I have been meditating twice a day and am going through the lessons in the home correspondance course. I'm on the Hung-Sau technique. My problem is in the morning when I wake.
I sit to do the meditation and have the hardest time staying awake. I have been sitting in half-lotus position during my formal meditation times. Should I wait awhile to wake up before doing my first meditation of the day? My night meditation is going alright.
—John Shelton, United States
Dear John, This is a good question as we all have faced this problem.
Some people use a stimulant before starting the morning meditation, such as tea or coffee. The idea here is to have energy to start meditating, as you seem to for your evening practices.
I would like to suggest very strongly, however, to adopt the practice of doing the Energization Exercises before starting your meditations. They are mentioned in the lessons. In fact, you get quite a bit of information on them in the first part of the Ananda Course in Meditation.
These exercises are designed by Paramhansa Yogananda to bring energy into the body and mind so that you can cope with all the tests life brings you. Only with energy can we hope to win these battles and be able to direct your life in a path that is right for you. If you do not have the practice DVD, do purchase it as you learn how to do them correctly. Do form a habit of doing these exercises each day and for most of us this is in the morning before meditation.
Joy to you, Seva
