All Medivate Posts

Groups form the hub of discussion of Medivate. Check them out!

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Kyletin — 13 years ago — permalink

I think for myself, my goal is to develop some consistency. I have "goals" written in my personal goals, but those are either really quite easy (short-term), or really quite extended goals. 
Before this site, I never really practised meditation. I was considering giving it another shot, but wanted a way to track my progress, such as how you can track things on fitness sites. I found Medivate through a related google search. (So, if you developers are looking for a way to improve the site, maybe add a feature where you can see visual graphs of your meditation habits? I was too lazy to use the feedback screen because it pulls up some sort of Microsoft Outlook thing, which I do not use). 
I am not too strict with my meditation habits. I am currently a student at a university who is volunteering at a hospital, taking quite a few hard science courses, as well as doing research on the side, so I have a very busy schedule that only seems to get busier. However, I've surprised myself with the ground I've covered. 
I think, in terms of "mental" goals, I would just like a bit more skill in meditation. Just to see that something is changing. I'm not out to gain "instant enlightenment" ('just add water!'), and what I am choosing to do now is more than what I was doing before. 

 

Hopefully I didn't ramble too much. That is perhaps in conflict with the minimalist/simplistic nature of meditation. 
Have a nice day, everyone. :D

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Thanks, Kyle. We definitely appreciate the feedback.
It's good to hear that this site played some role, however small, in helping you give meditation another shot. I definitely understand being too busy to feel like you have time for it. I think your goal of consistency is really the key to a lot of success, whether in meditation or otherwise. Once you establish meditation, or any other habit, as a thing you always do  — rather than just a thing you do when you can — it become so much easier. 
PS: The feedback link is bringing up Outlook because it's your default mail client. The feedback link is just an email.

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Jlmgood — 6 years ago — permalink

[spam comment removed]

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Kyletin — 13 years ago — permalink

Thanks for the feedback on my feedback. ;D 

 

I think sites like these are a very good way to support the practise of meditation, and if more people knew about it, I have no doubt they would find it useful. It can help see to show students of meditation their current depth of practise, as well as how it may affect their mind throughout the day (e.g. "Oops, forgot to meditate today. Maybe that's why I'm somewhat unfocused and irritable..." ). 
I'm still working to establish some consistency. Often, I plan to meditate for 0.5 hours before going to sleep, but I end up finally finishing work/studying for classes at like 11:30 and don't feel like ascribing to practise; sleep is very alluring. I'm sure I'm not the only person who falls under these situations. That's life. :)
Gotcha. I'll look into playing with my mail client settings (I usually just go to websites to check my mail, haha! Would it be unwieldy for the feedback submission to take you to another page of the site, with a form (i.e., another page with some sort of built-in feedback entry) for feedback submission? I ask only because I do not know much of that type of coding, and I am sure you are more knowledgeable than I. 
Thanks for the reply!

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I'm separating out the chain a bit, but yes a form for feedback is definitely possible. I know that at some point in the past we had the plan and it just kind of fell away. You're hardly the only person who uses their web browser for email and who thus doesn't get good results from mailto: links like the one we're using there.
There are some complicating factors with respect to making that into a form, but I think it's a good idea and it's definitely back onto the stack of changes we should make.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Yah, we're hoping to really make Medivate into exactly that. It's kind of gotten caught behind other things for the the recent past, unfortunately, but we're really shooting for exactly what you describe: something that helps people track their practice and be more mindful throughout their life.
With respect to being consistent: this is something I have *a lot* of thoughts and opinions about. I don't know if you're looking for any advice, but here are some thoughts I'm feeling like typing up right now:
> It has been hugely helpful for me building positive habits to add a new thing onto a habit that I've already established. Do you always brush your teeth, eat breakfast, or shower at a similar time? Can you move some minor things around to make a 10 or 20 or 30 minute block to meditate around one of those?
> I definitely think that "before bed" is hard. Your energy is typically low, which generally also means your willpower — ability to make yourself do the right thing rather than the easy thing — is also low. And when you do sit down, you may just fall asleep anyway. It's not impossible to work, but it's kind of working twice as hard for the reason you describe.
> With respect to starting to build a habit, no change is too small. Do it even when you don't feel like it, even if you only do it for a minute rather than the 30 you wish you were. Even at that before bed time when you're really tired, it's a powerful thing to talk yourself into three minutes on the cushion rather than to call it a night. Obviously those three minutes have two big advantages: once you're down you may just decide you can do the thirty, and (if not that) doing it everyday for three minutes is (unexpectedly, pleasantly) closer to thirty everyday than thirty every once in a while is.
I don't know if any of those thoughts are helpful. If they aren't, it's not gonna worry me.
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I'm really glad you're participating in these (nascent) forums.

