iamnotahumanbeing

Meditate sitting up or laying down?

13 posts in this topic

I know there is no right or wrong here, but I wanted to open up a simple discussion about how we all meditate – either sitting up or laying down, and why?

Personally, I meditate laying down most of the time because it’s a way I can find a position that produces the least amount of physical distraction. It took some practice to learn how to stay alert and not fall asleep, but now that is in no way a problem, and I find my meditation is so much deeper when laying down. 

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I find that the key to meditation is to balance alertness with relaxation. I used to meditate in a recliner chair but now I meditate sitting up with my back straight and just notice any tension that may arise in the body. The recliner made me prone to sleepiness which wasn't sustainable after a while.

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most likely you'll fall asleep by lying down, at least I do
you can try it but it's too comfortable

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@iamnotahumanbeing

I mostly meditate whilst walking. It's working perfectly for me, especially after I reach the 2 hours mark.

Self-inquiry requires concentration, so I do it sitting or laying down, depending on how I feel at the time.

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@iamnotahumanbeing I guess the only obstacle to lying down would be that you would fall asleep, but if you have overcome that problem, I find no problem with it.

I meditate Indian Yoga style: crossed legs, up straight, hands crossed and resting below my navel.


"Not believing your own thoughts, you’re free from the primal desire: the thought that reality should be different than it is. You realise the wordless, the unthinkable. You understand that any mystery is only what you yourself have created. In fact, there’s no mystery. Everything is as clear as day. It’s simple, because there really isn’t anything. There’s only the story appearing now. And not even that.” — Byron Katie

 

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Has little to do with posture, is more about inner rage while in extasis bliss :) and meditating no matter the activity.


... 7 rabbits will live forever.                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

 

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Yeah lying down or seated to something so you can rest on that, is in my experience much nicer than sitting straight, but indeed you must find some way to not fall asleep to easily.

Either with prolonged practice ,or maybe with some help of.. music, eyes open, green tea?  but mostly it's just intention and willpower.

But yeah I think for me this was important to realize because I feel like the length of the meditation time, can be extended this way easily and that's helpful, 

and lying down we tend to feel pretty safe also because we go into sleep that way

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I  like both. I sit mostly when I do Kriya Yoga as Leo shows in his blog. It took me like six months to be able to sit like that for at least 30 minutes. And find it really good to stay alert. But I also like to lay down, specially when I do psychedelics and also because I have some lower-back problems. I find it perfectly fine, so what if you fall sleep? It can also be a very good meditation.


“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

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I prefer sitting up, I may do a mini session laying down, but thats like in the moment and I am not timing myself or anything, Im just being present. 

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Is it best to be comfortable...or to stop being comfortable? Sometimes self discipline is exactly what’s needed. Only one could know. 

If ‘humble’ is forgein, I’d consider meditating just as the Dalai Lama instructs. 


MEDITATIONS TOOLS  ActualityOfBeing.com  GUIDANCE SESSIONS

NONDUALITY LOA  My Youtube Channel  THE TRUE NATURE

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For me it's a combination, I try sitting as long as I possibly can until I feel it's not healthy for my knees anymore. 
As soon as this point is reached, I lie down. I haven't been falling asleep or even getting sleepy for months if not years when meditating lying on the floor. I think a reason for this is that I practiced a lot of Yoga Nidra which is kind of a conscious deep sleep, where you don't move but stay very alert in corpse pose. 

I try to push myself in sitting down nowadays since I feel the uncomfortableness and pain being a great teacher. I also notice I tense up unconsciously much more often when sitting which is helpful to be aware of. 

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