how can someone safely wake me from meditatation or if I fall asleep following?
by Mark
(Gulf Breeze, FL, USA)
I was listening to meditation and deeply into it or had fallen asleep after the audio had ended. I was wearing noise cancelling earphones. My son (7) came in to wake me and I had to peel myself off the ceiling from being so startled. My heart was racing for several minutes and I was agitated the remainder of the evening.
Any suggestions?
Ben's Answer:
This is fairly uncommon. Usually after getting into a deep state of relaxation/meditation, there isn't a big startle response. But meditation can peel away layers or emotion and resistance, and bring us to deeper issues that need to worked out. It's possible that there was already some underlying anxiety/fear in you and you were simply in a more raw/vulnerable state at that particular moment.
I would simply keep up the meditation on a regular basis, and ask you family to not intrude on your space, or touch you when you are doing your meditation. It's important to set clear boundaries for yourself to create some sacred, inner space.
Meridian Tapping/EFT is another great complimentary practice that I'd recommend highly, as a way to work with anxiety and agitation. It compliments a meditation practice beautifully.
Take Care,
Ben Schwarcz, MFT
Guided Meditation for Depression, Anxiety and Stress
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