Can Relaxation and Concentration cut down on the Number of hours you Sleep?

Sleep is most important. Through sleep you are able to recover

energy, allowing the body to refuel and repair itself. So it would be

wrong, especially at the start, to substitute meditation for sleep.

In the beginning, practice is practice and sleep is sleep. Some

people think that sitting in meditation is just the same as sleep. It is

true that meditation will calm down your nervous system and brain

but your body still needs the rest and sleep is the best way of providing

it. If you sleep less and then tend to fall asleep during practice,

that is not good at all. Not being able to concentrate during

practice you will simply defeat your own purpose.

Try to have regular hours of sleep. The average adult needs

about eight hours. It is said, traditionally, that when Chi fills all of

your organs and you fulfill the rebirth process, your body will need

less sleep. Yet, we must recognize that living in these times, subjected

as we are to different kinds of stress, new rules must apply.