Dhamma Wheel Buddhist Forum

The main hindrance which crops up for me time and again is dullness and drowsiness in meditation.

I'm a full time worker in a very intense job, helping people in crisis and managing emergency situations.
Much of my time is spent either at work, traveling to and from work, recovering from work, and getting my preparation done for work. In addition to this I run a household on my own, and support my parents (who live nearby) and my elderly neighbours who are in the late stages of their lives. I carry out voluntary work too. I love all of this and am grateful for the opportunity to serve.

However, it often means that when I come to meditate, within 20 or 30 minutes I'm totally knackered and starting to nod off. It's been like this for years now. I've tried caffeine, which wigs me out. I've tried altering my meditation schedule, but I still seem to be tired all the time. I've tried sleeping more at night and simply getting more rest, but I don't have that luxury of time very often. I'm in my early 30s and am caught in a fast paced environment of technology and heavy adrenal demands.

I guess I need to accept that this is just how life is for me at the moment. My question is, is is really possible to make any genuine progress in meditation when more often than not, it's just 20-30 minutes a day, normally ending in a snooze? I don't feel like I've developed much ability to concentrate the mind in Samadhi.

I've booked a short weekend retreat for in a few weeks time but I just wonder whether any good (in terms of concentration) which comes from that may be lost when I get straight back into my regular life. I could really do with some practical tips if anyone has them.

Whaddya reckon? How do you deal with drowsiness or heavy lifestyle demands as a layperson?

Metta...

seahorse wrote:The main hindrance which crops up for me time and again is dullness and drowsiness in meditation.

I'm a full time worker in a very intense job, helping people in crisis and managing emergency situations.
Much of my time is spent either at work, traveling to and from work, recovering from work, and getting my preparation done for work. In addition to this I run a household on my own, and support my parents (who live nearby) and my elderly neighbours who are in the late stages of their lives. I carry out voluntary work too. I love all of this and am grateful for the opportunity to serve.

However, it often means that when I come to meditate, within 20 or 30 minutes I'm totally knackered and starting to nod off. It's been like this for years now. I've tried caffeine, which wigs me out. I've tried altering my meditation schedule, but I still seem to be tired all the time. I've tried sleeping more at night and simply getting more rest, but I don't have that luxury of time very often. I'm in my early 30s and am caught in a fast paced environment of technology and heavy adrenal demands.

I guess I need to accept that this is just how life is for me at the moment. My question is, is is really possible to make any genuine progress in meditation when more often than not, it's just 20-30 minutes a day, normally ending in a snooze? I don't feel like I've developed much ability to concentrate the mind in Samadhi.

I've booked a short weekend retreat for in a few weeks time but I just wonder whether any good (in terms of concentration) which comes from that may be lost when I get straight back into my regular life. I could really do with some practical tips if anyone has them.

Whaddya reckon? How do you deal with drowsiness or heavy lifestyle demands as a layperson?

Metta...

so how much time do you actually have to yourself? I mean so you can just laze away, doing nothing being completely non-constructive.

Fastest response ever! Hello Cittasanto.
After all the jobs and whatnot are done, I'd say between 30 and 45 minutes a day, which I try to spend reading Suttas and meditating. But I keep accidentally wasting the opportunity by crashing!

Greetings seahorse

Many here have in the past or currently experience drowsiness in meditation. In my experience, there is no correlation between drowsiness and physical tiredness.
Just a couple of recommendations:-
- Reschedule your activities so that you can free some time for yourself.
- Drop an activity or two before you burn out. Remember the adage "less is more".
- And have a look at this document: The Five Mental Hindrances and Their Conquest - Selected Texts from the Pali Canon and the Commentaries, compiled and translated by Nyanaponika Thera
kind regards,

Ben

seahorse wrote:Fastest response ever! Hello Cittasanto.
After all the jobs and whatnot are done, I'd say between 30 and 45 minutes a day, which I try to spend reading Suttas and meditating. But I keep accidentally wasting the opportunity by crashing!

Crash!
The only time you are not doing anything you are trying to do something.

I be you are not sleeping enough for your level of activity, try cutting back on the activity.
Your OP screamed to me of over activity, and I would bet you more often than not eat on the run.
For your own well-being in the long run take a step back relax some more and take 10 mins per day to meditate.
meditation doesn't need to be 45 mins or an hour something fit in, but something enjoyed, and most importenly something with allows us to deal with life better at the least.
prioritise yourself first. and make relaxation time.
guess how much time I have to relax and do nothing or meditate!

you could try walking or standing meditation, its unlikely you'll nod off doing that. nodding off after 30 mins of meditation is a good indicator, imo, that you're deeply fatigued. i think if your busy work schedule is interfering with your meditation theres no shame in putting off whatever volunteer work you are able to and having a little more free time, especially if you plan to use it doing skillful things like sitting or studying the Suttas.

if you have health insurance it would be wise for you to go to the doctor. get a checkup and some basic bloodwork. also vitamin D, iron, methylmalonic acid.

you could try taking a multivitamin & 1-2g of fishoil every day as well.

Thanks chaps, much obliged,

Ben that link is just what I needed.
You're both right, some schedule re-adjustment needs to take place, I'm just not sure how or what will get the chop. There are lots of demands upon my time. Most people I know seem the same - the pace of life in the Western world really seems to be ramping up for many folk in wake of economic anxieties etc.


Cittasanto, a shrewd observation...even when I'm in 'down time' I'm doing something. I suppose my mind is well established in seeking and engaging in endless activity. the monkey is swinging on the branches! Ok, this has been helpful, thanks again.

guess how much time I have to relax and do nothing or meditate![/quote]


Do tell?

Hi Marc, some great suggestions there, thank you.
Had the bloods done....all came back fine thankfully. I'm a vegetarian so can't do the fish supplement thing, but walking meditation is a fantastic idea and I am going to trial that from tomorrow - brilliant!

seahorse wrote:guess how much time I have to relax and do nothing or meditate!

Do tell?[/quote]
varies day to day, but I can have anything upto 6 hours. some of which is spent meditating.

Do tell?[/quote]
varies day to day, but I can have anything upto 6 hours. some of which is spent meditating.[/quote]

That's cool. I'm happy for you that you have that, it sounds great.

making & spending time for ones own benefit is the most important thing you can do. you should be a friend to yourself first.
don't be your own enemy others will try to fill that gap.

I would concur with everyone. Spending all of your time in worldly pursuits will still get you to the same place in the end: dead. Probably even faster actually. You have this great gift of not only having been born in this realm, but born human. Don't waste it by spending all your time on the rat race. Sure, enjoy working and "getting ahead," but bring some balance to your life.

Also, there are many ways to meditate without sitting too, so don't forget them. For example, you could practice mindfulness while you are eating.

Cittasanto wrote:making & spending time for ones own benefit is the most important thing you can do. you should be a friend to yourself first...

Completely agree with you there, cittasanto.
As time passes, I'm increasingly regarding the dhamma as our number one priority, above all else. Imho, every person who sees the dhamma, preserves the sasana and, in their own modest way helps keep it going (such that it is at this late stage). Giving up other engagements to sincerely practice meditation with the aim of seeing the dhamma truly, is imho the highest welfare work we can do, not just for ourselves but for all of humankind.

So yes we should make time for sitting, if we are busy. Every breath could be our last. I wish it were not so urgent, but I'm starting to realize that, this is how it is.