Meditation: Go meditate enough screen time for now. |
- Go meditate enough screen time for now.
- "You are not your thoughts, you are the observer of your thoughts."
- Talking to people as your self, instead of as your mind
- For working professionals: How did meditation help you in the workplace? With your productivity? With your relationship with coworkers?
- A very powerful excerpt from Peter Levine's "In an Unspoken Voice," on why being in touch with the body is so important.
- Just as a rocky mountain is not moved by storms, so sights, sounds, tastes, smells, contacts and ideas, whether desirable or undesirable, will never stir one of steady nature, whose mind is firm and free. —The Buddha
- Is there an explanation for why some sessions fly by really fast and others drag on by the second?
- If you meditate twice per day which times are you meditating?
- Meditation has made me realized something about self esteem
- Mirror gazing meditation
- Wearing a mask to focus on breathing
- I would liken meditation and mindfulness to a gravitational force, bringing you back down to earth so you aren't carried by the wind of your thoughts.
- That one thought that makes you lose that calm state
- I'm not the Zen Master, the Zen Master is You!!
- Grounding yourself?
- Concentration is meditation?
- Is it possible to observe oneself? If it is possible to observe myself, what makes this meaningful?
- I really want to get myself the habit of meditating the first thing in the morning but I seem to be busy surronded by my thoughts and fanstasies about my ex.
- Meditation making things worse
- Do you meditate primarily to reduce anxiety or for some other reason entirely?
- Quantum Light Breath Mediation
- Buddha's description of concentration through the development of four primary levels of jhana
- How do I work with a koan/self-inquiry?
- Looking for adivce; slowing down the mind
| Go meditate enough screen time for now. Posted: 06 Sep 2020 07:44 PM PDT |
| "You are not your thoughts, you are the observer of your thoughts." Posted: 06 Sep 2020 10:53 PM PDT |
| Talking to people as your self, instead of as your mind Posted: 06 Sep 2020 09:41 PM PDT The pandemic has really helped me to get in tune with myself and start meditating regularly as I have been alone for pretty much the entirety. Since I've become more aware of my thoughts and how they aren't necessarily connected to me I'm gradually becoming a lot calmer and happier. Now, the issue I'm finding is that when I'm talking to friends or even people that I've just met and am very interested in I find myself not feeling like saying anything a lot of the time because I'm just enjoying their company and the moment. It's a bit strange for me because before this year my problem in social situations was more of a slowly building anxiety that everything I was saying was stupid. This alternative is definitely more pleasant for me but it leads to almost as much discomfort for the other person. And honestly my happiness means nothing to me if I can't share it with my friends and family. Tl;Dr I just can't wrap my head around the idea of being in a meditative state while needing your mind to come up with conversation Any thoughts, stories or advice would be appreciated : ) [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 11:44 PM PDT I am planning to take meditation seriously but it would really be great to hear from professionals who have firsthand experiences with the benefits. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 09:23 PM PDT "The essence of embodiment is not in repudiation, but in living the instincts fully, while at the same time harnessing their primordial raw energies to promote increasingly subtle qualities of experience. In the book of Job it is said, "For in my flesh I shall see God." The degree to which we cannot deeply feel our body's interior is the degree to which we crave excessive external stimulation. We seek titillation, overexertion, drugs and sensory overload. It is difficult to find a movie these days that is without over-the-top special effects and multiple car crashes. As a culture, we have so negated the capacity to feel the subdety of the life of the body that we have become habituated to a seemingly endless barrage of violence, horror and explosive, body- vibrating noise. On the wane are films of engaging dialogue and affective nuance. Instead, we are continually bombarded with jumbles of disconnected, incoherent and meaningless images or sentimental mush. There is the paucity of time we have for ourselves to quietly reflect. Rather, these precious free moments we have are spent online, in chat rooms substituting for real human contact, creating avatars in virtual space or watching TV on our cell phones. I'm not against having a good time or unappreciative of our technological strides. It is simply that while the media reflects our sorry state of insensitivity, it is also contributing, in a significant fashion, to our addiction to overstimulation. To the degree that we are not embodied, our basic instincts—survival and sexuality—become distorted. Distortion of self-survival leaves us fearful, angry and anxious. Disembodied sexuality and a lack of the capacity for self-regulation produce the starkly barren landscape of pornography, as well as such disorders as anorexia and bulimia. Notwithstanding the complex psychodynamic, social and media factors (with its airbrushed barrage of models with "ideal" bodies), disembodiment promotes and fosters many of the eating disorders. Just like pornography, these disorders have their existential origins in alienation from the living-sensing-feeling body. For disembodied men, images of the female body become titillating, rather than experienced as joyful. They evoke a craven drive, rather than inviting playful flirtation, enjoyment, surrender and deep appreciation. In this way, disembodied men (who tend, by their nature, to be visual) contribute to women's anorexia because of their disembodied pseudo-need for the "idealized" female body. Hence, women's bodies become objectified both in the eyes of the other and in their own eyes. Young woman who have exchanged their bodily sense for body image are susceptible to seeking breast implants that sever sensation or super "slimness" as in anorexia. In the latter case, they are drawn to identify with grotesque, culturally reinforced, Biafra-like body images, rendering them barely able to sustain life or procreate instead of feeling body sensations. The compulsions of binging and purging (as in bulimia) are a futile attempt to control their body sensations—which are either chaotic and overwhelming or shutdown and numb. Some bulimics report that sex makes them want to vomit and vomiting, for them, is like having an orgasm. In addition, bulimia is an ineffective attempt to rid the body of something that is not-body; something that was forced onto or into the person's body. For men, it is pornography that fills the void of disembodiment, alienating men from their own sexuality. There are plentiful other disembodying methods, other compulsions- These include the addictions to overwork, sex, drugs, drinking or compulsive eating. All are ways to suppress, numb or control the body are, ironically, misdirected attempts to feel it. However, without embracing bodily experience, we are left with an empty shell, a narcissistic image of who we think we are. We are unable to really feel the fullness of ourselves, a fullness formed from a continuous flux of experience. Pornography and eating disorders are two sides of the same coin—disembodiment and objectification. The less the body is experi- enced as a living entity, the more it becomes an object. The less it is owned, the further it is divorced from anything having to do with one's core sense of self. A visit to the gym reveals a similar story. Lines of people are robotically pumping iron in an attempt to buff their bodies, but with little internal feeling or awareness of their actions. There is a great deal to be said about the clear benefits of cardiovascularfitnessand challeng- ing the power function of muscles. However, there is something beyond endurance and body mechanics. It is the kinesthetic sense, which can be awakened and developed in any movements we make and in the very sensations that prefigure any movement This is the difference between willing a movement and being the movement. On returning to my local YMCA from a trip abroad, I was startled to see that in front of virtually every work-out station there was a brand new flat-screen TV! It's as though these individuals had temporarily parked their bodies, only to pick them up like the dry cleaning, after they had been exercised by the machines. In this regard, there is a distinction made in the German language between the word Kiirper, meaning a physical body, and Leib, which translates to English as the "lived (or living) body." The term Leib reveals a much deeper generative meaning compared with the purely physical/anatomical Kiirper (not unlike "corpse"). As a society, we have largely abandoned our living, sensing, knowing bodies in the search for rationality and stories about ourselves. Much of what we do in our lives is based on this preoccupation. We certainly wouldn't have computers or airplanes, cell phones or video games—not to mention even bicycles or clocks—without the vast power of our rational minds. However, like Narcissus, who fell in love with his reflection in a pond, we have become enamored by our own thoughts, self- importance and idealized self-images. Have we fallen in love with a pale reflection of ourselves?" [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 05:35 AM PDT |
| Is there an explanation for why some sessions fly by really fast and others drag on by the second? Posted: 07 Sep 2020 02:02 AM PDT Just finished a 10 minute meditation and I had to check to make sure me timer wasn't broken because it felt like 1 to 2 minutes. Kinda strange, not complaining just curious as to why this happens. [link] [comments] |
| If you meditate twice per day which times are you meditating? Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:47 AM PDT |
| Meditation has made me realized something about self esteem Posted: 06 Sep 2020 09:56 PM PDT While meditating I realized my self esteem has grown a lot but I still didn't necessarily love myself. I deduced that there are in fact four levels of self worth. The first being self hate, the second dislike, the third is liking ones self and the final is self love, not just being fond of yourself but actually holding yourself in high regard. I'm not a psychologist or anything but meditation has made me mindful of many things even the neuroses that try to play out covertly without me ever knowing. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2020 01:25 AM PDT I recently found it, heard the testimonies and was let down by actually trying it. Have you tried it and have interesting stories to share? Also, why are mostly black people on Youtube talking about it? You'd think it be evenly split but it's majorly African-Americans. [link] [comments] |
