Island winds

Last night while hurricane Iselle was moving across the Big Island, winds began to pick up here on Oahu.  Our knee to ceiling windows normally reveal clouds sweeping across a variety of shades of color and palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, they are normally a joy to look out of.  Well yesterday the windows became a great source of stress.  If the worst-case scenario happened and wind of 70 mph whipped past our home, who knows what could come flying through those windows!  I had trouble sleeping last night, which tends to happen to me when winds are strong. 

Often as the trade winds pick up I find myself piling blankets on top of myself, covering as much skin as I can to protect myself from air moving over my skin, much to the amusement of my husband who cannot believe that even in the tropical heat I can stand multiple blankets on my body or the fact that I sometimes I climb into bed at night with cold hands and feet.  Those of us who live with anxiety or a Vata constitution may relate to my plight.  There is something especially unnerving about wind, especially when one is already uneasy.  Over time, I've had to figure out strategies in order to live with the troubled sleep that accompanies my anxiety. 

There is an eye pillow on my nightstand, so that when I wake up in the middle of the night, I can place it on my eyes and practice relaxation techniques.  The first technique I use is a pranayama practice.  I inhale the first half of the breath into the front of my body (think lungs and abdomen) and then the second half of the breath into the back of my body (think low back and the space between the shoulder blades), then slowly exhale all the air out.  Try not to worry about the amount of breath moving in and out of the body, remember no strain!  Once you figure out how to access the back body this practice is divine.  Additionally, I count down my breaths.  Inhale count 50, exhale 49, inhale 48, exhale 47, inhale 46 . . . Repeat a few times if needed.

Well last night, for whatever reason, maybe I was too groggy or maybe the wind was just too loud, I totally succumbed to disturbed sleep.  So in order to ensure that this nights sleep will be restful, I got up this morning and practiced asana, and made sure to include specific postures I know to relieve anxiety and excess Vata.  I took plenty of joint rotations, was hyper aware of my connection to my feet and the ground in all standing postures, took forward folds and plenty of postures on my abdomen to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.  So looks like I'll be having sweet dreams tonight!