BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Meditation Meditating in Bed

There are often times when I really need to go to sleep but I just can't fall asleep. So I try to use the time to meditate (since I am a perennial multi-tasker). Rarely does it work My mind goes over all sorts of to-do lists instead.

I have tried the count-to-100 or count-down-from-100 techniques which do tend to work and help out a bit.

Does anybody else meditate in bed?

Yes, I sometimes go grab my meditation tape and listen to it for a 30 minute period and sit up in my yoga position in my bed because I can't get to sleep and because I missed a meditation session that day. Unfortunately I sometimes end up dosing off to sleep with my walkman speakers in my ears.

I also go to sleep every night to the sounds of a Sony wave machine. It's very meditative. I often just turn the light off and sit and think until the sound of ocean waves takes me away to a state of sleepiness. My mother bought me the wave machine as a gift. I thought at first it was a funny thing until I tried it. Now I can't go to sleep without it.

If I try to meditate laying in bed I go to sleep!

I would be fine with falling asleep I do have sound CDs and an air filter, I should try the ocean wave sounds the next time, and meditate to them.

I did find a mental exercise that was helpful a night or two ago. My mind was just *clogged* with mental junk. So I started imagining that I had a shiny gold scooper - the kind with mesh that you scoop things out of hot pots with. I scooped up the thoughts and put them safely into a carved oak box, for safe keeping for later. Any time new thoughts came in, I gently scooped them up and put them into the safe keeping box. It actually seemed to work!

Lisa, that is a lovely visualization! I can see that it would distract you from the actual to-do lists!

Sorry, the wave machine is not by Sony, it is by Conair and I've seen it at Bed, Bath & Beyond and I think Linen & Things has it too. It's a little round machine and has about 12 sounds like rainfall, white noise, thunder, waterfall, stream, birds chirping, etc. But my favorite is the ocean wave so I just always play that every night over and over. It can run by battery or electrical outlet.

I think if i meditated lying down in bed i'd fall asleep. But sitting up should be fine.

I have a sound machine I like too, but I mainly keep it and use when working in my office, since my honey prefers the sound of a fan while we are sleeping.

I'm with Jill. Any "meditation" lying down would result in a snooze.

Oh, and Lisa, that really is a lovely mediation idea. You are so neat.

I think it's fine to fall asleep during a sleepytime meditation though because you get double benefit You get the meditative relaxation - and then you get to sleep more easily rather than having your mind race around. So it's multitasking

Yes, multitasking while sleeping, ha, ha!

I was thinking about multitasking before sleeping. What would multitasking *while* sleeping be I wonder?

I imagine if you got your whole body soaked with foot lotion, hand lotion, and took your vitamins then sleep time could also be "body renew time"

well i have been reading about yogic sleeping, which is kinda like lucid dreaming.

I see multitasking while sleeping as 1. giving the body the stillness and rest it needs for rejuvenation, while 2. using lucid dreaming to work out problems.

Yes I love lucid dreaming, I have a lot of fun with that

I had a lucid dream last night! In my dream, someone i don't know in real life was driving me around this one dead end street, over and over. I kept asking why and got no answer. So i said to myself, instead of asking this character in my dream, i should ask the dream itself to provide me with an answer, with a spirit guide of sorts. So i asked the dream. And lo and behold, my dream sent me a woman walking down the middle of that street to tell me some answers!

Unfortunately, at that point I got so excited (that I was able to use lucid dreaming and ask for answers) that my monkey mind got in the way. I went and jumped up and down hugged this woman... and I forgot to actually listen to whatever she wanted to tell me. heehee I was pleased as punch though.

I consider this a nice little breakthrough.

Oh, Jilly, I know what your dream means! LOL Wanta know?

Please do tell!

Okay, it's a case of me, myself & I.

The driver is you. The you who won't answer you and just keeps doing things over & over and won't even tell you why. This is the "it is what it is" part of you that (we all have one) doesn't want to change anything. Just keeps on trucking and ignores you.

The woman in the street is also you. Willing to tell you answers but you won't let her talk for hugging & celebrating that she's there. You know that you know the answers but you're so excited about that (and maybe a bit scared) that you'd rather celebrate than listen.

You are of course, also the passenger & the hugger--questioning and celebrating.

It's a pretty awesome dream, actually. I think it is affirming that you are on the right "road", if you will, as the questioner or traveler, and that you are the only thing both standing (sitting) in your way (the driver) and the only one able to provide answers (woman in street) if you'll just be still and listen.

Disclaimer: Of course, I have no dream interpretation credentials, but I do sometimes tell people my interpretation of their dreams (if they want to hear), and so, this is for entertainment purposes only! When I hear a dream, it's just "there" --- I don't look things up or anything, I just "get it".

Deb, I read somewhere in the past, that we play all the parts in our dreams. I try to remember that when interpreting mine.

That is SO cool Jill that you were able to have a lucid moment like that! The more you practice, the easier it'll get and the more you'll be able to listen to the messages

Susan - definitely, we play all the parts in our dreams It's our brain that is creating the dream thread! There was a great House episode with this theme, where he was hallucinating. He asked a hallucination a question, and the person didn't know. She pointed out that she could only know things he himself knew, at least subconsciously.

Being on the spiritual path, I'd like to add that lucid dreams can also bring our all-pervasive spiritual self to Light, and that is truly inspiring to daily life.

Deb, that is incredible! You are absolutely onto it - what you said feels totally right. Thank you!

I think it is a really affirming dream, as you said. maybe I can convince the guide to come back another time...and try to actually listen this time.

Lisa, I have noticed that I frequently have more lucid part of dreams as I get older. For example, I fly a lot in dreams. The last few years I can take charge of the dream and fly where I want to, which is fun. The challenge is to not take hold of the dream too strongly that it cuts it off. I have to directly it lightly, like an egg.

But the dream with the guide was the first time I ASKED a dream for guidance, which marks a very different step for me.

Susan, maybe I should go to bed each night with the thought that i would like to see and hear from my guide again?

Jilly, I think that is an excellent idea!