Question: “I’ve been practicing meditation for the last week or so and lately after every session I get really tired and I almost fall asleep. Is that normal?”
It is. I like to think that meditation for beginners is like taking a Benadryl and forcing yourself to stay awake, or getting drunk and trying to sober yourself up. Even for experienced meditators they still feel drowsy sometimes. Heck, I still get drowsy sometimes! Well, maybe because I’m up at 5am every morning meditating, but still.
It’s really all about practice. Not just about sitting there and trying to stay awake, but practicing on your concentration. What happens when we lay on the couch when we’re watching TV and not pay attention? We start to fall asleep. Likewise, if we’re meditating without a focus point or an object of concentration, we’re going to start dozing off.
The best way to practice this is by concentrating on your breath by counting it. Take a few deep breaths first and start counting. Breath in-out as 1, in and out again as 2, etc. up until 10 and repeat. If for some reason you’ve lost count or got distracted, start over again at 1 and repeat. This is a great exercise and a practice you can do for years! I still do it… 13 years later…
Smile and be well!