How do you do a all-nighter meditation?

[tulku]

How do you an all-nighter meditation which allows you to meditate all night long instead of sleeping?

 

I have heard of some high-level practitioners who meditate every night instead of sleeping.

Edited September 13, 2011 by tulku

[Ambrose_Bierce]

How do you an all-nighter meditation which allows you to meditate all night long instead of sleeping?

 

I have heard of some high-level practitioners who meditate every night instead of sleeping.

 

Maybe it was Dream Meditation? I would rather put that in PM rather than posting about it.

Edited September 13, 2011 by Ambrose_Bierce

[thelerner]

Good question. I was going to say it'd be a combination of slow steady practice and when you feel yourself 'going down' get up do some push ups, deep squats etc.

 

If you don't get a good answer here, post the question on the HealingTaoUSA site. With any luck Michael Winn or one of the heavy hitters there might answer. Winn has some interesting perspectives on sleep and dreamwork.

[doc benway]

I would recommend that you start by developing a daily meditation practice, if you haven't already.

For each hour you meditate, you probably can decrease your sleep requirements by twice that.

Over time, you gradually need less and less sleep.

There are sleep and lying down practices which are advanced.

That's something you need to learn from a credible teacher after developing skill in more basic exercises.

[InfinityTruth]

Dream yoga is one way.

[Green Tiger]

What sort of meditation are you planning to spend all night practicing? I think you may find that SLEEPING for eight hours is a very refreshing meditation.

[suninmyeyes]

Just sit and sit and sit through anything and than sit some more .Keep on sitting like this till morning.

[C T]

~ dp ~

Edited September 13, 2011 by CowTao

[C T]

I am thinking.... as you learn doing all-night vigils of contemplative practices, so-called high level practitioners are enjoying a few precious hours of sleep!!

 

When you get to spend time with some of these realized beings, you will see that their routine is not very different from ours. They teach, they practice, they go for walks, they have showers, use the toilet, brush their teeth, eat, laugh, pray, watch TV (most love the Simpsons ~ they especially like watching cartoons!), wash dishes, sleep, share jokes, work very hard, have aches and pains, pay the bills, get married, have kids, fall ill, grow old and die too.

 

Its the quality of wakefulness which they bring to these activities which prompt observers to notice a palpable difference in the way they conduct themselves while doing these ordinary things that sets them slightly apart from others who also do these same things. Yes, this quality of wakefulness can be carried over to sleep time as well...

[tulku]

sometimes i suffer from bouts of insomnia

 

that's usually when i had too much stuff on my mind

 

now instead of tossing and turning about on the bed, i thought i might use the time to do an all-nighter lying meditation instead

 

i just need to know how others on this forum have performed their all-nighter meditation practices, that is all..

 

there ain't no need for too many naysayers wishing to turn me away from such a common practice..

[Sunya]

You can get a book on Dream Yoga and practice. Tenzin Wangyal and Namkhai Norbu each wrote a book on the topic with instructions

[C T]

sometimes i suffer from bouts of insomnia

 

that's usually when i had too much stuff on my mind

 

now instead of tossing and turning about on the bed, i thought i might use the time to do an all-nighter lying meditation instead

 

i just need to know how others on this forum have performed their all-nighter meditation practices, that is all..

 

there ain't no need for too many naysayers wishing to turn me away from such a common practice..

Ah, okay... if you had mentioned this from the start, then perhaps naysayers like me would have kept away from responding.

 

In my younger days, due to excessive energies being bottled up, i too experienced bouts of difficulty in sleeping, especially during those times when i was living alone. With a lover, sleep was never a problem. Since this does not agree with your present mindset, i suppose its not an option for you then.

 

Sorry to hear of your occasional insomnia. In this case, its good to want to learn more about doing all-night meditation practices. Personally, i never practice meditation lying down. There is a small risk of people falling asleep as they meditate lying down ~ as we know, meditation leaves some parts of the mind quite exposed and vulnerable, and really, we do not want to fall asleep without having sealed and dedicated the merits from doing these contemplative exercises.

