So, you were laid off. Let Go. Released. Downsized. Cut loose. Anyway you say it, it means the same thing. You are out of a job. And, you join the millions across America who are unemployed as well.

Maybe you were given some notice, a nice farewell party and a generous severance package. Maybe, you were surprised on a Friday with a pink slip and an empty box (or a paper bag) to pack up your things. Or, perhaps you just discovered that your key no longer worked in your office door lock.

Now what??!!

Well, of course, you look for another job. You get your resume together, you dust off your interview suit, you join all the Social Networking sites and you start surfing Monster, Careerbuilder and wheresmynextjob.com with the intention of finding a new job FAST!

But, what happens when you don’t get hired the week after you just got fired???

What do you do with all this new-found time?

Well, while you're searching for your next job, here's some ideas, reminders, random thoughts etc. from someone who's discovering there is life after her layoff.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Namaste' Your Way to a Good Night's Sleep

I'm still not sleeping well. It usually goes like this: I sleep for a couple of hours, then I'm wide awake for what seems like forever, then I finally drift back to sleep for an hour or two. I'm sure I'm just stressed because I'm not working. Maybe it's my growing financial concerns and the declining economy. Or, maybe it's my fears that Lamar Odom won't return to the Lakers.

I've had no luck so far doing what the "experts" suggest. Even my Tylenol PM isn't working so well. So, when I received my yoga studio's monthly newsletter offering an upcoming 2 1/2 hour workshop with this headline: "Sleep Like A Baby With Yoga Nidra", I had to give it a shot!

The workshop was taught by a licensed hypnotherapist and included a discussion of Yoga Nidra, some gentle yoga stretches to do before going to bed and a guided Yoga Nidra meditation. I couldn't take pictures, but this one I found online shows what it looked like.


Yoga Nidra translates from the Sanskrit as "yogic sleep", or a "glorious state of complete physical relaxation that when achieved allows the consciousness to release mental stress and promote rejuvenation of the mind, body and spirit". (at least, that's what the pamphlet said.)

Supposedly, anyone can do it and everyone can benefit from it. After some simple yoga stretches, we were taken through a guided meditation done by lying down in the savasana pose (or, corpse pose). We were to relax each part of our bodies systematically while breathing deeply and slowly from our abdomen. As you enter deep relaxation, you're supposed to feel your mind become clear and detached.

My review? Well, I guess I naively thought she would show us some magical "sleep-inducing" yoga poses. Instead, we did some of the same yoga stretches that we do in my regular yoga classes. Judging by the snores I heard next to me, the guided meditation she did worked for almost everyone. I was very relaxed and even drifted off for a moment or two. But, after going through the process, she announced that her CD's were on sale in the corner for $20.00!

I didn't think that was right. We all paid for this seminar already - did we have to spend an additional $20 more for the "key's to the city"? I get that she has to earn a living, but I thought the price was a little steep! I think I can find cheaper CD's out there taking me on the same relaxation journey.

I knew that one class wasn't going to unleash the secret of uninterrupted sleep - it's a process that takes practice. That night, I tried Yoga Nidra with my husband, who's also having trouble sleeping lately but couldn't attend the class with me that day. After going through the yoga stretches and some guided relaxation, he slept like a baby...and I was awake for hours.

I think I need a little more practice.
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3 comments:

  1. AnonymousJuly 21, 2009 at 10:28 AM

    I have been having trouble sleeping as well. If it worked with your husband it should work with you. I have read that really focus on your breathing and make sure to try it more than one time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. DUTAJuly 21, 2009 at 12:27 PM

    I often wonder about the mechanism of sleep.
    When I'm bothered by things I don't get insomnia like a lot of people do, but the other trouble: oversleeping.

    Anyway, insomnia can be treated naturally. No need for pills. Good Luck with the Yoga!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 22, 2009 at 9:31 AM

    I just love this blog---it tells it, like it is---keep up the work, we want to hear from you. PG

    ReplyDelete

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