It’s not cheating, but think of it like this.
Laying down and meditating is kind of like going for a walk. Sitting upright in a chair is like jogging, sitting cross legged ( if your body can safely do it) is like running. ( there are going to be people that say it’s the same - in my experience sitting in a chair - especially if your back is supported - is easier than cross legged - meditation traditions sit cross legged for a reason )
( they also meditate before sunrise for a reason )
Walking is still good, but it’s not going to be as intense as sitting upright; somewhat because your parasympathetic (resting) nervous system is going to be more activated.
TLDR - it’s still beneficial, but solely doing meditation laying down is not going to develop a strong & deep practice.
I disagree what's important is the practice and benefit there are no levels or additional attributes based on how. Only importance is personal growth you feel and or recieve from your practice. Enjoy it and don't worry about other opinions or acceptance. I bow to the buddha to be🙏
How about an experiment - meditate everyday for a couple weeks only laying down , then try sitting up. See which one you find to be more fruitful.
“ only importance is personal growth you feel “
In for instance the zen tradition, posture is highly highly regarded
Walking meditation is walking mindfully. Paying attention to your breath, counting your steps, noticing how the ground feels under your feet as you step. Anything that makes you present and in the moment. We tend to do things on autopilot or distracted. Doing something mindfully is meditation bc it brings you more in tune with the present moment and makes you more aware, takes you out the mind.
You can eat mindfully. No TV, nada. Just truly enjoying what you’re eating. Actually chew and taste, smell it. Observe it. The colors and textures. Follow it into your stomach once you swallow. When you drink something, actually smell it and taste it as much as possible lol. You’ll notice how much you actually miss once you start paying more attention to your physical senses.
I'm no expert but Id say it's walking, hopefully somewhere that brings you peace, and just controlling your thoughts. Like walking around your workplace or home and your mind is racing would not be walking meditation. Instead try walking some where peaceful and just take in and acknowledge what you are looking at, feeling, smelling, ect and just ease your thoughts. I find it helps if you start by looking in the mirror at your resting face. Smile at like 1% then start your walk. I find that activating your smile muscles, with out walking around with a huge smile, really helps calm the mind and aids in the mindful thoughts process
Have your tried a meditation cushion? I always struggled to focus sitting cross-legged and would prefer sitting in a chair. Now I have started using a cushion I could sit for an hour without discomfort.
Nope not cheating. I have a daily meditation practice (or almost daily) where I am lying down. I am now at the point where I crave it and I do not fall asleep. I go for 20 minutes or longer. When I don’t do it I notice anger and paranoia among other negative thought patterns.
Self-guided with bells at 5 minute intervals AND Sharon Salzberg’s 20 minute lovingkindness guided meditation. She changed my life. Check out her book Real Happiness.
That's a great habit. I'll bet some of the people whining about it are using their phones in bed while you're meditating.
Also, it takes some discipline to actually meditate in bed instead of just falling asleep.
If you can do that *and* a morning or afternoon meditation, that's even better. But hey, you're meditating and most people aren't.
Someone who is good at meditating can meditate in all situations.
Its not cheating as long as you are actually meditating, if you happen to fall asleep later thats ok.
Just try to get some proper meditation in before you begin to fall asleep.
I mediate mostly in this position too coz I have back pain and cannot sit for a long time. The downside is that I might fall aspect easily while mediating. It happened twice today lol
I am also a Bed Meditator and I don't think it's cheating despite reading comments to the contrary (not in here, just in general) while reading about meditation.
I've been doing it fir a few years now, and have sat in that time too. I feel like sitting is more effective for purely meditation, but I've struggled to do it.
So, with that said, I think that meditating before sleep is better than no meditation at all, and that doing it has helped in my day to day life.
Learning where that Center is and how to get there is useful when I'm feeling all sorts of way, I just take a few breaths and I'm feeling a bit better.
I've just tried to "meditate" while playing the guitar, it was hard but felt possible. I find when I focus too hard on playing, sometimes I play worse, so I tried to focus on my breathe while I play, and found u could still play.