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kevinspacy — 6 years ago — permalink

https://www.facebook.com/practiceheartfulness/posts/5670522229640348

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Rjking — 6 years ago — permalink

Same to you 

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Dylan925 — 6 years ago — permalink

Hey guys I’m brand new to meditation and law of attraction

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Dylan925 — 6 years ago — permalink

Hey guys I’m brand new to meditation and law of attraction

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Kleanwiz — 5 years ago — permalink

How to manifest your dreams and desire so quickly.
Let's be honest. We are irritable. We demand it when we demand it (and we demand it now)! Who's with me?
I wish I could be the super serene, all-knowing, totally enlightened guru who teaches you that patience is a virtue... I'm not blah blah blah. I'm just a girl with a lot of wishes and not much time on her hands.
As a result, the quickest approach to achieve your goals is to merge with them.
1. BEWARE OF YOUR BELIEFS
First and foremost, you must align your thought system so that it is completely in accordance with what you desire. Because if your beliefs don't support your vision, you'll always hold yourself back from accomplishing your objectives subconsciously.
2. TURN INTO A VIBRATIONAL MATCH
After you've aligned all of your beliefs, the next stage is to become a vibrational match for what you want. This is critical since you can't experience anything if your vibration isn't in tune with yours (for better or for worse).
To put it another way, everything is made up of moving energy and so has a particular vibration.Your kitchen table is a source of vitality. Water is a form of energy. You are a source of energy.
Everything is made up of energy in some way. Even your sentiments, ideas, and emotions are made up of energy!
Learn more with this book

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WANGATA88 — 5 years ago — permalink

waouh bautiful man
 peace

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sammyp215 — 5 years ago — permalink

I love listening to meditative music including nature.
https://youtu.be/GguNcWZkSB0 

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Juju2clean — 5 years ago — permalink

I know everyone is spamming links and different things that look unpleasing. I have a product that will give you anything you manifest! Trust me with this product you will never find the need to look for self growth again. With just one CLICK Your life could flash before your eyes and everything you wanted is there. CLICK the link Right Here

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IordanAlin — 5 years ago — permalink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz9pObL0G-4

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samrobo300meditate — 4 years ago — permalink

Hey guys, I'm glad to be in this group just wondering what are some good techniques to use to really manifest. thanks Sam

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patrick — 13 years ago — permalink

Right or wrong, I like to keep my goal '' open''. It does take discipline to get in a meditation session on the day. I am not a busy person but but, for me, the discipline lies in ''sitting doing nothing''.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

I agree about the discipline piece. I often find that everything "comes before" meditation, even though meditation is really nice when I set down to it.
As for goals for meditation, I'm not sure. It's a tricky question. It certainly helps me in a variety of ways, though.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I think my goal, to the extent I'd define one for the whole thing, is to keep doing it. There's some appeal to me in the idea of "attain enlightenment" or similar, but I don't know what such a thing would mean, and I'm even less certain holding it as a goal would help.

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dinomagolide — 6 years ago — permalink

Looking for a goal in your meditation practice? Don't fret, I got you. I've researched a lot, and I love to follow the advice of mentors.

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lookingforpeace — 6 years ago — permalink

I've always been really interested in meditation and have participated in guided meditation before a few times and just loved it! I felt so in tune with my body and so calm, but I want to know what others are doing and what everyone else is using for their guided meditation? I would love some recommendations. My goal is to feel that same sense of self unity and calm as I did with live guided meditation the few times I got to actually do it.

