Astral Projection for the nine to fiver

[MinstruelZ]

I'm sure there are a lot of 9-5 worker bees around here. I'm having trouble with practicing astral projection due to tiredness and a busy schedule. The main reason for this is that I see it so widely recommended to try AP in the morning when you are most relaxed and close to the edge of sleep. To do this, I have to wake up at 4am and then it takes a while to get relaxed and close to a trance state. This also requires I go to bed the night before very early, otherwise I'm dead tired that day.

How are the 9-5er's going about their practice? Do many of you rely on spontaneous projections? Or do many prefer to just try at night? Thanks in advance.

[Stookie]

I'm basically a 9-5'er and know what you're talking about. Week days are tougher to practice on. I heavily rely on Saturday & Sunday mornings.

My best weekday method is an attempt about 2 hours after dinner which is also about 2 hours before bed. 30-45 minute exercises. Enough to keep me active without interfering with other things I do in my free time.

But Saturday and Sundays are gold.

[Vice]

Try practicing on the weekends, eat a nice light healthy meal, have a peaceful mind (don't think about a busy upcoming week or past week's worries). When trying to relax, enjoy it. Tell yourself you have never been more relaxed then you are now.

[MinstruelZ]

I tried again this morning and realized that I'll just be too tired if I get up at 4am, try to stay awake for a little while, try to OBE or WILD, and then get up and go to work. So my plan is to do my morning work on the weekends... religiously. This means no more getting furiously drunk and eating half a breakfast bar on Friday nights. 

I'm also going to start practicing at night. I usually just meditate and do energy work at night, but I think practicing AP at 10 or 11pm will work pretty well for me because I'm more of a night person. I'll be sure to update on what works.

[Stookie]

I'll admit that night practice isn't the best for me, but it keeps me in the habit and exercises discipline, which helps in the long run.

[Drift]

Practice an hour at night when you goto bed. Yes the dogs are snoring, the wife kicks you regularly and its all not very perfect but what it does do is allow you to get very very natural at feeling the changes in your body and mind.

Just lay on your back until your body goes numb and get used to the changes that happen. The more familiar and relaxed you become with it the more likely you will be to have the ability to achieve OOBE quickly later on. Practice definately does make perfect with this phenomenon.

You will probably wind up having an experience on the third or fourth night. Just dont blow it when the yank out comes

Noise and whatever doesnt really matter, its an obstacle but if you are thinking in your head and you dont move, you will still get where you need to be in the end. If after an hour its not happening, nod off to sleep

[awaken]

Im an 8:00 to 5:30er, sometimes later, so I know how you feel. Im usually tired when I get home plus I attend class until 10:00. I found the best method for me is to not fight it but rather hold the thought in my head to astral project at a certian point within a dream or condition myself to awaken at a certain point at night which makes it easier to project. Most of my OOBE have been initiated from within a lucid dream, I've conditioned myslef over the years to awaken within a dream, once I realize Im dreaming I think the thought to 'clarify', the dream material fades away and Im usually already outside my physical body or at least a few feet above it. Hope that helps.

[CFTraveler]

Depending on your practice schedule (how long do you practice, what do you do?) I'd suggest daily meditation or energy work or whatever you do for training (like 15 minutes, whenever you have the time, day or night) and your 'real' projection attempt on the weekend, making sure that you affirm your intention to project at that time only.  That way you don't waste your energy on an attempt that you half-know won't work for this or another reason, and use the practice to accumulate your energy or experience to be used when you really have time.
Part of any projection practice is to 'get you used to' the exercise(s), and a lot of effort is wasted in trying to project when you're not ready yet- and when you make an attempt 'not really expecting to succeed' you train your consciousness to not do it, which is exactly the opposite of what you want.
Of course this is all highly subjective and depends on your level of proficiency and experience.

[SquanderPants]

I have to get up at 6:00am, don't get home till 7:00PM, and usually dont go to sleep until Midnight, so am already feeling pretty burnt out after 4 nights of trying. I too am going to practice breathing excercises and feeling my body relax, leaving the actual projection attempts for the weekends.

[CFTraveler]

I have to get up at 6:00am, don't get home till 7:00PM, and usually dont go to sleep until Midnight, so am already feeling pretty burnt out after 4 nights of trying. I too am going to practice breathing excercises and feeling my body relax, leaving the actual projection attempts for the weekends.

If I were you I'd do energy raising when you wake up in the morning.  It may even help you with 'waking up' and feeling good about your long long day.
It's simple, and you can do it in a minute or two:  Sit up on the bed, put your feet on the floor, and sitting there take a deep breath.  As you breathe in 'feel' the energy going in through your feet, up your legs, up your back, all the way to the top of your head.  Then exhale slowly, and as you do let the energy flow down the front of your body all the way to your belly-button, and have it 'go in' right below your belly button, imagining that there is an empty bucket you can fill with energy.  Do this two or three times and see how it feels for you.

[SquanderPants]

Thanks! I'll definitely give that a go!