Meditation: It only takes 8 weeks to change our brain |
- It only takes 8 weeks to change our brain
- I just tried meditating for the first time in my life and started crying..in a good way!
- I think theres a prevailing issue in this subreddit and I'm sorry for pointing it out.. [Rant]
- "When you pray, you speak to the universe.When you mediate, you listen for the answer"
- 4.5 months of Mindfulness
- I stopped meditating when my dad passed away, but today I choose to start again.
- Weird and Shameful!!!
- Why is this so scary?
- Is this meditating?
- In light of some recent posts
- Awareness
- tingling?
- Has anyone experienced anything similar while meditating?
- Which Type of music is best suited for meditation?
- I'm not one to use guided imagery, but an image of a river came to me during a session tonight...
- Sundown Meditation Part 2- 1 Hour Meditation for Sleep, Study, And Focus
- Has anyone ever had this happen ?
- Soul
- A story to free you from one more bond
- Meditation in bath
- My nuts are a chakra
- Are you missing your hand?
- I can’t ”focus on my breathe”
| It only takes 8 weeks to change our brain Posted: 01 Jan 2021 06:03 AM PST I was watching the Headspace series on Netflix. In episode two, Andy mentioned that Dr. Sara Lazar's research shows it only takes 8 weeks of meditation to change the brain. I remember first noticing an obvious change on the 57th day and posted about it in this subreddit. That is 8 weeks! On a side note, I'm on my 88th day now, and for the first time, a thought of "life is going to be alright" came up. I am not so terrified at being alive anymore. Also, happy new year everyone! [link] [comments] |
| I just tried meditating for the first time in my life and started crying..in a good way! Posted: 01 Jan 2021 04:48 PM PST I have kinda always been interested in meditation. It's something I just have never done. So tonight while searching through Netflix. I come across a show called Headspace Guide to Meditation. Why not. Binged watched everything else over the last year in lockdowns. I'm intrigued from the get go and went through the first episode which guides you through the process. I just let myself go and followed the steps and fell into this I don't even know what to call it, and for the first time in my life I felt nothing. Pure relief and coming out of it I was so overwhelmed with relief and what it feels like to have no stress, no pain, just nothing that I burst into tears.... What an incredibly powerful experience... My happiness is still there, that feeling can still exist. Holy S*** [link] [comments] |
| I think theres a prevailing issue in this subreddit and I'm sorry for pointing it out.. [Rant] Posted: 01 Jan 2021 10:49 AM PST Firstly, I wouldn't be here if I didn't think there was good content and good people. Meditation has a ton of perks and benefits and in no way am I going to say otherwise. As others commonly say, I know I am going to probably be shot down by the votes but: What really gets at me are the posts that just sound like pretentious pseudo-psychology. I get it, you just either had a revelation that can be applied to you in some way. However its not necessarily a blanket statement for everyone. Please don't act like you wandered into the abyss and clawed your way back with jewels of wisdom. If someone is visiting this sub for the first time or is looking for a community to connect with, a lot of posts sound like people are full of themselves, "oh my god, look at me, I am soo enlightened", "It helped me ride my bike with no handle bars". The following is a quote from a highly upvoted post: [...It turns out this is part one of a universal cheat code. In fact, this cheat code allows me to access flow state on a regular basis. This allows me to learn things immediately, improve and build relationships, as well as attract just about anything I want into my life. It has even got me out of a few traffic stops and allows me to ride a bike with no hands. It literally works on everything...] Great, this person gained something from meditation. The mind can do many amazing things if applied correctly. It can also greatly aid someone in acting like a tool, for example. I am posting this to see if anyone sees the same issue, feel free to tell me I am wrong so I can consider posting things like "I realized that I am literally god" and "Theres an infinite amount of space in my mind and I found the border". Someone on AskReddit just posted a question as to the benefits of meditation and I am sure that it might lead some to this sub and I have to admit, some phrasing that people use is (ironically) unmindful of how it comes across. My other posts I was considering was how I realized were all conscious space dust, how deep it is that the physics of this universe is indifferent to life and therefore does not judge, and me psychically connecting with my cat by accident. /Rant [link] [comments] |
| "When you pray, you speak to the universe.When you mediate, you listen for the answer" Posted: 02 Jan 2021 01:30 AM PST |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 03:14 PM PST I started my mindfulness journey on the 18th of July 2020. It's been approximately 4.5 months. I did a guided meditation course for 30 days, then used the techniques for the following 3.5 months. More specifically, I meditated for 3 days on and off (for about a week), then I meditated 27 days in a row for 10 minutes a day. The course: "Managing Anxiety", from Headspace Here are the benefits I've noticed in my life, after 4.5 months:
Overall, would recommend. Has changed my relationships with people and they are much stronger because I am more calm and less stressed. [link] [comments] |
