Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Emil Jensen, modified 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 4:03 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 4:03 PM

Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Posts: 319 Join Date: 7/16/20 Recent Posts
As the title suggests, I can fall asleep quickly! Especially when I sit down in meditation and look for the three characteristics.

I tend to do either noting practice or kasina.

Regardless of which practice, when I'm looking for the three characteristics I'm getting extremely drowsy and very distant within 5-10 minutes, sometimes wondering if I indeed slept because it feels kind of dreamy.

I tend to meditate at night, so for a while I just figured that I was tired and needed sreep. However, once I stop meditating I'm most often not drowsy anymore.

I have so limited understanding of how the nanas work, but from my utterly ignorant position I have just thought something like "oh, it's just because I bump into dissolution". I would like to know if I should disregard this thought as ignorant mind chatter, or if it makes sense. Perhaps you have this same experience?

Regardless, what is some good way to deal with it?

Thanks Dharma Fam
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Oatmilk, modified 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 4:39 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 4:39 PM

RE: Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Posts: 141 Join Date: 7/30/20 Recent Posts
Sounds like drowsiness to me. In TMI there are two types of drowsiness, gross dullness and subtle dullness - you might want to start to investigate into that and work a bit more on concentration practice. 
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David Matte, modified 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 5:54 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 5:54 PM

RE: Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Posts: 108 Join Date: 8/3/19 Recent Posts
Emil Jensen:
As the title suggests, I can fall asleep quickly! Especially when I sit down in meditation and look for the three characteristics.

I tend to do either noting practice or kasina.

Regardless of which practice, when I'm looking for the three characteristics I'm getting extremely drowsy and very distant within 5-10 minutes, sometimes wondering if I indeed slept because it feels kind of dreamy.

I tend to meditate at night, so for a while I just figured that I was tired and needed sreep. However, once I stop meditating I'm most often not drowsy anymore.

I have so limited understanding of how the nanas work, but from my utterly ignorant position I have just thought something like "oh, it's just because I bump into dissolution". I would like to know if I should disregard this thought as ignorant mind chatter, or if it makes sense. Perhaps you have this same experience?

Regardless, what is some good way to deal with it?

Thanks Dharma Fam

Drowsiness is a common hinderance for me too; there's a lack of energy to keep to keep the mind alert. You meditate at night, so perhaps you're meditating too late and do need sleep? You'll have to experiment with that to figure out if you feel less drowsy at other times of the day.

Some key tips are to make sure you're back is straight and you're not meditating after eating a meal. It's also worth meditating in a different place other than where you usually sleep.

Peace
Z , modified 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 6:06 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 6:02 PM

RE: Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Posts: 201 Join Date: 3/16/18 Recent Posts
Like David mentions above, you can make changes in regards to diet, sleep/meditation schedule and posture to bring more energy to your practice. You could also try walking or standing meditation to increase energy. 

Second, you can incline the mind to become interested and investigate the felt sensate experience of being drowsy. There's actually a lot happening with it and it needn't be turned away from or gotten rid of. Some questions you could feel your way into while sitting: 

What is drowsiness?
What does it feel like somatically?
Where is "drowsiness" located spatially in your body?
Is drowsiness hot, cold, solid, heavy, light or some other quality? 
Does drowsiness move and change?
Who is drowsiness happening to? 
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Alan Smithee, modified 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 9:58 PM
Created 3 Years ago at 11/18/20 9:57 PM

RE: Falling asleep within nano seconds...

Posts: 310 Join Date: 4/2/10 Recent Posts
If you aren't already doing so, you should consider practicing using a zafu + zabuton. These past two weeks I've never been able to focus on my breath counting up to sixty even once...until did it on a zafu this evening. Energy goes way up when sitting with your back straight. Also, I recommend caffeine pills. They are cheap (I think like $6 - $8 for like 30 - 50 of them). If you break them in half, they are as much as a cup of coffee but without any peeing. I used to drink coffee or energy drinks before a sit because I'm always so fatigued, but the caffeine pills are just way cheaper and more convenient. It sounds weird, I know, but the only ingredient in the pills is caffeine, and as long as you don't overdo it (follow the directions), they can make the difference between a wasted practice and a really productive one.  

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