Sleeplessness and Samadhi - When Waking Up Is Not So Good
Sleeplessness can be a truly hellish thing. When is our existential predicament felt more profoundly than when we’re alone in the darkness, ensnared by our rumination, unable to escape into the glorious embrace of unconsciousness or even a pleasant thought or two? And, yet, just as an athlete trains under the worst conditions that they expect to encounter during a race or on game day, we might also come to appreciate our sleeplessness as a time of fruitful spiritual practice. For if we can learn to find peace in the depths of our darkest hours, then it is likely that we will be okay as soon as the first rays of morning light creep over the horizon. Now, despite what I just said about athletes training under adverse conditions, we needn’t go out of our way to make things harder on ourselves. In that regard, we’re well-served by knowing at least the basics of good sleep hygiene: Make your bedroom a place for sleeping – not reading or television watching or internet surfing. Be ...