Maybe what you need most right now is to curl up and sleep. The benefits of napping are many, but did you know it can also be a form of meditation? Here’s what you need to learn to maximise your use of that groovy new pod at work – or simply catch a few winks midday.
The Many Benefits of Napping
Napping helps you in various ways. For example, research suggests it cuts your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. Other mental and physical advantages include:
- Higher alertness and productivity
- Enhanced memory consolidation and learning
- Improved cognitive function
- Reduced stress
It’s challenging to overstate the impact of the last item on the list. One 2023 survey conducted by the American Psychological Association found 77% of respondents reported experiencing work-related stress in the past month.
Excess tension can make your heart work harder and increase your risk of depression, addiction, and anxiety. To get that stress down, choose positive interventions – like naps.
How Napping Can Be a Form of Meditation: 5 Techniques to Try
First of all, stop “shoulding” all over yourself. There’s no singular right or wrong way to make napping a form of meditation. Also, resist building frustration if you don’t fall asleep. You can’t magically flip that switch, so acknowledge your emotions, then shift focus to something you can control, like your breath. With that in mind, the following five techniques have helped many people experience deeper, more refreshing naps.
1. Do a Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra is a highly specialised form of meditation that takes you through the five states of being – physical, energy, mental, wisdom and spiritual. The process begins with a body scan as you mentally direct your awareness to different parts of your physical self, such as the tip of your right big toe.
From there, you move on to breathwork and guided imagery, all designed to help you get back in touch with your anandamaya kosha – a sense of pure bliss and connection with all other living things.
However, this state is not the “goal” in the traditional sense – it arises spontaneously. Whether or not you achieve this state is unimportant. The process itself provides the benefits.
2. Count Backwards From a Number
Counting backwards is a type of focused meditation, as your mind can’t readily do so in reverse without concentration. Many people count backward from 10, but you can choose any number you like.
Simply lay back, get into a comfortable sleeping position and begin. Other tricks include mentally reciting the alphabet backward or picturing an animal for each letter.
3. Focus on a Soothing Sound Pattern
If you have headphones, they can help you. YouTube offers a world of options, from the sounds of waves to binaural beats and solfeggio frequencies intended to promote deep relaxation. Close your eyes and lose yourself by focusing on the sound until you drift into dreamland – set an alarm first, of course.
4. Try a “Don’t Close Your Eyes” Body Scan
You can perform a body scan independent of a full yoga nidra practise. All it requires is directing your attention and energy to various parts in turn, such as:
- Your right shoulder
- Your upper arm
- Elbow
- Forearm
- Wrist
- The palm of your hand
- Back of your hand
- Each fingertip, one at a time
The trick is to try to do it without closing your eyes – but remember the “should” rule. When you feel them begin closing naturally, cede to the urge as you drift into slumber.
5. Balance Your Breath
Finally, balanced breathing activates the parasympathetic side of your nervous system – your rest-and-digest function. Consciously slow your breath with your eyes closed, inhaling for five and exhaling for the same length.
Try Napping as a Form of Meditation
Napping has mental and physical benefits. Experiment with these techniques to take a break and ease stress at midday.