[tulku]

Ah, okay... if you had mentioned this from the start, then perhaps naysayers like me would have kept away from responding.

 

In my younger days, due to excessive energies being bottled up, i too experienced bouts of difficulty in sleeping, especially during those times when i was living alone. With a lover, sleep was never a problem. Since this does not agree with your present mindset, i suppose its not an option for you then.

 

Sorry to hear of your occasional insomnia. In this case, its good to want to learn more about doing all-night meditation practices. Personally, i never practice meditation lying down. There is a small risk of people falling asleep as they meditate lying down ~ as we know, meditation leaves some parts of the mind quite exposed and vulnerable, and really, we do not want to fall asleep without having sealed and dedicated the merits from doing these contemplative exercises.

 

This is why I want to meditate lying down.

 

1) I either fall asleep

2) I don't fall asleep but fall into a deep delta trance state instead.

 

It is a win-win situation for me.

 

Better than having my monkey mind running wild all night long.

[tulku]

You can get a book on Dream Yoga and practice. Tenzin Wangyal and Namkhai Norbu each wrote a book on the topic with instructions

 

i have the book but it seems too complicated for me.. too many visualizations involved and it is quite impossible for me to fall into a trance state when I visualize too much..

 

don't you think that visualizations add more chatter to a monkey mind?

Edited September 13, 2011 by tulku

[johndoe2012]

Two things I have tried when not being able to sleep:

 

Watching all sensations arising in the body or the surface on the skin of the body. This way you will paying attention to everything else but the thoughts. Like body scanning in Goenka vipassana

 

or

 

Putting awareness at lower dantien and having hands there right above left, just breathing until you fall asleep.

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Not sure how an atheist would go about doing this, but when I lay down and have all these energies in me, I thank The Creator for everything I have. My bed, my food, people in my life, positive energy, physical and mental health.. these are all reasons that I have so much energy that I can't fall asleep, but to not be grateful for all of them is definitely misperception. Eventually I go to sleep with a big smile on my face, once waking up to my girlfriend asking me "why do you sleep with a smile on your face?" , but now she knows why..

 

You could do walking meditation or Eight Section Brocade between sessions of sitting; that is, if you don't want to fall asleep.

 

If you've never done walking meditation formally, just walk around your room and turn around/trace everything in the perimeter with your steps which makes the trail longer and stretches your heels and ankles. This is mostly to bring circulation back into the legs and maybe to give the back a rest. Do it for 2 to 10 minutes or whatever feels right. Also keep your left palm against the dantian and the right hand over the left. This is part of Dogen's/Japanese Zen methods.

[zanshin]

If you live in a safe neighborhood, walking meditation or just walking at night is terrific and seems more natural to me than trying to sit or lie quietly at those restless times.

 

Have come to find insomnia is fine, when I go with it instead of worrying that I should be sleeping. Often around full moon, like last night. Walked about a mile, then laid on still sun warmed driveway, watched the moon, listened to crickets and night noises. Came in, dozed a bit, qigong, standing meditation- then almost morning so I made banana pancakes.

[doc benway]

Have come to find insomnia is fine, when I go with it instead of worrying that I should be sleeping.

Excellent approach - Wu Wei

[Birch]

The only times I've pulled an all-night meditation session have been when there was no other way to get through the night.

I don't know if I would do it on purpose. I guess insomnia is as good an opportunity as anything else:-)

[Aaron]

Hello Tulku,

 

I'm not doubting that one can develop a practice where they can meditate instead of sleep, but from my understanding many monks have learned to catch up on their Z's while they meditate, without getting caught of course. The trick is to not snore! Anyways, if you happen to stumble across the secret to this method, don't be afraid to share it. The idea is interesting.

 

Aaron

[Aaron]

I am thinking.... as you learn doing all-night vigils of contemplative practices, so-called high level practitioners are enjoying a few precious hours of sleep!!

