Meditation: Weekly Discussion January 11, 2021 |
- Weekly Discussion January 11, 2021
- After months of struggling with meditation i'm finally starting to see benefits
- Dividing meditation into 3 stages helps a lot
- The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime (book summary)
- my first non-guided meditation that i tried to do myself
- 5 Signs You Are Falling Into The Trap of Spiritual Materialism
- A couple thoughts I had during my meditation about manifesting things into realty.
- Feeling that your mind gets too crowded with thoughts but you don't feel like sitting cross-legged to meditate? There are other ways to be mindful too.
- Question about accepting anxiety.
- My advice for those who want to meditate but can’t: Breathe.
- I have been doing meditation for over three years now and still notice my jaw tighten at times. Slightly curling my tongue up opens the jaw and releases the pressure.
- Do you use a cushion?
- Just experienced waves of pleasure causing me goosebumps. omg it felt so nice
- I can make English sound like gibberish
- Loss of ego while meditating?
- How to deal with a chattering mind?
- Meditation is like turning your multi core processor into an ARM processor for a little bit.
- Loving kindness through out the day?
- Had anyone vibrated from meditation?
- Meditation is unbearable for me
- Any tips on how to overcome this problem?
- Was this a breakthrough??
- Not identifying with thoughts = feeling empty? (help!)
- How to be able to sit crosslegged without hurting my back and legs?
| Weekly Discussion January 11, 2021 Posted: 11 Jan 2021 04:00 AM PST This is a reoccurring 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](https://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/wiki/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. [link] [comments] |
| After months of struggling with meditation i'm finally starting to see benefits Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:25 AM PST I've suffered from depression and anxiety for years, and last autumn i decided to try meditating since people always recommend it. I however found it EXTREMELY difficult and frustrating. It was very hard to just follow my breath and not control it and i usually ended up out of breath. I didn't know how i should exactly focus on my breath and i felt incapable of focusing on just one thing and was thinking of other things at the same time. I continued attempting to meditate every day but after every session i just felt annoyed and confused was i even doing this right. I felt even more anxious and over-thinking everything. And frustratingly despite what everyone says it didn't seem to become much easier. Because i'm stubborn i still continued doing it despite that it felt kind of unnatural and pointless. Then few weeks after starting my mental health got suddely much, much worse and became a full-blown existential crisis where i started to think life was evil, boring and meaningless and i felt suicidal. I didn't associate it with meditation back then, but now i think they were definitely related. I continued meditating even when i felt like shit because, again, i'm stubborn. I went through lots of moments of despair and momentarily relief during my weirdass crisis. I think in the long run it ended up having a positive effect because it made me realize i've been unhappy with almost every aspect of my life and am now making efforts to change it. Now lately i've started to slowly feel consistently better. I've noticed i'm becoming more mindful and it's easier for me concentrate and enjoy of things. Yesterday was a particularly good day, i was just relaxed and in good mood. In the past that's been rare for me because i tend to be very pessimistic, anxious and analytical person. On hindsight i think that even though i felt i was just bad at meditating, it was still working all this time in its own way and just brought out my fears and anxieties out in unpleasant but ultimately healing way. I wrote this mostly because i see many people talk about meditation/mindfullness like it's something you'll quickly feel better from - even if it's difficult you'll quickly learn and you may feel more peaceful already after the first session etc. (meditation app voice cheerfully telling me "you might already be noticing some positive effects!!" drove me crazy lol). But i think there are many people like me who don't seem to experience any positive effects (or even experience negative effects) for a long time and continue to find the practive awkward, and eventually give up thinking it's useless for them. If any of them happens to see this i just want to encourage them to keep practicing! Even if you don't notice it there is a lot of happening in you brain all the time and and it may take a while until you see results. A good thing in meditation is that you really can't do it wrong - as long as you are trying to do it you're meditating. In fact I still find it very hard and wonder am i really doing it right. But since i'm feeling much better and more mindful now i assume i probably am. Edit: Thank you all so much for your nice replies! I'm happy if this post helped someone else! [link] [comments] |
| Dividing meditation into 3 stages helps a lot Posted: 11 Jan 2021 02:56 PM PST Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