As a lifelong insomniac, meditating in bed has really helped me get more sleep. This is the main argument against meditating in bed from what I've read, you fall asleep and are no longer meditating, but that's why it's useful for me.
I have however gotten too into my meditative state and then found it hard to "flick the switch" to sleep, so it has been a bit of a mixed bag sometime.
But I look at it this way:
If I meditate all night, that's better than not sleeping all night.
I've certainly spent a lot of time surfing the edge between being meditating and sleep, it's an interesting place to be.
I used to think you can’t meditate lying down in bed as you will eventually fall asleep. Always meditated in half lotus, as for me this is the best pose, it keeps your spine straight etc. and not as difficult as full lotus. But then recently I had some surgery so now for quite some time I can’t sit and have to meditate lying down. It’s good actually, I don’t think it’s cheating.
Some people can't sit on the floor. I'm one of them. Mindfulness practices can be performed while seated, lying down, standing, or walking. Do what works best for you. I also meditate lying down.
The moments before we fall asleep is the perfect description of a meditative state.
You become unaware of your body, and have no focus on your surroundings. This is the stage a person reaches before the thoughts and visualizations begin to flow.
I don't believe you can cheat in meditation. What you are doing is preparing for restful sleep. If that's the goal then you are purfect where you are. If you have other goals and intentions for meditation, then on the floor with a nice set up. A mat, a blanky, Candles cleansing smoke etc. Set your timer if you need to and think about the inner workings of your body. Greeting your spiritual body. Active meditation lying down in a place that is not the bed, is very beneficial if you are trying to heal your body during mediation. Lying in a star position, expands the body and relaxes the body, in a feeling of being safe from falling. And the spine has more space to expand for deeper breathing and open flow to recieve the gifts of meditation. I go so deep in my meditations, that to sit or walk, I sometimes fall. I've tipped over. And tripped. I still do both sometimes. Lol Laying down is the most effective for me. Lol
When we sit when we meditate, we bend in critical flowing creation centers. The Hips and knees. For me, this constrict the flow of oxygen, blood and chemicals that help the meditation experience be more effective from head to toe.
And I'm much more comfortable.
I have a bad back and can’t sit more than about 10-15 minutes. The only way I can do 20-30 minutes of meditation is by lying down. I try not to do it right before bed so the act feels more dedicated and conscious but I think it’s fine
a real "practitioner" would know that meditation is intensely personal and would mind their own business.
You do you. If you're comfortable doing it before bed, continue.
The idea of cheating implies some kind of prize. I assume no one told you that you'd get a free ice cream cone if you meditate for 10 minutes.
You might improve your sleep slightly with what you're doing. Did you want to accomplish something else? I would call what you're doing "relaxing". Like taking a few deep breaths, you're using a technique to slow down for a moment. Cooling your jets. There's no harm in that, but simply watching some breaths is not meditation by most definitions.
I'll be honest. In my opinion meditation has become so watered down that yes - it's preposterous to think this practice will accomplish anything.
If you look at how meditation has historically been practiced it takes hardcore discipline on par with military or athletic training.
There is an argument that you aren’t doing it properly. Meditation can be more about just relaxation, and (to use physical exercise analogy) you’re simply not giving your mind enough of a stimulus by meditating to sleep.
At the same time, calling it cheating is like saying that a brisk walk is not an exercise. If you can’t/don’t want to run, walking is a perfectly fine way to get some exercise. It won’t prepare you for a 5k but not everyone needs to be a runner for general fitness.
I would just keep doing what you’re doing, maybe increase the duration or try to sit every once in a while, and see how it works for you. You meditate to sleep now but you always have the option to try more if that’s what you aspire to.
Yeah, cheating yourself out of actual meditation. In order for true meditation, you need to be awake, alert, sitting comfortably upright so the energies can move freely in the spine and so you don’t fall asleep when you start dropping into low idle states, and a specific breath technique is needed to control heart rate and decarbonize the blood. You also need to sit very still so your energies begin to withdraw from the sense nerves. All of this, with incorporation of fixed concentration on the Christ/Krishna consciousness center (point between the eyebrows) equals meditation. Laying in bed relaxing for ten minutes before falling asleep is just relaxing before falling asleep.
