drowsiness in meditation

General discussion of issues related to Theravada Meditation, e.g. meditation postures, developing a regular sitting practice, skillfully relating to difficulties and hindrances, etc.
alan...
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Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: drowsiness in meditation

Post by alan... »

marc108 wrote: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.
:goodpost:

i'll also add that getting lots of sleep helps. as does meditating when you are very much refreshed. not after work or when you feel sleepy or worn out. by all means give it a shot whenever you get a chance as any meditation is good meditation. there's nothing wrong with sitting after work and getting up when you feel you can't stay awake any more, don't get frustrated. i have the exact same problem. being very rested works for me as does meditating outside in the fresh air.

you may sleep seven hours a night and feel rested but still doze during meditation when you really need 8 or 9 hours of sleep since your body is worn out. try different combinations but know there is such a thing as to much sleep.

also the words of the man himself on the subject may help you, this is a sutta where the buddha gives some suggestions to a sleepy maha moggallana:

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
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khlawng
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Re: drowsiness in meditation

Post by khlawng »

alan... wrote: i'll also add that getting lots of sleep helps. as does meditating when you are very much refreshed. not after work or when you feel sleepy or worn out. ...
I will agree with alan here. Often, lack of sleep is confused with one of the hinderance of sloth and topor. Until you have taken the lack of sleep issue out of the equation, generally, it is almost always the cause of drowsiness during meditation.

Also, I might add that there are other activities that is often overlooked to affirm faith in the Buddha's teaching and reinforce energy required to practise good samadhi e.g. chanting, giving dana and metta meditation. All these does not require too much effort but the results of which may contribute to a more balance work and spiritual life.
Yana
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2012 8:45 am

Re: drowsiness in meditation

Post by Yana »

Hi Seahorse,

When you feel fresh meditate.
When you feel tired meditate.
Life is preparing for Death
alan...
Posts: 824
Joined: Thu Dec 06, 2012 9:37 pm

Re: drowsiness in meditation

Post by alan... »

Yana wrote:Hi Seahorse,

When you feel fresh meditate.
When you feel tired meditate.
good call. when fresh you will likely have a long and productive session. when you feel tired it can go either way: you may doze off, in which case it's still good practice, or you may have the same results as when you feel fresh.

and: meditate a lot! every day at least one session. on busy work days i meditate on my lunch break sometimes. on my days off i meditate three times a day for thirty to forty minutes per session if i have a lot of spare time.

practice helps the drowsiness as well. your body gets used to it more and you can gain more mindfulness to see through your sloth and torpor.

the buddha has many exhortations similar to this:"there are these roots of trees, these empty huts. meditate, ananda [or insert name here, in this case: YOU], do not delay, or else you will regret it later."
Kay Bee
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Jan 09, 2013 6:32 pm

Re: drowsiness in meditation

Post by Kay Bee »

I would suggest sitting with the padma asana. Not only the pains will keep you awake, it also energizes.
The bad news is that every time I start it my knees still hurt even if I have done it for more than a month.
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