Stretching that started due to insomnia: Why it has now become my 'centering time'
It has been about three years since I made 10 to 15 minutes of daily stretching a habit, which started because of insomnia.
After I finish, my body feels light and airy, and I have a sense of calm in my mind.
If I do it in the morning, I start my day feeling good, and if I do it at night, it becomes a time to care for myself, thinking, 'I did my best today.'
Stretching has now become an essential 'centering time' for me.
Suffering from insomnia after childbirth
When my daughter was a year and a half old, I weaned her, and she started sleeping through the night.
I used to be a stranger to insomnia, sleeping soundly for 7 to 8 hours.
I thought I could finally sleep without being woken up in the middle of the night, but then I started suffering from insomnia.
Every night it took me a long time to fall asleep, and there were days when I couldn't sleep at all...
Even though I was exhausted, I couldn't sleep during nap times either.
Parenting while sleep-deprived was very difficult.
My head was constantly foggy, and my body felt extremely heavy.
I became more irritable,
and spent my days complaining to my husband, 'I couldn't sleep again today.'
My mind and body were falling apart.
Things I started to get my life in order
When I was still taking care of my child at home, I didn't feel like taking her to the hospital due to the impact of COVID-19.
Once my daughter started kindergarten and I could have time for myself,
I finally had a physician prescribe me a sleep aid.
From that time on, I wanted to cure my insomnia myself, so I started improving my lifestyle habits.
Habits I adopted
・Stretching before bed
・Not drinking coffee after the evening
・Not looking at my smartphone in bed
Aiming for comfortable sleep while dealing with medication
Thanks to the medication, I was able to fall asleep better, but
I would still wake up two or three times in the middle of the night, and my physical condition did not improve.
I went to an internal medicine clinic for a year and a half, but I didn't feel much improvement, so when I requested stronger medication, I was referred to a psychosomatic medicine clinic.
The psychosomatic clinic examined my insomnia in more detail.
And now, there are many days when I can sleep until morning.
As I became able to sleep, I regained my strength and became able to move around more energetically than before.
I still feel anxious about sleeping without medication, so I am still taking it every day.
I want to gradually reduce the dosage from here on and be able to fall asleep naturally again.
My centering habit that I still continue today
My body was very stiff when I started, but
now that I have been doing it for three years, it has become easier to get into poses and my body has become more flexible.
When I stretch, it hurts my body if I am on the floor or a hardwood mat, but it is comfortable if I lay down a yoga mat.
Also, I love that I can relax more if I dim the room lights at night.
There was a time when I used an aroma lamp in the room, but it was too much trouble to keep up.
Stretching while surrounded by the scent of aroma was very pleasant, so I would like to incorporate it again when I have more leeway.
Finding a recommended stretching video
My routine is to do stretches while watching YouTube.
My favorite is a channel called 'B-Flow'.
The yoga and stretching videos by instructor Mariko are full of content tailored to specific ailments, allowing me to provide the perfect care for my body that day🌿
What stays with me most is this phrase she says at the end of her videos.
'Let's be grateful that we were able to spend the day safely and that we could do yoga.'
With these words, I have come to realize the gratitude of 'having this time to reset' right now.
A reset time I want to continue as a habit
Since I started stretching, my insomnia hasn't disappeared completely.
But the feeling of 'facing my own body' gently supports me.
Now that I have become aware of my health and learned the importance of resetting.
Stretching is an important 'reset habit' that I want to continue forever☺️
What is your 'reset habit'? Please let me know🌿