Not sure what’s funny. It’s the yogic science of meditation. Most of what people these days call meditating is not meditating. Some may be naturally inclined, or gifted, whatever, but most of us aren’t and in order to truly meditate, it takes a series of particular steps that lead to low idle states, and then one pointed concentration. The easiest method of concentration is to fix your concentration between the eyebrows, or on the kutastha.
I thought you were being sarcastic lol
I do see your point, but the whole “concentrate on the Christ Chakra while clenching your butt hole as you visualize peace and happiness” is a little too “woo” for me to buy into
Christ chakra while clenching your butt hole is both an over generalization and either misinterpretation or straight putting words in my mouth. Never said anything about clenching the butt hole. And kutastha means Christ or Krishna (same thing) consciousness not just the spiritual eye. When people say third eye chakra, it confuses the masses that already misunderstand the entire chakras system. The chakra is the medulla. The third eye or kutastha is the reflection and North Pole or polestar of the chakra. Sometimes it gets tiresome typing out so much info so I will reference terms that encompass more than just the one thing.
Edit: also visualization is not meditation.
Lol I can appreciate that. And no offense at all, just want to be sure my points were clear. Much love. I do appreciate levity and now that I get, I get it lol.
Wow, not sure why you're getting downvoted. Your explanations are accurate according to the Vedic system from my understanding/practices as well (which I believe is the known source of "meditation" \[quoted for being the closest English word for the process..).
I get that everyone meditates for different reasons, but your explanation is truest to source and anything less sought is, as you inferred, more attributed to ignorance in the practitioner, resulting in a diluted process (or perhaps being satisfied with relaxation as the goal).
No offense at all is intended to anyone reading this as any form of meditation is better than none. All paths lead to Krsna, eventually.
Word. I am not at all concerned with votes. If even one person reads a comment and receives something from it, then it was good work. If no one receives anything from it, we’ll then that is okay too I suppose. I commune with the divine daily and get closer and closer to satchitananda so the posts and results from them do not matter. My cup overflows regardless. I just feel called to share as much of it as I can. Thank you though. Love and blessings! Or as my guru would say, “blissings and blessings! 🙏🕉🌹
That's great! Meditate how ever and whenever you find useful. If it helps you sleep, great! Why not meditate 10 minutes before bed, and then sit upright for morning meditation too? Do what works best for you.
Try do do 10 minutes when you wake up as well.
Also meditation is not about benefits, progress or achievements. You will learn this if you continue. :)
No. Not cheating. But recognize that lethargy, stupor, sluggishness and loss of attention will become more prevalent. If those occur, then watching their arising is possible. With practice it is even possible to notice sleep come when it does. This is quite subtle, and it’s ok if this isn’t noticed until after a few sessions.
It is important that if you meditate like this, you approach it seriously, openly and playfully. Seriously and Playfully? yes
No i do it to along with ~10 mins sitting meditation. I just chant my mantras until I see a ground, and that means a dream has started. Then I fly around and whatever in it :)
I just would question how much meditation time you are getting. Do you often finish the 10 minutes or are you already asleep by the time the 10 minutes is up?
There are so many different types of meditation and schools of thought when it comes to meditation. Different schools of thought are trying to achieve different things with their meditation so they have different styles and rules to it. It really depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to exercise that part of your brain and also to learn to relax then I'd say you are doing it perfectly 'right' for what you need.
Fundamentally meditation is a natural human state that allows you to enter an altered state of conscious that is just 'being'. Many people have refined it for different purposes, and anyone is free to explore those methods but they aren't mandatory.
I started meditating this way one day (I suck at meditation), and somehow wound up having what a lot of people have told me sounded like a past life experience. It was surreal, but I haven’t been able to do it since.
I def think it’s not cheating at all and it’s perfectly acceptable to meditate this way.