| I stopped meditating when my dad passed away, but today I choose to start again. Posted: 01 Jan 2021 04:24 PM PST The end of 2020 was extremely rough for me. I lost my dad to covid complications. I stopped meditating and ended up also losing myself in the process. I had more inner peace and more compassion with people when I was practicing meditation. I had an easier time handling my emotions, especially anger. Today, the first day of 2021, I choose to start meditating again. Here's hoping 2021 is kinder. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 08:35 PM PST I have been meditating from last few months, not too long, and from last few days I am getting some weird thoughts and even shameful ones. I don't know what is happening and why these kind of thoughts are coming while meditating. It is making me really uncomfortable to meditate. Please guide. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 09:14 PM PST Just started practicing meditation before bed, and even though I haven't felt afraid of the dark in years, sitting cross legged on the floor in my bedroom in silence is terrifying! If k eep my eyes closed for long enough i start hearing little sounds that freak me out and if i keep my eyes open i see movement in the dark that I know isn't there. Maybe I should start practicing with a light on or something? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 11:47 PM PST So basically I've never properly meditated before, although I've heard allot about it and practiced. Last night I was following a guide to AP and the first steps were to lay down in bed on my back and focus on breathing in and out for about 20 minutes. So I layed down on my back in bed, started breathing in and out and focusing on it, visualising my breathing, 15 minutes later I started to feel so rested that it felt like I was floating (I was fully awake, so I wasn't AP) Was this meditating? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 07:07 PM PST Some recent posts within this sub that I've seen have mentioned that this sub has become a ground for pseudo science type content... I actually completely agree with this. Whilst I'm not here to tell you how to meditate because that choice is really up to you, I will take this opportunity to reinforce the idea that all you need to meditate is yourself (a quiet place is preferable but should come at no extra cost to you). Some other things I noticed in comments that felt poignant to me is that experiences are not universal and often I see posts where people claim to have revolutionary changes in their lives. This is of course amazing and by no means should people not share these stories but I've been meditating quite regularly for some time. Albeit for periods of about 10 minutes a day, sometimes a bit longer but not usually. Still, when I meditate I have days where it just doesn't click at all and even when it does my lived experience and own mental health sometimes make mediation a challenge but no one ever mentions this. You only ever hear of the really good stories and occasionally you hear about the stories where meditation doesn't work at all for some people. I will say that meditation has had an impact on my life no matter how subtle it may be I still welcome it and it has taught me more about myself and emotions even if only by a little. That's the thing, for many people it will only be subtle and I'm paraphrasing this quote and I'm sure some of you will have heard it before but if it can make you 10% happier isn't that amazing enough even on its own. I hesitate to use the word 'happy' but I do believe it was in the quote. Maybe 'aware would be more appropriate. I guess I wanted to come here to tell those who meditate that you don't have to reach a state of nirvana to truly appreciate what meditation does. And that sometimes it will feel like crap to meditate and feels like it doesn't do anything and that's fine too. You don't need to feel like you're accomplishing a higher state. Just being a bit more conscious and aware is enough. Again all experiences are different and that's important to remember. Don't compare and happy meditating. Apologies as this was on mobile and quite late but I couldn't sleep and felt like getting this off my chest. Happy new year folks x [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 08:52 PM PST Can Somebody explain what the "Awareness" is? I have a very vague idea of what Awareness is and basically my understanding is when you pop out of your thoughts and observe what you were thinking. But my question is that isn't that awareness still a thought since you're thinking about what you're observing. Example: "I observe that I am angry right now", isnt that just another thought? Idk if this makes any sense to anyone or if I am overthinking this [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 11:26 PM PST this is SO bizarre, but as I was doing a meditation today, i felt a really strange tingling sensation on my upper lip? like my top lip to my nose. i've never had a physical experience like that while meditating, it was so strange [link] [comments] |
| Has anyone experienced anything similar while meditating? Posted: 01 Jan 2021 11:13 PM PST Okay so today I decided to meditate, I started a new course on Headspace (Managing Anxiety). I haven't been meditating for a few weeks until now. So I was around 5 minutes in, very relaxed and all of a sudden I feel this like electrical shock going from my head to toes which scared me for a second but then I continued meditating for the rest of the lesson. I even heard it and felt it literally through my whole body. Have you guys ever experienced anything similar? And what could be the cause for this? Just to add, I don't use any medication, alcohol or caffeine. [link] [comments] |