The easiest stage is 1 and 3. You use stage 2... imagination and affirmations to get to a place where you can be in the pure feeling. It takes the longest. Enter stage 2 when you are satisfied with the stillness and breathing. You are a Temple of God. Use meditation for a purpose you set forth within.. all that energy you build up that you feel.. must go somewhere so direct it. It is universal law. It will manifest and fast if you build up a great amount. Again this is law! Look at meditation as actual creation taking place within your Temple. This is who you are. Your consciousness matters. [link] [comments] |
| The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime (book summary) Posted: 11 Jan 2021 02:53 PM PST The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime This is a summary of the Six Dharma Gates practice, and the text written about it. I put this together to collect my own thoughts so I can revisit this in my own practice, but wanted to share my notes with others and recommend this ancient text for anyone interested in a detailed analysis of this 1500+ year old meditation technique. The Six Dharma Gates to the Sublime is an ancient meditation manual put together by the Chinese Tiantai meditation master and exegete, Sramana Zhiyi (Chih-I, 538-597 CE). The "Six Gates" is an even older Indian meditation practice that dates as far back as 200 BCE, where the same six components can be found in the same sequential order in the Abhidharma Vibhāṣā of Kātyāyaniputra. I have read the English translation by Bhikshu Dharmamitra, which was released in 2009 by the Kalavinka Press. The book teaches a six stage meditation practice, and goes into extensive detail about various ways of utilizing the methods and explaining how they relate to Buddhist doctrine. It's a short yet dense text, that references a lot of Buddhist terminology and literature, which require outside education to understand everything discussed (I kept a search engine open while reading to understand the many numbered lists reference, such as the 5 skhandas, 37 wings of enlightenment, 8 liberations, etc.) These were helpful in deepening my practice of the meditation and worth the added effort, but the core of the practice is actually quite simple. The "six dharma gates" are as follows: 1.) Counting 2.) Following 3.) Stabilization 4.) Contemplation 5.) Turning 6.) Purification The following are my explanations of how to practice the Six Dharma Gates, based on my understandings from the text and my experiences in putting them into practice. COUNTING (gaṇanā): Count the breath from one to ten; each cycle of inhale/exhale gets one count; repeat. If you lose track, start over at one. This first stage is a pretty basic meditation technique that helps to get your mind focused on the breath rather than wondering thoughts. Despite the simplicity though, it still serves as a gate into deeper practice, and Zhiyi expounds on this throughout the book. FOLLOWING (anugamaḥ): Let counting subside naturally, as it becomes a rote activity. Shift focus on following the sensations of the breath as it flows in and out, filling the lungs, engaging muscles around the rib cage, diaphragm and back, and changing in duration. Whereas 'counting' coarsely divided the breath into cycles and involved deliberate breathing; 'following' is a subtler act. You are not exerting special effort in manipulating the breath, but rather putting the mind on the breath with full attention to follow the breath's movements. You might note how some breaths are full/shallow, long/short, labored/free, etc., but classification is not as important as simply experiencing fully what happens as you breath naturally. Though one begins in perceiving the breath as an object, ultimately in 'following', the object (your breath) and the subject (you) are not clearly differentiated, and one should be attached neither to perception, nor to non-perception. STABILIZATION (sthānam): One fixes the mind and makes it still. Release the breath. Focus in stillness, bringing reflection and rumination to a halt. Body and mind will seem to disappear in the meditative absorption, and the distinction between inside and outside blurs. One embraces the mind as it remains continually unmoving. The feeling is quiescent, serene, and blissful. CONTEMPLATION (upalakṣaṇā): Following stabilization, you are now in a good position to use illuminating intelligence to focus on insight and analysis of your experience, or to consider Buddhist philosophy as it pertains to your direct experience. For example, if you are not just your scattered and flowing thoughts, nor the air that you breath, nor the food that you eat, nor the things that you own, nor the blood pumping through your veins, nor the skeleton propping you up, nor a fixed set of neurons firing in your brain, then what exactly are you and what is your mind? In Zhiyi's words, "The dharmas of the body, feeling, and the mind are devoid of any inherently existent nature." If perceptions are illusory, if subject/object are not actually split, if there is no self, then what does your meditative absorption depend on? Can you experience the four states of mindfulness (body, experiences, consciousness, dhammas)? Can you realize the four inverted views (impermanence as permanent, suffering as happiness, no self as self, impure as pure)? TURNING (vivartanā): In 'turning' you recognize that all of the intellection that is part of 'contemplation' also arises from mind and all of your confusion about it arises from mind. Release from the grip of these thoughts and "turn the light around" to your own mind. Contemplate the very mind that is doing the contemplating. You look out into the "objective sphere" of reality and see what your eye can see and hear what your eye can hear, so all the perceptions, thoughts, and sensations are all just in your head; they are not what is real. And yet, that head of yours is an object inside that supposed "objective sphere" as well, so the only things you could ever have possibly considered to be real are your perceptions, thoughts, and sensations. Is everything you are aware of real, or is everything you are aware of not real? You don't need to figure this out in an intellectual way, but stay right in the midst of your curiosity, wonder, and confusion. As Zhiyi says, "If there is no contemplative mind, how could there be an objective sphere which serves as the object of contemplation? The perishing of both the objective sphere and the faculty of knowing is the essential factor in turning back to the source." PURIFICATION (pariśuddhiḥ): In the first three dharma gates, you begin with verbal 'counting' of the breath before the primarily nonverbal 'following' of the breath, and arrive at 'stabilization'. In the last three dharma gates, you begin with verbal 'contemplation' of the mind before the primarily nonverbal 'turning' the light of mind around on itself before arriving at 'purification'. In purification, you put false thinking to rest; you do not get swept away in mental discriminations between this and that; and you do not grasp at a self. You don't even apprehend a distinction between pure and impure; this is how you conform to fundamental purity. You are not driven by the urges of your emotions and sensory desires, not swayed by the appearances of matter and forms, and not attached to abiding in the emptiness and nonduality of the formless (i.e. The Three Realms). Directly experiencing this Samadhi (concentration), the mind remains free of any dependence on anything whatsoever. The second chapter of the book is where it is explained how each of these Six Dharma Gates is cultivated and realized. Every other chapter explores the Six Gates in a different way. In the first chapter, each gate is related to a different meditation practice (i.e. "Dhyana Absorption"). For example, the 'Stabilization' Gate is related to another practice called "The 5 Wheels Dhyanas." Chapter 2 discusses the value of practicing the Six Gates in sequential order, but Chapter 3 goes on to suggest that after you have been through the sequence, you can focus on what is most suitable to your own practice, and provides guidance on how to decide what is suitable based on different kinds of experiences. For example, it highlights that if you find your mind becomes easily scattered, darkened, or obstructed in one of the gates, then perhaps it is better to focus on a different one for some time. Chapter 4 discusses how each of the Dharma Gates can be used to counteract various kinds of inward or outward obstacles that block the way towards realization of the Path. For example, it discusses how the Dharma Gates can be used to counteract what Buddhists call the Three Poisons: Greed, Hate, and Delusive Ignorance. It also discusses how strengths of specific Dharma Gates for counteracting things like scattered thoughts, uncontrolled ideation, dullness, drowsiness, restlessness, or rumination. Chapter 5 discusses how each of the Dharma gates relates to every other Dharma gate. They are mutually inclusive. For example, 'counting' the breath cannot be done without some element of 'following' the movement of the breath, nor can counting be done without 'stabilizing' the mind enough to focus just on counting. Recognizing the interdependent relations of all six Dharma Gates helps to enhance the depth of each one when practiced, and makes it easier to flow between them with practice. Chapter 6 discusses how the Dharma Gates are appropriate to different people in different ways. It relates how the Gates are understood and experienced differently by deviant practitioners, non-Buddhists, Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas. The Sravakas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Bodhisattvas are often called "The Three Vehicles" and represent different paths to awakening. A deviant practitioner is defined here as someone who practices meditation only for its pleasant effects. The non-Buddhist is typically someone who is very sharp, but still gets stuck in trying to intellectually understand the experience. Sravakas are orthodox Buddhist disciples not yet enlightened, and Zhiyi provides direction for them on how to employ the Dharma Gates to each of the Four Noble Truths (Suffering, Accumulation, Cessation, The Path). Pratyekabuddhas are considered as "awakened through conditions" and Zhiyi explains how counting the breath can be understood as belonging to the 12-Linked Chain of Causation, and then to become unattached to the breath and awaken through contemplation of the conditions of causation. Chapter 7 focuses on the Bodhisattvas, who can use the Six Dharma gates in the "reversed orientation" to move from an awakened experience back to helping other sentient beings; to move from contemplation of emptiness back to contemplation of the conventional. It addresses some of the paradoxes of the Bodhisattva vows, such as how one views beings as ultimately empty of inherent existence, yet still wishes to help these beings to awaken. Zhiyi provides interesting discussion about how Buddhist doctrine and ethics relates to the meditative practice of the Six Gates, in a way that brings the teachings into something to be experienced and cultivated in meditation. Chapter 8 discusses how all of the Six Dharma Gates can be