I keep dozing off during meditation!!
StingRay
Glasgow Explorer
Since i have come back to doing a regular meditation routine I find myself dozing off after 5/10 minutes into mo sitting this will keep happening on and off during the entire meditation I am needing some tips to stop this happening.
Before you come up with your suggestions I have a ruled out some suspects below that could be causing this dozing off.
I have a ruled out some suspects below that could be causing this dozing off.
1) I am making sure I am getting much more sleep than I used to and I have a regular sleep pattern I'm doing the best I can with sleep considering I have three small children
1)I am getting between 6 to 7 hours sleep a night which is much more than what are used to get because I've stopped watching any TV or doing anything else to keep me awake at night.
2) I have an active day and I ensure I get enough exercise. I am slim with a muscular build so I am in good physical shape and in good health.
3) I have a balanced healthy diet and I drink plenty of water.
4) since I started making sure I get enough sleep at night I am never dozing off at work or I never feel sleepy during the day anymore.
The only time I feel sleepy is during meditation!
So I'm looking to find out your suggestions on techniques to stop me dozing off during meditation I even take deep breath's once I realised I have just dozed off in the attempt to wake me up but this does not help either.
Comments
I know there always seems to be an ongoing argument about meditation not having purpose or 'goals', so I won't belabor that, but maybe you have enough Vitamin M in your life, and aren't really in need of it. Maybe you could use the subject of why you fall asleep when you meditate as the seed for your next set of sessions.
Try meditating with your eyes open.
Thus I have hear (well legend has it) one Zen master Bodhidharma cut off his eyelids to prevent himself from falling a sleep during mediation....
However you could take the easier/less painful option and just acknowledge the fact you are dosing off each time it happens, but most importantly "Don't beat yourself up about it" just acknowledge it and carry on with meditation...Sooner or later it will come right.....(whatever right may be )....
Hi Stingray! I get dozy during meditation on breath so here is things I found work really well to stave off the sandman.
1) Try tucking your chin down, you will notice that drifting off is normally accompanied by your head leaning backwards. Tucking the chin down creates a sense of being more alert.
2) Meditate with your eyes partially open. Like the above said. This helps a lot. Takes a bit getting used to but I preferred this way.
3) Sit in an upright, cross legged and unsupported position. Keep the spine neutral but supported.
If you sit in a chair or against the wall you will find it harder to stay awake. Try not making yourself too comfortable. This will help a lot!
4) Drink a coffee before you meditate.? Why not, we do it before work. Lol
Good luck! And don't worry too much about falling asleep, you can always do walking meditations or mindfulness practices sitting on a park bench. Find what works for you. Don't listen to someone who says there is only one way to meditate properly.
Above ideas good. Also could be good to just be mindful of the process of falling asleep.
There are other techniques involving visualizations of balls of energy and different things. My lamas husband mentioned though that it is important to notice the nature of your mind and make that the most important thing rather than putting too much importance on learning a 'bag of tricks'.
The mind is vast like the ocean and thoughts are like the currents constantly flowing. It can be overwhelming at times. Over time, you'll learn to not identify with it, let it flow where it needs to, just don't fall in or it will drown you into sleep.
I only fell asleep in two situations. Keeping my eyes open, breathing focus etc did not help.
Meditating before sleep.
Solution meditate in the morning.
The other situation was a form of overwhelming relaxation in the meditating presence of an experienced lama. I really could not avoid falling asleep. The sleeping tendency passed eventually anyway.
Wow, thanks everyone, so very much for all your tips and insight! I am sure these will help!!
You could employ somebody to hit you with a stick I suppose, the Zennies are keen on that kind of thing.
@SpinyNorman my 3 year old would love that job
I'm sure she'd be very good at it too.
sorted....
Or maybe you could train a cat to jump in your lap every time you started to nod off.
@SpinyNorman and @JohnMac
Yes these are all effective ways to keep awake!!
Well, to fall asleep during meditation is a mistake or fault of the concentration.
One method is to get up from the floor and walk a while.
Then repeat the session for some time.
To get a better concentration one could use a certain object like for instance the Tibetan letter A.
The point is to let the concentration on the object of meditation not loosened.
Is this the point then we restart the session a little longer etc.
So lack of concentration is the source of falling asleep during meditation and the only remedy is to prolong the time of concentration in / during meditation.
Also yoga exercises done before the meditation session is good for the circulation of the internal energy.
A blockade in the pathways of the energy channels can also cause difficulties like sleep, during meditation.
Best wishes
KY
Thanks @KaldenYungdrung !
Forgot to mention the shouting very loud of PHAT, during falling asleep.
When again in meditation keep this experience of clear state of awareness as long as possible.
KY
I have been having this problem a lot lately. I think it is called torpor...I feel it coming on with a kind of cottony cloud that swirls around...different than something like mentally worrying about lunch. If unchecked, I fall asleep.
Once when I was counseling a client over a long period I found I was falling asleep in the sessions with her. I stopped this eventually by 1) noticing it as a habit I had developed, and 2) when I started getting sleepy, I would sit up, lean forward and listen to her as if my life depended on it. I still see this client regularly, but I never have had any torpor in counseling since.
I think there is something here to help me with my present sleepiness.....of course whenever I start to meditate on this....I fall asleep
tp
Falling asleep is due mostly to the not flowing correct of the internal energy as well that this causes a lack of energy.
Then we should consider that the Mind rides on the oxygen.
Therefore yoga cleansing- and energy excercises before the actual meditation session is for the most a must.
Also if one has a muscle strain etc. , this can disturb too meditation / concentration.
So a healthy body can serve as a preliminary in relation to the meditation session.
So meditation has its preparation(s), then meditation is done easy.
Best wishes
KY
Look slightly upward, as if at your third eye / middle of forehead, with your eyes closed while meditating. Your eyes fall when you sleep. Looking slightly up will train your body that it is not nap time.
Maybe you can adjust your posture?
Embrace the torpor?
I find that a proper upright sitting posture, as well as eyes slightly open, helps.
I find laying down the best ( but not on a bed of nails ).
I now have a lot of methods to experiment with! Thanks for this!