| Which Type of music is best suited for meditation? Posted: 01 Jan 2021 11:08 PM PST |
| I'm not one to use guided imagery, but an image of a river came to me during a session tonight... Posted: 01 Jan 2021 10:36 PM PST I've been holding onto a lot of tension, anxiety and thoughts lately. Acceptance has been a particular element of my practice and life lately. I've been reading about it, listening to audiobooks on it, incorporating that into my practice, etc. Anyway, the idea and reality of impermanence has been on my mind lately. How thoughts, emotions, sensations, situations come and go of their own accord, the harm clinging onto them does to me, and the peace of accepting that constant change. I was laying in bed tonight, focusing especially on my body and tension, and the image of a river came to me, spontaneously, and quite beautifully actually. Just imagining the water flowing, the speed and form changing constantly...and it really helped me embody those qualities. Certain thoughts and emotions were kind of sticky...like a pocket of the river rapidly flowing, but I just let it flow at that speed until it calmed. Eventually even the image of the river kind of floated away and like I said, it was like I just embodied what the river represented and I didn't "need" that image anymore. Anyway, I just felt like sharing to see if anyone could relate or get something out of it. It was a beautiful experience, and something I'd like to practice again. [link] [comments] |
| Sundown Meditation Part 2- 1 Hour Meditation for Sleep, Study, And Focus Posted: 01 Jan 2021 07:42 PM PST |
| Has anyone ever had this happen ? Posted: 01 Jan 2021 11:11 PM PST I was just laying in my bed, at peace with the silence in my room. And then BAM! Out of now where this heavy feeling of inadequacy came over me. A single statement , "Your accomplishments mean nothing" took over my thoughts. It felt like all my happiness was snatched away from me in one breath. And I'm now having a hard time shaking that experience and thought. What was that? How do I fix this? It's weird because for the last four months things in my life have been really been going well. 🙏🏽 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 09:10 AM PST Is it me or the movie soul was really about mindfulness? It really makes you think, specially when you relate with the movie. For all my life (25 years) I dreamt with getting my dream job, getting a house and family, a car, etc.. Now that I got my dream job I was stuck with the thought: am I going to do this for the rest of my life? That's good isn't it?... but then.. why am I not happy like I thought I was going to be? I do love my job but I was expecting an unrealistic amount of happiness it seems. Turns out maybe life really isn't about reaching goals, but maybe collecting moments, memories, feel the breeze, feel the warmth heat of the sun in your face, hear the birds sing. How do you keep this feeling forever? This mindfulness that wakes you up and makes you live instead of repeating the same day over and over until the end. How? It really got me thinking. [link] [comments] |
| A story to free you from one more bond Posted: 01 Jan 2021 05:37 AM PST There was this great yogi. Many people respected and revered him. People used to visit him from all over. Just to receive his blessings and love and wisdom and peace. When you are enlightened, many flock to you. One who is at the centre, he/she/non-binary becomes the centre of many too. So once he was doing satsang / discourse. I always laugh at the inability of English language, when it comes to correct translation and representation of Sanskrit words :D Anyways, let's make do with what we have, for now. He saw a dead bird by the altar. He picked the bird up and put it in his mouth. Suddenly, many people around started murmuring. They were shocked. As eating animals was frowned upon in that place, people felt bad. They started leaving. Who wants to listen to such a corpse-eating so-called yogi. He must be a charlatan. As many people got up and started abusing the yogi, some started to leave too. The yogi took the bird out of his mouth. He blowed his breath on it. And The bird was alive again. It chirped beautifully. Then it jumped here and there. Did a little flying. Then went away towards the river. On seeing this, people started to bow down. The one who has the siddhi / power to give life to dead, is always big deal. And people asked for forgiveness. Now twice of the initial crowd gathered, to listen to the discourse. And the yogi said. This is what people are. You can make them go away with one act. You can bring twice as many with some other act. Even a small act like blowing breath. Don't worry about people's opinions. Don't let other's words define your day/life. Be wise. So much of your energy goes in what people said or what people will say. Reclaim your energy. Reclaim your life. Much love and peace to you [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 06:03 PM PST Is it good to meditate in a bath? Just a short meditation, i feel like i stop hearing the water and it's really satistfying when i stop meditating and start hearing the water again. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Jan 2021 02:11 AM PST I was masturbating the other day and when I nutted it it caused me to astral project! I fucked a peyote this morning tho. Someone explain [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 01 Jan 2021 01:50 PM PST Close your eyes and hold your hand out in front of you. Without a wisecrack response, how do you know your hand is still attached to your arm? Can you feel the aliveness of your hand? Keep with that feeling, inhabit your body. Some of your attention is within the aliveness of your body, your proprioception, it anchors you, it roots your--in the present moment. The rest of your attention is in your senses. The sights, sounds, smells. You invoke the entire universe with your awareness, without which it would just be atoms and molecules floating in space. Suffering is optional. Suffering implies a story, poor little me. Life can be overwhelming. At every turn, advertisements and celebrities show you what's missing from your life—what's keeping you from being entirely happy. If it is money that you want, you will never have enough. But it's not all bad news, for the answer to all of life's problems has been with you all along. To be completely engaged with what you're doing, right now, this is the secret to a truly fulfilling, truly satisfying life. Rather than calling it work, realize that it is play! Since your birth, there's only been one constant in your life; one thing, that has never changed. Consciousness, your awareness of the present moment. Never, has your life been not now, and nor will it ever become, not now. Are you perceiving the present moment as your enemy somehow, within? Life was never about the destination, it's always been nothing more than the journey itself. Worry instead, about one thing: being a better you than you were yesterday. There will always be others with more, or less. Instead of living in a constant state of lack, choose instead, a life of abundance. A life of gratitude, and humility. Meditation should be used as a tool to allow you to stay present more consistently. Throughout the day, I find it helpful to inhabit my body, this allows me to essentially meditate all day long. Inhabiting my body anchors me in the present moment, allowing me to remain aware of my thoughts, as to not get lost, following thoughts where they want me to go, like a dog chasing a scent. I can choose which thoughts I want to entertain and follow, I can play. But I do not let thoughts dictate my behavior. The problem is thoughts can create a lot of problems for a lot of people. Always thinking about the next thing, or what they have to do tomorrow, or something they said yesterday, maybe rehearsing a fictional debate with someone who isn't there, preparing yourself for an argument that will very likely never take place. Eventually thoughts can influence hormones, releasing adrenaline. Fight or flight, this response knocks out your prefrontal cortex, and your working memory. The result is someone reacting, acting on behalf of their lower primitive limbic system reptilian brain, kill or be killed. Differences in opinion can be interpreted as a real physical threat, even if it's just an idea that you may otherwise be able to rationally agree with. Life happens. It is important that you only focus on things that are in your control. Everything comes out of the present moment. Who are you? Who do you want to be? What are you doing about it? So many people have come and gone, do not fear death. Who says life is just a struggle to go on and on? Do not identify with anything, your thoughts, your life narrative, you are only your awareness, no one can take that from you, find peace with just existing. Meditation, inhabiting your body, allows you to dissociate, and make a choice not to suffer. The big bang exploded, energy condensed to a slow vibration as matter, our sun fed energy into our ball of dirt, the earth, and life peopled out of the earth, just as apples fruit out of a tree. All you ought to do is try your best to be a healthy cell in the universe. One decision at a time. Nothingness is really like the nothingness of space, which contains the whole universe. All the sun and the stars and the mountains, and rivers, and the good men and bad men, and the animals, and insects, and the whole bit. All are contained in void. So out of this void comes everything and You Are IT. Only you're pretending you're not. GO PLACIDLY amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass. Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. /end melodramatic spiritual rant There is Alan Watts, and Eckhart Tolle sprinkled in there. The second half is A poem written by Max Ehrmann in 1927. Called Desiderata. I'm not writing a paper so I don't care about plagiarism, some of the writing is mine, if you want to know where a bit came from, I can tell you. Wim Hof! Happy, Strong, and Healthy! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 02 Jan 2021 01:16 AM PST So I've been trying to get back to meditating after a 3 year break using guided meditation. And pretty much in every single guided meditation they tell you to "focus on your breath" or "observe your breath" something along those lines. My problem is that when I try to do that I suddenly forget how to breathe for some reason and experience like a mini panic attack and can't relax at all the rest of the session. This really puts me off of meditating which sucks because I really miss the feeling that meditation used to give me back when i used to meditate & i wanna get back into it. I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me how to overcome this!! // edit: spelling error meant to say "breath" [link] [comments] |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Meditation. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment