Just saying hi

One of the things they have in common is that you generally hold still for both. This is because you want your body to go to sleep before your mind does. So you start by finding a relaxed position where you will not be disturbed and will be comfortable after your body starts to shift. Slouching. Even laying down, your body may move as the tension leaves it. The trick is to have a way to keep your mind alert enough without being too alert. Counting, math problems, visualizing things. Repeating a mantra or affirmation. There are techniques about focusing on what you see behind closed eyelids, what you hear both near and far, and the feel of your body on the surface. Robert Monroe called that state of mind awake / body asleep Focus 10. It is a good transition point to meditation, wake-induced lucid dreams, and astral projection. It is a skill and it takes time to learn.