Meditation advice?

[Begonia]

I started meditating about a month ago and try for twice daily of around 20 mins. Because of my shift work, it is most often done in bed and I find that I have mini dreams, so am likely on the verge of sleep or sleeping on some level, which is not the goal. Aside from that issue, any long term meditators out there with advice for a newbie? It is something I hope to incorporate into my life long term.

 

[Alexiszoe]

Hi Begonia, glad that you are starting off on the meditation journey! I have been doing it for a number of years, and it has truly affected my life in various ways.

I find that lying in bed/leaning against a chair and meditating almost always leads to falling asleep/trying to keep awake, so I slip between consciousness/dream-like sleep and have little dreams.

I would suggest sitting on a chair but not leaning against the back, spine upright. Another way is to sit in a cross legged position, but with a pillow/s under your butt such that your bum is elevated slightly (it helps with naturally stacking your spine upright), while the knees are on the ground, with the feet crossed (see pic below) - so you don't get pins and needles.

One other thing I would note is to forgive/not berate yourself when you find it hard to focus and thoughts wander in. This has been the biggest hurdle for every single person I know who are new to meditation. It's precisely because the mind wanders, that's why we practice meditation to help focus and calm the mind. Nobody expects a baby to know how to run immediately, same thing with meditation.

 

[Begonia]

Hi Alexiszoe
Thanks for the tips. I’ll get my butt out of bed when meditating LOL.
I’ve only been at this for a month and some changes are happening for me emotionally. I don’t seem as reactive and obsessive about things. My anxiety seems a little better too. A little...

I appreciate your feedback!!