I've been experimenting with meditation a bit, but mostly at the end of the day, but with that comes a risk of some sleepiness getting in the way - I read it's a good way to do things, since you're not messing up the "mental hygiene" you just worked on by doing something else that'll get you out of that mental state, but on occasion it's simpler to get some quiet time and privacy during other moments of the day... Any thoughts on the matter?
I try to keep my practice in the evenings just for the sake of convenience, but it doesn't always go well. Sometimes I get back spasms if I've been lifting heavy weights that day, and often I get sleepy. Most of the time I successfully get 20-30 minutes in before bed, but if the other issues get worse I may do otherwise. It's okay to readjust your routine if it isn't working for you, of course.
I disagree that doing it in the evening benefits you because you avoid "messing up your mental hygiene". The whole purpose of meditative practice, really, is to keep a persistently good mental hygiene, to be able to respond more peacefully and happily to the things that would otherwise cause you mental stress.
In fact, a good part of meditative practice is to carry your relaxed state forward after your practice. Don't jump right into playing on your phone or watching television, but take the opportunity to just
be in your environment, to exist fully within a moment in a mindful way.
Have you read Dan Harris's "Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics"? It's
full of wonderful advice to help work with or get around the various pitfalls many of us encounter in meditation, and a few are relevant here. Specifically, if you don't have other time to meditate, don't forego it, but rather take what you can get when you can get it. Half an hour to an hour of meditation is great! But so is 10 minutes. So is a single minute if it's all you can get.
So while my set meditation time is in the evenings before bed, that isn't the only time I meditate. If I'm riding in a vehicle at work, I'll allow myself time to meditate. If I'm sitting on the toilet, I'll take the time to meditate. If I'm waiting on the microwave or the tea kettle, if I'm standing in line at the grocery store, if I'm doing just about anything at all, I can take an opportunity to be mindful and focus on my breath. Meditation time does not necessarily have to equal cushion time, and you don't have to add stress to your life if a certain routine isn't working for you. Just find ways to do what you can when you can.
I hope some of that helps! If not, forgive me, but I definitely recommend Dan Harris's books for newly practicing folks.
Best of luck, and keep posting in here!
