I have a tendency towards rapid change. If I decide I want to do something, I have a tendency to move 100% in that direction, even if it's a 180 degree turn from where I was. Sometimes it works for me, and sometimes it doesn't. Oftentimes, I think the change takes longer to take hold than if I'd done it gradually.
Ayurveda suggests many changes to bring a body, mind and spirit into balance. But it also suggests to take those changes slowly, so as not to add additional stress to the system. I like that idea.
And now the admission: I'm a stomach sleeper. As someone with long-term lower back tightness and pain, I certainly know why NOT to sleep on my stomach. But any attempts to change it haven't been successful. So I decided to take a gentler approach.
Why do I want to sleep on my side? So that I can be plagued with less lower back and neck pain associated with how I sleep. Particularly the neck pain part which I feel like I have very little control over.
So now I start my night on my side (with my side sleeping pillow). I stay there as long as I can (and hopefully at some point I'll fall asleep there). If I don't fall asleep, I move over to my stomach sleeping pillow and go to sleep there. If I wake up during the night, I roll over to the side sleeping pillow and try to fall back asleep there.
So far, I'm still predominantly sleeping on my stomach, but I feel like I am making progress. And my neck isn't bothering me as much which is fantastic! Change, a little at a time.