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rockss — 5 years ago — permalink

Yes, my goal is to develop spirituality for concentration power.
SHAMBHAVI MAHAMUDRA

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natemidio — 5 years ago — permalink

I have a very busy/stressful life i work full time and study full time, i started medidating in the middle os the pandemic and although it was very difficult at the start. i started to enjoy it and now i just feel full of energy and i now when i drink coffe is because i like it and not because i need it. i'm still in my journey, my goal in to help my subconcious heal from all the stress it has been through.
thank you!
i can share my learnin corves and what i did wrong in here i wish i knew a couple things before i started.

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HarryHalluk — 5 years ago — permalink

Mediation is all about being fully in the present without worrying about the past and future. The goal of mediation may vary from person to person. Some people mediate for peace of mind, while others want to get rid of stressful mind. However, the ultimate goal is peace of mind.

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joshua444 — 5 years ago — permalink

to see life in a different way.

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usman426 — 5 years ago — permalink

From Hospital Bed To Millionaire Using This Overnight “Money Meditation”

http://lebroncorp.clkpfct.com/go/Geniescript

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Juju2clean — 5 years ago — permalink

I know everyone is spamming links and different things that look unpleasing. I have a product that will give you anything you manifest! Trust me with this product you will never find the need to look for self growth again. With just one CLICK Your life could flash before your eyes and everything you wanted is there. CLICK the link Right Here

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jamalminnaar — 5 years ago — permalink

If been trying to meditate 
But I'm still stuggeling to find a clere mind and understand to unlock my peace charcra and I know as I go through my path of learning and understanding of meditation

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Good luck with the month, Rachel! This really feels like the right way to start.

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radarboy1 — 9 years ago — permalink

I feel the same and have the same goal. Good Sitting for both of us!!

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

I may get long-winded, so I'll start with a quote from someone smart that kind of gets at my point:

"Somewhere in this process, you will come face to face with the sudden and shocking realization that you are completely crazy. ... No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday." —Bhante Gunaratana

The thing I most remember of starting out with meditation was frustration. I would get so frustrated that I couldn't just sit there all "Zen-like and peaceful". I found my mind to be very turbulent and judgemental, and finding that made me more frustrated and turbulent. It was in many ways a frightening and confusing thing to experience, and it did, to a real extent, force me to think seriously about many of the traits I'd previous taken for granted as under my control.
The hardest and greatest thing about meditation—especially by yourself silent on a cushion—is the way in which you're unable to distract yourself. You can't just go back to fantasizing about the future because you've made a commitment to the process and to yourself you're here to be with your breath (or other object of meditation). I remember being quite cheered, too, while I was having these struggles by coming across this line that rang true from Pema Chodron:

What's encouraging about meditation is that even if we shut down, we can no longer shut down in ignorance. We see very clearly that we're closing off. That in itself begins to illuminate the darkness of ignorance.

What was so hard for me about meditating, what caused me to run from the cushion after five or ten minutes, was the way that I couldn't escape the reality of my mental situation. Things I'd been able to not know about myself I had to know now. Things I didn't like to sit with had to be sat with. It was hard and frustrating, but it was also the best thing I think I've ever done.

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sundaresvani — 14 years ago — permalink

feeling particularly crazy today, I wonder if you have a source for the gunaratana quote?

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

It's from Mindfulness in Plain English, which you can actually (awesomely) get free in digital form. This quote is from in Chapter 7, about two-thirds of the way through. Here's the paragraph in full:

Somewhere in this process, you will come face-to-face with the sudden and shocking realization that you are completely crazy. Your mind is a shrieking, gibbering madhouse on wheels barreling pell-mell down the hill, utterly out of control and hopeless. No problem. You are not crazier than you were yesterday. It has always been this way, and you just never noticed. You are also no crazier than everybody else around you. The only real difference is that you have confronted the situation; they have not. So they still feel relatively comfortable. That does not mean that they are better off. Ignorance may be bliss, but it does not lead to liberation. So don't let this realization unsettle you. It is a milestone actually, a sigh of real progress. The very fact that you have looked at the problem straight in the eye means that you are on your way up and out of it.

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Shakuhachi — 14 years ago — permalink

Don't expect anything.

