• Breaking News

    Tuesday, April 14, 2020

    Meditation: Weekly Discussion - April 13 2020

    Meditation: Weekly Discussion - April 13 2020


    Weekly Discussion - April 13 2020

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 08:10 AM PDT

    This is a reoccuring thread for questions relating to your practice and discussion around your experiences.

    Questions

    Ask questions relating to your practice, the theory of meditation, various traditions and lineages of thought, or practical tips. If you're new, please read our FAQ before posting, as it contains a wealth of information that all of us should come back to occasionally.

    Discussion

    Also use this thread for a more free-form discussion of your experiences and other tidbits that might not warrant their own full post. Use this space to connect with the /r/meditation community, it won't be heavily moderated.

    Also check out the monthly meditation challenge.

    submitted by /u/AutoModerator
    [link] [comments]

    Does yoga count as meditation?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 03:37 PM PDT

    What is this existential fear?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 12:52 PM PDT

    I've 100% experienced a switch in consciousness or "awakened" from society life. I had a breakdown, fell into a depression, and realized the life I was living wasn't in line with my dreams and values. I dropped everything. left my job, left my relationship, moved and started over. I experienced the "dark night of the soul" so to speak. I'm now changing and growing into a completely different person, I'm becoming more myself and who I truly am. I'm no longer depressed as of now.

    But i will experience moments of existential anxiety here and there. It's hard to explain. I will just become extremely aware of myself, that I'm a conscious being. And I'm scared of it. I question who am I really? What is really out there when I die? I feel unsafe, it feels doom-like. I question if there really is a God, is it just a belief? My mind starts racing, random images may pop up (nothing negative, just a flight of thoughts and images). I become so frightened. I have a moment of fear that I'm not okay, something is wrong. I hate that feeling. It's not harming me in any way, if anything I just sit through it and try to sleep. But I'm scared of it happening. I can feel myself not wanting to sit still at home in case it happens. Im not sure where to put my focus on when it happens, in order to calm my mind down. It's new to me and I don't have a tool.

    What does it want? What am I experiencing? Can anyone relate? I feel crazy lol

    submitted by /u/bodaha123
    [link] [comments]

    This might sound stupid, however right now in the moment I kind of need advice. Is it possible to meditate without anyone knowing, like with people in the room and the tv on?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 10:42 AM PDT

    This probably sounds really dumb, even I think it is. However today with this quarantine and being inside for weeks basically Im just feeling especially anxious. I'm having issues with my girlfriend right now, I'm having a lot of issues in my head about my dreams and my goals and being stuck in life. I don't want people to notice, though I can't stop shaking my leg and I'm having short breaths, I don't want to converse, I can't even pay attention to the tv.

    I really would like to meditate right now, as I've found it helped in the past when I was frustrated, angry or anxious. Just in those times I found a peaceful place and moment because it was available. I live in a tiny apartment with my girlfriend, along with my brother being here right now, so this is impossible.

    I feel embarrassed to tell them I want to meditate, as I don't want them to know how I'm feeling. The other thing is, I know they don't think of me as meditating as dumb, in fact they believe in the power of meditation and occasionally practice it and other such things in the metaphysical realm, just not as often as I do.

    I know this shouldn't stop me because as I said before I truly know that I shouldn't be embarrassed and that they probably wouldn't harass me for it or anything like that. Though I just know I would feel judged. Just thinking about doing this fills me with more anxiety.

    Just looking for a solution to this or any advice, thanks guys!

    submitted by /u/Acidgang
    [link] [comments]

    Do you feel you are in a different mental frequency?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 09:30 PM PDT

    After reading Sam Harris' book Waking Up, I had the sudden realization that the internal consciousness of others is drastically different than mine. Dan Harris describes the state of non-mediators as being in a "fog", and they certainly seem to be on that state to me.

    Recently I discovered that some people have an internal monologue all the time, in fact it seems most people are in that camp. Some people can't have an internal monologue, and some have the ability, but don't normally use it.

    I have been a pretty zen person most of my life (I never explode), I've been trying mindful meditation for some years (it's pretty easy to me), and I can have an internal monologue, but I don't see much point in telling myself what I already know, I just skip verbalizing my thoughts.

