See, I have a basic problem. When I meditate, get comfy, and calm my mind, I fall asleep. While this is restful, I don’t seem to do much undirected thinking. I needed to find an activity that required me to stay awake, but didn’t require a lot of “brain power” to execute. I developed an activity I refer to as Farmer Meditation.

In a nut shell, Farmer Meditation involves “going slow and turning left.” To do this I attach the bush hog to the tractor, head out back, and find a field that needs bush hogging. A bush hog is basically a 6 foot wide mower that will mow just about anything, including small trees. My operating philosophy is: If I can drive the tractor over it, the bush hog will eat it.

At full “hogging speed ahead”, I’m traveling just under 8 MPH.

This activity minimally occupies my conscious mind, leaving plenty of processing power for the unconscious mind to wander where it will, and ease the information into consciousness. I keep 3×5 note cards and a pen in my zip pocket. When I notice something I want to remember, I stop the tractor and make notes.

How do you stay awake while meditating? Drop me a note.