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Help! Whenever I try to meditate, I fall asleep. What can I do?

Use your discernment first to find out why you are falling asleep. Are you getting

enough rest? Some people fall asleep when they stop to meditate because they

are genuinely tired and need rest. Make sure your self-care is in order, that you

get plenty of rest, a nourishing diet, and moderate exercise every day. If poor

self-care is not the cause, then there are a few easy adjustments you can make to

your practice itself: adjust your posture, your breath, and/or your gaze.
One of the first places to look to bring more energy and wakefulness to your

meditation is your posture. Make sure your spine is straight, your head is erect.

Whether you are sitting on a cushion or a chair, your posture should be relaxed,

but firm and intentional. The next intervention you can make is to practice

some deep breaths before you begin, filling your lungs to capacity and strongly

exhaling. Feel that your entire body is energized and your mind is clear. You can

also use any of the energizing forms of pranayama, such as fire or bellows breath

if you know them. The third option is to meditate with eyes open. Find a neutral

point of focus, such as a point on the wall in front of you, something that will

be without movement. Keep your gaze steady. Any three of these changes, or all

three, should prove helpful.

INSPIRATION FOR SPIRITuALLY CONSCIOuS LIVING

There are hundreds of things we have done in our lives which we wish we had never done,
but which, at the same time, have been great teachers. As for me, I am glad I have done
something good and many things bad; glad I have done something right, and glad I have
committed many errors, because every one of them has been a great lesson. I, as I am now,
am the resultant of all that I have done, all I have thought. Every action and thought have
had their effect, and these effects are the sum total of my progress

—Swami Vivekananda

Don’t mentally review any problem constantly. Let it rest at times and it may work itself
out; but see that you do not rest so long that your discrimination is lost. Rather, use these
rest periods to go deep within the calm region of your inner Self

—Paramahansa Yogananda