Falling Asleep During Guided Meditation?
Falling Asleep During Guided Meditation? I know this can be frustrating if you are trying to develop a consistent meditation practice. I wanted to write this article to give you some practical ideas to help you from falling into snooze land.
Falling asleep during meditation? This common and normal occurrence among beginners. Even experienced meditators can drift off during meditation on occasion. To stop falling asleep, it’s important to develop new meditation strategies to ensure you stay fresh, awake and alert.
22 Ways How to Stay Awake During Meditation!
1. Meditating in the Morning
Meditating the morning can be a great way to keep awake while you are meditating. In the morning your fresh well slept and ready to start your day. Meditating at this time of day helps you to keep awake and focused during meditation. It is important that you don’t meditate straight after waking, asleep inertia may pull you right back into dreamland. Having a shower and getting yourself ready, will stimulate you for meditation. The more you get into a routine in the morning the less likely you will be to fall asleep.
2. Meditate Before Eating
A big meal can be a good way to make you feel dozy and ready to take a nap. Your body is using a majority of it’s energy to digest your food. Meditating on a empty stomach means your whole body is energized and ready to engaged in your meditation.
3. Meditating After Exercise
Workouts are a great way to get the blood moving, charged your body and get primed for your meditation. The key here is not to do a six-hour training session, so that by the end of your session you are absolutely exhausted and ready for a nap anyway.Thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercise is a fantastic way to get ready for meditation.
4. The Right Style of Meditation
Meditation can be used to solve many different problems. Sleep and relaxation cover a large portion of guided meditations. These meditations can relax your body, calm the mind and put you in a state ready to hit the hay.But these don’t help if you want to stay awake and alert. Instead choose guided meditations that energize and engage you. Guided meditations like watching a sunrise, observing a flower open or climbing to the top of a summit. These types of guided meditation engage the mind, take your on a journey of discovery and wonder. They can keep you awake longer because they are stimulating and drawing your interest as you meditate.
5. Meditation Positions
When you get ready to meditate is important to understand that there are many different positions that you meditate. If you are having trouble staying awake during meditation, is advisable to choose a meditation posture that is focus and alert. Meditating in comfortable positions like in your comfy couch or lying down can cause you to fall asleep easily. Choose a seated position like on a kitchen chair, stool or sitting cross legged on the floor. These positions keep your body more active and present as you meditate.
6. Meditation Classes
Meditation classes are a fantastic way to stay awake. Being amongst other people can energize you and give you a sense of connection. Also if you nod off, the instructor will wake you.
7. Eyes Open Meditation
If you’re finding that you’re falling asleep during meditation with your eyes closed. An easy answer is to keep your eyes open during meditation. Choose a point on the floor in front of you and let you eyes fall into a gently gaze. This way you are still alert and the light coming into your eyes will help keep you awake.
8. Hydrate
It’s important keep hydrated through your meditations. Having a glass of water before you meditate is a great way to vitalize your body. Remember that your body is around 60% water, so always keep it hydrated so your electrical signals can move easily.
9. Lighting
Lighting and have a dramatic effect on how alert you are during a meditation. Having a very low lit darkroom can induce drowsiness. There are many meditators out there who take pride in their meditation rooms. Beautiful low lit lighting brings on a beautiful relaxing feeling. If you’re having trouble sleeping falling asleep, then turn the lights up give yourself a nice bright room to meditate. This will keep you more alert and awake longer.
10. Meditation Length
If you’re having trouble staying awake during 20 minute meditation. Try several short meditations, this will help you stay awake longer. Instead of doing 1 x 20 minute meditation, 3 x 7 minute meditations instead. This can also work with long meditations. So if you’re finding you are falling asleep during your 90 minute meditation session. Make sure you break it up into smaller chunks.
