Meditation: Meditation pro |
- Meditation pro
- Life is simpler than the ego makes it.
- Be careful of meditation's ability to re-enforce beliefs.
- It goes the same everytime.
- Trouble sitting upright.
- Sleepy after meditation
- What to do about people disturbing (my sis)
- Can you care about your looks and be mindful ?
- Do I have to use a Guided Mindfulness Meditation to treat my Anxiety?
- In the orange garden is my fav album to listen to for meditation and deep sleep
- Falling asleep during meditation
- Can meditation improve self-esteem and confidence or is that more of an ego thing ?
- Meditation, attention, and pain perception research
- Why should we meditate everyday ?
- Growling chihuahuas around me in the darkness!
- Expensive
- Confused about how to meditate.
- I hate having to 'focus on my breath'. Do other alternatives give the same result?
- Just had my first meditation session
- Can meditation help avoid overly easily activated fight or flight?
- Beginner needs a little help here.
- I hit a plateau with my meditation practice. Suggestions and guidance needed.
- mindfulness approach to opening to “dangerous”/painful emotions?
- Can’t bring myself to meditate again
| Posted: 21 Jul 2021 10:46 PM PDT My son, who is 5 years old and has ADHD, meditated with me for the first time. It was a 30 minute guided meditation. This kid was so quiet and relaxed he fell asleep. I had to carry him to bed 2 hours early. [link] [comments] |
| Life is simpler than the ego makes it. Posted: 21 Jul 2021 02:36 AM PDT In any given moment, there are always 3 main things making up your experience. The first one is your immediate surroundings, which is basically things you can touch and feel right now. The second one is your feelings and emotions about whatever is going on in your surroundings. The third one is your thoughts about what's happening (present) or about what's going to happen (future) or what has happened already (past), and the thing with our thoughts is they dictate how we feel in the moment most of the time (if we believe them). Our surroundings are always neutral, they don't have any emotional impact on us generally because things are always as they are when you don't label them. It's only our thoughts about our surroundings and situation that make life seem complicated and hard. Personally, I've found that putting my full attention in the present moment helps me feel calm and at peace. I've also noticed that the three things I've mentioned (surroundings, feelings and thoughts) which make up our experience are always changing. Thoughts and emotions are always coming and going and things that happen in our surroundings also don't last forever. However, as all these things change, there's one thing which has always stayed the same regardless of the things going on around me, and that is my awareness of it all. I might feel happy, sad, angry or whatever but through out all those experiences, that awareness is always present and unchanged. I am always aware that I feel a certain way or that something is happening. This awareness is like the sky and my thoughts, emotions, surroundings and even situations are like clouds. I've noticed that this unchanging awareness I'm talking about is also the same thing as this moment, here and now. They are linked because whatever happens in the now comes and goes (like my thoughts and feelings) but it is always now, just like I'm always aware and I can only be aware now. A lot of different things happen and come and go in the now , but the now always stays the same. This simple realization has changed how I live daily because I now understand that the main purpose of my life is to just be that awareness. Thoughts and emotions come and go and I don't try to cling to them even if they are pleasant, I just remain as that awareness in the background. My aim is to just be present in the moment because life is always now, so I watch as it unfolds without judging what happens as good or bad, or even getting excited about any of it. [link] [comments] |
| Be careful of meditation's ability to re-enforce beliefs. Posted: 21 Jul 2021 03:28 PM PDT well, meditation in combination with dogma, doctrine, or complete lack of skepticism and rationality can re-enforce spiritual beliefs. a lot of people see buddhism as a kind of "mind science" and not a religion, but the reality is that buddhism is just as dogmatic and faith based as other religions. "Why I am not a buddhist" is a great book that touches on this subject much greater than I ever could in a reddit post, and more. (PM me if you need a pdf, or consult the /r/libgen sidebar) from the book:
I've had similar realizations, how is it possible that different people across different time periods and cultures have had such different/contradicting meditative experiences? Of course, the explanation is simple from a buddhist point of view - "without proper guidance from a (buddhist) teacher/"right view", meditation can lead to delusion" - extremely convenient logic. /s
but a more rational approach is simply to hypothesize that meditation re-enforces whatever your current (and potentially subconsious) beliefs about the supernatural are, and that the method you choose in order to interpret them will result in different ideas about the nature of reality. essentially, believing you have uncovered the true spiritual nature of reality, but basically eveyrone else on a similar path is "wrong" or "delusional" just because they don't fit your beliefs, then you are most likely delusional. if anyone has an argument as to how they could know they are not deluded, i'd love to hear it. so, what's the issue with this? nothing really, in practice. unless you're like me and you aren't concerned with what is comforting, but rather what is true. if you're like me in this regard, it's important to scrutinize your experiences and beliefs as much as possible, to be rational, and to reject dogma. without meaning to offend anyone, i think it's valuable to observe subreddits like /r/occult, /r/DimensionJumping, /r/psychonaut, to view how spiritual or religious beliefs can vary widely and seemingly contradict each other entirely. there are also many accounts on this subreddit alone of people having meditative experiences that would contradict not only a buddhist perspective, but many more religious or spiritual perspectives.
