Meditation - Catch all

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I recently picked up meditation a few weeks ago. I went with a guided meditation app (details below) for meditation that lasted about ten minutes. While I'm still hit-and-miss on some days, and my consistency on when to do it is all over the place, I'm finding it really beneficial to my overall sense of well-being in life. I wanted a place to collaborate on meditation resources, share experiences, ask for advice, and just generally discuss meditation.

I'm still very new, but right now meditation is basically a time to sit in silence, explore how I'm feeling, and calm my inner rush. What I also see, however, is a whole lot of depth on the horizon, explorations and experiences that will come with continued practice. At least, that's what I think meditation is/will be for me.

So, if you meditate, want to try it out or pick it up regularly, come on in. Certis-- I hope you come share. I'd love to hear how you got to 30 minutes a day because that sounds so great to me right now, but also kind of daunting!

I began sort-of meditating with Ananda, a white-noise app with binaural beats as part of the background noise. It was a great relaxation tool, helped me get to sleep faster than ever in my life, but really didn't hit the meditation spot.

Next, I went with guided meditations from Headspace. The app included ten 10-minute guided meditations then a whole bunch more unlocked with a subscription. I haven't subscribed, but those ten initial meditations are what convinced me that this practice will become an integral part of my life from here on out. I love the voice, and really appreciated the amount of silence built in to the meditations. It was just enough quiet before the reminder to return if you've latched onto any particular thought. Headspace is by far my favorite so far, but the subscription has put me off for now.

I also sought out Meditation Studio for a modest initial cost, but no recurring fee. It contains a large variety of voices, styles, lengths, and purposes with its meditations, though they seem to have far less dead air time than Headspace, which I'm not liking nearly as much. It was only by comparison that I realized how comfortable Headspace was with quiet. Meditation Studio has a great set of starter courses, and some really nice, short guided meditations that I have enjoyed and been using as my go-to for a couple weeks now.

Recently, I picked up Insight Timer. It's got a huge community (I even started a Goodjers who Meditate group if anyone wants to join) and will show a map of the locations of people meditating at that moment. I've not gotten too far into the meditations it offers, but the pair I've tried were nice. One was purely music-- I used it as an introductory relaxation to my regular meditation today.

I've only linked websites here, but I've been using iOS apps for each of these. I figure the websites will link to all the app stores directly instead of me trying to hunt down which are iOS and which are Android.

I have been a practicing Zen Buddhist for about 5 years now, and regularly meditate. I try to get in half an hour a day but life being what it is I miss sometimes. Still my time on the cushion is important to me.

Fun books I would recommend

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story
* Hyperbolic title but it is a good recounting of how Dan Harris started mediating and the completely non-religious benefits he gets from it.

If you want to watch the panic attack that pushed him into trying meditation it is on Youtube

Sit Down and Shut Up: Punk Rock Commentaries on Buddha, God, Truth, Sex, Death, and Dogen's Treasury of the Right Dharma Eye
*Love Brad Warner. Great fun read about Zen.

Fun!

I started mediating when I was about 14 and took a half-decade hiatus in my mid/late 20's. Those were some rough years, I got really mired in my neurosis, but it was also helpful if only for the contrast!

30+ minutes is probably my average, but I've certainly done shorter/longer depending on how busy I am. I've actually been getting up 45 minutes earlier than usual just to make sure I have a good chunk of time every morning for the past few months and it's been really beneficial. It's like starting the day standing on firm ground.

I don't have much input on apps since I didn't have that kind of stuff available when I was starting out, but if it helps you get into the practice then I'd say it's all good.

I'd love to hear how you got to 30 minutes a day because that sounds so great to me right now, but also kind of daunting!

It's basically like pushups. If you've never done them before then expecting to start and immediately do 100 is pretty unrealistic. It just takes time and patience. There's no rush and you're already seeing some benefit where you're at. I'd say once you feel comfortable in your current practice and have a few "oh wow, 10 minutes already?!" moments it's time to push ahead. Be just outside your comfort zone and you'll grow steadily.

