When Your Mind Won’t Slow Down

Hello everyone,

I don’t know about you, but I have 🌸 spring fever.
My energy is up.
My sleep is down.
​
All this sunlight is messing with my sleep rhythms.
Life is busy, too.
​
I used to get stuck in overdrive.
until I found a meditation practice that actually helped.​
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​🧠 Do you ever get into bed and your mind is still going?

Planning.
Replaying.
Trying to get ahead of tomorrow.

It can feel like a sleep problem.

But often, it’s something else.

When your system has been under sustained pressure—​
tight deadlines, constant thinking, shifting expectations—
your stress response can stay activated longer than it needs to.

The HPA axis—one of the body’s main stress response systems—
can keep signaling the body to stay alert,​
even when the day is over.

Cortisol remains slightly elevated.
The nervous system stays in a more activated state.

And the brain does what it’s designed to do in that state:
scan
problem-solve
stay alert

So when everything finally gets quiet at night…
​🧠 your mind speeds up.

This isn’t just overthinking.
It’s a learned pattern in the body.

What tends to help isn’t forcing the mind to stop,
but giving the system a way to come out of that constant overdrive.

😴 Yoga Nidra works with this directly.

It gently guides your system toward a more parasympathetic state—
the nervous system branch associated with rest and restoration.

From there, brain activity begins to slow,
and it becomes easier for the mind to settle naturally.

Over time, this can make it easier to fall asleep
and feel more restored.

—

Join me online for some deep rest.

Yoga Nidra for Deeper Rest
​Starts Friday Apr 3
Recordings available.

Yoga Nidra is done lying down.
You can practice from bed.

There are a few spots left if you’d like to join.

Respond to this email with any questions or curiosities.

This is my favorite practice. I attend a weekly class with my teacher. It's truly a magical practice (scientifically speaking). 😊

Sleep well,

Sarah

💖 Curious about the science behind this?

​https://softsmilesomatics.com/yoga-nidra-for-insomnia/​

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