In the previous four episodes, I have shared my experiences and knowledge from various angles on ‘How to Induce the Best Sleep.’

In this final episode, I would like to delve deeper into the subject of sleep from the perspectives of energy and qi.

• Sleep becomes elusive when you worry too much.
• Challenges arising from a sluggish, stressful lifestyle (too much FIRE, causes insufficient WATER).
• Regularly dedicating 20 minutes to lower your energy (exercises to calm your qi).

Worries, overthinking, stress

It’s evident that achieving restful sleep is impossible if you are continually preoccupied with various thoughts. This is most likely to occur when you are burdened by worries or stress. Worry and excessive stress, depending on their intensity, trigger a bodily response akin to encountering a lion in the forest, causing your body into a fight-or-flight response. Consequently, it releases hormones such as dopamine and cortisol, elevates blood pressure and heart rate, and tenses your muscles, rendering relaxation difficult.

From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, an excess of internal ‘fire’ (heat) imbalances with ‘water’ can disrupt sleep. This can manifest as a dry throat, heightened body temperature, and difficulties in achieving relaxation during sleep. You might awaken feeling thirsty, experience nightmares, or have the urge to visit the restroom, resulting in non-restorative sleep.

This state exerts a toll on the body, and it is easy to envision the negative impact it can have on overall health when it becomes a chronic issue.

Yin Deficiency

While studying Shiatsu, and even to this day, my acupuncture instructors and Taiji teacher frequently emphasize the prevalence of ‘Yin Deficiency’ among contemporary individuals, especially those residing in urban areas.

Yin Deficiency refers to a condition in which, owing to the persistent low-level or intermittent stress of modern urban life, the body remains in a Fight or Flight state depleting the Yin (water) as the Yang (fire) dominates. This leads to a state of Yin Deficiency (water deficiency).

Symptoms of Yin Deficiency include insomnia, hot flashes, excessive contemplation, dry throat, frequent dreams (disrupted sleep), and premature ejaculation.

To address this Yin Deficiency condition, it is essential to prioritize regular relaxation.

Sinking Qi

Regularly regulating your qi not only results in improved sleep but also mitigates tendencies toward anxiety, overthinking, worry, or panic over minor issues and you become more stable.

Particularly in today’s modern society, where much of our day is consumed by interacting with computers and mobile devices, qi tends to accumulate in the head, causing excessive tension in the visual nerves and more. Redirecting this surplus energy downward to the abdomen, where it naturally belongs, can enhance your stability and the quality of sleep.

I would like to introduce my TaiJi and Nei Gong instructor Damo Mitchell’s ‘Settling the Jin with Qi gong exercise’.