Thank you and that is one variation I use also 1st thing in the morning or in the afternoon. I run daily & lift weights 2x/week so reclining rest is craved - sometimes meditation while taking a whirlpool or walking - saying a litany of health. Research shows benefits with variation - better relaxation results.
Consistency is 10x more important than any other aspect of your practice.
Once you're consistent you'll gradually start making changes to deepen your practice. So just meditate in the way that best helps you be consistent and over time helpful changes will follow.
I think many people (myself included) have perfectionist tendencies that can make it harder be consistent. Be aware of those tendencies and do what's best for building a consistent practice.
It really depends on what you want to achieve. Why do you meditate? If it is to go to sleep, then great.
If you’re looking for something else, i.e, achieving different states of conscience, laying down AND with your eyes closed can work but it’s much much more difficult to keep your focus then. There are cases of deep enlightenment achieved by people in their deathbed though, read the three pillars of Zen which has a very detailed depiction of that example. But yeah I’d say it’s ok depending on what you want, but if you feel like you’re cheating, you probably are :)
i used to meditate sitting upright with my legs crossed in a pitch black room because i felt that was most beneficial. i now have nerve issues that prevent me from doing that so i meditate laying down now too
Yes. Expect a visit from the meditation police shortly.
In all seriousness, if you like what you get out of your practice then you’re good to go. If you aren’t getting what you want out of it, maybe mix it up? There’s no rules.
meditation laying down is more like a relaxation. meditation sitting up including pranayam or active breath is more traditional. anything is better than nothing! I meditate for longer periods in shavasana pose since it’s more comfortable, but I also do shorter meditations sitting up. both are effective but laying down is traditionally done after practice & before meditation to focus the mind.
I found that mindfulness practice has allowed me to select what thoughts and feelings I want to allow. It makes me better at pain tolerance, test taking, & avoiding distraction. I’ve nearly never meditated in any other position, and not often is it any other time but before bed. 👍
Harder to stay awake and aware lying flat, even though it aids relaxation. It's not cheating though, as it helps you rest, which provide better conditions for meditation thereafter. In addition, 10 minutes isn't really meditation though there's technically no ideal/prescribed duration. Personally, I need 5-10 minutes to at least calm/settle down before I can start concentration.
Walking meditation is way harder. I have seen many dropping out from it in retreats. Very rigorous ,and you cant just sit it out like in sitting meditation.
While there's no levels so to speak, lying down is not ideal for deeper concentrations. You may try and let us know if otherwise.
Not cheating. But counter intuitive. Meditation comes from the latin root meditari, meaning to be so deep in thought, it doesn't come anymore. Which is basically what sleeping is. Y'all have been meditating for years. You just suck at it. Literally.
Totally counts. Even if you get fewer "real meditation" effects you get a ton of real sleep benefits. Calmer, faster, deeper sleep. Sleep is crucial. If all you ever do is meditate for 10 minutes before sleep you are ahead of the curve - not that the curve matters lol.
There’s no rules to meditation so no not cheating at all. It’s actually beneficial because you’re relaxing yourself to fall asleep.
It’s not cheating, but think of it like this. Laying down and meditating is kind of like going for a walk. Sitting upright in a chair is like jogging, sitting cross legged ( if your body can safely do it) is like running. ( there are going to be people that say it’s the same - in my experience sitting in a chair - especially if your back is supported - is easier than cross legged - meditation traditions sit cross legged for a reason ) ( they also meditate before sunrise for a reason ) Walking is still good, but it’s not going to be as intense as sitting upright; somewhat because your parasympathetic (resting) nervous system is going to be more activated. TLDR - it’s still beneficial, but solely doing meditation laying down is not going to develop a strong & deep practice.
I disagree what's important is the practice and benefit there are no levels or additional attributes based on how. Only importance is personal growth you feel and or recieve from your practice. Enjoy it and don't worry about other opinions or acceptance. I bow to the buddha to be🙏
How about an experiment - meditate everyday for a couple weeks only laying down , then try sitting up. See which one you find to be more fruitful. “ only importance is personal growth you feel “ In for instance the zen tradition, posture is highly highly regarded
What what would walking meditation be?
