After a long day at work, one of the things that can help to ease tensions and clear your mind is to engage in a mindfulness or meditation practice. However, a lot of people find that sitting in the traditional way can be uncomfortable and not conducive to relaxation. So, they try meditating lying down.
But one of the big problems with this is that people often find that they let go so deeply that they end up falling asleep. So is it bad to lie down when you are meditating? It is absolutely possible to meditate lying down but there are a few things to be aware of if you want to get the most out of that time.
In this article, we will share whether it is ok to do meditating lying down and what other postures you could try.
Can You Meditate In Any Position?
The main idea of meditation is to find relaxation and calm the mind from the stresses of life. For this reason, a lot of people will automatically get into corpse pose and meditate lying on their back, typically on the floor but sometimes on the bed.
If you want to be traditional in your meditation practice, there are four main ways of meditating. You can sit in a traditional meditation posture such as lotus position with the legs crossed, arms in front of you with the hands in your lap and a straight spine. This is the preferred posture for meditation since it is a good balance between meditation lying down where the chances of you falling asleep are quite high or doing a standing meditation where you may experience too much tension. However, a lot of people find that this position brings on discomfort, particularly in the lower back.
Standing is another of the traditional meditation positions and some also like to do a walking mindfulness practice.
Of course, there are many meditation practitioners who find that they are unable to reach a state of relaxation when sitting because of discomfort, back pain or pain in the neck. If this sounds familiar, then of course, you should lie flat on your back on the floor. This technique is best done with the feet flat on the floor and the knees at a 90 degree angle. Some people also like to place a pillow under the head to support the neck.
Falling Asleep When Meditating
A common question when it comes to meditation is whether it is normal to fall asleep when doing meditation lying down. If you are someone who has experienced this then you are not alone.
It is difficult to reap the benefits of meditation when corpse position immediately makes you fall asleep. This often results in meditations being cut short which is not something that anyone wants.
The good news is that there are things you can do to stop yourself from drifting into a state of sleep whenever you are meditating while lying down.
First of all, you could try using a guided meditation app. An app like this will talk you through the practice giving you something to focus on and keeping your mind alert. This may help you to avoid falling to sleep. But there are other things you can try.
Meditation And Your Bed
One of the main problems is that your body becomes so comfortable when you lie on the bed to meditate because you associate this place with comfort and rest. You could try lying on the floor on your yoga mat. As we mentioned earlier, placing the feet flat on the ground and the knees bent is a good position if you want to meditate lying down.
Also try not to meditate near the time you will be in bed. For example, do not meditate first thing in the morning or last thing at night. This can be tricky since we live in a world where life is busy and finding the time to take care of our well being and engage in meditation can be challenging.
Eating A Big Meal
It is also a good idea to avoid doing a meditation directly after eating a large meal. Your body will need to use its energy for digestion and while the body does this, you are more likely to fall to sleep. That being said, it is always a good idea to hydrate yourself before meditation.
Sleep
You should also consider how much sleep you are getting each night. If it is your mission to stay awake when you meditate lying down, you need to make sure that your body and mind are not going to betray you. If you are not getting enough sleep each night and your energy levels are low, you are much more likely to drop off during meditation.
To this end, it is important to try to practice finding a balance between being relaxed and staying focused. One of the best ways that you can use to keep your focus is to concentrate on the breath. Notice how your belly rises as your breathe in and with each breath out, allow the shoulders to loosen.
Splash Your Face
Some people find that splashing a little cold water on their face is a great way to wake themselves up before meditation. Never underestimate the power that this simple trick can have.
Be Comfortable
While there are many questions about how you should meditate, one of the ones that always pops up is whether you should feel uncomfortable and the answer is always a resounding ‘no!’
You should not feel any discomfort while you meditate whether you meditate lying down, sitting or standing. If you need to use a pillow under the head, do this. If you need to bend the knees, don’t be afraid to try this. Your mind will never settle if you are focused on pain.
Being comfortable also means being at the right temperature and one of the best things you can do to avoid falling to sleep while you lie down to meditate is to open a window and let in some fresh air.
Conclusion
A lot of meditation enthusiasts ask the question ‘is it a good idea to lie down when meditating?’ In truth, the best position is sitting with a straight back but this is not always possible.
If you feel any pain in the body when sitting, it is a viable option to lie down and rest the head on a pillow. The only problem is that you may fall asleep. This is even more likely thanks to the busy world we live in but there are things you can do to prevent this and still make the most out of your meditation practice.