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

This is one of those things that's deceptively simple. I have this pet idea that really simple ideas (or cliches) that we think we understand but don't fully grasp are *the* most profound. I wrote a little essay about it a while ago, but that whole area's somewhat off-topic.
About expecting things in meditation: when I started out I remember thinking that I really got meditation. And I remember being hugely frustrated with what it felt like to sit quietly alone in a room by myself. I'd get up and run away after five minutes because it was hard to just be still. I had things to do, thoughts to think, etc. I think a lot of that early frustration really was caused by my covert expectations that I should be kind of good at it, and that it should be a certain way. It wasn't any way and the difference between that and what I expected was hard. Being OK with that gap was really the first, and possibly most important, thing I've learned from meditation.

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

"Please stick with it! It's the best thing you can do for yourself and others."

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

Two quotes you reminded me of, both tangential:

• "All things are difficult before they are easy." -Thomas Fuller
• "There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind." -Kurt Vonnegut

They're not directly related, but for me they both have a lot to do with why I started practicing. The second quote--about kindness--was really the motivating goal. And it was the certainty that I needed patience (for myself first, and for others too) to be kind that made me stick with meditation through all the difficulty and frustration I hit starting out.

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emmacat — 14 years ago — permalink

Don't take it too seriously, don't conceptualize and don't dismiss it without having tried for a reasonable amount of time. 

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emmacat — 14 years ago — permalink

Also: "Sit. Stay. Heal." (Pema Chodron)

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caitlinlh — 14 years ago — permalink

Recently, I made a comment to someone who was nervous about doing a dathun.  I said 'It's good that you're nervous. It's like going on a first date with yourself for a whole month'.  I really feel meditation is like that - sweet, gritty, exciting, nerve-racking, awkward, possibly boring...  The point is that expecting something very specific out of meditation is not a great idea.  Being open and curious is the best way to be.  Just like on a first date.

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HandyBendy — 13 years ago — permalink

Check out some meditation Mudras - experiment with them and choose the one you feel most comfortable with. Dhyana Mudra or subtle variations of it is one of the most widely used.   

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Putting them on my thighs feels like the "default." Joining them somehow feels a little more formal--preferable in some ways, I think. I think trying to keep a "Zen hand circle" thing going is too much work, though; it's a weird and not very comfortable shape, at least whenever I've tried it.

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HandyBendy — 13 years ago — permalink

Check out some meditation Mudras - experiment with them and choose the one you feel most comfortable with. Dhyana Mudra or subtle variations of it is one of the most widely used.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

You know, I'd never heard the term "mudras" before. Very interesting to learn about them.
Do you recommend them because they're comfortable to use, or for spiritual reasons?

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HandyBendy — 13 years ago — permalink

Well I personally find them very comfortable to use. They allow the arm and shoulder muscles to relax more easily (particulary Dhyana Mudra or the similar Buddha Mudra) and help to promote a feeling of serenity & stability. They are also considered to be symbolic spiritual gestures and to influence to flow of pranic energy through the body. 
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/mudras.html
Another very important aspect of Kundalini yogta mediation techniques is the use of body 'locks' or muscular contractions called Bandhas, applied for the retention and channeling of Prana. 
http://www.kundaliniyoga.org/bhandas.html
Yoga Asanas, Pranayama, Mudras and Bhandas form a complimentary 'suite' of techniques used to achieve profoundly deep states of consciousness and to stimulate the kundalini energy to awaken.

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Kyletin — 13 years ago — permalink

I am perhaps the strange person who finds the Dhyana Mudra strangely uncomfortable! I think I am putting it "on" the wrong part of me, for it will never rest " flatly " on my lap. One foot always moves it up (depending on which which is on top). I apologise if that is explained poorly!

I tend to do something like in what I found in this picture: 

http://www.hathayoga.co.za/yoni_mudra.gif

I wasn't even aware it was something that other people did, but hey. I googled "Yoni Mudra" and got something VERY different also in the google images pictures, so it could be a miss-labelled .gif on that hathayoga.co.za site, but at any rate, I find that a REALLY comfortable hand position. 

Thanks for the information!