condensed into "Contemplating Mind". Zhiyi highlights that all of the various dharmas arise from Mind. This predates "Bodhidharma's Treatise on the Contemplation of Mind" (which was translated to English by J.C. Cleary in his book Zen Dawn) which, during the origins of Zen, condenses all of the vehicles of Buddhism into one vehicle: Mind. It is interesting to see this central tenet of Zen found in a text before Zen begins in history. Chapter 9 is where Zhiyi discusses the idea of "perfect contemplation" wherein when one dharma is contemplated, yet all dharmas and manifestations of mind are perceived. Chapter 10 discusses how the Six Gates pertain to realization, and how to recognize the signs of realization. He discusses realization occurring through sequential practice, interrelated practice, reverse-oriented practice, and ultimately settles on the possibility for perfect-and-sudden realization. This was interesting to read in such an early text as it predates the later intense debates about gradual versus sudden enlightenment, which later became a central feature of Zen when the sixth Zen patriarch, Huineng developed "The Sudden Enlightenment School" of Southern Chan (Zen). Zhiyi also provides doctrinal support for the Six Dharma Gates by relating them to a variety of sutras, such as the Flower Ornament Sutra, the Lotus Sutra, the Nirvana Sutra, etc. In summary, this was an interesting book to read because it demonstrates how meditation was practiced over 1500 years ago, which has a few similarities to how people commonly practice meditation in modern times, yet also has important differences in that this was done in the context of a larger understanding of Buddhist philosophy and the relation of these practice to a variety of sutras. Of course, this kind of practice also happens in modern times, but is less common because of a lack of familiarity with the old texts and different cultural, historical, religious, and philosophical contexts. This book is good for the type of person who wants to understand meditation in more detail, and as it pertains to realization as understood from a more ancient Buddhist view, particularly as expressed in 5th Century China. [link] [comments] |
| my first non-guided meditation that i tried to do myself Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:23 PM PST i just meditated without a guided meditation for the first time, and it went pretty well. i started with deep breaths, and then tried to listen and identify all the sounds i could hear. after, i did a slow body scan from my head to my toes, and then returned to focusing on my breath, counting ten breaths. then i did another sort of body scan where i pretended there was a warm ball of light floating above me, and it moved from my head down to my toes. i counted another ten breaths and then wiggled my fingers and toes. then i thought these affirmations: "you are not your anxiety. you are not your depression. you have the power to release those things. your soul is not intertwined with your thoughts. your thoughts are temporary. it may not feel easy to let go of the difficult thoughts, but find comfort in knowing that you can and that you will. you will become better at it with time." [link] [comments] |
| 5 Signs You Are Falling Into The Trap of Spiritual Materialism Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:54 PM PST 5 Signs You Are Falling Into The Trap of Spiritual Materialism https://victorsagar.medium.com/5-signs-you-are-falling-into-the-trap-of-spiritual-materialism-6dc93e295929 [link] [comments] |
| A couple thoughts I had during my meditation about manifesting things into realty. Posted: 11 Jan 2021 06:49 PM PST I've always thought the idea of manifesting realty to be a bunch of "woo woo". But I've had a few meditations where I've thought of this idea consciously and feel like I understand it from a different perspective. I still think the mainstream idea of manifesting realty to be over exaggerated and correlates to ideas that have no base in physical realty. I believe this idea that the universe puts things together for you as long as you believe it to be overly simplistic in a spiritual manner. I think the manifesting process is actually very psychological. I believe it all has to due with setting psychological intentions with what you want. By setting a strong intention (focusing on what you are wanting and remembering to come back to that desire it quickly) you put yourself into a mental state of looking for opportunities for the thing you want to manifest. For example; a couple months ago I really wanted to move out of my apartment and find a house with a set few things that I wanted. I set a strong intention to do that and by doing so, I started instantly searching for opportunities to find somewhere like that with any free time I had. I ended up finding the exact place I wanted with everything I needed and envisioned. It was awesome and it made me realize that the manifestation process is actually really practical. It all just comes down to setting intentions you want and then putting yourself into a state where you are looking for that constantly. By doing that you also notice a huge amount of opportunities to get what you want that you might not have noticed since you didn't have an intention to look for them. Now the idea that setting an intention allows the universe to open those opportunities to you is debatable. They might just always be there because the world is HUGE and there are always moving pieces with realty. Anyways I just wanted to share