I frequently wake up in conditioning's world. I feel a sense of dread and hopelessness. Sometimes I am depressed and very down. I usually don't want to get up. I know conditioning works on me in my dreams because I wake up in the middle of night and the dream is one of struggle in some sort of situation that can't be solved. So if I sleep all night with it then of course, I'll wake up with it. 

To back it up even a little further, sometimes I'll get talked into doing something before bedtime like surfing the net, reading the news, or eating something not so healthy. This all contributes to the hateful dreams and a physical environment in ripe for conditioning.

Instead of being a victim to all of this, I started using Recording and Listening before bed, while I'm sleeping, and in the morning.  

Before bed, I listen to reassurances. No need for deprivation. If there is something I want to do like research something online or have a snack, I talk to the Mentor about it. We come up with a healthy choice about an hour before bed. 

When it is time to go to sleep, I put my head phones in and listen to a track of poetry, readings from our practice, radio shows, or one of the meditation apps that you can get for sleeping.  I like to use soft sleeping headphones to make it even more comfortable. 

When I wake up, I listen to something about being grateful for the day and how blessed I am to have an amazing life.

Since doing these evening and morning Recording and Listening practices, I rarely wake up in conditioning — unless I don’t do one or all of these things. It’s worth it to me because the morning sets the tone for my whole day.

Gasshō

Do you have a favorite R/L insight, idea, or practice tool? We’d love to hear it! Send us your favorite quick tip (75 words or less) or submit your idea for a blog post.