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time before sleep meditation?

TheJourneyTheJourney
edited October 2010 in Buddhism Basics
While laying in bed I basically do breathing meditation to calm my mind until I fall asleep. Wouldn't this be considered meditation, since it's the condition of the mind that constitutes meditation not the physical position?

Comments

  • ShiftPlusOneShiftPlusOne Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Yup.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited October 2010
    It might not be a good habit to get into. If you meditate lying down in your bed then your mind might associate meditation with sleep. Since meditation is about being awake and aware, I would not recommend it.

    On the other hand, it might cause your mind to become too bright and you won't be able to get to sleep...

    Personally, I try to practice mindfulness of the body while falling asleep, but not mindfulness of breathing. I tend to reserve the breath as an object for sitting meditation only.
  • TheJourneyTheJourney
    edited October 2010
    GuyC wrote: »
    It might not be a good habit to get into. If you meditate lying down in your bed then your mind might associate meditation with sleep. Since meditation is about being awake and aware, I would not recommend it.

    On the other hand, it might cause your mind to become too bright and you won't be able to get to sleep...

    Personally, I try to practice mindfulness of the body while falling asleep, but not mindfulness of breathing. I tend to reserve the breath as an object for sitting meditation only.

    How do you practice mindfulness of the body?
  • ShiftPlusOneShiftPlusOne Veteran
    edited October 2010
    You could focus on your heartbeat instead... or perhaps the other sensations in your body... warmth, tingling, numbness... or your body as a whole. That's what I am guessing.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    I always practice meditation when I am going to sleep.I note the rising and falling of the abdomin and the posture(Laying).As I start to doze I also try to note this until I am asleep.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited October 2010
    mindfulness of the body is knowing what posture the body is in not just as a word ("sitting", "lying down", etc) but as an experience. Mindfulness of feeling is knowing the pleasant and painful feelings in the body, mindfulness of the breath falls under this category.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    GuyC wrote: »
    mindfulness of the body is knowing what posture the body is in not just as a word ("sitting", "lying down", etc) but as an experience. Mindfulness of feeling is knowing the pleasant and painful feelings in the body, mindfulness of the breath falls under this category.
    I agree,but the word" laying: is to assist in our(my) mindfullness.The mind is noting the experience of the body in a reclining position.Feeling is noting the pleasant or unpleasant sensation of the body(or mind) in whatever posture it may be in.Noting is used as we begin the practice,I guess as we become more experienced noting may not be necessary.We would just know.So for the time being I would note,rising,falling,sitting.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited October 2010
    For sure, noting is definitely useful.
  • GuyCGuyC Veteran
    edited October 2010
    Also I should probably mention that knowing the posture of the body is considered by some practitioners as just "part of" what is meant by "mindfulness of the body". It is a controversial topic, and I am certainly no expert, so anything I say is simply my unenlightened opinion.
  • nanadhajananadhaja Veteran
    edited October 2010
    GuyC wrote: »
    Also I should probably mention that knowing the posture of the body is considered by some practitioners as just "part of" what is meant by "mindfulness of the body". It is a controversial topic, and I am certainly no expert, so anything I say is simply my unenlightened opinion.
    That makes 2 of us Guy.All I can give is my unenlightened opinion as well(for now):lol:
  • SherabDorjeSherabDorje
    edited October 2010
    I visualize clear light in order to relax enough to sleep.
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