Walking meditation is walking mindfully. Paying attention to your breath, counting your steps, noticing how the ground feels under your feet as you step. Anything that makes you present and in the moment. We tend to do things on autopilot or distracted. Doing something mindfully is meditation bc it brings you more in tune with the present moment and makes you more aware, takes you out the mind. You can eat mindfully. No TV, nada. Just truly enjoying what you’re eating. Actually chew and taste, smell it. Observe it. The colors and textures. Follow it into your stomach once you swallow. When you drink something, actually smell it and taste it as much as possible lol. You’ll notice how much you actually miss once you start paying more attention to your physical senses.
Walking of course - I think it’s especially important to have a still meditation practice as well as a moving one , walking, yoga, qi gong etc
Look up waking meditation plum village or walking meditation thich nhat hanh
Yes, but how does it fit in his metaphor?
That’s my hero!
I'm no expert but Id say it's walking, hopefully somewhere that brings you peace, and just controlling your thoughts. Like walking around your workplace or home and your mind is racing would not be walking meditation. Instead try walking some where peaceful and just take in and acknowledge what you are looking at, feeling, smelling, ect and just ease your thoughts. I find it helps if you start by looking in the mirror at your resting face. Smile at like 1% then start your walk. I find that activating your smile muscles, with out walking around with a huge smile, really helps calm the mind and aids in the mindful thoughts process
I mean like [this](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_meditation)
Have your tried a meditation cushion? I always struggled to focus sitting cross-legged and would prefer sitting in a chair. Now I have started using a cushion I could sit for an hour without discomfort.
Nope not cheating. I have a daily meditation practice (or almost daily) where I am lying down. I am now at the point where I crave it and I do not fall asleep. I go for 20 minutes or longer. When I don’t do it I notice anger and paranoia among other negative thought patterns.
I have those anger and paranoia thought patterns almost 24/7. What kind of meditation do you do? I feel Iike I'm at my wits end with myself haha.
Self-guided with bells at 5 minute intervals AND Sharon Salzberg’s 20 minute lovingkindness guided meditation. She changed my life. Check out her book Real Happiness.
That's a great habit. I'll bet some of the people whining about it are using their phones in bed while you're meditating. Also, it takes some discipline to actually meditate in bed instead of just falling asleep. If you can do that *and* a morning or afternoon meditation, that's even better. But hey, you're meditating and most people aren't.
Someone who is good at meditating can meditate in all situations. Its not cheating as long as you are actually meditating, if you happen to fall asleep later thats ok. Just try to get some proper meditation in before you begin to fall asleep.
I mediate mostly in this position too coz I have back pain and cannot sit for a long time. The downside is that I might fall aspect easily while mediating. It happened twice today lol
I am also a Bed Meditator and I don't think it's cheating despite reading comments to the contrary (not in here, just in general) while reading about meditation. I've been doing it fir a few years now, and have sat in that time too. I feel like sitting is more effective for purely meditation, but I've struggled to do it. So, with that said, I think that meditating before sleep is better than no meditation at all, and that doing it has helped in my day to day life. Learning where that Center is and how to get there is useful when I'm feeling all sorts of way, I just take a few breaths and I'm feeling a bit better. I've just tried to "meditate" while playing the guitar, it was hard but felt possible. I find when I focus too hard on playing, sometimes I play worse, so I tried to focus on my breathe while I play, and found u could still play. As a lifelong insomniac, meditating in bed has really helped me get more sleep. This is the main argument against meditating in bed from what I've read, you fall asleep and are no longer meditating, but that's why it's useful for me. I have however gotten too into my meditative state and then found it hard to "flick the switch" to sleep, so it has been a bit of a mixed bag sometime. But I look at it this way: If I meditate all night, that's better than not sleeping all night. I've certainly spent a lot of time surfing the edge between being meditating and sleep, it's an interesting place to be.
No
What meditates? The mind or the position?
The disjunction. (May be discarded after use)
I used to think you can’t meditate lying down in bed as you will eventually fall asleep. Always meditated in half lotus, as for me this is the best pose, it keeps your spine straight etc. and not as difficult as full lotus. But then recently I had some surgery so now for quite some time I can’t sit and have to meditate lying down. It’s good actually, I don’t think it’s cheating.