11. Mixed Meditations
If you really enjoy longer meditations but you’re finding that you are nodding off , then try changing up the meditation style. If you’re doing a 30 minute meditation, then try 10 minutes of guided meditation, 10 minutes of a movement style meditation and 10 minutes of mindfulness meditation. Changing these meditation styles can stop you getting to comfortable. This variety can keep you awake for longer periods during meditation.
12. Mantra Meditation
Mantra meditations are excellent at keeping alert we meditate. Imagine meditation is where you say particular phrase silently to yourself as meditate. The mantra is excellent at keeping you in the moment and stopping online from racing. If you’re finding that you’re falling asleep through silent meditation, using a mantra might be a great way to keep yourself engaged and connected with your meditation.
13. Temperature
Warm temperature can be a major factor in dozing off during your meditation. If you’re feeling the temperature in the room is to warm, crank the air-conditioning up. This cooler temperature will keep you fresh and alert and save you from snoozing off.
14. Fresh Air
Meditating in a stuffy room can make you feel tired and drowsy. Make sure you are getting plenty of oxygen into the meditation space. Fresh air can invigorate you and help you with your meditation. We need to do is crack open a window or allow air to come through the door, to make sure your room is full the fresh flying breeze.
15. Meditating Outside
Meditating in outside is a great way to keep you alert throughout your meditation. This does not have to be as grand as the Amazon jungle. Even sitting in your local park or your own backyard can bring your senses alive. Just stepping outside into your surrounding can be different. Things like the air, sounds and smells, all these can keep you present and in the moment.
16. The Forest
Forrester a beautiful place meditate, with lots of wildlife and greenery to surround you. This is a great way to stimulate all your senses to keep you alert in your meditation.
17. The Beach
Meditating at the beach is a great way to keep yourself in touch with the ocean and feel the softness of the sand beneath you. Meditating the gentle morning or afternoon sun be a great way to keep yourself activity alert we meditate.
18. The Mountains
Mountains are majestic place meditate, especially when you find a great spot with a spectacular view. This can be a way to inspire your meditation and keep you alert and active with the grandness surrounding you.
19. Mindfulness Basic Tasks
These movement meditations can be done observing everyday tasks you do in your life. This can be as simple as making your bed, brushing your teeth or eating breakfast. This style of meditations can be a great way to keep awake as you meditate.
20. Movement Meditation
Movement meditations can be an excellent way to keep you alert and active during meditation. These can be simple movements or more complicated physical movements.
20. Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a great way to keep you in a mindful meditation or introducing movement into meditation the same time. This will keep you awake and energized as you meditate.
21. Walking Meditations
Walking Meditations a great for taking your time observing everything in nature without judging and observing allowing it pass you by as you move through the world.
22. Swimming Meditations
Swimming Meditations are excellent for introducing that cardiovascular physical exercise into your meditative practice. It is very unlikely that you’ll fall asleep in the pool, so this is a great way to keep yourself awake.
If you area falling asleep during meditation, try implementing some of these strategies. you might try one or just mix a few together. Whichever you choose, they were definitely teach you alternative ways how to stay awake during meditation.
Related Questions
Is It OK To Fall Asleep During Meditation?
If you are in a physically demanding or emotionally exhausting job, don’t give yourself a hard time for falling asleep. Even if you do 5 to 10 minutes of meditation before you pass out, you’re still getting the benefits of meditation. When it comes to good meditation, consistency is key! So even if you get a small amount of meditation in before you will sleep, that’s better than nothing at all. Because we all know if we wait for a day when really perky to meditate, turning today’s a week or month. So falling asleep is fine, as long as you’re getting your consistent daily meditation, you’ll be progressing and feeling the benefits.
Am I Meditating Or Sleeping?
This can be a common question among many first-time meditators. If you fall asleep during your meditation, you will wake up feeling groggy, you may feel a pain in your neck where you’ve slumped over. Meditation will leave you feeling fresh, and a lot more alert than if you just woken up. Beginners find these two different states hard to distinguish. As you meditate more you start to notice the freshness and peace of mind you feel after come out of meditation.