Sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare. With our heart racing we think for a second that all of that was real. Because all emotions we get in our dreams, whether positive or negative, transfer into reality as we wake up.

Our dreams are the expression of us, our fears, vulnerabilities, thoughts and feelings. We don’t really confront them in the daylight that’s why by nighttime our subconscious has the stories to tell. But wouldn’t it be nicer to change the script of our dreams from time to time?

Meditation makes it possible to control your actions when you’re dreaming because what you’re actually doing is controlling your brain. Awareness in dreams that comes with meditation is access to a vast amount of information. You can even send messages to your subconscious mind. And similar to the images that somehow imprint on our memory these messages will later be translated to our dreams.

These tips will help you experience mindful dreaming:

• Start your practice approximately 15 minutes before falling asleep as your entire system becomes more tranquil and relaxed. This is when your subconscious mind is ready to receive ‘instructions’.
• Apply Breathing meditations to encourage your mind to relax. Deep relaxation is necessary to set your mind on something you wish to see or change inside your dream.
• With every inhale be specific. Your mind may find it confusing if you focus on different things simultaneously.
• It is very important to pay attention to the moment of falling asleep. Concentrate on a positive ending to a bad dream, shift the events or simply create a positive image right when your eyelids become heavier. If you manage to "fall" into a dream with the thoughts about it, you can see exactly what you’ve "ordered".

It doesn’t happen straight away, of course. Repeat this practice every night before falling asleep. By learning how to be in the state of awareness inside a dream you will improve the quality of your sleep and of your life.

Sweet dreams!