When do I meditate?

As a result of normal daily changes in brain chemistry, the brain produces serotonin, primarily a daytime neurotransmitter that makes you alert, and melatonin, the night time neurotransmitter that begins to relax you for sleep. There are two times when the door to the subconscious mind open, when you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning.

The simple answer is morning and evening, when the doors to the subconscious are open.

What does it mean for the doors to the subconscious to open?

There are 5 different brain wave states, which include Gamma, Beta, Alpha, Theta, and Delta. As human beings, we primarily operate in a high-frequency Beta brain wave state. These brain waves are fast and are associated with thinking, analytical problem solving, judgement, decision making, and processing information about the world around us. “In the short term, being in High Beta serves all organisms well. There is nothing wrong with this narrow, overfocused range of attention. We “get the job done” because it affords us the ability to accomplish so many things.” (Dispenza, 2012)

Once the brain becomes stuck in a high-frequency Beta state, everything becomes an emergency.

If we remain in this emergency mode for a long amount of time, we get knocked out of balance, because maintaining high-frequency Beta requires a lot of energy. Unfortunately, high beta is over utilized by the majority of the population resulting in chronic stress and leading to a wide range of illnesses. This continual repetition of survival based thinking creates feelings of anger, fear, sadness, anxiety, depression, competition, aggression, insecurity, and frustration.

The subconscious opens when we are in a state of Alpha or Theta brain waves.

Meditation takes us from Beta, to Alpha, and then into Theta brain wave states. This is important because you can naturally slow down the high speed of the brain and body into a more relaxed, orderly, and systemized pattern of brainwaves. “As you close your eyes, the input from the outside world is reduced and your neocortex has less to think about and to analyze.” (Dispenza, 2012) This allows your brain waves to slow to Alpha. Alpha is associated with creativity, and you are moving from a survival state of being to a more relaxed state. One of the later steps of meditation is moving from Alpha to Theta, where your body is asleep, but your mind is awake. This is magical land. You are now in a deep state of your subconscious and are able to immediately change negative thoughts to more positive ones. In Theta, the body is no longer in control and you are free to dream, change subconscious programs, and finally create from a totally unobstructed place.

It is a good idea to meditate in the morning or evening because it will be easier to slip into a state of Alpha or Theta. It will set the tone for the rest of your day.

I personally wake up and immediately enter a meditative state before checking my phone and before allowing myself to worry about what I have to prepare for in the day to come. I like to start off in a clean state while I am still in Alpha and allow my body to naturally progress through the brainwave states. Meditation during the middle of the day might be difficult as you have entered into your high-frequency Beta state of being.