Questions to ask when you already receive care

A meditation break is not sleep, and it is not care. It is a short, optional wellbeing practice that can sit beside both. If you already see a doctor or counsellor, keep your appointments and your treatment, and tell them what you are trying.

This page helps you walk into that conversation with a few clear questions.

What is the difference between a practice, rest and care?

Each one does a different job.

• A wellbeing practice, such as a few minutes of quiet breathing, is something you choose for steadiness. It can feel pleasant or plain.
• Rest and sleep are what your body needs to recover. The NHS says adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep on average³.
• Care is what a doctor, counsellor or other professional provides after listening to your situation.

One cannot stand in for another. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) advises not to use meditation or mindfulness to replace conventional medical care or to delay seeing a health care provider¹.

Is a meditation break the same as sleep?

No. A sit after lunch may leave you feeling refreshed, but it does not replace a night’s sleep. Please do not shorten your sleep to fit a practice in.

The NHS advises seeing a GP if changing your sleeping habits has not helped, you have had trouble sleeping for months, or sleep problems make daily life hard to manage⁴. If that sounds like you, a doctor is the right next step, whatever else you try.

What should I discuss when I already receive care?

Bring the practice into the conversation like any other part of your routine. The NCCIH advises asking about the training and experience of a meditation instructor and telling your health care providers about complementary approaches you use².

You do not need to defend your choice. You are simply giving the person who knows your history a complete picture.

Try this: write your questions before the appointment

Use your phone notes or a small card. This takes about five minutes.

1. Write down the practice you are trying, how long each time, and how often.
2. Note how you feel during and afterwards, in your own words.
3. Ask: “Is there anything about my situation that means I should change or skip this?”
4. Ask: “How should this fit with my sleep, medication and other treatment?”
5. Ask: “What would tell you I need more support, and who do I contact if that happens?”

Our weekly reflection sheet can hold your notes, and what you type stays in your browser.

What this page does not do

It does not tell you what any symptom means, and it does not suggest postponing care, changing medication or doing without sleep. A self-help guide cannot assess you, and our page on why a self-help tool is not an assessment explains why.

Adapting this to real life

If appointments are hard to get, write your questions anyway and ask the clinic nurse or pharmacist where to direct them. If you care for a parent, bring their questions as well as yours. If you work shifts, keep sleep first and let any practice fit into a spare pocket of the day.

When to get more support

If difficulties keep going, grow heavier, or a practice stirs up distress, dizziness or painful memories, it is fine to stop and to get help soon. Our guide on finding suitable support when a resource is not enough and the support page list helplines and first steps. You can also read when a meditation experience feels unpleasant.

Where to go next

Return to our what the research says guides for the rest of the evidence guides.

After you have spoken to your care provider and they are comfortable with it, Sadhguru’s free seven-minute guided meditation in the Miracle of Mind app is an optional, small thing to try.