    How about you? Do you have an internal monologue? And do you think your internal experience is drastically different from others?

    submitted by /u/felipec
    [link] [comments]

    Some mindful breathing techniques that are helping me in this stressful situations

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 10:47 PM PDT

    I've been practicing mindfulness for about a couple of years now, and I use these breathing exercises to get me through the day.

    • For starting your day fresh: Inhale through the nose for 6 seconds and fully exhale through the mouth for 3 seconds.
    • To relieve stress and quickly relax and unwind: This technique is called box-breathing, where you inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 4 seconds, exhale through the mouth for 4 seconds and then hold for 4 seconds.
    • For sleeping quickly: This is one of the most useful techniques which I use to calm my mind at night before going to bed. Inhale through the nose for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and then exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds.

    If you're new to mindful breathing, you can repeat the exercises 4-5 times and slowly increase the repetitions once you become more experienced. I also made an app to help with these breathing exercises if you'd like to check it out.

    If you have any particular exercises you use to tackle a specific thing, feel free to share!

    submitted by /u/kushsolitary
    [link] [comments]

    interesting pressure phenomenon: Various Pressure points or chakra points (Idk about this) in head beside pressure in between eyebrows and forehead during meditation.

    Posted: 14 Apr 2020 12:30 AM PDT

    I have never read about this experience anywhere, so please hear me out and guide me.

    So it has been 5 days I have been experienced this. It started by random activation of pressure point in between eyebrows during meditation. Other times It persisted and activated even without meditation.

    Then next day as I was doing body scan of vipassana, I was concentrating on head region( topmost) , then I suddenly felt pressure at the top of head. Vertically above from the temple region in center.

    Then next day I tried to link the pressure in between eyebrows and top of head. I was rubbing the path for it and it progressed to some degree. I was alternatively focusing on these two pressure points and they were felt alternatively.

    Then suddenly I felt a sensation in temporal region( above and in front of ear) of right side. It was like a movement in hair. Then after a minutes of concentration I felt pressure in that region. I also felt the pressure in eyebrows was trying to shift.

    But nothing happened in left side ,so in rubbed there and there was a faint sensation of pressure over there. So rubbing initiates sensation but it's temporary. Permanent pressure happened spontaneously.

    After this I felt high amount of self control, very very high. I was able to control my urge of smoking, my attention was very high , and I was mindfull most of time. But it lasted only for a day

    Please somebody explain what are these pressure points, is not ajna chakra supposed to show it's effect on eyebrows only? Is the pressure point on top of my head sahasara chakra?( I highly doubt it) What are the pressure in temporal region then?

    submitted by /u/semblance22
    [link] [comments]

    Does anyone believe in a minimum sitting time to get the full benefits from meditation?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 05:24 PM PDT

    I'm currently doing 10 minutes per session and trying to do 2x a day. I'm also thinking of making it 15 minutes but I've struggled with the change of 10 to 15 minutes before. Is 10 minutes still considered a short time to meditate? Is there an optimal time?

    submitted by /u/_nein_danke
    [link] [comments]

    Where do you put your hands when meditating?

    Posted: 14 Apr 2020 01:02 AM PDT

    This is an awkward thing for me when I meditate. Most of the time I just put them on my knees but then it becomes uncomfortable, so I hold them together in my lap or make a triangle shape with my hands etc.

    Looking for some tips on this because it's quite distracting.

    submitted by /u/soymilknhoney
    [link] [comments]

    Depersonalization

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 10:20 PM PDT

    I accidentally experienced this weird thing that I only found explained as "ego death"/depersonalization, and found that people who experience meditation have a similar thing...mine I think happened because I spent too much time reflecting and looking deeper. When will it go away?

    submitted by /u/Alone-Present
    [link] [comments]

    Release of physical tension during mediation

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 03:57 PM PDT

    Hello everyone,

    I wanted to share an experience I have pretty much every time I meditate, and especially after a long period of not meditating.