For anyone looking to start, I think 10 minutes is the minimum. It usually takes at least 5 minutes before I feel like I've waded through all the usual thought storms and settle into a flow.

I could go on forever, but if anyone has questions feel free to ask. I find the practice very juicy, interesting and enlivening.

Thanks for starting the thread Anti. As you know, I have been wanting to start meditating myself, but the combination of life, a fear that I am "doing it wrong" and an overactive brain have hampered my efforts. I can totally see where this kind of thing will help, and I have the Insight Timer app already, so I will look for the group.

I will be checking this thread on the regular for assistance, as it appears that we already have two medi-pros here!

If you find you are a chest breather, the effects of meditation can be profound but harder to start. Lying down on your back will help you get started breathing from your diaphragm. You can bend your knees if it is to uncomfortable lying flat on your back. A yoga mat will be more comfortable but after practice will become unnecessary to relax or be comfortable. As with massage, get up slowly when your meditation is up. The easiest thing to do is roll over onto your side, again slowly, and then sit and then stand.

I am curious about music because music tends to influence my mood and the goal is to be as neutral as possible. But when I have meditated, I had my acting mentor/teacher's soothing voice quieting the class.

The one thing I like about not having music is that you really get a sense of how bombarded we are by background noise. You can isolate it, become more and more aware of it and it sort of becomes an anchor, marking how far neutral you are.

Damn it has been a long time. I need to get back to it. You would be surprise how much even 10 minutes can effect you.

edit: oh and it can help to have a partner or group if only to try to reach out to once you are calm. You can look at them and let your eyes blur so that you can take in their breathing and calm state. Note that it is really hard to get comfortable looking at someone directly and not feel self conscious. But that is something that can be learned and best done under the reassurance of a guide.

10 minutes is what I've been doing. I can see how that would be a good minimum-- those first several minutes are just all over the place.

I'll check out 10% Happier. It's been on my kindle and audible recommended list so many times, but I kept blowing it off because of the exaggerated title. But I'll give it a go with my next audible credit.

Abu5217 wrote:

a fear that I am "doing it wrong"

I totally get the fear of "doing it wrong". That was me forever and ever, plus overly skeptical about the whole thing. I'd recommend doing the ten free meditations in Headspace. He really emphasizes that there really isn't a "wrong" as long as you're "doing".

Certis wrote:

It's basically like pushups. ... It just takes time and patience.

Yeah, I totally get that. It's very much a skill like anything else. I find 10 minutes to be a good amount, an amount I can more easily fit into my schedule or at least take a break to accomplish. Thirty minutes will definitely take some planning and dedication, and I know I'm just not quite there yet. Getting up early hasn't worked out yet, so I've been slotting it in during the day. My ideal is to wake up before the family and have that time to myself. Eventually.

So, those of you already meditating, if you're not using some kind of recorded guided meditation, what do you do to get you into that space? Do you just have some memorized routines? Or is it just having done it so many times that it's just a natural part of the whole experience?

The simplest meditation instruction is also the most useful for me. I just sit and watch my natural breath. When I realize I've gone off on some thought tangent I just gently go back to the breath. The remembering to go back is a very important moment. I take some joy in that rather than beat myself up for forgetting.

Sometimes, as I'm breathing normally (not exaggerated or rushing) I'll just think "in" with the in breath and "out" with the out breath. You can do that practice alone for months, really.

I've done long stints of loving kindness meditation at times, or mantra. I try to stick to one method at a time for a while rather than bounce around too much.

When you're starting (or it's been a while) it can feel like you're stuck in this endless river of thought. Sometimes it feels like pushing through a dense forest with branches smacking your head and flies buzzing around your ears. Just being patient and letting it do its work is really the only advice that matters. It'll get "easier" to settle in and eventually it feels like coming home.

Antichulius wrote:

So, those of you already meditating, if you're not using some kind of recorded guided meditation, what do you do to get you into that space? Do you just have some memorized routines? Or is it just having done it so many times that it's just a natural part of the whole experience?