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

It's hard for me to separate out one single part of my experience. I've been meditating for about two years now, and things have changed a lot in that time, but it's very hard to say with confidence the bounds of meditation's role in the changes.
I think what's most clear in my mind is that meditation has given me more space around my thoughts, and greater room to question them. This means that I've a better chance of noticing things like impatience and anger before they strike into action. So I think the concrete change it makes sense to talk about is that I've been made much more patient and aware of the true reality of a situation. I imagine I'd find myself randomly having scared or angered someone more if I wasn't exposed to meditation.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Basically, I shudder to think about this. Meditation (and spirituality/Buddhism more generally) is basically what's given my life a sense of belonging or making some kind of sense.
I'm sure I'd have something else if not for meditation--maybe astrophysics or lawyering--but I just don't think those things could bring the kind of relief that spirituality does, or make me as useful to other people.
Would be fun to know the counterfactual on this one.

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susyn153 — 13 years ago — permalink

I don't think, I know it would be different.  I never would have met my husband, I would be a harpy (cause I was), I never would have realized how my irritation and anger affected other people and myself.  I never would have realized how much I didn't like myself or how harsh and judgemental I was with myself and others.  
I am still all of those things, I just know what is going on and am aware enough to work on it a little bit everyday.  Meditation has allowed me to zoom out and look at myself and others very differently.  We all have value, we all have something to offer, we have all been damaged in some way or another.  The one advantage to coming to meditation later in life is that you have a clear compare and contrast image.  

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

We all have value, we all have something to offer, we have all been damaged in some way or another.

That is exceptionally beautiful and well-stated. Thanks for sharing.

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Kyletin — 13 years ago — permalink

Thank you for sharing with us. I found this a very insightful post. While it doesn't throw out any radical new thinking, it provides somewhat of an anecdote to help others understand how you've benefitted directly from meditation.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Sorry, Chuckg. I'm just now seeing this.
Fred and I definitely agree 100% that a phone app would really make Medivate much more useful to people. It's basically at the top of our "would love to build" list, but we're a bit strapped for time and expertise. For now Medivate doesn't put food on the table, so we're not able to do much more than the bare minimum to keep it going. We definitely don't intend to abandon the project, and will almost certainly have a smartphone app someday. But unfortunately it probably won't be within 12 months of now.

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Chuckg — 12 years ago — permalink

I've been in computers for years and you have my complete sympathies. When GUIs came to my attention in the late 80s, I found them too complicated to work on for myself. Now that I see the work involved in a mobile app, I just laugh and that the stars that I'm retired.

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patricia1958 — 12 years ago — permalink

A phone app is a worthy project, especially because it could bring Dharma to so many. Could you consider using a Gofundme or Kickstarter site to gather the donations to make this happen?

I hope I helped.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Yah, that's definitely an idea we've considered before, and maybe should think about again.
Basically we have two constraints re: Medivate right now — time and ability.
And the hard thing about Kickstarter, etc is that that they don't really solve either of those problems, and in a manner of thinking might actually make it worse. At a minimum, you've got to put together and promote the campaign, and in many cases you also have the overhead of creating and fulfilling the "prizes" for your backers. Which is to say nothing of the overhead of managing their demands and expectations before and after the campaign. As I do the balance in my head, I think we'd probably end up with a wash on time on the deal, and it'd have no real impact on our ability to deliver. Maybe I'm wrong and we could easily raise enough to pay back the time of the campaign and a lot more. Speaking for myself, I'm not yet completely comfortable with the wager.
Thanks for the thoughts though. And your vote in support of our doing a thing like that definitely moves the needle in my head a bit about the possibility of bringing that back into our possible roadmaps. We really appreciate your support!

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patricia1958 — 12 years ago — permalink

No worries. I really love Medivate and want it to prosper. May it benefit all beings who come here. :D

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gordon — 12 years ago — permalink

What surprised me the most was the intensity of the feeling or impulse to share a joke and yet knowing I could not, because we are in silence, and finding that quite funny.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

I think I'd probably really struggle with that silence aspect too. I'm generally a pretty quiet and reserved person, but I think a hard barrier of "always refrain from speaking" would be kind of jarring to me as well.