this is correct but only to an extent, claims about things like karma, rebirth, samsara, or anything supernatural (siddhis for example) are attempting to make a claim about reality, in the same way a scientist will claim the earth is round.
as long as they don't harm anyone, nothing. but in combination with dogma and fear mongering ("you're incredibly lucky to be rebirthed as a human, you ought to take advantage of it and practice the dhamma so as not to fall into the lower realms!") etc, it can definitely prompt a myriad of negative emotions, imagine thinking you have a moral obligation to abandon music when it has been a lifelong passion of yours, imagine being in an intense state of anxiety over the possibility of ending up in literal hell at some point in the future. and you can't just "quit" buddhism if you genuinely believe "kamma" and rebirth, because then not following the dhamma could potentially lead to a string of rebirths that could ultimately end in the hell realm. you'd still believe all of the things that buddha preached about samsara unless convinced otherwise. so, it isn't as simple as "stop being buddhist if it doesn't work out for you", but you ought to interrogate all of these concepts youreslf, and gain some context too if you wish. "Why I am not buddhist" contains a great amount of in-depth context to everything i've mentioned. agnosticism may be depressing and unsatisfactory to some, but at least you know there isn't a good reason to believe you could end up in hell at some point if you or your "future lives" manage to fuck up somehow. or that you ought to live your life according to some doctrine that causes dissatisfaction for many. *this is coming from someone who has had intense "spiritual" experiences and has spent years trying to find explanations for them, leading me down various spiritual or religious paths. i think it can hurt to think our experiences or our interpretations of them may have been some kind of delusion, and we can get attached because those experiences feel "realer than real". but i believe if you are rational enough you will end up knowing that you just.. don't know. and that's okay. [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2021 12:20 PM PDT
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| Posted: 21 Jul 2021 09:14 PM PDT So I'm somewhat new to meditation. I've been doing it on and off for a couple of years but as my anxiety grows, I feel more drawn to it. My problem is, I have an arched back. I'm in pretty good shape but my back is just a terrible shape. I'd probably blame it on my military background of carrying a heavy rucksack on my back everywhere. This causes me to slowly stoop to a slouched position the further into my meditation I get. Mostly out of discomfort. It takes a lot of effort for me to sit upright while I meditate and it really affects my mediation because by about 5 minutes in, I realize I'm in the shape of a question mark. It feels like I'm straining to stay straight up. Does anyone have any ideas on how to change that? [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2021 10:52 PM PDT I've been meditating for 30 minutes, to deal with anxiety and to improve concentration. Just concentrating on my breath. I've learned to stop counting and just breathe. It worked OK, at least to my understanding. But lately I get sleepy after meditation. I lean on an armchair or couch and just drop off. I wonder what is going on? I've seen a video about Zen monks meditating, and every now and then a senior monk picks one of of them and whacks his shoulder with a stick. I hope it won't come to that for me :) [link] [comments] |
| What to do about people disturbing (my sis) Posted: 21 Jul 2021 10:11 PM PDT Like, all other things I don't mind, people honking outside, birds singing or whatever. I'm not involved here. But people are something different when they come to my room. However, my parents enter the room, realize I meditate and just go out. My sis (14) comes in and gives a damn about it, talking (and I feel like she then talks even more) Opening the window, walk-in arround, and gives her best at being mildly disturbing... I, however, can't stop myself fromsmiling then, and sometimes burst out a single laught at the sheer audacity of her... However, this could only motivate her to go on... Btw, us there a way to completely shut my ears off? Similar to closing eyes. Just ignoring doesn't quite work here anymore... [link] [comments] |
