Meditation is the best way to find peace and elevate the quality of sleep. Well, most people wonder and ask themselves Can I meditate lying down?
The Short answer is Yes.
Well, there are several other postures to mediate, the key point here is what makes you feel comfortable.
Let’s understand more about meditation that will allow you to get a glimpse of what serves you best. I will discuss the best possible solutions for you to meditate while lying down and its pros and cons.
Read the article completely and determine whether meditating lying down works for you.
What is Meditation?
Meditation is a mindfulness practice to stay mentally stable and improve focus and awareness. In this practice, we bring awareness to a thought, object, or activity to train our mind’s attention and focus.
The goal of meditation is to stay in present instead of the past or future. People most of the time are either stuck in their past or hold anxious feelings thinking about the future. Meditation helps to stay present today instead of overthinking past or future thoughts.
What is the traditional meditation posture?
There is no one-size-fits-all approach when talking about meditation posture. Well, the standard posture of meditation is sitting on the ground or chair with a straight back. Sit up straight, so that the spine and head are in line.
Can I Meditate in Other Postures?
Meditation is for everyone, so one posture can make someone feel relaxed but can cause discomfort to others. It is best to try out different meditation postures and figure out what works out best for you.
Once you find what posture is making you feel focused and comfortable at the same time, stick with it. Keep increasing the duration of meditation over time for the best results. Start with small and progress over time—no need to rush.
The Benefits of Meditating Lying Down
Well, there are several benefits of lying down during the meditation process. For those who feel discomfort and pain while doing meditation sitting can try doing meditation lying down.
Helps with relaxation and stress relief
This meditation technique gives comfort and eases any stress from the mind. Lying down can help you stay calm and focused in the present moment.
This elevates sleep quality and relieves the mind of unwanted or negative thoughts. Because overthinking is the main cause of sleepless nights for most people. Any thought staying in mind can make someone contemplate things that ultimately lead to sleep disruption.
Can be done in any comfortable position
It eases pain and discomfort as the body weight is redistributed effectively. Lying down helps you to rest and stay relaxed, especially if you have any back pain or strain while doing meditation sitting.
The best part of this is you can meditate where you feel at home or get the more relaxed feeling like on mat, grass, or bed, but it is mandatory to make sure your body is rested and free.
Good for those with any physical limitations
Well, as we discussed previously if a person wants to meditate lying down, they can. Meditation is all about grounding and making you feel rejuvenating.
There are chances you may feel back pain due to any physical limitations, injury, or aging. Reasons can be many, so figure out what works best for you.
Try to start with a small duration of time, and slowly you can improve the course of your meditation process over time. The key here is to be consistent and don’t give up.
In case you are feeling any strain in your back, make sure to take some rest. As I said, meditation is all about relaxing and grounding so there is no need to force yourself harder to stick to a harsh duration of time.
Just keep yourself relaxed…
Techniques for Meditating Lying down
There are various techniques for meditating while lying down, and here are as follows. Go through them and figure out what method is more resonating with you.
You can meditate lying down with any of the following methods:
Mantra Meditation
Mantra Meditation is one of the popular meditation techniques. In this meditation process, you will need to chant a mantra that can be “Om” or any of your choices.
It can be done lying down, closing your eyes, and chanting the mantra. Make sure to be present and all the attention is on the mantra.
Breathing Meditation
Breathing meditation can also be done lying down. Here, your legs must be straight and in line with your spine and head.
The breathing meditation can be done lying down, and closing your eyes. Take a deep breath, inhale, and exhale slowly, make sure to focus on your breath and be in the present moment.
Body Scanning Meditation
Another method for meditating lying down is body scanning meditation. The process is simple here and you can get started in the following ways.
- Get cozy lying down. Start by getting comfortable, lie in a position that allows you to stretch your limbs easily.
- Close your eyes and focus on your body. You can start from anywhere like head or legs. Well, it is a good idea to start with the head.
- Bring your awareness to the sensations of the body from top to down navigating through each part of the body.
- Go slow, and spend from 25 seconds to 1 minute feeling the sensations in each part of the body.
- Acknowledge the sensations. Now focus on another part of the body releasing the awareness from the previous part of the body.
- If you feel pain or discomfort, just relax and accept it. Don’t be harsh on yourself.
- Keep bringing awareness to one part of the body for 25 seconds to 1 minute, then release the awareness and continue to another part of the body until you reach your legs.
- As you continue to scan your body, there are chances that the awareness will be drifted or can feel distractions. Don’t feel bad about this, it’s inevitable, just let your thoughts pass and don’t react to them. Then bring awareness back to where you left off.
- Once you complete the body scanning process, slowly bring your awareness to your surroundings.
Mindful Listening Meditation
This is among the most simple yet powerful meditation techniques for everyone who wants to do meditation while lying down.
Just lie down, close your eyes, and listen to soft and soothing music. It is obvious that your mind will get distracted and awareness can drift to the thoughts. But you need to make sure to bring awareness back to the present moment aligned with the music.
Chakra Meditation
This meditation is best for unblocking the blockages in your chakra. Chakra meditation is helpful for cleansing the aura and balancing the chakras for peace and harmony.
Lie down, and listen to a piece of soothing music like this one, realizing the flow of the energy throughout the body sourcing from the root chakra. Feel the sensations in your body that your energy is flowing throughout all the seven chakras of your body.
This meditation is best for improving sleep quality and maintaining balance.
Tips for Meditating Lying Down
Find a comfortable posture: It is essential to find a comfortable posture for you so that there are fewer chances of discomfort and pain.
Focus on your breath: It is most important to focus on your breath as it ensures your awareness is in the present moment.
- There are possibilities your awareness will drift away with a tremendous wave of thoughts. In this case, don’t react or be involved in the thoughts. Just be conscious and let them pass, don’t judge or consume them.
- The more trash you have in your mind, the more thoughts are likely to appear on your way to meditation. It will also let you know how many creepy thoughts you have in your mind and that it’s time to clean it.
- You may think what’s the point of meditation if you have an extreme wave of thoughts but the point is that thoughts are coming because your mind is getting empty of them. It works like two gateways, the thoughts are entering from one door and getting away with another, you just have to be spectacular.
Allow yourself to relax: Be relaxed. The best way to be relaxed is to make your body free. Don’t try to control or strain, just be free.
Listen to Soothing Music or Guided meditation: If you’re a beginner, listening to soothing music or guided meditation will help you a lot. It ensures your awareness is in the present moment and there are no distractions.
Set a Time: Since you’re meant to be focusing on the present moment and lost in the meditation process. Setting a timer will help you bring back your awareness of the surroundings when your meditation period is over.
Conclusion
Meditating lying down can be a beneficial and comfortable way to practice meditation. Well, it is important to find a comfortable posture to avoid discomfort and set a timer so you don’t drift off.
There are many different meditation techniques you can try from above. I am excited to know in the comments, which of the lying meditation technique you’re using for you.
