Should I meditate in the morning or at night?
Meditate in the morning
Although meditation can be beneficial at any hour of the day, many people find morning to be the best time to meditate because it's typically the part of the day with the least distractions.
-You run the risk of getting too much energy
Claim: The problem with meditating before bedtime is that it makes you alert and energetic. Thus, it makes it hard for you to fall asleep and reduce sleep quality. Not only can meditation make you fall asleep. It can also give you an abundance of energy.
Meditation may help you sleep better. As a relaxation technique, it can quiet the mind and body while enhancing inner peace. When done before bedtime, meditation may help reduce insomnia and sleep troubles by promoting overall calmness.
So start small — with five minutes of breathing exercises to calm and focus the mind every morning. Not only will it “set the tone for the day,” said Dr. Eva Tsuda, a meditation instructor at the UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness, but meditating earlier may make the practice easier to stick to.
In the morning, at surise: Traditionally between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m., the Brahma Muhurta Sandhya is the most auspicious time to meditate, according to the ancients. The mind is calm and refreshed after a good night's sleep, and the distractions of the day have yet to begin.
Falling asleep while meditating is very normal and if it happens to you every now and then you don't need to worry too much. When we learn to meditate, we are looking for a balance between focus and relaxation, and in the process it is inevitable that sometimes we will go too far in either direction.
If you have not meditated regularly, or at all, and you're in a period of depressed ideation, impulsive mania or torturous anxiety, don't start now. You'll just sit there agitated and ruminate and your condition will likely get worse. Seek help elsewhere. Begin practice during a stable period.
There are classical meditation traditions that strongly advise against 'giving in' to tiredness, asserting that the practitioner must work on themselves and persist with singularity of focus in their practice to overcome the mind-body succumbing to fatigue.
As you meditate, focus your thoughts on the things that inspire you. This might be articles or books you've read, people who you admire or something completely random. Whatever it is, think about why it inspires you and see if it sparks some creativity.
Can you meditate twice a day?
You certainly can! Meditation has no limits. If you want to develop a habit of practicing, it's critical to make it a daily priority to meditate. If you could meditate at least once a day, that would be ideal. However, some people enjoy the practice so much they meditate even more.
If you're a beginner and looking to reduce stress, then 10 minutes should be enough. However, if you're looking to focus more on calmness and increased concentration, then up to 30 minutes might be better as you'll have time for some light stretches as well as breathing techniques.
It's best to approach meditation much like anything else in life: start small, build up slowly and find your own personal sweet spot. For some people, this sweet spot is 10 minutes and for others, it's 60 minutes.
The result: by fundamentally shifting the way we relate to our thoughts and feelings, we can dial down the intensity of emotions that tend to take hold of us, and ultimately experience a greater sense of calm, clarity, and focus in our lives.
Yes, showering before or after the meditation can help in reducing stress. A clean and refreshing atmosphere can create a calm and peaceful mind, making it easier to focus during meditation.
According to the Chinese body clock, 4.00 am is the perfect time to not only let go of old 'stuff' and to cleanse our lungs, but to fill up with the oxygen of life! There is also a widely held belief that the early morning hours are the time when the gods or angels are encircling the world.
The most important thing about meditation is to just do it, no matter if it's perfect or not.
Start your meditation
With your eyes closed, simply breathe in while saying "breathe in" in your head as you do. Then breathe out and say "breathe out". For the next 20 minutes or so, your aim is to focus on this circular breath and the simple words in your head as much as possible.
Total awareness
A funny thing can happen during deep meditation. Even as you're still, present and having no reaction to the thoughts that enter your mind, you might find your awareness of the world around you grows! You might smell something you hadn't noticed before. Or hear a sound outside that's barely audible.
Meditation with music can help some people focus. They say that silence causes their brains to go into overdrive, and all their stresses and strains to come racing through their minds. So, they find that by playing music, they're able to let those thoughts go.
Is it OK to doze off while meditating?
Once again, this is quite ok and you needn't worry. You may find that focusing on the very top of your head helps the mind feel a little lighter and more alert. In fact, even the simple act of imagining the sun directly above your head can ward off sleep.
The spiritual guru says there is no need to worry about sleeping while meditation as that might be what an individual's body requires at the moment. "In the meantime, don't worry about sleeping in meditation. It is what your body needs right now, so that is what is a priority.
Open-eye meditation can be especially helpful if you find closing your eyes too relaxing or sleep-inducing. It can keep you stay alert and engaged, making it a practical choice for those times when you need to stay awake and aware.
Stay calm: Don't start moving or doing your daily chores right after you're done with meditation. Take a moment and stay in that very moment.
The ideal length for a daily meditation session varies depending on your experience level and personal preferences. Experts suggest that beginners start with a short period of meditation session of 5 to 10 minutes daily, gradually increasing the duration as they become more comfortable.
References
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