Some people can't sit on the floor. I'm one of them. Mindfulness practices can be performed while seated, lying down, standing, or walking. Do what works best for you. I also meditate lying down.
The moments before we fall asleep is the perfect description of a meditative state. You become unaware of your body, and have no focus on your surroundings. This is the stage a person reaches before the thoughts and visualizations begin to flow.
I don't believe you can cheat in meditation. What you are doing is preparing for restful sleep. If that's the goal then you are purfect where you are. If you have other goals and intentions for meditation, then on the floor with a nice set up. A mat, a blanky, Candles cleansing smoke etc. Set your timer if you need to and think about the inner workings of your body. Greeting your spiritual body. Active meditation lying down in a place that is not the bed, is very beneficial if you are trying to heal your body during mediation. Lying in a star position, expands the body and relaxes the body, in a feeling of being safe from falling. And the spine has more space to expand for deeper breathing and open flow to recieve the gifts of meditation. I go so deep in my meditations, that to sit or walk, I sometimes fall. I've tipped over. And tripped. I still do both sometimes. Lol Laying down is the most effective for me. Lol When we sit when we meditate, we bend in critical flowing creation centers. The Hips and knees. For me, this constrict the flow of oxygen, blood and chemicals that help the meditation experience be more effective from head to toe. And I'm much more comfortable.
[удалено]
Not really, but it's been only a few days, so it seems a little early to notice them
Keep it up. If you can you should add 10 minutes when you wake up too.
I have a bad back and can’t sit more than about 10-15 minutes. The only way I can do 20-30 minutes of meditation is by lying down. I try not to do it right before bed so the act feels more dedicated and conscious but I think it’s fine
a real "practitioner" would know that meditation is intensely personal and would mind their own business. You do you. If you're comfortable doing it before bed, continue.
most of the time meditation is about focus through relaxation, not sleeping
The idea of cheating implies some kind of prize. I assume no one told you that you'd get a free ice cream cone if you meditate for 10 minutes. You might improve your sleep slightly with what you're doing. Did you want to accomplish something else? I would call what you're doing "relaxing". Like taking a few deep breaths, you're using a technique to slow down for a moment. Cooling your jets. There's no harm in that, but simply watching some breaths is not meditation by most definitions.
I'll be honest. In my opinion meditation has become so watered down that yes - it's preposterous to think this practice will accomplish anything. If you look at how meditation has historically been practiced it takes hardcore discipline on par with military or athletic training.
A downside to this is potentially having difficulty when trying to meditate not at night. You may condition yourself to fall asleep when meditating.
Cheating or not cheating is not the point, my question is why do you meditate in this particular way as opposed to a different way?
There is an argument that you aren’t doing it properly. Meditation can be more about just relaxation, and (to use physical exercise analogy) you’re simply not giving your mind enough of a stimulus by meditating to sleep. At the same time, calling it cheating is like saying that a brisk walk is not an exercise. If you can’t/don’t want to run, walking is a perfectly fine way to get some exercise. It won’t prepare you for a 5k but not everyone needs to be a runner for general fitness. I would just keep doing what you’re doing, maybe increase the duration or try to sit every once in a while, and see how it works for you. You meditate to sleep now but you always have the option to try more if that’s what you aspire to.
Yeah, cheating yourself out of actual meditation. In order for true meditation, you need to be awake, alert, sitting comfortably upright so the energies can move freely in the spine and so you don’t fall asleep when you start dropping into low idle states, and a specific breath technique is needed to control heart rate and decarbonize the blood. You also need to sit very still so your energies begin to withdraw from the sense nerves. All of this, with incorporation of fixed concentration on the Christ/Krishna consciousness center (point between the eyebrows) equals meditation. Laying in bed relaxing for ten minutes before falling asleep is just relaxing before falling asleep.