| Can you care about your looks and be mindful ? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 01:14 PM PDT Let's say a man found a way to reduce his hair loss by massaging his scalp that otherwise would fall out. He develops a daily routine that involves more than 20 minutes. Is he practicing not letting go ? He is still attached to his hair, he is not letting go which is vital in buddhist principles. Thus he is strengthening his ego. You can use other examples other than looks. So what's so bad about wanting to look good ? I certainly feel bad when I personally invest time in something like this because I feel like I'm not supposed to care about something so superficial. I'm not letting go. [link] [comments] |
| Do I have to use a Guided Mindfulness Meditation to treat my Anxiety? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 07:46 PM PDT Hey guys, this is a long post and may come off a little ranty but I could really use your thoughts and advice on this. I started going to therapy a few months ago and my therapist recommended I start a regular mindfulness meditation practice by downloading Headspace and using a guided meditation. I do have experience with meditation in the past and I really enjoy it but it was mostly metaphysical (i.e., Astral projection, trauma healing or Chakra balancing) Sometimes I just sit in silence for about ten minutes, breathe, observe, let go of my thoughts, and try to release any tension that comes up in my body. Most recently I tried looking a candle for ten minutes to have a focal point and I felt better afterwards. Anyway, my therapist dismisses any meditation I do that is not a guided mindfulness meditation on an app. He says it's not going to help ease my anxiety and that I need the guide to "train my mind". He said it teaches you to observe your thoughts, accept them and let them go which I feel is exactly what I was doing focusing on a candle flame for 10 minutes, being present and deep breathing. I have tried multiple guided mindfulness meditations and I always end them halfway through because the voice becomes a distraction and I feel like I become more frustrated being told what to do, especially with body scanning. For me personally, I'd rather be alone in silence with myself and see what comes up naturally that I need to process and let go of. I also love meditating with crystals and focusing on the sensations in my hands which I also feel is a form of mindfulness. Again, my therapist tells me this is not a correct way to treat my anxiety (maybe because guided meditations are evidence based or something). What are your thoughts? Am I just being stubborn and do I need to give the guides a chance? If I don't need to use a guide, how can I articulate this without coming off as resisting treatment? I understand my therapist is the professional but I feel I have enough of a basic understanding of meditation to do it on my own. I do acknowledge there is a difference between mindfulness and spiritual meditations and I'm not trying to substitute mindfulness with metaphysical practices, I just really don't want to use a guide. Also, Headspace is a little pricey and if you guys have any other resources that seemed to help you, specifically for mindfulness meditation please leave them in the comments Thank you for taking the time to read my post if you made it all the way here. Even if it's not what I want to hear, I appreciate your input. [link] [comments] |
| In the orange garden is my fav album to listen to for meditation and deep sleep Posted: 21 Jul 2021 09:13 PM PDT My sleep and meditation has improved significantly after adding that background music. [link] [comments] |
| Falling asleep during meditation Posted: 21 Jul 2021 05:57 PM PDT Is falling asleep during meditation a bad thing or good thing? Why does it happen? [link] [comments] |
| Can meditation improve self-esteem and confidence or is that more of an ego thing ? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 10:12 AM PDT So I've been curious about this for a while , if meditation makes us calmer and allows us to observe our thoughts and even reduce anxiety can it also make us more confident ? or is confidence and high self-esteem a product of the ego and positive thoughts we may have about ourselves ? [link] [comments] |
