What do you do in the middle of the night when all are asleep except for you? When it is so still you can hear the neighbor’s cat sliding through the bushes in search of a mouse and you can hear your breath as you inhale and exhale. Rather than just lying there waiting, waiting to go back to sleep or for morning to arrive why not meditate? Instead of creating wrinkles from lack of sleep meditation will soothe you. Following the breath as it rises and falls, as you inhale and exhale is calming. Great gurus say that if we were able to follow the inhale and exhale for an entire day without distraction we would be enlightened.

Following the breath ten times without distraction can be a challenge mostly because inevitably a thought will cross our mind which pulls us away from that focus and soon you will realize that several breaths have passed without you noticing—begin again—focus on the breath, give some attention to the thoughts because they will come but don’t wrestle with them watch them come in and go out. Perhaps ask to whom do these thoughts occur and this will return you to a place where you can watch the breath and not the thoughts. Then at peace you may fall quickly back into sleep.