All of my routines have been completely screwed up for months now, but on the occasions when I do manage to meditate, I use a timer on my iPod. It starts with a Tibetan singing bell sound and then there is complete silence while the timer counts down and then at the end, it rings the bell again. I set the timer anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour. I've also gone to the YouTube channel for the Buddhist Society of Western Australia and used some of the guided meditations they have posted there for a change of pace, though these are mostly silent as well. I also like some of the yoga meditation I have on DVD.

It sounds like you are very much on the right track starting with 10 minutes at a time. I don't know that there's a way of "doing it wrong" unless you're trying to stick to a particular tradition.

A timely thread.

My wife and I have been looking for something to do together. It had to be non physical and non-competitive, and so we settled on taking a mediation class together. We start tonight.

At least now I have some idea on what to expect.

Certis wrote:

It'll get "easier" to settle in and eventually it feels like coming home.

Amen to that. I have that exact sentiment whenever I dive back into meditation. It is like shedding a skin of stress/tension/noise/distraction/confusion.
Sometimes it helps to focus on a visual. There are two that I use:
1. Watching drops slowly drip off the side of a large ice cube - the key is scale and speed (the drops tiny compared to the ice and the glacial pacing of the drop through the bumps and crevices)
2. Gently drifting/inching away from a barrel sized rock or island in the middle of a lake or ocean where the water expands farther than the eye can see

edit - Also some days are going to be more difficult than others. Don't fret if one day/time you find it extremely hard to focus. Don't beat yourself up. Allow the meditation to work as much as it can and keep getting better at it.

bekkilyn wrote:

It sounds like you are very much on the right track starting with 10 minutes at a time. I don't know that there's a way of "doing it wrong" unless you're trying to stick to a particular tradition.

The "doing it wrong" bit is where I feel that no matter how I try, I can't effectively clear my mind. Outside thoughts are always coming in. I am sure that this is primarily because I have only tried meditation like 4 times, but I want to be the uber-chill NOW!!!! (Yeah, I know)

Certis wrote:

When you're starting (or it's been a while) it can feel like you're stuck in this endless river of thought. Sometimes it feels like pushing through a dense forest with branches smacking your head and flies buzzing around your ears. Just being patient and letting it do its work is really the only advice that matters. It'll get "easier" to settle in and eventually it feels like coming home.

As far as I can tell my mind is like a child with ADHD running around a toy store with a 2 liter of Mt. Dew. Or that dog from UP - Squirrel!

Until about 39 minutes into a 40 minute zazen. Then it is like you said coming home....and then it is over Dammit!

And somehow my brain knows (the jerk)! If I am sitting 15 minutes it settles after 14:30...if it is an hour it waits until 58 minutes.

Abu5217 wrote:
bekkilyn wrote:

It sounds like you are very much on the right track starting with 10 minutes at a time. I don't know that there's a way of "doing it wrong" unless you're trying to stick to a particular tradition.

The "doing it wrong" bit is where I feel that no matter how I try, I can't effectively clear my mind. Outside thoughts are always coming in. I am sure that this is primarily because I have only tried meditation like 4 times, but I want to be the uber-chill NOW!!!! (Yeah, I know)

Well you don't really need to "clear your mind" per se. Just let your thoughts come and go. Don't try to block them. Recognize that they are there, but don't dwell on them or pursue them. Let them go. Struggling to clear your mind is counterproductive.

bekkilyn wrote:

Well you don't really need to "clear your mind" per se. Just let your thoughts come and go. Don't try to block them. Recognize that they are there, but don't dwell on them or pursue them. Let them go. Struggling to clear your mind is counterproductive.

See, I was doing it wrong!

Thanks!

One thing I read that helped me not be worried -

It isn't an empty mind. It is an emptying mind. Over time the thoughts get fewer, and the desire to follow them gets less but they never go away.

Abu5217 wrote:
bekkilyn wrote:

Well you don't really need to "clear your mind" per se. Just let your thoughts come and go. Don't try to block them. Recognize that they are there, but don't dwell on them or pursue them. Let them go. Struggling to clear your mind is counterproductive.

See, I was doing it wrong!

Thanks!

LOL

Not so much wrong...just beginning!

I too am a regular meditator—although I'm coming off a 3-week vacation and getting back into a routine has been challenging.

