energy medicine relief of insomnia part 1 - heal … · donna eden and david feinstein, energy...

November 2007 • Margie M. Mulligan, Ph.D. • What You Will, LLCFort Collins, CO • 970-214-3397 • [email protected] • www.heal-with-energy.com

One of the biggest health issues many people face is insomnia, having difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep for more than a few hours. It’s hard to work, run a business or deal with your friends, family or children when you aren’t rested. Getting relief is definitely possible so that you can sleep without an aid such as some OTC or prescription sleeping remedy, herbal supplements or even alcohol. The key is balancing your energy systems so the life force can flow through your body as it was designed to do. A huge benefit from managing your own energy system is that you can control your ability to go to sleep, even if nothing else is available to assist you (pills, music, etc).

If your case of insomnia is chronic and persistent, you may benefit from additional strategies in addition to energy medicine. See additional comments at end of the booklet.

In this booklet, there are a number of different exercises or postures from 4 different sources: energy kinesiology, acupressure, whole body reflexology and yoga mudras. This variety was included because there are so many different types of insomnia. Experiment with them to see which works best for you. At first, it may take you longer to get natural results if you are really stressed or have long standing insomnia. If you are persistent in doing a number, or even all, of the exercises during the hour before you go to bed for several weeks, you’ll find that you can retrain yourself to go to sleep naturally and sleep well. If your insomnia is mild, these energy exercises will work faster.

Energy Kinesiology for InsomniaDonna Eden and David Feinstein, Energy Medicine:

1) Connect the Master MeridiansTakes about 30 seconds

Benefits: Connects major front (central) and back (governing) meridians that coordinate energies of the other 12 meridians and stabilizes your entire energy system

This exercise is great to do just before you go to bed or first thing in the morning. It’s very simple. Put your longest finger of one hand in your belly button (navel) and the same finger of the other hand between your

eyebrows, just above the bridge of your nose (the 3rd eye).

Press both fingers lightly in and upward as you breathe in through your nose. Hold your breath for 10-30 seconds, whatever is most comfortable for you, and then breathe out through your mouth as you release both hands. Repeat 3 times.

2) Release Stuck Energy in the Head Takes less than 2 minutes

Benefit: Increases blood flow and energy to your head and relieves congestion or tight muscles from long hours working; opens you to higher inspiration.

This exercise is a really good way to calm your brain when it’s racing. Start with your fingertips curled in the center of your forehead, vertically, resting your thumbs on your temples. Press into your forehead and drag

your fingers across your forehead to your temples. Take a deep breath in through your nose at the same time that you press your fingers into your forehead; then breathe out through your mouth as you pull your fingers across your forehead. If this feels good or is tender, repeat.

Energy MedicineRelief of Insomnia Part 1


Next, move your hands up into your hair with your little fingers at the hairline. Press into your scalp as you breathe deeply in through your nose. Then breathe out through your mouth as you drag your fingers across the

scalp about 2-3 inches away from each other.

Continue to move your hands up over the top of your head, pressing your fingers down right next to the previous spot. Again, breathe in as you press and breathe out as you pull your fingers 2-3 inches apart across your scalp.

End up at the back of your neck, pressing in and then pulling your fingers across your neck toward your ears.

If your head was tender in any spots, that just means the energy was blocked and not moving easily through that area. This will change in a day or two of repeating this energy exercise.

3) Calm Over-Stimulated Immune System Takes 2-3 min

Benefits: Calms triple warmer meridian (responsible for immune response) and reduces fear, anxiety and tension.

Fear triggers the stress hormones which tell the brain to turn off your immune system and make all energy available to fight or flee (or freeze). Use this energy exercise, to calm the fear and stress, so you can get to sleep and your immune system can reset. Place

the pads of your finger tips on your temples and take a deep slow breath in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.

On the next in breath, start to slide your fingers up over your ears. Be sure you maintain firm pressure. At the end of your in breath, you should be right up over the top of your ears. Then, on your next out breath, slide your fingers around the back of your

ears and down the sides of your neck.

Hang onto your shoulders with your hands and hold for another deep breath in and out breath. Hold as long as it feels good. Before you release, press in with your fingers into the muscles several inches down your back where it’s usually tender. Then

drag your fingers forward over your shoulders to your chest and release your hands.


4) Stretch and BalanceTakes 2-3 min

Benefits: Stop a cold when it first starts by opening your meridians and activating your immune system.

Start with your feet together, standing tall, with your hands on your thighs, spreading your fingers. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth as you hold that position.

Next, bring your hands together in a prayer position in front of your chest, making certain that your forearms are as close to level as you can. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

Inhale through your nose and stretch your right arm up as high as you can reach, making your palm flat, and looking up at your hand. Then reach your left hand down as far as you can on the other side, flattening it as well. Hold your breath as long as it is comfortable, and then exhale through your mouth.

