[ezgeez]

There is a growing body of research supporting the use of meditation in treating insomnia:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3060715/

I have been practising meditation for a few months now, with some promising results.

The variant of meditation I practice is called ACEM. It is non-religious, has some scientific support, and the body who teach it and administer it in London are non-profit.

There seem to be quite a few insomniacs at the group meditations I attend.

I would love to hear other people's experiences with meditation.

[Martin Reed]

I've mentioned meditation a few times on the blog, but I don't think it gets the attention it deserves. I'd love to know more about the variant you practice. Are there any routines you can share here for the benefit of other members who may want to give it a try?

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If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

[ezgeez]

The basic technique in ACEM is very simple. What, in my opinion, sets it apart, is the very specific way in which it is taught.

In ACEM you are given a (purposely) meaningless word to repeat in your mind, silently. Eventually you will start getting distracted from this by various thoughts, feelings, etc. ACEM instruction is concerned with your relationship to these distractions. You are encouraged to make space for them, to let them evolve and come and go without attempting to 'act' on them in some way (such as by trying to process them, 'fix' them, repel them, etc.). If you find yourself entangled in thought, the only instruction is to gently return to repeating the word, as effortlessly as possible. By doing this over and over, you gradually realise that thoughts and feelings change without your involvement, and you cultivate what ACEM instructors call a 'free mental attitude'. Very often this brings about a feeling of deep relaxation. However in ACEM you are not aiming for some specific effect or goal, since that would make you start evaluating the experience of the meditation against that goal and interfere with the 'free mental attitude'. Instead, what's important is what you do within the meditation.

ACEM is not 'spiritual' in any shape or form. Instead it is based on concepts from psychology. The idea that the problem is not the content of your mind but rather your (over) reaction to it underpins much of mainstream theory on anxiety management.

I have been to several ACEM group meetings in Old Street and have consistently found that the people who teach it are rigorously trained and often have a background in psychology, although all of them have day jobs which are unrelated to ACEM. So concerned is the organisation with teaching the method correctly that the instructors for the beginner's courses are all flown in from Norway (ACEM is a Norwegian organisation). The beginner's course itself, which is several hours long spread over two days, is an extremely reasonable £50 (especially if you compare it to, say, courses on 'mindfulness' at City Lit or elsewhere). From that point onwards the monthly group meetings are completely free ad infinitum. On top of that there are occasional presentations by meditation experts (again, flown in from Norway) for which the entry is typically £5. Generally the whole ethos of the organisation is so anti-marketing that I'm not sure how they break even. This has just made me fonder of them!

I personally do not practice the meditation itself in bed–for the above reason that, once you attach a goal to it (i.e. going to sleep), you will start testing the meditation against this goal (i.e., thinking things like “is this working? Am I falling asleep?”), which goes completely against the method. Instead I try to take the 'free mental attitude' from it into bed and think of something personally soothing.

[ezgeez]

To clarify, I do practice the meditation every day, just not in bed.

[Martin Reed]

Thanks for sharing. I wonder if any other members have tried meditation and whether it worked for them?

—

If you are ready to stop struggling with insomnia you can enroll in the online insomnia coaching course right now! If you would prefer ongoing phone or video coaching calls as part of a powerful three month program that will help you reclaim your life from insomnia, consider applying for the Insomnia Mastery program.

The content of this post is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or any other licensed healthcare provider. Insomnia Coach LLC offers coaching services only and does not provide therapy, counseling, medical advice, or medical treatment. All content is provided “as is” and without warranties, either express or implied.

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