7 Reasons Why People Can't Meditate (and what to do about it) Part 3B: "I Start To Meditate

Our 3rd Reason is so big, it needs to be in 2 parts. Enjoy!

"I start to meditate, but fall asleep"

Another reason people fall asleep when meditating is that, as they’re clearing their space, they “go into” the energy they’re clearing. Like getting sucked down the drain with the bath water. When I catch myself doing this, I take a few deep breaths, adjust my grounding and keep my meditation light.

Imagine a boat on a lake. The surface of the water is the boundary between the outer and inner world. You are in the boat and slip over the side and into the water. Consider that meditation is a space in which you get in the water and stay close to the surface. If you find yourself sinking (going too deep, too fast), you can bring your head up out of the water, take a breath and go back in.

If you’re loaded down with energy, you can be “pulled under”. Not to worry; you’ll always find the surface again. As you do this, you will be practicing acceptance; accepting that this is how energy works. Once you accept it, it’s much easier to manage.

This is, for me, what meditation is about: energy management. First, we center, then we clear our space. After that, we have our space. This is where meditation begins. Half the fun is getting there!

Yet, it’s not like a step to step process. As we center, we’re already clearing. And as we clear, we’re re-centering so we might become more clear, which means re-centering at a new level. As we center and clear the energy, we might open a “pocket” of energy we previously weren’t conscious of. When this “unconscious energy” gets stirred up, we can match it and “go unconscious”, which feels like falling asleep. Being conscious of “being unconscious” creates the space to let it go without being responsible for it. A few deep breaths, come up for air, look around, notice where you are and then go within again, re-centering and adjusting your space.

Another reason you might fall asleep during meditation is that the body is fatigued and needs rest, or there might be someone in your space who’s very tired. This can be part of the unconscious energy we spoke to previously.