    I follow a 20 minute guided meditation, and I focus most on keeping my body still and not giving into sensations like itching and such. About 3/4s through the meditation I feel as if this massive knot in my abdomen (physical not figurative) is relieved and I can breathe easier, sit more comfortably, and feel much much more at ease. This is almost the main reason why I meditate. I often feel out of breath or short of breath during regular daily life, so it really helps. Of course I understand the selfless-experience aspect of it, but the physical release of tension is almost more important to me.

    Does anyone else experience similar feelings of physical release? If so does anyone have any idea of whats the cause of both this tension and its release?

    Thank you all for reading.

    submitted by /u/eddiesoupspoon
    [link] [comments]

    Meditation or self-reflection?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 08:41 PM PDT

    Me and my friend were having a discussion the other day about what it means to meditate. She was saying that meditation can be anything and there's no real definition. As in there's no right or wrong way to meditate. I am far from an expert on meditating, but I feel like there has to be some fundamentals to it. Some kind of general rules that's apply, right? It can't just be an "anything goes" deal. Or can it? I always thought of meditation as the practice of being in the present moment. If you're doing some self-reflecting on the past, or thinking about the future, you can't truly be in the present moment. I think daydreaming, self-reflecting, and all things similar are absolutely beneficial. But can you do that while meditating? Aren't they different practices? Yes or no?

    submitted by /u/elli52
    [link] [comments]

    Meditation and lucid dreaming?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 10:48 PM PDT

    Does meditation help with Lucid Dreaming? Can anyone with experience either confirm or explain?

    submitted by /u/cheiefbeefalert
    [link] [comments]

    Meditation while doing mindless tasks?

    Posted: 14 Apr 2020 02:01 AM PDT

    I am a shelf stacker at a supermarket and was curious if there's a way to meditate while doing this kind of thing as it is very mindless and pretty much happens on a subconscious, non thinking level. I do have time to do this properly but spend a lot of time at work so I was curious if there's something useful or self improvement related that I can do in my head as I'm working. Any tips? Even if it's not meditation specifically.

    Thanks in advance

    submitted by /u/hamish426
    [link] [comments]

    I just realized how mindless I can become during a crisis situation

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 04:44 PM PDT

    I've been having on-and-off fever lately, you may have guessed why. But a bigger pain than the virus itself is the psychological toll it has on me.

    Yesterday, I got my blood tested, because there was a possibility that I contacted dengue fever. However result came out that my blood was fine, which means the next possibility is Covid-19, which I'm going to test today.

    On hearing that news, my mind started obsessing on thoughts about the virus, my body became feverish, my head was aching so badly. It was hell for about 4 hours; somehow I managed to sleep, only after that I felt normal again.

    I realized that whatever progress I did on the path of mindfulness was minimal and that there's a long way to go. I just can't focus on something else, despite my best efforts yesterday, partly due to the condition of my body. Secondly, my OCD behavior probably makes it harder for me than many other people in coping with a distress situation.

    submitted by /u/KLBikey
    [link] [comments]

    10+ Hour Ad Free Solfeggio Frequency Album on YouTube. Free downloads offered on every video for offline listening, check the description

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 04:12 PM PDT

    Originally this was going to be a paid album, but when the pandemic hit something better had to be done. So I'm offering this album completely for free in the hopes that someone who really needs it will have the chance to hear it. It was designed as a mediation or sleep album, but it can easily be used as an ambient back track to your quarantine. I hope that my works helps you, please stay safe out there!

    https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXiLm-DeU7P6iAhbBuffyYyV4xdShH_DO

    EDIT: I realize that self promotion isn't allowed, but I do consider this a "high quality offering" as labeled in the rules, considering it's all for free. I hope that the mods agree, I really do mean to help people here

    submitted by /u/ScottishThumber
    [link] [comments]

    Mindfulness meditation has really helped me "catch" myself before I go down paths of rumination or impulsivity, but switching my mindset feels like I am "going against my body" (example in post). Is this expected or there a type of mediation/technique I can do to make that switch feel healthier?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:37 AM PDT

    If the title doesn't make sense I'll give an example of what I mean:

    Before mindfullness practice: I have forgotten that I haven't eaten anything all day and begin to get 'hangry'. My wife drops something and it makes a loud noise and I irritably complain that she needs to be careful. I spend the next 30 minutes in my head ruminating about how clumsy she is and how bad a person I am for snapping at her.

