me to think how much sleep most of us need—they say 7-8 hours a night is optimal for most adults (although some people do well with less), and young children need as much as 12-14 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is essential to our health and well being. While we sleep our body is busy doing maintenance and repair, and the brain is busy processing the events of our day. We need this time to renew body and mind.
Sleep is also a fertile time for creative problem solving. When the conscious mind takes a rest and becomes quiet and still, the subconscious mind comes out to play and we tap into a source of infinite creativity. Isn't it amazing how our dreaming mind creates these wonderful dramas for us to watch, like going to the movies, every night. Often our dreams show us where we are stuck in our life or relationships, suggesting what thoughts or beliefs or attitudes may be blocking our progress, and offer clues that may aid in our evolution. Dreams speak in a language of symbol and metaphor, and often in images that are shocking or disturbing enough to get our attention. I agree with those who say that whether or not we remember our dreams, they always serve a healing function, helping to bring balance to the psyche.
In appreciation and gratitude for the gift of healing, restorative, creativity-generating blissful sleep! And now, off to bed, to sleep, perchance to dream.
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