| Meditation, attention, and pain perception research Posted: 21 Jul 2021 09:22 PM PDT Hi there! I am a PhD student at Monash University in Australia. We are looking for participants to complete an online questionnaire to help us investigate the interaction between meditation and attention functioning and how this might influence pain perception. We are looking for meditators to complete an online survey and 2 brief attention tasks. Your participation would be much appreciated and would help us better understand the effects of meditation. The survey requires the use of a laptop or PC. I've attached the survey link below which include more details: Survey Link: https://monash.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV\_9SOFkcolVRs9xVb [link] [comments] |
| Why should we meditate everyday ? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 06:48 PM PDT Hello I have been meditating everyday for almost two months now (yay!) I would like to know why do we meditate every day What happens if a day is missed? Or if let's say instead of meditating every day, meditating 4 times a week What would that change? Thank you! [link] [comments] |
| Growling chihuahuas around me in the darkness! Posted: 22 Jul 2021 01:53 AM PDT Today I imagined or realized some funny thing during meditation which become very helpful to feel great after meditation. Firstly I saw(imagined) I'm in the completely dark place and there are dogs growling around me(my fears in my life), so naturally I'm afraid that there are many dogs around me and they will harm me. But when I put light on (meditate,observe) them, I see they are just some little sweet chihuahuas :) and as we all know "growling" is their habit all the time and they actually don't harm :) So I don't need to afraid of them instead I just can be friend with them :) So I feel great after 15 minute meditation. Just wanted to share this :) Love to all ❤️ [link] [comments] |
| Posted: 21 Jul 2021 08:14 PM PDT Why is TM so expensive to learn formally? Are there options for people without means to learn. Thanks. [link] [comments] |
| Confused about how to meditate. Posted: 21 Jul 2021 12:08 PM PDT I've read guides that say to focus on your breathing and pretty much "be aware" instead of getting lost in thought. The thing is, I feel like I struggle to focus on my breathing properly. It feels like I just end up thinking about my breathing, or like really focus on me breathing in and out to where i'm not really present. Are there any tips and tricks to be sure im doing it right, how I should be staying present, and what that even feels like? [link] [comments] |
| I hate having to 'focus on my breath'. Do other alternatives give the same result? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 11:55 AM PDT I hate having to focus on my breath while mediating, I prefer just sitting still and doing nothing and observing my thoughts then letting them go. Whenever I try to 'focus on my breath', I start to feel like I'm not breathing enough, and then it kicks off a domino of thoughts which just makes everything more difficult. I have been trying to get better at this method for about two weeks and I still hate it. I know, I know that after a lot practice, I will get better at it, but the thing is, if just being mindful of thoughts without 'focusing on your breath' is enough, do I really need to learn it. Thank you in advance. [link] [comments] |
| Just had my first meditation session Posted: 21 Jul 2021 04:43 PM PDT I started for ten minutes which felt fine and I think tomorrow I could easily do 15. My mind was definitely racing all over the place but I just let every thought be a passing one. I will say that my mind was rarely quiet and upon my timer going off it kind of felt like I didn't even meditate. Is this normal for a first time? Any advice for a new meditator? [link] [comments] |
| Can meditation help avoid overly easily activated fight or flight? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 05:52 AM PDT Hello, basically as above - I go very easily into a fight or flight response (though for me, it's freeze) that is disproportionate to the situation and it's really damaging my confidence at work. Is meditation a good way to help almost re-set my body to avoid this/minimise it? If so, any particular tips that you could share and any other life style choices that also work well/compliment it? Thanks so much in advance and hope this is the right place to post! [link] [comments] |
| Beginner needs a little help here. Posted: 21 Jul 2021 02:21 PM PDT I'm tryin, everyday for about 15 min. I've read instruction in this sub, tons of videos on how to do it, yet can't find out the meaning of meditating!!! Jst focus on breath! How can this be beneficial? I jst can't experience those surprising secrets many claims they had! [link] [comments] |