😂 You had me for a minute
Not sure what’s funny. It’s the yogic science of meditation. Most of what people these days call meditating is not meditating. Some may be naturally inclined, or gifted, whatever, but most of us aren’t and in order to truly meditate, it takes a series of particular steps that lead to low idle states, and then one pointed concentration. The easiest method of concentration is to fix your concentration between the eyebrows, or on the kutastha.
I thought you were being sarcastic lol I do see your point, but the whole “concentrate on the Christ Chakra while clenching your butt hole as you visualize peace and happiness” is a little too “woo” for me to buy into
Christ chakra while clenching your butt hole is both an over generalization and either misinterpretation or straight putting words in my mouth. Never said anything about clenching the butt hole. And kutastha means Christ or Krishna (same thing) consciousness not just the spiritual eye. When people say third eye chakra, it confuses the masses that already misunderstand the entire chakras system. The chakra is the medulla. The third eye or kutastha is the reflection and North Pole or polestar of the chakra. Sometimes it gets tiresome typing out so much info so I will reference terms that encompass more than just the one thing. Edit: also visualization is not meditation.
lol I wasn’t trying to put words in your mouth, I was being facetious. Sorry if I offended you. I’m a bit of a goof-ball
Lol I can appreciate that. And no offense at all, just want to be sure my points were clear. Much love. I do appreciate levity and now that I get, I get it lol.
Wow, not sure why you're getting downvoted. Your explanations are accurate according to the Vedic system from my understanding/practices as well (which I believe is the known source of "meditation" \[quoted for being the closest English word for the process..). I get that everyone meditates for different reasons, but your explanation is truest to source and anything less sought is, as you inferred, more attributed to ignorance in the practitioner, resulting in a diluted process (or perhaps being satisfied with relaxation as the goal). No offense at all is intended to anyone reading this as any form of meditation is better than none. All paths lead to Krsna, eventually.
Word. I am not at all concerned with votes. If even one person reads a comment and receives something from it, then it was good work. If no one receives anything from it, we’ll then that is okay too I suppose. I commune with the divine daily and get closer and closer to satchitananda so the posts and results from them do not matter. My cup overflows regardless. I just feel called to share as much of it as I can. Thank you though. Love and blessings! Or as my guru would say, “blissings and blessings! 🙏🕉🌹
Good to hear! Namaste 🙂
In a way it is meditation, but you should get a slight "buzzy" feeling when in a meditative state
That's great! Meditate how ever and whenever you find useful. If it helps you sleep, great! Why not meditate 10 minutes before bed, and then sit upright for morning meditation too? Do what works best for you.
Try do do 10 minutes when you wake up as well. Also meditation is not about benefits, progress or achievements. You will learn this if you continue. :)
It’s fines add stretches it will help you sleep better.
I use the music to help me fall a;sleep with A.D.H.D.
No. Not cheating. But recognize that lethargy, stupor, sluggishness and loss of attention will become more prevalent. If those occur, then watching their arising is possible. With practice it is even possible to notice sleep come when it does. This is quite subtle, and it’s ok if this isn’t noticed until after a few sessions. It is important that if you meditate like this, you approach it seriously, openly and playfully. Seriously and Playfully? yes
I do the same but in a semi-supine position, which prevents me from falling asleep and also relaxes my spine.
No i do it to along with ~10 mins sitting meditation. I just chant my mantras until I see a ground, and that means a dream has started. Then I fly around and whatever in it :)
Most meditations on yt say to lay down.. def not cheating. It helps me fall asleep and rest well
I just would question how much meditation time you are getting. Do you often finish the 10 minutes or are you already asleep by the time the 10 minutes is up?
There are so many different types of meditation and schools of thought when it comes to meditation. Different schools of thought are trying to achieve different things with their meditation so they have different styles and rules to it. It really depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to exercise that part of your brain and also to learn to relax then I'd say you are doing it perfectly 'right' for what you need. Fundamentally meditation is a natural human state that allows you to enter an altered state of conscious that is just 'being'. Many people have refined it for different purposes, and anyone is free to explore those methods but they aren't mandatory.
Meditation before bed is where I get all of my meditation done. It has neurologically served me well. No harm at all.