I recently switched from sitting on a cushion (a zafu) to using a meditation bench, and it has made a world of difference for me. I often experienced discomfort on the zafu, even sitting Burmese style (one leg in front of the other). I'd get some ankle and knee pain occasionally, and pins & needles in my feet. So, I guess my advice to people just starting out is to find the posture that works best for you—as with all things meditation, there's no wrong way. You can sit on a cushion, on a bench, even on a chair.

I also use the Insight Timer app—I'll look for the GWJ group, Antichulius.

Also, I highly recommend Gil Fronsdal's Audio Dharma talks if you're looking to supplement your meditation with some instruction and talks. He's one of two main teachers at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, CA, and all of his talks are available online. Several times each year he teaches a multi-week Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation course that is great for beginners. It walks through basic instructions, mindfulness of breath, mindfulness of body, mindfulness of thinking, etc. If you scroll back through the list of talks at the link above, you can find week 1 of his most recent course. Again, highly recommended for those just starting out.

Thanks B Dog. I love to have stuff to listen to while I take the dog for a walk and the Audio Dharma stuff looks perfect.

I'll second the meditation bench! And they are really easy to make if you can't find one, also.
Instructables Link or a Super sweet folding version!

farley3k wrote:

It isn't an empty mind. It is an emptying mind. Over time the thoughts get fewer, and the desire to follow them gets less but they never go away.

I don't know if this follows any formal meditation teaching but I have learned/discovered it is about awareness too. Awareness sort of lets the momentum of the thought carry it past you. You acknowledge the thought and let it pass rather than feed it, enabling it, drawing it to you and helping it stick around and distract.

Playing on the idea of awareness, one approach for handling an active brain during meditation that I really like is "mental noting." As you find your brain swimming with thoughts gently label what you are doing: "thinking," "planning," "fantasizing," "remembering," etc.

It can very helpful, giving you some awareness and distance from the thinking—like you're an investigator, just noticing how your mind works while you sit in meditation.

Exactly! The thought that by giving something a name you have power over it. And like in your investigator example, noticing it allows you to categorize it as a thing as well as a thought. Once you label it and put it away, you still have the thought but you have control over the amount of influence it has on you.
The better you get at meditation, not unlike Tetris, you can better pack, store and put away more thoughts and more thoughts at once.

B Dog wrote:

Also, I highly recommend Gil Fronsdal's Audio Dharma talks if you're looking to supplement your meditation with some instruction and talks.

I just listened to the first one (since it was only 5 minutes I figured I could do it at work) and it is a great, quick explanation that describes how I see sitting.

http://audiodharma.org/talks/audio_p...

Well worth the 5 minutes.

*now back in the water!

I saw two requests for the Insight Timer group. Approved/Invited. I wanted to keep the group private for now. Let me know if others want in.

As far as sitting, I actually have a this in the corner of my office and it works well as a meditation seat.

Antichulius wrote:

I saw two requests for the Insight Timer group. Approved/Invited. I wanted to keep the group private for now. Let me know if others want in.

I just sent an invite request, as well.

B Dog wrote:
Antichulius wrote:

I saw two requests for the Insight Timer group. Approved/Invited. I wanted to keep the group private for now. Let me know if others want in.

I just sent an invite request, as well.

Done.

Going to try this Insight Timer thing and it's downloading to my iPod now. You'll probably see a request coming through for the group before too long.

I just did a great 14 minute meditation on Insight Timer. If you join the group, you might be able to see it in the "what have people been doing" section, though if not, it's called "Mindfulness of Body and Breath." I really liked it, the time just flew!

Antichulius wrote:

As far as sitting, I actually have a this in the corner of my office and it works well as a meditation seat.

Keeping in mind it's mostly important you feel comfortable and at ease, I'll mention that generally it's best to get a bit of pelvic tilt so you're on your "sit bones" and not too arched forward or back. Don't feel too uptight about it, but this is a good guideline for posture when meditating in various positions. Basically, feeling both stable and relaxed with a straight spine is the idea. Looking at your cube there, a firm cushion near the back of your butt might help if you find you're slumping.

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