 

When you get to spend time with some of these realized beings, you will see that their routine is not very different from ours. They teach, they practice, they go for walks, they have showers, use the toilet, brush their teeth, eat, laugh, pray, watch TV (most love the Simpsons ~ they especially like watching cartoons!), wash dishes, sleep, share jokes, work very hard, have aches and pains, pay the bills, get married, have kids, fall ill, grow old and die too.

 

Its the quality of wakefulness which they bring to these activities which prompt observers to notice a palpable difference in the way they conduct themselves while doing these ordinary things that sets them slightly apart from others who also do these same things. Yes, this quality of wakefulness can be carried over to sleep time as well...

 

Hello Cowtao,

 

I almost exclusively watch cartoons these days. Real tv is quite boring. I enjoy the Simpsons, but I also like Family Guy, American Dad, and of course Anime. (I can recommend some for those who seek the path of enlightenment.) I think that anyone that is seeking enlightenment should at least watch an hour of cartoons a day. This was an important insight into the nature of enlightenment that we can all learn from.

 

Aaron

Edited September 14, 2011 by Twinner

[Small Fur]

Hi Tulku,

 

Yes, it is true that deep meditation can be more nourishing than sleep. I find that I feel not only more fortified, but also my insights and clarity are increased. The replenishment has a cleansing quality across many levels of body and also a deepening of awareness. This state requires that you have already experienced a level of awakening and that in this awakening you are also able to consciously reside your spirit into other planes of state. Meaning you must have not only awakened but you must also understand the 'mechanics' of the subtle bodies so that it can garner the nourishment of spirit to deliver back to the corporal body. While sleeping and meditation both require physical bodies, the majority of the transmutations that occur are not actually on this plane (hence the various and also differing associations of 'mystery' in these conditions). It is in these 'other' states that one's corporal body is fed, thus the physical replenishment through spirit.

 

To clarify, this is not necessarily a mystical state. It is not the same as intentional dream travels or astral projections. And ideally, it does not come from a purpose in discipline. It is effortless and inherent.

 

If you have not been under guidance or if your practice has not reached a point where this comes naturally to you, then my suggestion would be to continue on your path and not concern yourself with these "advanced" methods. Because both sleep deprivation and certain forms of meditation can lead to insanity, not 'advancing' beyond where you are at in practice is important. And, for that matter, it is not possible to experience this level of quality in 'waking rest' from a state of desire, even if that desire is for enlightenment; in fact, it is rather a contraindication. A 'disciplined' lack of sleep, even in meditation, will simply become another practice, not a transcendence. A threshold must have first been crossed.

 

The forms reveal themselves naturally as you open into being. Warm regards, Mila

Edited September 19, 2011 by Small Fur

[Mal]

[joeblast]

sometimes i suffer from bouts of insomnia

 

that's usually when i had too much stuff on my mind

 

now instead of tossing and turning about on the bed, i thought i might use the time to do an all-nighter lying meditation instead

 

i just need to know how others on this forum have performed their all-nighter meditation practices, that is all..

 

there ain't no need for too many naysayers wishing to turn me away from such a common practice..

for whatever given level of efficiency you've attained in meditation there will be an appropriate amount of sleep, steve's post was good. start by meditating before bed but dont let yourself drift off into oblivion - keep it going as long as your awareness level is sufficient, but if it drops off too much then you would be better served sleeping. at any rate, meditating before bed helps set the tone and after a while your body expects that tone when preparing for sleep. like landing a plane in a way, touching down is ending your meditation, then taxi to the hangar and 'power down' for sleep.

 

body needing sleep and mind needing sleep are two different things though. level of meditative efficiency has an impact on each, not linear.

[Cat Pillar]

Hello Cowtao,

 

I almost exclusively watch cartoons these days. Real tv is quite boring. I enjoy the Simpsons, but I also like Family Guy, American Dad, and of course Anime. (I can recommend some for those who seek the path of enlightenment.) I think that anyone that is seeking enlightenment should at least watch an hour of cartoons a day. This was an important insight into the nature of enlightenment that we can all learn from.

 

Aaron

 

Okay, I just have to know your anime recommendations for those seeking enlightenment.