Falling asleep during AEQ exercises has various causes. The most common physical reason is overexhaustion, which may appear in chronic form due to sensorimotor amnesia (SMA) or sensorimotor dissociation (SMD). A body worn down by the daily rush seeks relief, and when it finds it during an AEQ exercise, it naturally shifts into a state of rest and sleep. However, falling asleep during an exercise is often also a sign of a deeper defense mechanism—a subconscious protection against what the exercise might reveal about our body and emotions.
Sleep can act as a subconscious escape route from the deep layers of feelings, tension, and sensorimotor amnesia that are hidden within the body. It may function as a reflex rejection—like closing your eyes in front of an emotionally intense scene out of fear that it might hurt too much. A person who falls asleep usually doesn’t consciously recognize this mechanism and its recurrence, but in doing so, diminishes the effect of the exercise, which could otherwise improve bodily awareness and strengthen the connection between the body and consciousness.
That’s why in the AEQ Method, we place great emphasis on conscious presence. If we want to improve body awareness, it’s crucial to remain fully conscious during the exercise. Conscious presence allows us to focus on the subtle signals of the body that we usually overlook. Just like we need precision and focus to thread a needle, we need the same concentration during AEQ exercises to stay engaged in movement and perceive the subtle information our body is communicating.
When we are consciously present in every movement, we begin to notice small tensions and discomforts that may indicate deep-rooted emotional patterns or mental blocks. In this way, the feedback from our body becomes a valuable foundation for resolving these patterns, allowing us to move and express ourselves more freely. Conscious presence during exercises also teaches us to recognize these signals in everyday life and to respond to them mindfully.
Awareness leads to insight, and insight to change—changes we often resist. That’s why it’s logical that falling asleep during an AEQ exercise obstructs the rise in awareness and breaks the path toward holistic transformation at its very beginning. Even though such changes are highly necessary in the long term, we may strongly resist them in the short term.
Aleš Ernst, author of the AEQ Method®
