The practice
Lie down as if to sleep and let the outside world recede. There is a stretch where the room has gone but you have not gone under. Stay awake exactly there — not by tensing, which will wake you, but by keeping the lightest possible thread of attention going while everything else lets go.
What it works on
A famously difficult practice, because the two requirements pull against each other. What makes it worth the difficulty is that the state is one you pass through twice a day already and almost never see.
Notes
- Falling asleep is the usual outcome and no cause for concern. The attempt itself does something.
- Afternoon works better than late at night, when sleep pressure is too strong.
Practise gently
Shoonyaka offers educational and contemplative material, not medical, psychological or religious authority. Nothing here diagnoses or treats any condition. Stop any practice that leaves you dizzy, frightened or unwell, and treat a strong reaction as a reason to rest rather than to push on.