Bring both hands back to the prayer position at your chest.

Alternate arm positions by reaching up with your left arm and flatten your hand. Look up at that hand, breathing in through your nose. At the same time, reach down with your right arm, flattening your palm.

Hold your breath as long as you like, then exhale through your mouth as you bring your hands back to prayer position.

Repeat with the right arm up and left arm down. Then alternate, remembering to breathe in through your nose as you reach up with one hand and down with the other as you flatten your palms, then breathe out through your mouth as you return to the prayer position.

Finally, move your hands down your thighs and calves as far as you can, bending forward to hang as you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth once or twice. If your hands go only partway down your legs, that’s fine. Just let them hang and breathe in that position.

As you straighten up slowly, notice how energy in flowing in your body and how much better you feel.

5) Letting off SteamTakes 2-3 min

Benefits: Relieves anger or rage that has congested energy and blocked your spirit.

If you are feeling anger, frustration, resentment or annoyance and can’t sleep, this pose helps. Stand up and slightly bend your arms, facing forward with your fists clenched, fingers pointing up.

On an in breath through your nose, swing your fists behind you, ending up as high as you can above your head, with your fists still clenched. Hold your breath as long as you are comfortable.


When you are ready to exhale, on the out breath through your mouth, quickly expel the air as you bring your hands forcefully down by your thighs, opening your hands.

Repeat this process 3 or 4 times and you will find that the overwhelming emotion has mostly dissolved.

6) Swinging Legs on Floor or BedTakes 90 sec.

Benefits: Create calm or peace by balancing the right and left side of the body and brain; promotes receptiveness to read or take in information.

This pose is a very relaxing one and many people use it intuitively, especially children as they are lying on the living room rug or bed. Lie on your stomach on either rug or bed. Bend your elbows and cup your hands around your jaws to hold your head up, resting your elbows in front of you on the rug or bed. Now bend your legs at a 90 degree

angle at the knee and cross them over each other. Take a deep breath in through your nose.

On the out breath through your mouth, stretch your feet out away from each other, letting them fall out to the side.

Breathe in as you bring your feet back across each other to the other side. Be sure to cross the opposite leg on top.

You can alternate crossing your calves, first with one foot on top and then the other on

top, synchronizing with your breath. Repeat 3 or 4 times and you will realize why so many people adopt this position intuitively, because it feels so good.

7) Slow Down When Out of Control

Benefits: Relieves feelings of hyperactivity, panic or hysteria and helps to ground you.

Another energy exercise works well when you need to slow down but can’t seem to do it. Obviously, you can’t sleep in this state. It is good for calming yourself anytime, but especially at night. Start with your hands on your thighs, fingers spread to ground yourself. Take one deep, slow in breath through your nose and let it out slowly through your mouth.

Swing your hands out to the side and up high over your head, touching your finger tips and thumbs together to form a pyramid with the fingers and thumbs spread. Take a breath in while holding this position.

On the out breath through your mouth, keep your fingers and thumbs together and bring your thumbs down to the top of your head. Breathe in through your nose while holding your thumbs on the crown of your head.

On the out breath, through your mouth, bring your thumbs down to your brow and press your thumbs against your third eye point between your brows. Breathe in through your nose while holding your thumbs against your brow.


As you breathe out through your mouth, move your thumbs down to your breast bone, keeping your fingers together in the pyramid. Press in on your sternum half way between the top and bottom. Hold your thumbs pressed into your breast bone on the in breath through your nose, and on the out breath.

Breathe in again and move your hands down below your belly button forming a downward facing triangle pressed against your body.

On an out breath, slide your hands down the front of your legs as far as you can go toward the floor. Hang in this position while you take one deep in breath and out breath.

Notice how much calmer you feel.

8) Calm Nerve Ending in Arm

Benefits: Allows you to go to sleep. Overcomes insomnia by soothing nerves endings in the arms.

This pose works best on bare arms or with shirt sleeves pushed up. Place the back of your fingernails from one hand lightly on your other, upper arm and very gently brush them down to your fingertips of the other hand. It may tickle if you brush too lightly, so pick a light touch that works for you. Repeat so that you brush lightly on both the insides and outsides of

your arm. Alternate arms and repeat this process. Children often say this pose is their favorite before bed.

9) Bring Energy into the Belly

Benefits: Brings the energy down out of head to lower part of the body to calm the mind.

You can do this pose sitting, standing or lying down. Place your left hand on your belly, below the navel and cover it with your right

hand, pressing firmly. Focus your attention on your hands and breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth for several minutes. By placing your attention on your lower belly, you will draw the blood out of your head and into your lower body so you can sleep.

Continued to Part 2

energy medicine relief of insomnia part 1 - heal … · donna eden and david feinstein, energy...

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