The Sacred Practice of Sleep

God neither slumbers nor sleeps. (Psalm 121: 3). And He need not, because He is the source of all life. He is vitality itself. But, we who are His creation must slumber and sleep. We must pause and rest out of necessity. Our desire to persists cannot sustain us, nor can we will ourselves to keep going. We lack the means to embrace eternal awakening on our own. And God will not give it to us, lest we count ourselves equal to Him. No, instead He invites us to rest, so that we might know that it is He who sustains and revives us--mind, body and spirit.  This month we will share guidance to support you in embracing this rest, as we examine the sacred practice of sleep.

The Basics
Sleep is ​

A naturally recurring state of mind that’s characterized by altered consciousness, the inhibition of almost all voluntary muscles, generally inhibited sensory activity, and a marked reduction in our interactions with our surroundings. We distinguish sleep from wakefulness by our lack of ability to react to stimuli; however, sleep is more easily reversed than the states of being comatose or being in hibernation. (https://www.sleepassociation.org/about-sleep/).

Sleep is vital to all life's activities. Harvard's Women's Health Watch identifies the following reasons healthy sleep is essential:

1. Facilitates the process called memory consolidation, in which new information is added to memory.
2. Regulates metabolism, resulting in the proper processing and storage of carbohydrates and leveling of hormones impacting appetite.
3. Reduces the likelihood of drowsiness during the day or engagement in activities that require alertness, thereby reducing the number of accidents caused by sleep deprivation.
4. Impacts mood by reducing irritability, impatience, and hindrances to poor concentration. 
5. Improves cardiovascular health, as serious sleep disorders have been found to accompany other unwell conditions impacting heart health, such as hypertension, increased stress hormones and irregular heartbeat.
6. Improves immune system functioning so that the body is better positioned to battle with disease.

Healthy Sleep is defined by the following characteristics, outlined by the National Sleep Foundation. Read each statement and check those that apply to you. If you realize that few, if any, of these statements describes your sleep then you may want to consult your primary care physician or a sleep specialist. ​If you are uncertain about your sleeping practice, then consider using this sleep diary to increase your awareness and ability to make choices that will result in restorative sleep: 
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sites/default/files/SleepDiaryv6.pdf

Information Source: National Sleep Foundation ; Graphic: EarthBasic

Happy temple building.

Take care. Bless many.