Sleepiness/Dullness during Meditation + Morning meditation

[FlipAsso]

Hi there.
It's been a long time since I visit the forums.
I've restarted my meditation practice and I've been feeling either plain sleepy or just a bit dull during and after my meditation sessions.
I practice the So'Ham mantra, So on the in-breath and Ham on the out-breath.
What is going on with my practice for this to happen?
It's a bit soon to ask, because I've just started this two weeks ago or so, but this is boring me.. I used to feel a lot calm and inspired during and after my sessions and now I don't feel much of anything.
Also I've not yet managed to keep a regular schedule so now I just practice, pretty much every day, in an uncertain time of the day, and some days if I feel very lazy I skip my meditation..
By the way, does anyone know any method of starting a morning meditation practice. In the morning it is specially difficult for me to sit, and practice, and so much more to actually concentrate.. Sleepiness in this time of the day just overcomes me..

Warmest regards.
Flip

[NayaSurya]

This is a problem my Beloved Husband also has. He and I are very different, I can meditate as a rock in the sun...but he gets very sleepy doing this and needed something different.

What I suggested for him worked wonderfully, it is the Surya Namaskar.

This is very wonderful positions with mantra that really helps him start his day. Jai Uttal has a song called Surya that goes through this Mantra many times and we use it to do this morning exercise.

Here is a very informative link.
http://www.astrojyoti.com/suryanamaskar.htm

599

I hope this helps you<3

[c.smith]

If you are speaking of waking at 4AM as suggested by many, perhaps slowy working into the process by waking 1/2 hour earlier over a period of weeks may help. It's said that this is the best time for meditation and that vibrations of the saints and yogis are strongest then.

Another suggestion would be to start your day with japa first followed by meditation. While the japa process may not abate your sleepiness, it does help focus the mind and give body time to wake up. I also do my mantra writing before this whole process - matra writing > prayer > japa > mediation.
Surya namaskar is also an excellent idea.

Wishing you the best in your meditations!

[FlipAsso]

Thank you both for your replies.
Surya Namaskara is a good idea.
I will give it a try.
c.smith your reply was very insightful aswell.
But I am not right now ready to start waking up at 4AM to do my practice.
I'm trying to establish a regular meditation timer both in the morning and the afternoon, so it seems to me that I'm miles away from the ideal of waking up at 4AM.
I verily lack self-discipline.
I'm over-wheight, struggling to quit smoking, and very lazy.. =)
I did not convert to hinduism yet, but I'm trying to better myself. So I think it's best to take it one step at a time.

[kallol]

I somehow have some confused idea about meditation.

Meditation - what to meditate upon ?

If it is blank then it is like taking rest and sleep god might ohelp one take rest.

If it is at odd time then it is more so.

What is the purpose of meditation ?

To cool down the mind - to destress it - may be reading interesting spiritual books, soothing music, etc might have the same effect. It may be spiritual discourse also.

Can I achieve self realisation through meditation ?

Yes. But then that query should be there which should be intense enough to put aside all other disturbances. Just like you read highly interesting book and even a big sound cannot disturb you. It should be actually more than that.

Untill and unless there is a definite purpose of meditation, it will invoke the god of sleep untill and unless it is just after a sound sleep.

Love and best wishes

[FlipAsso]

Kallol
I think I understand your post..
You mean that there should be an intense longing for liberation prior to meditation, right?
That's true.. I lack that. I'm kind of double minded.. Still very much of this world, unlike "to be in this world, but not of it".
But shouldn't meditation be also, a way to achieve that intense longing?
In Jñana Yoga, Mumukshutva is the last pre-requisite, right?
One works his/hers way to it..
Or am I unfit for meditation/spirituality?
Also is there any hindu practice to enhance empathy towards others?
I've read that meditation can help you accomplish that.. And that's my primary goal in meditation, to be more aware..
I've heard Swami Tyagananda say that one should start prayer before meditation, but that one can also jump straight into meditation, only it will be more difficult.
I practice praying, and meditation, but as mentioned before, I still have a long way to be a disciplined yogi.
I come from a western atheist background, and although my aspirations are sincere they're not the strongest ones.
But practice makes perfect, right?

[kallol]

Kallol
I think I understand your post..
You mean that there should be an intense longing for liberation prior to meditation, right?
That's true.. I lack that. I'm kind of double minded.. Still very much of this world, unlike "to be in this world, but not of it".
But shouldn't meditation be also, a way to achieve that intense longing?
In J&#241;ana Yoga, Mumukshutva is the last pre-requisite, right?
One works his/hers way to it..
Or am I unfit for meditation/spirituality?
Also is there any hindu practice to enhance empathy towards others?
I've read that meditation can help you accomplish that.. And that's my primary goal in meditation, to be more aware..
I've heard Swami Tyagananda say that one should start prayer before meditation, but that one can also jump straight into meditation, only it will be more difficult.
I practice praying, and meditation, but as mentioned before, I still have a long way to be a disciplined yogi.
I come from a western atheist background, and although my aspirations are sincere they're not the strongest ones.
But practice makes perfect, right?

