Very Tired After Meditation

[John]

Has anyone else experienced this? 

All I do is a simple 20 minute breathing meditation. However, when I finish, I feel like going straight to bed. It seems to drain me.

Would appreciate any feedback on this.

Cheers,

John

[Toby]

How does it feel during the meditation?

[Prabhaker]

7 hours ago, John said:

All I do is a simple 20 minute breathing meditation. However, when I finish, I feel like going straight to bed. It seems to drain me.

Either you are concentrating on breath, instead of meditating

or

torturing yourself by forced sitting in an uncomfortable posture. 

[ajasatya]

@John meditate with semi-closed eyes on a not-so-dark and not-so-bright environment.

here you go.

[John]

@Prabhaker This is a distinction that I have only learned about recently. Before I was focusing laboriously on the breath.

At a retreat I learned that it's possible to simply try and maintain awareness of it.

I am still getting used to this distinction and making it real in my practice.

[John]

@Prabhaker Can you elaborate any further on this? Or direct me to some information on it?

The distinction between focusing and just maintaining awareness.

Cheers,

John

[AlwaysBeNice]

Inner resistance coming to the surface

[ajasatya]

@John, true meditation is sitting for no reason. just sit and do nothing. let everything be the way it is. just sit.

[Donald]

@John Try different timings . Throughout a week try to meditate in different times of the day and stick with what's best for you . Experiment!!! In my own experience the best time for me is 4 - 6 pm .And I had to get a lot of "stressful sitings" only because I thought that to meditate in the morning is better . 

[Prabhaker]

On 12/17/2016 at 3:20 AM, John said:

The distinction between focusing and just maintaining awareness.

Awareness means a mind that is conscious but not focused. While watching the breath, many other things will take your attention away. Nothing is a distraction in meditation, so when something else comes up, stop watching the breath, pay attention to whatever is happening until it’s possible to go back to your breath. This may include thoughts, feelings, judgments, body sensations, impressions from the outside world, etc.

It is the process of watching that is significant, not so much what you are watching, so remember not to become identified with whatever comes up; questions or problems may just be seen as mysteries to be enjoyed!

Concentration is a choice. It excludes all except its object of concentration; it is a narrowing. Concentration is of the mind, meditation is of consciousness.

Concentration is sabotaging the whole process of watchfulness, because concentration is an act of the mind, and watchfulness is something that comes from above, from beyond. If there is any concentration... I can understand, if you start watching your breathing – in the name of watching, you are concentrating on the breathing, you are excluding everything else. Don’t exclude. Watch your breathing inclusive of all.

[The Monk]

@John attempt to keep your back as straight as possible whilst meditating, or else you may begin to feel sleepy. This is what was definitely causing my sleepiness after meditating, which I prevented from happening by sitting up against a wall whilst meditating. 

Try and apply this to your meditation, and tell me how it goes! 

[John]

@Prabhaker Thanks for the advice.

I still think this is a distinction I will wrestle with.

Because the type of meditation you are talking about is the exact type of meditation that keeps people with a practice for 20 years but go nowhere.. no realizations, no insights, just a wishy washy practice, with wishy washy results.

However, I have taken what you said on board and will try it out for my next few sits!