I am curious what others feel about meditating while lying down. Apparently such action is frowned upon in the upper echelons of meditation, but I do it anyway. Still I wonder if I am missing out on something by not sitting upright. Any thoughts?

yours,
Beau

That's the only way I do it (laying down).  It allows for maximum relaxation.  The downfall is it may also promote sleep.

Hi

I do it too.  Another reason for  not  doing it that way is that some energy channels are blocked along the back when gravity bears down. So we lose a major benefit of meditation, clearing out some negative energies. I've chosen lying down over lower back pain when I'm upright since pain is an interference too.

Bets

I actually started out by lying down because Bruce seems to use that method from what I have gathered from his books. I think I prefer it, but I have never given much of a chance to sitting postures.

The "expert" that I was reading about simply said that people who lie down are not meditating, they are relaxing, but I have to take issue with that.

However, Tom Campbell suggests meditating in many different postures and getting to where you can do it any where any time.

I have to admit I'm kind of fond of lying down though.

Thanks for the replies!

Beau

I am almost always lying down when I meditate, and this works for me. However, I do occasionally sit up for shorter sessions. I find that lying down helps me to progressively relax my entire body more effectively, but that is my practice. I think it depends on what you are doing. For example, if you are doing a simple practice such as breathing slowly while focusing on an object, such as a candle, you would not want to be lying down. For focusing on my 'internal light' I find that lying down works best for me, but I almost always use a meditational aid, such as brain entrainment music or guided meditation. This allows me to find the desired state of mind I seek, and if I fall asleep, well, that is okay. I don't like to have a feeling of 'fighting' for control of anything at all. I tell myself "it is okay for me to relax" with an emphasis on "okay" because I want to completely let go of any feeling of 'effort' or 'forcing' myself to do anything, which might interfere with my ability to relax all of my muscles, my mind, and my heart in the process.

I lie down and get as comfortable as possible.  The only reason I can see for sitting up is for people who always fall asleep when they get too comfortable.

I think the so-called ‘upper echelons’ can be just as prone to superstition as anyone else.

Once I played a meditation DVD with my husband years ago.  I was plumping up pillows and putting a blanket on my legs and doing anything else I could think of to get comfortable.  I then got distracted by his snoring.  To each his/her own, lol.

  I usually meditate lying down.  I don't think it matters too much whether one is sitting or lying--the important thing is that one's vehicle is comfortable and the spine is straight.   I don't have a hard time staying awake when meditating lying down, even though sometimes i go very deep. 

   Gravity shouldn't have too much bearing on energy centers, since these are vibrating at a faster rate than what gravity operates at.  Gravity is a physical world reaction.

Now, if one is talking about the endocrine glands--which are more or less physical (but connect to the energy centers), there may be a subtle effect of or from gravity, and magnetic lines of force for some examples.

This may explain some of the old North-South and East West Polarity stuff found in connection with the Cayce work, and to a lesser extent with Monroes. 

  Personally, i follow my intuition and recommend the same for others. 

There is a lot of dogma out there-- even in the vaunted Eastern halls of learning and teaching.

I like stretching out when I know I'm least likely to fall asleep...and covering my eyes, using squishy ear plugs, covering up to stay warm all make a big difference for me.

Ginny

Laying down for deep meditation and Focus travels/retrievals etc.
Sitting down on a nice comfy overstuffed chair for distance healing is my favorite. Whatever works best for you is the key.
PUL