Yogi: I feel like I’m in the middle – neither totally unaware nor continuously aware. I will be aware for a period of time and then the mind says that I need a rest. Should I take a rest or push ahead?
Sayadaw: You must stop if you feel tired. Right practice builds gently, and it’s just a steady increase of awareness and doesn’t feel tiring. The longer you remain aware, the more strengthening it feels – you feel light and more energized. If you feel deflated, you’re exerting too much energy – there’s some wrong practice happening.
A common thing is that, in the beginning, we don’t know how much energy is just enough to be aware. If we even use a little more energy, it will lead to some tiredness at some point.
We need to learn to recognize how much energy we are putting in and tune it to see what will keep us going without hitting a wall at some point. We need to gauge how much energy we’re putting into our practice and every yogi has to learn that.
In a retreat, when a yogi tries to be mindful throughout the day and night and if they put in too much effort, they start to tire towards the evening. They can recharge their battery by doing lying down meditation.