Dear Flip,

The intense longing for liberation is a stage which comes with knowledge. There are steps in the spiritual path.

1. To develop intense bhakti (over the whole period till liberation). It is blind in the begining and slowly it gets a meaning and lastly the full understanding of our postion and role with respect to the Brahman. This is the base on which the all the next steps are build on.

2. To get into karma yoga - first sakama karma (karma with expectations for self) and then niskama karma (karma without expectations). This step cleans the mind slowly and surely. The mind turns from looking outside to looking inside for knowledge, etc. (You will find this phenomenon when the mind clams down after a sad event).

3. The cleansing of the mind and the inward orientation of the minds triggers questions about life and creation. There are two ways to quench this desire. Deep meditation on the questions or getting scriptural knowledge.

Deep meditation leads to self realisation or enlightenment which is achieved by few great ones. But mostly people go through the scriptural knowledge - it can be hearing, reading, etc. This part is called Shrabanam (Hear).

Now there are two ways - one just believe (OK for beginners but not encouraged for reaching the higher state). Other is to enquire and analyse, to live, to feel, to go to the basics - it can be through deep meditation (the right way), query to guru (at the beginning) or constant discussion and satsang (begining and middle). This part is called Mananam (enquiry or inquiry)

Only after the basics are understood and the intellect is fully enabled, the lifestyle is aligned, the mind is aligned, then automatically the mind starts longing for liberation. The mind becomes more controlled to help you meditate better and on the right direction and target. This part is called Nibidhasanam (assimilation).

Through whole of this path, the bhakti will increase in intensity and this will help you to focus better.

Ofcourse meditation is offered as yoga - but that has a different purpose. May be it can help you prepare the mind faster to take in the knowledge.

But longing for liberation comes with matured knowledge.

KNOWLEGDE of god is also the self realisation which will start pulling you to long for liberation.

Love and best wishes

[brahman]

Hi there.
It's been a long time since I visit the forums.
I've restarted my meditation practice and I've been feeling either plain sleepy or just a bit dull during and after my meditation sessions.
I practice the So'Ham mantra, So on the in-breath and Ham on the out-breath.
What is going on with my practice for this to happen?
It's a bit soon to ask, because I've just started this two weeks ago or so, but this is boring me.. I used to feel a lot calm and inspired during and after my sessions and now I don't feel much of anything.
Also I've not yet managed to keep a regular schedule so now I just practice, pretty much every day, in an uncertain time of the day, and some days if I feel very lazy I skip my meditation..
By the way, does anyone know any method of starting a morning meditation practice. In the morning it is specially difficult for me to sit, and practice, and so much more to actually concentrate.. Sleepiness in this time of the day just overcomes me..

Warmest regards.
Flip






Dear Flip,


All this is perhaps similar to a child learning to walk. How many thousand times did we crawl, and fall and cry before we could sit and walk by ourselves? Of course, we grew up struggling through these obvious concerns.

One person, - the mother/guardian- had been a constant part in each accomplishment we made; including the moment we took our first step. The mother was there to ensure our safety, when there were challenges ahead.
She aided us on walk, when we went unfamiliar ways and when we fell she comforted saying everything was going to be alright.

How gifted you feel when you are bestowed with a ‘Guru’, when you progress continuously on the path to divinity. The Guru becomes your mother on your first steps on a spiritual journey.

It is not easy to access someone capable and responsible for helping us walk. It isn’t easy to find a Guru.

But, can’t we regard the Lord as our Param –Guru? Why not humbly love and rely on him?
Some enshrine the guru as Lord Krishna, some as Guru Nanak Dev, some as Jesus Christ, some as Mohammed or as Lord Buddha and so on...

Surrender unto to these gurus in unquestioning obedience born out of unconditional love is Bhakti.

The true relationship with the guru born out of unconditional love awakens the dormant spiritual knowledge in us, and the attributes slowly starts radiating to us. This implies that we need to understand the spirit of the sacred scriptures as well. On There, we encounter images or icons of attributes; incarnations of God, helpful to depend upon to sustain our Sadhana.

At HDF, we meet as friends or brothers only. We all need Mothers and Gurus for all their attributes to enrich us.
However, learning to walk may not win us a marathon – the self realization.
Lets’ get training! Let’s practise. It might take months, years, or decades perhaps.



Or should we see any reason to lament on the hardships we have experienced during our practice?
Yoga kundalini Upanishad 56- 61 (http://www.google.co.in/search?hl=en&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=615&q=yoga+kundalini+upanishad&aq=o&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=) says they are all sufficient impediments to distract you. They are all ‘inevitable ingredients’ of Yog, one is likely to be moved, frustrated, or to lose attention by sloth, boredom, sleep or various thoughts etc... Lots of love:)

[FlipAsso]

Thank you Brahman..
I liked your answer a lot.
I recently joined a local yoga class and satsang.
And I've started practicing a lot more..
And I feel that it is as you say.. The more one practices the better one gets at it..
Just like starting to walk or starting to play an instrument.
One day you just realize you've come a long way..
=)
Shanti!