[Rivière]

Very well written, Wendi.

My mum used to practice meditation after doing yoga. She found it was quite peaceful and helped give her focus, strength, and confidence in her daily life. However, she did stress the importance of finding the appropriate location for meditation. One like you've described is very good. Alternatively, somewhere you know is quiet and will give you a sense of peace. Any small interruption can be quite alarming, and in some rare cases, even dangerous. Especially since you're in a meditative state in which you're not sleeping, but you're not fully awake either.

I used to practice a lot of mindfulness in my early 20's. I'd do it before bed as it would help relax me and give me a good night's rest. At first whenever I'd have unwanted thoughts I'd battle to get rid of them, but I found doing that would only keep me awake longer. Sometimes allowing the river of thoughts to flow is the better solution, regardless of what thoughts they are.

I suffer tinnitus, and unlike many people who try to ignore or override theirs, I often welcome it during the dead of night. I focus on it to give me a sense of constant sound. The more I focus on it, the louder it gets. Coupled that with just relaxing and allowing my thoughts to flow, it can certainly help.