Question about meditation

[joneagle_27]

Is there a way to stay alert and focused when tired during meditation? My schedule is so hectic now, I don't have anytime for projection practice. The only time I can do it is when I'm about to go to bed. Usually by then I'm completely exhausted and I click out.

[CFTraveler]

Use energy work as a meditation tool- energy work puts focus on nonverbal activity, like pranayama.

[hate]

i used to have that problem of trying to meditate while being tired and then completely black out with no practice done. Instead of lying flat on your back try positioning your back against a wall using a pillow. Also make sure your head is supported.

[Korpo]

Is there a way to stay alert and focused when tired during meditation? My schedule is so hectic now, I don't have anytime for projection practice. The only time I can do it is when I'm about to go to bed. Usually by then I'm completely exhausted and I click out.

Well, one thing is to get sleep. When you are too tired when practicing late, try to put your sitting time in the morning, get up a bit early. Then you have both rest and may be more relaxed for the sitting, too.

Usually Buddhist meditation recommends some countermeasure for common problems that may arise. But when your tiredness arises from lack of sleep instead of just being rooted in the mind these might not help. Unless you feel that your tiredness is rooted in some resistance to meditating, you'll have to take care of the needs of your body first.

Oliver

[Timotheus]

[Tom]

The exercises called the "5 Tibetans" or the "5 Rites" make an excellent warm-up for meditation. They are helpful to do on a daily basis anyway even if they aren't really Tibetan.

Usually I read for drowsiness to visualize bright light, but that doesn't help much. Imagining sitting on a telephone pole in an earthquake doesn't do it for me either. Recently I read that holding your breath is a good wake-up for drowsiness in meditation, but I haven't tried it. At this point if I'm that tired I just go to sleep and use reiki as I drift off. Something to keep in mind when you are falling asleep in meditation is that fighting it often just makes it many times worse than it otherwise would be. Be patient and watch yourself falling asleep. Remember, if you can achieve mind awake / body asleep on a regular basis that this can really help with astral projection and wake-induced lucid dreaming.

[AstralGlow]

The times your really too tired i would just skip it and do it when your not quite as tired you could just do some short destressing meditaions if your too tired also and some are not quite as deep so its easy to stay awake i tend to do some healing meditaions when i am really tired. a good one to do is one were you put the back of the left hand flat on your lap and count the beats of you pulse with your right hand use your 3 middle fingers count 4 beats whilst breathing in and hold for your breath for 8 beats then count 4 beats out and 4 beats in again and hold for 8 beats do this for around 5 mins its great as you won't fall asleep and i do it sitting in a chair. If you have some you do already that are similar you could try them.