    After ~8 months of regular mindfulness mediation: I realize I am feeling gloomy and remember that I haven't eaten anything all day. I now go about doing tasks knowing that I might have an abnormal reaction to things and I should try to have a snack when I can. My wife drops something and I am aware that my body is impulsively about to snap at her, so I focus on the fact that hunger is causing negative thoughts and it's no ones fault that a noise startled me. I try to ask in a compassionate way if she is OK. It feels really uncomfortable to "switch" to compassion, but I don't ruminate afterwards.

    In the second example, when I feel irritable and I need to adopt a compassionate tone it feels like I am giving myself an injection of medicine - I know it makes me healthier and is the "right" thing to do but everything in me is trying to prevent a needle-stab. I'm just wondering if there is a way to have a smoother transition between those 2 states of mind?

    submitted by /u/shroominate1
    [link] [comments]

    meditation

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 11:14 PM PDT

    Is meditation good for physical strength also along with mental strength?

    submitted by /u/yogeshpahuja
    [link] [comments]

    Meditation to Stay Calm Alone Abroad

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 06:46 AM PDT

    I'm in Puerto Rico now, where I was "stranded" during the pandemic. To stay calm, I'm spending much more time meditating. Yoga in the morning in the sunshine. Walking meditation in the afternoon. Evenings with guided meditation (I've been using the free Hope in Times of Crisis by Deepak and Oprah). I came across this article about someone in a similar situation:

    When the global pandemic hit, I was in Goa, a state in the southwestern coast of India. With four hours' notice, the entire country went into a 21-day lock down. All forms of travel were put to a halt, and we had limited access to food and water.

    I made phone calls back and forth to friends and family trying to get the information I needed to make the right decisions, and quickly. I decided to self-quarantine in a hut on an isolated beach, more or less on my own, although surrounded by a few new-found friends in a similar position.

    Throughout all of this, naturally, my fight or flight stress responses triggered. To manage elevated tension in the body, I turned to inner reflection and meditation practices to calm the mind. Instead of letting fear kick in, I chose to surrender to the present moment and accept what was arising. I asked myself: How can we create solace in a time of world havoc?

    Taking this time as an opportunity, I made a choice to embark on a journey of inner peace by exploring the elements of my mind, body and soul through the three main limbs of Pantanjali's Yoga Sutras; Asana, Pranayama, and Dhyana.

    Following these three simple peace restoring practices allows us to transcend to a safe place, within. Come back to these anytime that stress arises during times of crisis, and you wish to ground.

    Source: https://www.inkwellcontentstudios.com/post/how-to-deal-with-stress-in-times-of-crisis

    submitted by /u/Olive_vintage
    [link] [comments]

    Good books about Tibetan Buddhism

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:12 PM PDT

    Does anyone know good books about Tibetan Buddhism? I want to study the philosophy about it and also meditation techniques. Thank you!

    submitted by /u/matheuscervo1
    [link] [comments]

    TM - Where to start?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 07:06 PM PDT

    Hi. There is so much information on the interwebs. Does anyone have a good site or resource to start to learn this meditation method?

    submitted by /u/ripeart
    [link] [comments]

    What has been your longest session? Do you think the longer the session the better the meditation?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 02:40 PM PDT

    How do I mediate when I'm dead tired?

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 09:49 PM PDT

    I work as a cashier at a grocery store.

    I want to meditate, but I'm honestly afraid of when I get home, abd try to meditate, I'll fall asleep.

    Also when you're dead tired from work, you just dont want to do anything. Except to eat and relax and sleep

    But mine is eat and relax and take seizure meds, go to sleep

    submitted by /u/VampiricGoddess
    [link] [comments]

    Hi.... so I'm pretty new to mediation only done it a couple times and I've really liked it. I was wondering if there were any good mediation apps IOS... hopefully free apps

    Posted: 13 Apr 2020 09:45 PM PDT

    No comments:

    Post a Comment