Meditating While Lying Down

[AlldayLoop]

Is this half-assing meditation practice, or is it acceptable?

Of course this question applies to people who are able to; those who don’t have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from sitting still for long periods of time. 

[peanutspathtotruth]

No it's not half-assing it. I do it for 2 years now and my lying meditation often gets deeper than my sitting meditation, especially these days. I change between sitting and lying down within a prolonged session so I have the direct comparison and I watch this very closely. 

But, and this is important, you have to be very clear and awake mentally, otherwise you're quite prone to being foggy. Just be honest about that when it happens. When it happens, I meditate with eyes open or, if it's really heavy I just switch back to sitting meditation. 

One more tip: I do it on an empty stomach (~14-18h) while intermittend fasting, in the morning, so that makes the headspace way more clear. 

The benefits of lying down for me are that I can relax completely which is just not physically possible for me when sitting. Also, although I can't say if it's really an important factor, I do have bilateral symmetry, which some suggest to be helpful. I hope that helps!

[AlldayLoop]

Thank you for sharing your thorough explanation, I appreciate it dearly. 

I also notice that while meditating, my head can start to feel a bit “heavier”, or as if blood flow is rushing to my head. I’m not sure if this specifically happens when I’m only doing lying down meditation. I have a similar head sensation when I just take marijuana. Is this a typical sensation for people who meditate or concentrate? An additional point I’ll make is I am prescribed Vyvanse and Adderall for ADHD which I take daily on a therapeutic dose.

One more thing...

49 minutes ago, peanutspathtotruth said:

Also, although I can't say if it's really an important factor, I do have bilateral symmetry, which some suggest to be helpful. 

Can you please explain a bit what you mean by this? This is the first time I’m hearing about this.

[peanutspathtotruth]

@AlldayLoop It's hard to pinpoint the exact sensation you mean. And it's not easy to say what is typical, but I'd say don't worry about it, unless it's painful. Really test all this experientially for yourself - when do these occur? Switch between lying and sitting down and really be mindful of how your focus and your headspace change as well. Find out what works for you and take your time

Regarding the bilateral symmetry, it's just the proposal that to be symmetrical in your body while meditating and/or during psychedelic trips is crucial for the energy to flow properly and for surrender of the ego to happen more easily. I heard it from Martin Ball in his book "Entheogenic Liberation" and for me it seems to be a very important practice when tripping. 

I have no idea about its use in meditation but I would guess "it depends". I just mentioned it because when lying down in corpse pose, your body is symmetrical anyway, so that's nice

[Elham]

I have the same question as well. I meditate lying down and I always thought maybe its not the correct way to do so!

[AlldayLoop]

@Elham “Meditate” while walking, while being with friends, while exercising, while driving your car... I think you get the point 

[Elham]

@AlldayLoop I got the point 

[hamedsf]

@AlldayLoop @Elham  

the position of meditation isn't important.

but the most important thing is the sense of your comfort, if you're meditating while you have distractions from outside (like your back is aching severely because of that unsuitable rough cushion or you're feeling discomfort because the temperature of the room is not well-regulated) I should tell you that that session of meditation is gonna be an unproductive one. 

so choose the well-suited position for your session. but you should maintain the full waking state while you're doing meditation. so solution for this problem is getting enough sleep before meditation, or having cup of coffee or green tea. 

[FoxFoxFox]

@AlldayLoop Personally, i've always only meditated lying down. You just need to make sure you don't fall asleep. 

[AlldayLoop]

Why does it seem like every meditation practice (and of course the stereotype) is done in lotus position?! ?‍♂️ ?‍♀️

Go to a Vipssana retreat, it’s group sitting, listen to Headspace and you’re told to sit in a comfortable position, etc etc  

 

[peanutspathtotruth]

8 minutes ago, AlldayLoop said:

Why does it seem like every meditation practice (and of course the stereotype) is done in lotus position?! ?‍♂️ ?‍♀️

Go to a Vipssana retreat, it’s group sitting, listen to Headspace and you’re told to sit in a comfortable position, etc etc  

I suppose when you grow up moving a lot, on the ground, squatting etc., your body is very flexible and healthy, and to sit in a completely relaxed way is effortless. So for the past and for people in India for example, or those flexible enough, it's still valid. The erect spine definitely helps with wakefulness. But in the west, sitting on chairs all day, it's just not appropriate anymore for many people. 

[Yog]

Comfortable is more important than lotus, you need to forget about the body and stop it from intervening as much as possible. So if you are not comfortable it wont work effectively. At least Beginner>Advanced level, A master might do it anyway he wants.

But vertical is better than horizontal to my experience. I almost never get the intense vibrations, nor the spontaneous kryas, nor the intensity is the same while lying. It seems that the vertical flow of energy/prana that yoga traditions and kabbalah speak of is correct.

While lying down I get paralyzed, get to the void and that is that. Its good for dipping training though as you get very unconscious and dreamy all the time ( dipping = pulling yourself back from the unconscious ). But I'll either doze out in 1 hour, or I'll convert it into an OBE.

Edited August 5, 2019 by Yog

[AlldayLoop]

3 hours ago, Yog said:

But I'll either doze out in 1 hour, or I'll convert it into an OBE.

OBE?

[FoxFoxFox]

The positions become important in Kriya/Kundalini yoga or any practice that involves working with energy. An erect spine is conducive to correct flow of Kundalini for instance. Posture serves no purpose if you are not involved in those sorts of practices. 

[zeroISinfinity]

@FoxFoxFox Yeah, lol. Prepare yourself for full body vibrations and your hands Will shake like crazy. 

Try to go to work after it. ?

[Aaron p]

Spine straight keeps you awake, but just snort a big line of MD and you'll be wideeeeeeeee awake and able to meditate lying down no bother haha. (I'm joking, don't do that). Although you can do this for long meditation sits, it works

[pluto]

Spine straight is the main thing, either sitting or lying down, you do what works best for you. Personally, I've left my body few times accidentally when lying down. As a child this was normal for me. There is also a technique you can use to induce lucid dreaming where you lift the top side of your bed(where you rest your head) 6 inches. Few books should do the trick. For some reason this induces more lucid dream/astral traveling potential.

 

 

[ardacigin]

On Saturday, August 03, 2019 at 10:25 PM, AlldayLoop said:

Is this half-assing meditation practice, or is it acceptable?

Of course this question applies to people who are able to; those who don’t have a physical or mental condition that prevents them from sitting still for long periods of time. 

It is powerful if you can prevent dullness and sleepiness. It is ideal for full body relaxation. You just need an alert mind for spiritual investigation.

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by ardacigin

[passerby]

A good tip (I have read), is to put your feet flat on the floor (so your knees are up), that way when you start nodding off, your legs will start falling apart, and it will bring your awareness back. Or you can bend one or both your arms so your upper arm is still on the floor but your hands are vertical, same thing when you nod off your hands will start falling down.

 

Its not the best position for beginners due to the tendancy to fall asleep, but using those tips can help a lot. other than that, meditating laying down is fine