When Sleep Catches Awareness

A slight case of mid-afternoon sleepiness, gave me an opportunity to practice Mingyur Rinpoche's instructions for 'sleeping meditation'.

Boredom, sleepiness, dullness, drowsiness, etc can all become support for meditation. There is nothing to do other than being aware. Starting with normal sitting meditation posture, and then no longer worrying about it. Body can do whatever it needs to do. Rinpoche demonstrated and had his body almost drop to the floor. Eventually, letting sleeping catch awareness. With practice, all sleep can become awareness.

3 signs of sleeping meditation:

1. no dreams
2. when one wakes up, the awareness is right there
3. the body feels very restful afterwards

I did not fall asleep, but I did experience a different way of being with the sleepiness. Inclusive, vast. Amounting to nothing less than a profound change in the way I was able to rest in awareness, completely, without any holding back. 

Oh! the joy from embracing all that is . . .