Meditation -
Staying Awake While Meditating
by Steve
Gillman
Why is staying awake while
meditating important?
Falling asleep is certainly relaxing, and can be
good for you, but to get the full range of benefits
from your meditation you need to have your
brainwaves in the alpha and theta ranges. When you
are asleep, your brainwaves range from theta to
delta. Meditation should be a state of relaxed
alertness (primarily alpha brainwaves).
Try the following tips to stay awake.
1. Don't lay down. Laying down may be the
comfortable way to meditate, but it is also the
surest way to have trouble staying awake. Find a
comfortable posture for meditating, but not TOO
comfortable.
2. Don't meditate where you sleep. A comfy chair may
be a great place to meditate - unless its the one
you fall asleep in while watching TV. Anyplace where
you regularly sleep is likely to trigger a sleep
response in your body.
3. Create slight discomfort. If you are too
comfortable to stay awake, try turning the
thermostat down, sitting in a harder chair, or
otherwise creating a minor irritation that will be
enough to keep you awake, but not distract you too
much.
4. Try meditating in a new place. Using a chair set
in the back yard, or doing your meditation in the
car at a nice park can be a good way to get out of a
rut and wake up your mind.
5. Use an automatic wake-up position. Rest your
elbows on the chair arms and have your hands
comfortably up in the air. If you begin to sleep,
your arms will fall, waking you up. Many meditators
have used positions that prevent sleep in this way,
without being uncomfortable.
Sleep is good, but meditation is more than
relaxation. It should help you develop a sense of
peace and relaxed alertness. If meditating has
become nothing more than your favorite sleeping aid,
start using these tips today to get back on track.
About the Author
Steve Gillman has meditated
and studied meditation for over twenty years. Visit
his website and subscribe to The Meditation
Newsletter at:
http://www.TheMeditationSite.com/newsletter.html
