Meditation on floor vs bed

Question

Before I would meditate on floor in Burmese position 30 min in morning, and 30 min at night. My mind was very busy, but when it would calm down, I would get few "Creative Attacks"

For the past week, I felt a supernatural force make me meditate sitting on bed with back straight, leaning against pillows and legs straight (right after I wake up and right before I go to sleep). While I meditate in this position I have noticed myself inhaling and exhaling most of the time. I could even feel my chest expand and contract. And I barely get any noisy thoughts compared to meditation while sitting on floor in Burmese position.

I am missing those "Creative Attacks", but the reason I started meditation is so I can have deepened awareness in my surroundings (I'm called Absent-Minded)

Is my approach ok. I mean, these "Creative Attacks" are helping me endure some rough patches right now (almost to the point that these patches are slightly dry skin).

Can I hear from novice and experienced meditators alike.

Answer 1

It depends on why you are meditating. However, since you are posting to a Buddhist group, look at it from the Buddhist perspective.

Meditation supports the Buddhist way of viewing the world, with non-attachment, that sees the impermanence and lack of essence of all things, especially one's "self". As such, "Creative Attacks" are not relevant to this practice.

Further, if you are going through rough patches (or creative attacks), then the application of meditation is to look into this rough patch (or creative attacks), to see the characteristics mentioned above, but especially the illusory nature of the "you" who is suffering these rough patches (or creative attacks).

That is, instead of trying to combat feeling with feeling, work on seeing the illusory nature of the source. When confronted with suffering, look for the one who suffers, and when that is seen to be an illusion, the suffering becomes a non-issue.

Having said that, the posture to adopt to meditation should be one in which you can be alert (nothing that will lull you to sleep) while minimizing your discomfort. Certain postures may make some bodily sensations more noticeable than others, so I'd recommend the one that reduces those. Beyond that, you're free to pick a posture.

Answer 2

I'm going to posit two possibilities here. The first is simple and fairly obvious - the posture you adopt on the bed is better for you as it appears to allow for better relaxation and seems removed of the danger of you falling asleep. Your attention also seems more established. As R. Barzell indicates, meditation is a tightrope walk between discomfort and pain on the one side and dullness and drowsiness on the other. You want to adopt a position where your body aids in concentration rather than detracts from it.

With that said, I personally think sitting that on the floor is actually doing you more good from a developmental standpoint. Meditation is not about blissing out, taking tea with the gods, while the lot of you float around on white poofy clouds. My own tradition (Rinzai Zen) likens meditation practice to ascending a mountain of swords; the bare skulls of those that have gone before litter the ground along the way. This is not to say that practice should be painful, ascetic, or in any way masochistic. The "goal" is still relaxed attention. What that metaphor does mean, however, is that as your wrestle with your body and mind, you will come face to face with situations that may be difficult and uncomfortable both physically and psychically. While the overwhelming temptation is to run, the only way to surmount these obstacles is to persist.

When we sit down on the cushion, establish our attention, and watch the breath, we are throwing open the door to our unconscious. Memories both good and bad, agitation that seems to have no discernible source, ill will and anger, sleepiness, doubt, and even deeper unconscious forms will arise unbidden. It's all part of the process. In fact, when these things do come about, while the content of experience is generally not important (and you really should do your best to put these experiences aside), their appearance is usually an indication that your meditation is going well.

I don't know what your goals are. If you are meditating for stress relief and relaxation - and there is nothing wrong with that! - I think your position on the bed is ideal. But if you are looking to climb the mountain of swords and add your own skull to the bone heap, get on the floor!