Sibila Gubanc

Coffee And Meditation

20 posts in this topic

I'm new to meditation and I want to ask those of you who have more experience what are your thoughts on consuming caffeine before meditation? Do you see any benefits in that? I often get sleepy when meditating and i feel like this would help..? I just want to make sure it is not counter productive. So, what do you think? Share your thoughts please, thanks! :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I am aformer coffe drinker and a former caffeine tea drinker and I have been meditating for over a year. I only drink caffeine free tea nowadays and some green tea of I've had a rough night and need to meditate about 30 minutes after I wake up. I would recomend getting rid of it but thats just my personal preference.


Hallå

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Try quality tea, it has more or less a potent effect. Relatively positive. Btw Oolong tea can be used to negate the effects of eating before meditating

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You should eliminate caffeine (and all stimulants) from your diet. Especially if you're doing serious meditation. Even tea isn't recommended.

Your mind has to be running pure.


You are God. You are Truth. You are Love. You are Infinity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
10 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

You should eliminate caffeine (and all stimulants) from your diet. Especially if you're doing serious meditation. Even tea isn't recommended.

Having said that what do you think is best way to wean off of coffee and stimulants?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@Sibila Gubanc Coffee keeps my heartbeat from dropping below a certain rate, so I can't get into deeper states of meditation. I'd recommend improving your diet (if possible) and getting adequate rest instead of seeking stimulants.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Steven said:

Having said that what do you think is best way to wean off of coffee and stimulants?

I moved from coffee to tea. Then I had one cup of regular tea for a while and then eventually I just started drinking caffeine free tea.


Hallå

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh man ... that's gonna be tough for me... I've been addicted to caffeine since I was around 10 years old. I'd drink 2 cups of coffee a day and now I drink at least 1 energy drink a day... and tea as well. I'll build up to quitting I guess!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Quote

I'd drink 2 cups of coffee a day

What? I've just hit my second coffee within the first hour... and it continues through the day...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

@Neo I was talking about when I was a 10 year old haha. Not so okay when it starts that young.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/1/2016 at 8:22 PM, Steven said:

Having said that what do you think is best way to wean off of coffee and stimulants?

Cold turkey is good.

Or gradually reduce dose if you can't handle cold turkey.


You are God. You are Truth. You are Love. You are Infinity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 01/04/2016 at 5:08 AM, Leo Gura said:

You should eliminate caffeine (and all stimulants) from your diet. Especially if you're doing serious meditation. Even tea isn't recommended.

Your mind has to be running pure.

Why especially if you do meditation?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, ZenDog said:

Why especially if you do meditation?

You shouldn't even be eating stimulating or exciting foods if you really want to optimize your meditation.

The aim of meditation is to silence the mind to get at reality directly. How you gonna do that while filling your body with poisons and stimulants that have the same effect on your mind as sticking a chili pepper up your butthole?

I've radically changed my diet for the sake of optimizing my meditation practice. It's too important not to.


You are God. You are Truth. You are Love. You are Infinity.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ye, I always drink coffee before my morning meditation. Helps me to focus on my breathing and I feel vibrating higher. I have tried couple of times without it and it's definetely not the same.

At some point though I feel like I should give up on drinking it. As Leo said, it's a rather fake boost and meditation should be more natural, not dependent on any stimulants. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You shouldn't even be eating stimulating or exciting foods if you really want to optimize your meditation.

The aim of meditation is to silence the mind to get at reality directly. How you gonna do that while filling your body with poisons and stimulants that have the same effect on your mind as sticking a chili pepper up your butthole?

I've radically changed my diet for the sake of optimizing my meditation practice. It's too important not to.

I need to quit smoking too...

I quit drinking completely five years ago... thought it would be hard and it actually wasn't ... but my friends couldn't do it.

I've been meditating close to 2 hours every morning in the past month without a miss. (start at 5 am)...

...It does feel like smoking has to go.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 4/1/2016 at 6:08 AM, Leo Gura said:

You should eliminate caffeine (and all stimulants) from your diet. Especially if you're doing serious meditation. Even tea isn't recommended.

Your mind has to be running pure.

Do you still hold the same views, @Leo Gura? I'm planning on giving up coffee.

What are your thoughts on this? As a daily meditation, should I eliminate all stimulants?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
53 minutes ago, eTorro said:

Do you still hold the same views, @Leo Gura? I'm planning on giving up coffee.

What are your thoughts on this? As a daily meditation, should I eliminate all stimulants?

LSD is a stimulant, and LSD is most certainly beneficial with respect to essentially any purely mental activity. 

 

Coffee can be useful with respect to spiritual practices, for much the same reason that cocaine can be useful. But like cocaine, albeit to a much lesser degree, there are/can be adverse effects. You would need to do something else to counteract them.

 

Coffee may not be as potent as crack, but at least it's legal, eh?


Potestas Infinitas, Libertas Infinitas, Auctoritas Infinitas.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I recommend coffe for all the beginners of meditation, simply because caffeine makes you more focus and alert which means more awareness.

The goal for beginners is not to be in meta states of consciousness, but to learn to focus on the present feeling it with all the senses.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Coffee creates a lot of anxiety in my body and is quite distracting when I meditate.

I find my life is better when I minimize caffeine intake to when it’s absolutely essential (which obviously isn’t often) 


The game of survival cannot be won. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!


Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.


Sign In Now