Do you find yourself unable to concentrate and stay awake during meditation, do you make yourself so quiet and peaceful that you switch off? If so, don't worry I can help.

Did you know that you don't have to be sat down or lying down to meditate? Meditation can be done where ever you are and in what ever you are doing.

You can be walking around, running, cycling, sailing or working (and even eating). What ever suits you. Doing things whilst in meditation also focuses the mind, therefore enabling you to stay awake easier.

Even though sleeping may be refreshing, sleep is not meditation; unless you are an expert that can meditate in their sleep.

Nevertheless, it is very easy to fall asleep whilst meditating, even for those of us who are advanced in the craft of meditating.

There are however methods to keep the mind and body awake whilst remaining in a relaxed state. 

There are many ways why this sleepiness may occur, whether it is that you are relaxing too deep into meditation and blanking too much out, or you just haven't slept in days.

If the fact is that you are just tired, then go get some sleep, meditate when more awake, but not too much awake otherwise you will be over active.

If whilst meditating you find yourself about to fall asleep, stop, sit up straight, open your eyes wide, maybe get up for a minute and stretch your legs, one more thing that works well is cold water, splash it over your face.

Or newly melted ice, not only is it pure energy but it wakes up the mind due to the shock of the coldness.

It's something I do only if I feel sleepy in meditation, but also first thing in the morning when I know I have a busy day ahead of me.

It is said that posture is important during meditation, I however would have to dissagree with this fact.

Posture is not important as meditation can be done anywhere during any time. If you are lying down, it encourages the body to sleep along with the closing of the eyes.

Your eyes do not need to be closed, you don't need to be sat or lying down.

Meditation can be done in a numerous variety of ways.

Here is a basic example; Walking, whether out on your own, or with others, if possible walk in areas like woodland where there are little sounds from traffic.

Nature is a good sound, so don't worry about the birds and rustling of the trees.

Walk calmly with each footsteps, slow down your pace of walk.

Listen to the surrounding atmosphere, take in the freshness of the air.

Blank your mind from all that troubles you, think peacefully and begin as shown in previous parts of my guide.

If you find when meditating that thoughts crop up in your mind when you have blanked them, don't worry.

Instead of trying to blank these thoughts and getting mad that they wont blank use them.

Use them for your advantage. Look into the problem, the thought, look into the outcomes of it and think of methods you can solve it.

If it doesn't matter tell yourself it is nothing that should ever bother you. Use the meditation to help you to solve and conquer this problem.

When meditating most people use the hands to help them keep the energy flowing, they use the hands as the part of the body where the energy enters and leaves.