| Wearing a mask to focus on breathing Posted: 06 Sep 2020 11:26 AM PDT After recently discovering meditation, I was having a very difficult time concentrating on my breathing. I know this is normal. During my last session, I wore a face mask and I can honestly say that it was much easier to maintain a steady focus on inhalation and exhalation. I figured that wearing a mask when required makes me have to consciously think about breathing. Has anyone else noticed this?Give it a try next time. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 02:08 PM PDT |
| That one thought that makes you lose that calm state Posted: 06 Sep 2020 12:47 PM PDT I would find myself in a place where I am very calm and meditative during my practice, but, just in a glimpse, I'll be taken back to something bad that might have happened in past or just a thought from the past when I wasn't my best self. And there's that. I don't feel like continuing my session afterwards. I've tried, I've been patient, but I just find it very hard. How do I cope with that? How do I not let that affect me, not only during my session, but in general? [link] [comments] |
| I'm not the Zen Master, the Zen Master is You!! Posted: 06 Sep 2020 10:11 PM PDT Last fall I heard Elon Musk say that reality was like a matrix, yet while people were giving him a hard time for it, I somehow knew exactly what he meant. Ever since losing my job last summer & going onto unemployment, I've been diligently working & writing to save humanity! Check out my website for more!! Namaste, now I go! -Buddha Maitreya [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 10:09 PM PDT Anyone know of a good way to ground yourself after a deep meditation or sleep paralysis/lucid dreaming? I have a hell of a time getting back into reality after often causing anxiety because I'm so distant/confused after deep meditation or having a really crazy dream (which is pretty much whenever I sleep). I would describe it as being disconnected. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 06:14 PM PDT I had an odd experience yesterday and I'm wondering if anyone can clarify it for me. I'm an anxiety and depression sufferer, bad enough that I haven't worked for over a year and I'm chronically anxious 99% of the time. I do meditate daily, anywhere between 15 and 45 mins, although I generally average around 20-30 mins lately. I've learned to meditate just to observe and accept, and have noticed an improvement in being able to observe, but still struggle with some really big feelings that can overwhelm me easily. After a particular bad week, where some desperate and dark thoughts were resurfacing, I took myself blackberry picking yesterday just as something to do. I put a podcast on, and just spend 90 mins foraging. Half way though, after I'd been interrupted by some kids who were also picking, I realised I felt lighter than I had in months. Maybe longer. It was a bizarre feeling, like I'd been unshackled. I carried on foraging and when I walked home, I began to feel heavy again even though my thoughts were clear. I've never had that experience in meditation (I practice mindfulness, focusing on the breath). I never feel 'better' or calmer afterwards. But I do it because I know it's good for me, like exercise is for the body, and cumulatively it might help in some way in the long run. I spoke to my dad about and he said I was deep in concentration and it sort of shifted the ego to side for a while. If so, why haven't I felt that good when I've concentrated while painting or doing household tasks? Or while meditating and concentrating on the breath? I know I shouldn't focus on this one moment that happened but it's been 18 months of hell and it's not ending; I've plateaued and no end of exercise, yoga, meditation, therapy, medication and eating well has seemed to have helped me move beyond where I'm at now. I'm writing this at 2am because I'm too tense and nauseous to sleep, my average night. I feel like I was more mindful blackberry picking than I've ever felt doing meditation, and I wasn't even trying with blackberry picking. I feel like the concentration on the task was the key, but how do I do that while focusing on the breath? I've has way more practicing with that and never felt better for it. [link] [comments] |
| Is it possible to observe oneself? If it is possible to observe myself, what makes this meaningful? Posted: 06 Sep 2020 09:53 PM PDT This is a very serious question. I truly hope we can get a dialogue going about this incredibly important subject. What does it mean to observe oneself? If it is possible to "observe" yourself, shouldn't it be easy and fast for anybody to do, anytime? Like right now, what does it mean to be observant of oneself? What gives that reflection any meaning? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 06 Sep 2020 03:48 PM PDT I know that its best before facing the world for a better day but I just cannot stop looking at my phone first thing in the morning. Kind of toxic my day. Then I start to postpone to meditate after breakfast, shower and so on.... [link] [comments] |
