Anyone practice meditation

[Tired_Tired]

I want to learn meditation. Anyone has guideline of his/her own experience? No google information or YouTube guideline. Thanks.

 

[Hangm4n]

I tried it before, did it help? Not particularly but everyone is different. Headspace is a good app for it

 

[jgm63]

You could buy the "start meditating now" book by Barry Long (or he does have a youtube video, but you said you didn't want that)

 

[Suilven]

I found it helpful in two ways. Firstly it can be very pleasurable and deeply relaxing but that is a side effect and not the main aim. I mainly found it useful in making me take control of the autopilot in my head. I became aware of changes in my mental state that I previously didn't notice. This helped me become less reactive and to slow everything down in my head. It helped with stress and anger triggers but also made me aware of when my mood was about to dip.

I found it very difficult when I was already in extreme states of emotion but ironically this is when it's supposed to have its strongest benefit.

As for guidelines, start with the simplest meditations (mindfulness of breathing) follow the process. Do not focus on the end goal but just try to follow the instructions. Keep it simple. Don't try to be good at it and don't punish yourself for failure. It's all about repetition and sometimes it will feel really difficult but that's ok.

If you are ok checking out a link, this is where I started. You can download the full walkthrough as a zip file of mp3s

The Mindfulness of Breathing: Short Lead-through by Kamalashila | free buddhist audio

 

[Sensei]

As for guidelines, start with the simplest meditations (mindfulness of breathing) follow the process. Do not focus on the end goal but just try to follow the instructions. Keep it simple. Don't try to be good at it and don't punish yourself for failure. It's all about repetition and sometimes it will feel really difficult but that's ok.

Exactly this. I think many people make the mistake of expecting immediate results. Meditation takes patience. As for keeping it simple, there's this Zen Buddhist term, shikantaza. It simply means "nothing but sitting". Sit down, relax and breath. That's how you start. Eventually, but it will take time, you will be able to empty your mind and put your life into perspective.

 

[angele]

I use it primarily for pain management and dealing with anxiety attacks. The most useful tip I've heard goes something like,
"If someone tells you to think of anything except a monkey, it's inevitable you're going to think of a monkey. Instead of trying to stop thinking about monkeys, you have to try to stop thinking altogether."

In other words, if you find yourself trying to clear your head during meditation by telling yourself to shut up, it's not going to work. You have to find a way to shut off your inner monologue completely.

Don't just banish monkey-thoughts. Banish all your thoughts.

 

[End Piece]

I try to. I find it really frustrating bc of how difficult it is. After a lifetime of trying to banish intrusive thoughts via distraction, it feels so alien.

 

[Suilven]

A good approach is to acknowledge the thoughts as they come into your head rather than stifling them. This helps with the 'Don't think about x' paradox. Acknowledge their existence but don't follow them down the rabbit hole, just let them go. This is where having an object of focus - such as your breath- really helps.

At first it will seem like there's endless noise and you will be interrupted every few seconds, but the practice of returning your attention to your object of focus is the absolute key to meditation.

The more you notice your thoughts and yet return to focus, the better you become at it. This is the part that helps you in everyday life. You soon become expert at noticing and stopping your mind going down the rabbit hole of thoughts.

 

[Sensei]

A good approach is to acknowledge the thoughts as they come into your head rather than stifling them. This helps with the 'Don't think about x' paradox. Acknowledge their existence but don't follow them down the rabbit hole, just let them go. This is where having an object of focus - such as your breath- really helps.

Well put. The Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said, not a direct quote, that you should aknowledge distracting thoughts that enter you mind and then gently push them away.

 

[SoyImbecilaburrido]

In my meditations theres always a point memory i am searching, when i found it and end the travel mind, mi mind get clearead, you cannot clear first, you have to fight your cloud storms first

 

[wuumb]

I cannot stress enough doing this meditation like practice, but no stress.
Reality is made of one single particle moving at infinite speed to create the illusion of material, emotion and everything else.
(well everything is consciousness, also this particle (look at quantum mech, the entangled things))
When you visualize this particle going through all objects, beings and plants and then coming FROM you, going TO the other thing,
and moving to you again. Again and again, zip-zap-zip-zap.
Getting faster and faster until you both are flickering.
When you do this, practice it whenever you feel like it and really see everything having consciousness, it's all you,
after a while you are being noticed by the universe or whatever and can experience things you haven't before.
You could see a little more behind the veil.

 

[Seagirl]

I want to learn meditation. Anyone has guideline of his/her own experience? No google information or YouTube guideline. Thanks.

Try headspace, they have healing music too. I cant clear my self loathing & failure but I can imagine how my legs feel, my arms, my eyes. Even for a few minutes if you can just think abt that, the pain goes just for a bit. But better than nothing.

 

[ForNow]

i practice shikantaza (soto zen buddhism) every day. and recently added walking meditation. it's the only thing i believe in anymore.

 

[Final Escape]

I should but it's just not a habit that can form for some reason. I tried

 

[LegaliseIt!]

I should but it's just not a habit that can form for some reason. I tried

I've always struggled with standard meditation and relaxation, but I found that drawing on a Buddha board and watching the drawing fade away does the trick for me.

 

[Sensei]

I've always struggled with standard meditation and relaxation, but I found that drawing on a Buddha board and watching the drawing fade away does the trick for me.

Never heard of this before. What a beautiful idea. I think I should get one.

 

[LegaliseIt!]

Never heard of this before. What a beautiful idea. I think I should get one.

The mini version is way less expensive. A well known online vendor carries it:)

 

[LuzurPhagget]

I've been resuming meditation. Been doing it every morning and night for about 10 minutes each for about...4 weeks now?? For me, it's all about "training" my mind to pay attention to one particular thing; breathing. I don't think the main goal is so much trying to "control your mind" but trying not to let IT control you...if you catch my drift. I tend to overthink. Actually, probably the majority of us. We ruminate, worry, and overthink into sickness. We'll always have our thoughts and occasional bad ones, but we shouldn't allow it to take over our lives.

Anyway, my regimen employs counting. Makes it easier to stay focused on the breathing. Breathe in deeply as I can. Hold breath for 8 seconds. Exhale for 6 seconds. And repeat. This is just my regimen. I've been meaning to actually look up other procedures. Maybe I'm holding my breath too long...or not enough. Maybe I'm exhaling too short...or not long enough. Fuuuucck, who would have thought breathing could be so fucking complicated! Lol. But who knows, there could be minute physiological differences due to slight changes in breathing procedures.

Anyway, I think of meditation akin to physical exercise; it's exercise for the mind. And all in all, it takes less than half an hour a day. Time I would of otherwise spent dicking around watching YouTube or some shit.

Also, Darth Vader had a fucking meditation chamber where he meditated! If a cool guy like Vader meditated, that's good enough reason for me to meditate! I'd like to be more like Darth!