As with all advice, always consult with your healthcare professional before embarking on any regimen, especially one you haven’t tried before. Everyone’s body is different. Having said that, I would like to introduce you to the secrets I discovered about sleep while living as a Buddhist monk in the remote jungles of Thailand.

I never slept better than when I was practicing the 227 rules of a Buddhist monk. The rules are designed to create a harmonious atmosphere for a community of monks so that they can live together in peace and practice meditation, but I quickly discovered that these rules not only allowed us to live together in agreement, but mystically enhanced every aspect of my life. lifetime. life, including my physical and mental health.

The rules included only one meal a day and a lot of walking. We would walk to the surrounding villages at dawn, usually a two to five mile walk, and collect that day’s food from the villagers. We were not allowed to store food so we had to do our walk every day. The food consisted mainly of rice, miniature Thai bananas, leafy vegetables, and occasionally a bit of protein such as dried fish, grasshoppers, chicken, all organic.

We ate our only meal a day in the meditation hall, which was about a half mile from my hut, so I had to walk the half mile several times, day and night. This was in addition to the walk to the villages. The walking, combined with the type and quality of fresh food, and the fact that the digestive system had to work only once a day, favored a restful night’s sleep. The deciding factor, however, was the practice of meditation, which tends to relax the mind and resolve any outstanding conflicts so that one can truly relax peacefully at night and experience invigorating, dreamless sleep.

Now that I’m back in America, I still sleep like a baby. My regular routine is an hour or two of brisk walking every day, lots of brown rice (most of my calories), very little fruit, maybe some blueberries, apples, or grapefruit, lots of vegetables, beans, and olive oil. no sugar, no wheat, dairy, meat, etc. (small amounts of fish, eggs, or chicken can be added), adequate salt, and plenty of vitamins, especially vitamin C. I meditate regularly when I have time, and always before bed. Walking, meditation and a diet close to the macrobiotic model seem to work magic.

If you are lacking in any or all of these areas (walking, vitamins, meditation, or diet) and are having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, you might consider slowly incorporating this regimen into your lifestyle. It costs nothing, and in fact, your food bill will drop dramatically, unless you buy designer brown rice. (Does such a thing exist)? Another secondary benefit is that any health problems that are already active or soon to be active will likely be reduced or eliminated without the need for invasive medications.

Overall, your mental health and outlook will improve dramatically; a good night’s sleep is the best health insurance policy, and since all of the above is natural, there are no side effects or long-term dangers that can be experienced with medications of any kind. The three key ingredients are meditation, diet, and exercise. The reason walking works so well is because it doesn’t increase your stress levels. You can do it at home, without the need to spend extra money to attend classes or get involved in stressful and competitive training.

Meditation is also free. A beginner’s book on meditation will suffice, or free advice is available on my Southwest Florida Insight Center website listed below. Since none of this should cost you extra money, your stress levels should go down, and with the practice of meditation, your stress levels should go down dramatically. An added bonus is that meditation will, over time, reduce obsessive desires and cravings, and this will help maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Sleep well!