| Meditation making things worse Posted: 06 Sep 2020 05:51 PM PDT I have chronic illnesses and mental health issues. Being present is not pleasant and meditation just amplifies all this bad stuff. I've been trying to meditate for years. Should I stop trying or is thete some specific method for when present moment is pain and unenjoyable? [link] [comments] |
| Do you meditate primarily to reduce anxiety or for some other reason entirely? Posted: 06 Sep 2020 12:46 PM PDT With all the "mindfulness" programs becoming very popular, it seems like the primary reason many beginner Westerns start meditating is because they believe it might help reduce stress and anxiety. I count myself as one of these people. What about you? What is primary reason that you meditate? [link] [comments] |
| Quantum Light Breath Mediation Posted: 06 Sep 2020 02:17 PM PDT I posted this the other day and didn't get any responses so I'm posting it again. Has anyone tried a meditation called the Quantum Light Breath? It was devised by a man named Jeru Kabbal. I've been doing it on and off. I want to see if anyone here has tried it to see what your experience has been. It's an hour-long technique and consists of what he calls "circular" breathing, breathing without pausing. After I do this technique I feel very grounded and the feeling lasts into the next day. It's a different feeling than I get from just observing the breath for an hour. If you've tried it I'd love to hear about your experience with it Here is a link if anyone wants to know more about it: http://www.quantumlightbreath.com/words-from-jeru.html This isn't an advertisement, you can find the meditation on YouTube. [link] [comments] |
| Buddha's description of concentration through the development of four primary levels of jhana Posted: 06 Sep 2020 12:34 PM PDT "And what, bhikkhus, is the faculty of concentration? Here, bhikkhus, the noble disciple gains concentration, gains one-pointedness of mind, having made release the object. Secluded from sensual pleasures, secluded from unwholesome states, he enters and dwells in the first jhana, which is accompanied by thought and examination, with rapture and happiness born of seclusion. With the subsiding of thought and examination, he enters and dwells in the second jhana, which has internal confidence and unification of mind, is without thought and examination, and has rapture and happiness born of concentration. With the fading away as well of rapture, he dwells equanimous and, mindful and clearly comprehending, he experiences happiness with the body; he enters and dwells in the third jhana of which the noble ones declare:"he is equanimous, mindful, one who dwells happily." With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous passing away of joy and displeasure, he enters and dwells in the fourth jhana, which is neither painful nor pleasant and includes the purification of mindfulness by equanimity. This is called the faculty of concentration." -- Buddah [link] [comments] |
| How do I work with a koan/self-inquiry? Posted: 06 Sep 2020 04:15 PM PDT I'm going through a Zen book at the moment and this week's chapter is on koans. I'm using the "Who am I?" question and doing 25 minutes of sitting meditation. I'm also supposed to ask this question throughout my day when I have some quiet moments here and there. I've run into some problems with my practice and would appreciate any help. First, I feel a bit unsure about this practice because it interferes with my usual breath focused meditation which usually does a good job of relaxing me and putting me in a present meditative state. This just feels like 25 minutes of asking a dead end question. Second, I'm not sure how often I'm supposed to be asking this question. Several times a day? Fifty times a day? If I miss a few times is it going to affect my results? Third, how do I know this is even working? Breathing meditation produces instant results, this just feels like some philosophical question which I can't answer. Finally, I'm not sure HOW to look after asking. I ask "Who am I?" and then what? Do I think about the question? Do I just sit and wait for an answer to appear? How does it all work? Sorry for the million questions, but this practice is proving a bit frustrating for me because it seems so esoteric compared to regular zazen. [link] [comments] |
| Looking for adivce; slowing down the mind Posted: 06 Sep 2020 07:32 PM PDT I recently tried Restricted Environmental Stimulus Therapy in a float tank and I would definitely recommend it to anyone out there who is looking for a way to recharge or slow down. I've only floated once, so take this with a grain of salt. When I first entered the float tank, my mind would NOT stop running. It was going faster than it normally does and I started to get frustrated that I couldn't keep it under control. I swear it was like 15 minutes of my mind running. I thought about anything and everything with my thoughts parading through my mind. ....... Then, all then sudden I jolted. It was like I woke up. I splashed the water and started to laugh. Maybe 10 minutes or so (i guessed) had passed. I thought to myself, was I just asleep? No I was awake, but my body wasn't..? I don't remember the last time I felt that relaxed. Floating was a surreal experience; I don't know what words can describe the feeling it brought me. My question to the group: what are some strategies/techniques that I can use when I float again that will help me slow my mind down and find the calmness more quickly. [link] [comments] |
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