“I feel so tired. I just need to sleep.”
It’s natural to think this way, right? But is there something else that can provide us with complete rest and recharging? There are four sources of energy, two of which are sleep and meditation. Meditation and sleep are similar in some ways, but they are still very different.
Let’s see why:
1. Reaching the Sources of Energy
The amount of energy we receive from meditation is much greater than what we get from sleep. “By meditating, you can turn your body into a power station by generating an internal source of energy,” shares Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
2. Deeper Rest
Both meditation and sleep provide deep rest. However, the rest we experience during meditation is different in quality, because we rest on a deeper level. “Meditation gives you rest deeper than the deepest sleep,” says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Twenty minutes of meditation can be equal to eight hours of good sleep.
3. Unlimited Rest
What happens when we sleep more than we need? We feel lazy and lethargic. The ideal duration of sleep should be between six to eight hours per day. Sleeping more or less than needed can lead to stress and imbalance. Meditation, on the other hand, has no such side effects. And you don’t need to meditate all day to have a deep meditative experience. Normally, 20 minutes of meditation twice a day is enough.
4. A True Complement
Meditation improves the quality of sleep, but it does not replace it. Both sleep and meditation are important! In fact, meditation complements sleep. With daily meditation, we enjoy deeper and more peaceful sleep. If you suffer from sleepless nights, regular meditation may be the best remedy for insomnia.
5. Slows the Metabolism
During both sleep and meditation, metabolism slows down. This gives the mind a chance to calm down.
6. Wakeful Awareness
There are four states of consciousness — wakefulness, sleep, dreaming, and meditation.
During sleep, we rest well, but unconsciously. We feel refreshed when we wake up, but we can’t remember anything that happened while we were asleep. Meditation, on the other hand, is conscious rest.
“Wakefulness and sleep are like sunrise and darkness. Dreaming is like the twilight between them, and meditation is like flying into open space, where there are no sunsets, no sunrises — nothing!” teaches Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
7. Free the Mind
Both meditation and sleep refresh us, but meditation can also free us from past impressions. With regular meditation practice, we can release emotional baggage stored in our minds for years and feel renewed.
8. The Freedom to Choose
We can’t choose when to sleep — we sleep when we’re tired. But we can choose to meditate whenever we want. You can meditate at any time of the day, although morning hours are preferable.
Knowing that we can choose to rest fully and consciously, and connect with our infinite source of energy, it’s time to make the choice to meditate — without delay.
Inspired by the wisdom of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Meditation is not a substitute for sleep. Both meditation and sleep have their own benefits. When practiced regularly, meditation can improve the quality of sleep.