this. I don't post on Reddit much anymore, but I feel the desire to post more insights I get from my meditations. I'm also completely open to my ideas being wrong, but they are just interesting to think about and experiment with in real life 😀 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Jan 2021 01:21 AM PST For example, you can: - type while paying attention to the movement of your fingers, how does it feel when the tips of your fingers touch the keyboard keys - exercise while paying attention to your body, how your muscle moves, whether there's any soreness/stiffness, how the sweat feels running on your skin, how tired/excited this exercise makes you feel - listen to music while paying attention to the vocal, the instruments, the vibe, how happy/sad/calm/excited it makes you feel - eat while paying total attention to the taste and the texture of your food, how each specific ingredients taste, how do they taste mixed together, how well does it smell, whether it tastes anything different from what you've eaten previously Overall, mindfulness isn't something that's supposed to be boring and it's supposed to enrich your experience and make you learn to appreciate even the mundane stuff. Having too many things in your mind might get overwhelming and a sitting meditation might not be for everyone. So, just learn to focus your attention on the normal things that you do, and eventually, your mind will be able to clear up on its own. Just get used to paying attention to your senses and your feelings in your everyday activities. [link] [comments] |
| Question about accepting anxiety. Posted: 11 Jan 2021 10:53 PM PST Almost 3 weeks ago I had a bad anxiety attack. The terror was unbearable and I basically felt that I was all alone, I mean completely alone as in the only person in existence, and that that feeling was infinite. After this I felt depersonalization for about a week. Then I had another attack just like the first 5 days ago. I had an Ativan but even that didn't help until I stopped thinking about the thoughts. I was just wondering if I'm doing this correctly? So these anxious thoughts pulse constantly all day since the first attack. Now when I get that Oh no dread/ this feeling will last forever I don't get worked up about it. I feel like it would be like having a spider crawling on my arm (I have arachnophobia) and even though I'm terrified I don't freak out and swipe it off. Is this the right way to go about it? Also, I feel like since that first attack I lost some part of myself. I don't know if it's because I constantly feel these anxious thoughts or what. That first attack I honestly felt out of control and that I could have killed myself just to get away from the thoughts. I'm saying that because in that attack I had the thought that "If the hospital couldn't help me then what? It will never end". I'm just wondering if this feeling of having lost myself is due to the trauma of that experience. The first attack also made me nervous about not saying goodnight to my dad. I have this REALLY heightened fear of losing him now which actually caused the second anxiety attack.. I'm wondering how long this will keep up? weeks? months? If I continue to keep accepting this terror every 4 minutes will it eventually subside or will I continually have to keep Consciously preventing my self from getting worked up about it? I know anxious thoughts will not go away but I'm talking like before I had this attack where these thoughts weren't hitting me in waves all day. Am I right in believing that this feeling of having lost myself/depersonalization is because these anxious thoughts are at the forefront of my mind all day? [link] [comments] |
| My advice for those who want to meditate but can’t: Breathe. Posted: 11 Jan 2021 09:32 PM PST Lie down and breathe. Breathe in deep for hours. Teach yourself how to breathe, starting with deep breaths, then come back to your practice. This comes from a meditator who just learned why he couldn't meditate. He wasn't aware of his breath. This is my advice. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:04 PM PST This habit of tightening the jaw and mouth happens throughout the day for me too. This method is what I use primarily with meditation. Just remember to relax the tongue and rest it on the upper gums where it feels most comfortable. Be well everyone. 🙏🏼 [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2021 08:43 PM PST My back has been in pain when I sit on my bed or on the ground. I'm wondering if a meditation cushion will help -- do any of you use one? Can you recommend one to me if so? Thanks :) [link] [comments] |
| Just experienced waves of pleasure causing me goosebumps. omg it felt so nice Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:53 AM PST Not sure what it was but meditation felt really good today. Started feeling this nice sensation in my legs, and I could almost feel it move left and right back and forth. Then I moved it up my back. It felt so good it caused me goosebumps. I love meditation. [link] [comments] |
| I can make English sound like gibberish Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:54 PM PST Now, let me preface by saying I am not trying to brag nor do I gain anything out of doing this. I just thought this was really cool and was wondering if anyone else can do this. I've been meditating for a few months now and it has changed my life for the better. It's like even in day to day activities, the moment I close my eyes, I can enter into a meditative state. Now when I do this, within seconds, whenever someone speaks to me, it becomes incomprehensible. It really sounds like gibberish, foreign and I can't make out any of the words. I just thought this was really cool and if anyone else shares the same experience. Thanks! [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 11 Jan 2021 03:37 PM PST So I've just finsihed a 20 minute session. It started off like normal, just focusing on the breath and bringing back my focus whenever I noticed the mind wandering. At around 15 minutes in I suddenly felt like I had lost all bodily sensation, there was no me, I just was. It was as if time was non existent and I was in this state of just being, no ego or attachment to any thoughts or feelings. This only lasted for a brief moment, but I found fascinating so thought I'd share. Would love to know if anyone else has had any similar experiences? [link] [comments] |
| How to deal with a chattering mind? Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:09 AM PST Many days, when I wake up in the morning, it's as though my mind is an internet browser that was improperly shut down with 20 different tabs open. Even though I had slept well that night, I fail to start off my day the way I want. My pursuits of meditating and visualizing my goals for the day and course of action, in general, are hindered by endless chatter, imaginative comforting scenarios, and just an overall lack of focus. Have any of you faced such an issue? What should I do? [link] [comments] |
| Meditation is like turning your multi core processor into an ARM processor for a little bit. Posted: 12 Jan 2021 01:55 AM PST Just thought this during my last mediation. What's your perspective? [link] [comments] |
| Loving kindness through out the day? Posted: 12 Jan 2021 01:51 AM PST Hi. Hope this is allowed here. Does anyone practice loving kindness through out the day? Or have resources to read about it? I wonder how it looks, maybe reciting phrases as you go about your day? Thanks [link] [comments] |
| Had anyone vibrated from meditation? Posted: 11 Jan 2021 03:34 PM PST |
| Meditation is unbearable for me Posted: 12 Jan 2021 01:08 AM PST When I sit down to meditate and start letting my feelings come out, I become soo anxious, irritated and very soon very tired, to the point of depression. I've been at this point few times in my life already, where I fix my habits, diet and all that, but as soon as I begin to dive into the inner world, I get crushed, those feelings keep on surface throughout the day and I quit most things. Just read some books and work of neuroscientists, and, of course, the mindfulness and face-it are the first things to do for healing. I fully accept that now, and from now on, no running away. I'm just looking for some tips or experiences how to proceed further, and make my meditation smoother.. [link] [comments] |
| Any tips on how to overcome this problem? Posted: 11 Jan 2021 02:33 PM PST I'm pretty sure I have OCD because I always get intrusive thoughts saying I'm selfish for doing something that's not selfish. So I started meditating. I focus on my breath and when I get an intrusive thought I acknowledge it and don't react. However, even though I am comfortable and relaxed, I'm still on the edge with this tiny voice telling me I'm a horrible person for meditating. This prevents me from reaching a completely calm state. Do I just need to meditate for longer? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 12 Jan 2021 12:02 AM PST I have been aware of meditation for a while now and have played about with it (breathing exercises here and there) but not really committed! I stuck to the 7 Days of Calm and have started the 21 Days of Calm now and have been pretty consistent. Yesterday I noticed myself being quite scatty (couldn't focus on my task, bit wired) and I decided to do 4x4 box breathing, and after a few rounds was able to observe how noisy my brain was and how heavy my chest felt and just cried. Never felt that overwhelmed before but also cried with relief because I feel I've finally been able to just witness what I've been trying to figure out for so long! My thoughts weren't negative, just a lot of them! Wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences and would like to share? :) [link] [comments] |
| Not identifying with thoughts = feeling empty? (help!) Posted: 11 Jan 2021 11:48 PM PST I need help. So basically the past couple of days I've been trying not to identify with my thoughts & feelings and I think I'm doing pretty good. I understand the concept and I'm able to aknowledge thoughts and let them pass. I'm more at peace and don't feel as anxious. However, I also feel empty as I'm letting all thoughts, emotions & feelings just pass (good and bad). So I guess my question is it bad to focus and identify with positive thoughts & feelings? In the past i've listened to I AM positive affirmations but am I not supposed to do this? This really confuses me and I've been trying to google this but no success. Might be a stupid question, but I'm a beginner so forgive me. I would really appreciate the help! [link] [comments] |
| How to be able to sit crosslegged without hurting my back and legs? Posted: 11 Jan 2021 03:00 PM PST I have very poor flexibility, how can I be able to sit crosslegged with the back straight? I like to meditate on a chair but I also wanted to be able to do it crosslegged. My back can't seem to get straight without being uncomfortable for more than some seconds. Thanks [link] [comments] |
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