| I hit a plateau with my meditation practice. Suggestions and guidance needed. Posted: 21 Jul 2021 09:04 AM PDT Practiced meditation on 60% days over the last 3 months. I am living my life better. And I have a better awareness (yet i have to admit that i am lagging behind in focus). I see these issues with my practice:
Please provide me pointers to these issues. [link] [comments] |
| mindfulness approach to opening to “dangerous”/painful emotions? Posted: 21 Jul 2021 04:03 PM PDT CW: this post is about complex trauma. i'll mention emotional/mental abuse and some of the ways i'm carrying this. i'm asking my question here because meditation and mindfulness have pretty much saved my life and fueled my healing so far, and i'm interested in focusing more on that aspect (mindfulness) than the clinical explanation. so.. i'm sorta here requesting some help or encouragement. i am in therapy. i'm noticing some things about myself. it's not that i have a lack of empathy (a major fear of mine), it's that i'm emotionally burnt out from fighting off my own difficult emotions for 10+ years. if i open myself to feel strong emotions for others, i'll have to feel for myself too. i don't feel safe feeling my emotions. i was told and shown growing up that i shouldn't feel how i feel, that my feelings are overreactions, that my emotions were cause for abandonment. as a result of this, i began to intellectualize my feelings and the behaviors of others. (yes, that's exactly what i'm doing right now. the irony isn't lost on me) aside from having my pain invalidated as an adolescent, i've taught MYSELF that my emotions aren't safe by engaging in reckless and dangerous behaviors like drugs, self harm, suicide attempts and entering emotionally volatile situations. i have a hard time trusting myself and trusting that my body is a safe place to be, because my.. self? mind? inner being? has associated emotional distress with physical injury. my heart is much healthier than it used to be, but as i get closer to this root pain i find bigger and stronger walls separating me from others. i'm defending my entire existence against a threat that no longer exists. i know that i need to let love in in order to heal, and i know that i want to let love out without worrying about being depleted. but the part of me that's surfacing comes from so deep down inside, and is so conditioned to believe that it's unworthy of love, that it doesn't feel safe to open. i'm at a point where i know that i need to just be with this feeling. good or bad, imminent death or liberation, resisting it isn't going to ease my suffering. it keeps coming back because it hasn't been processed and accepted, and it's at a point where it's causing me physical pain and holding me back from doing things that will better my quality of life. so my question is, is there a mindful approach to working through this kind of distrust and sadness? some practice to help rebuild a sense of presence and acceptance, or to clear out old pain from the heartspace? [link] [comments] |
| Can’t bring myself to meditate again Posted: 21 Jul 2021 08:10 AM PDT Sorry if this is a bit rambly, I just don't know where to put this. Last year I meditated every day and got really into Buddhism, Hinduism and Taoism when I was at an all time low and my mental health was just awful. All of that really saved my life, and even when I dipped in and out of those Philosophies and religions, I'd still meditate constantly to get my mind in check and calm it down. However, as I gradually got better and started antidepressants I haven't felt the need to do it. But I have days when my anxiety does get quite a lot (like today, for example, I've been working at a new primary school for the week as a cover teacher, and I can't shake the feeling that all the staff just hate me, despite a lot of them being lovely to me, there are some that just don't seem to want to talk to me even if I say hi.) so I get in today and I just feel like I want to cry. What upsets me is that last year, I stopped saying I hate myself, I learned to like myself and enjoyed life more. But now, I can feel the thoughts of 'I don't deserve to be loved and everyone hates me' coming back. I sat on my sofa and I told myself 'I should meditate' but then I thought to myself 'nah what's the point, I meditated all last year and I've just ended up feeling the same again now anyways'. Again, sorry for how personal this is, I just dunno what to do lol [link] [comments] |
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