Meditating Lying Down
Meditar acostado
A student asks whether meditation must be done seated, and whether lying down might affect the upward movement of energy she experiences during practice.
Meditating Lying Down
A student asks whether meditation must be done seated, and whether lying down might affect the upward movement of energy she experiences during practice.
I'm a very lazy person, so my question is: should meditation always be done seated? Can I just do it in my bed, assuming I try to keep myself awake?
There are no rules for meditation. It can be done lying down, walking, running, cooking, even thinking.
Just now, during the meditation, I felt a sensation that kept going up. If I lie down, would that impede the rise of the sensation? If it is energy, would it go up to the surface of my body instead of going upward? Because right now, sitting upright, I felt it going further and further up, and as it went further up, it became brighter. So if I'm flat on the bed, would it still work the same?
Well, you could try and then let us know. These things are quite mysterious. We are all very unique in how we experience things and how things move for us. I would say explore. But also, the question for you is: why would you want to try it lying down? What's the interest?
The relationship between posture and energy
Simply being lazy. I couldn't think of a better reason. Being the couch potato that I am, when I sit, I'm probably not very upright. But I noticed just now, for example, that I felt pretty stuck at what I think is the diaphragm area. When I shifted my position to be slightly more upright, I felt a rise. It went further up. So I was thinking: if you lie down, then the issue of sitting up straight or not wouldn't matter.
I would try that. There is nothing wrong with meditating lying down. You could try it on the floor, for example, so you are less likely to fall asleep. If you lie down on the floor, you can put a book behind your head just to keep it a little elevated, and bring your knees up, so it is a comfortable lying-down position but also a little more alert.
Just try it. And also know that if it is energy or some sense of presence, there is no need for it to move in any specific way. If it goes up, it goes up. It doesn't have to go up. Let whatever is happening happen.