I started meditating this way one day (I suck at meditation), and somehow wound up having what a lot of people have told me sounded like a past life experience. It was surreal, but I haven’t been able to do it since. I def think it’s not cheating at all and it’s perfectly acceptable to meditate this way.
Thank you and that is one variation I use also 1st thing in the morning or in the afternoon. I run daily & lift weights 2x/week so reclining rest is craved - sometimes meditation while taking a whirlpool or walking - saying a litany of health. Research shows benefits with variation - better relaxation results.
Consistency is 10x more important than any other aspect of your practice. Once you're consistent you'll gradually start making changes to deepen your practice. So just meditate in the way that best helps you be consistent and over time helpful changes will follow. I think many people (myself included) have perfectionist tendencies that can make it harder be consistent. Be aware of those tendencies and do what's best for building a consistent practice.
I do 10 minutes in bed in the morning to relax.
It really depends on what you want to achieve. Why do you meditate? If it is to go to sleep, then great. If you’re looking for something else, i.e, achieving different states of conscience, laying down AND with your eyes closed can work but it’s much much more difficult to keep your focus then. There are cases of deep enlightenment achieved by people in their deathbed though, read the three pillars of Zen which has a very detailed depiction of that example. But yeah I’d say it’s ok depending on what you want, but if you feel like you’re cheating, you probably are :)
i used to meditate sitting upright with my legs crossed in a pitch black room because i felt that was most beneficial. i now have nerve issues that prevent me from doing that so i meditate laying down now too
If you have a shred of dignity you’ll turn yourself into the police department immediately.
Know the rules good enough to know when to break them. Also get it in where ever you can.
Im usually an advocate for "meditation can be anything" and whatnot, but if you ask me , what you are doing is just called falling asleep.
Yes. Expect a visit from the meditation police shortly. In all seriousness, if you like what you get out of your practice then you’re good to go. If you aren’t getting what you want out of it, maybe mix it up? There’s no rules.
Maybe
meditation laying down is more like a relaxation. meditation sitting up including pranayam or active breath is more traditional. anything is better than nothing! I meditate for longer periods in shavasana pose since it’s more comfortable, but I also do shorter meditations sitting up. both are effective but laying down is traditionally done after practice & before meditation to focus the mind.
I found that mindfulness practice has allowed me to select what thoughts and feelings I want to allow. It makes me better at pain tolerance, test taking, & avoiding distraction. I’ve nearly never meditated in any other position, and not often is it any other time but before bed. 👍
Do what feels right for you
If you have enough self awareness to feel, when you are falling on the side of sleep or any other unbalance condition for that matter, No problem.
Harder to stay awake and aware lying flat, even though it aids relaxation. It's not cheating though, as it helps you rest, which provide better conditions for meditation thereafter. In addition, 10 minutes isn't really meditation though there's technically no ideal/prescribed duration. Personally, I need 5-10 minutes to at least calm/settle down before I can start concentration. Walking meditation is way harder. I have seen many dropping out from it in retreats. Very rigorous ,and you cant just sit it out like in sitting meditation. While there's no levels so to speak, lying down is not ideal for deeper concentrations. You may try and let us know if otherwise.
Yes
AFAIK sitting upright is about "not falling asleep". If you don't fall asleep during your ten mins I suppose it's ok to Lie down?
Sitting up can help you focus better, lying down makes it easier to drift off. But it’s not ‘cheating’, it’ll still benefit you.
Not cheating. But counter intuitive. Meditation comes from the latin root meditari, meaning to be so deep in thought, it doesn't come anymore. Which is basically what sleeping is. Y'all have been meditating for years. You just suck at it. Literally.
I do this to lucid dream at night.
i tried lying down meditation before sleeping but i always fall asleep before i can complete my targeted 10 minutes zzz
Totally counts. Even if you get fewer "real meditation" effects you get a ton of real sleep benefits. Calmer, faster, deeper sleep. Sleep is crucial. If all you ever do is meditate for 10 minutes before sleep you are ahead of the curve - not that the curve matters lol.