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Lullabyehaze — 12 years ago — permalink

On two or three occasions, I have done a 2.5-day personal meditation retreat. I reserved a small cabin at a nearby Buddhist retreat center and planned my own time. These are some of the best days that I have spent in terms of relaxation, figuring things out, dealing with crises and re-setting my habits. 
I would plan a tentative schedule for the time beforehand but be open to changes that might need to happen. My schedule includes the following:
Sitting meditation
Walking meditation
Yoga/stretching
Journaling
Coloring mandalas
Reading spiritual or meditative books
Walking/hiking
I think what surprised me was that I would go through a time of feeling bored and questioning why I would spend time and money to do this., after being so excited about it. This was on the first night, I think. By the end, the benefits were clear and I wished for another day!

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patricia1958 — 12 years ago — permalink

I participated in  a 3 month Tsongkhapa retreat recommended by my Gelugpa Teacher.
At the end of this month I will engage in the next segment of my Ganglognma retreat (Manjushri) for ten days. This retreat will last three years three months and an odd number of days, practicing for ten days every other month and collecting seven malas per session. The Ganglongma retreats are much less elaborate than the Tsongkhapa one that I did this past summer. But both are great for removing mental and spiritual obstacles. The thing that surprised me the most was that I was sad that it ended.

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Inderbir — 13 years ago — permalink

I use a mantra inhale I think of I and exhale I think of am. Everytime I start to think of something I return to the I and am.
works great

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Huh! I've never heard of that technique before, but I think it's pretty cool. A rather similar thing I use pretty regularly is to count — say to 10 and back with each breath, or something like that. I find counting is really nice as a way to settle and collect, I may have to try the "I - am" next time though.

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Inderbir — 13 years ago — permalink

I have found that my meditations are leading me. what I mean is I can feel energy during my mediations when I felt like something didnt feel right I would look at what I was eating or thinking or whatever and through the years changed my lifestyle like I could feel bad from coffee, alcohol, meat, fish, and one for one excluded them from my diet. also changed the way I look at the world. every morning I would wake and be greatful for everything in my life and would ask for what i wanted in life. and i must say I get it. forgiveness for people places and things have made life so great. These changes keep my mind from being too busy.
Meditation gives you insight in your own body. just quiet the mind and listen.
Before i started meditating I felt like my life was on autopilot. now I am the pilot and loving it.
Love and blessings to all.
 Give meditation time and it will wake you up out of this sound sleep called life
Joe

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I really like the autopilot vs driving analogy, that's not a way I'd ever thought about it, but feels accurate to my experience too. 
I'm not sure I'm reading your correctly, but the idea that your energy is driving down these tangents resonates with me too. For me — I mostly do mindfulness of breath meditation — I find it's a kind of frustrating experience to just wake up to "where was I?" over and over. When I was just starting especially, that would make me get up and walk away. It still happens a lot for me, but I'm getting better and better about recognizing that this falling down a tangent and returning is the whole point of the exercise.
For me it's specifically this consistent little exercise of mental wandering and returning that has lead to all the positive no-longer-on-autopilot changes you call out. It's shocking in its effectiveness and simplicity. Thanks so much for sharing!

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hanjini — 12 years ago — permalink

I went to a class on vipassana because I was in a lot of emotional pain following my divorce. I remember I was eager for the talk to end so we could begin the actual breathing. I remember being in complete shock to discover that beyond any emotional grief I was feeling,  my entire back was an experience of sharp pain as if knives were stabbing all over it. It was a relevation of how disconnected I was from my body and how my thinking was not exactly accurate about what was going on.

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gustavo.picado — 12 years ago — permalink

I tried to sit on the floor without anything under my feet, and felt too much pain on the side bones of my feet that I coudn't even focus. I started to sweat and realized it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I just came up with a way to sit confortably (still on the floor) and that was it, haha.
The second time I tried is the one that can be called my first time meditating, and I managed to focus a little bit on my breathing, but I found really hard to stop my monkey-mind. It was challenging, instructive, but not very succesful.

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capemaggie — 12 years ago — permalink

i'm no expert, but i think your session was "successful".  the presence of monkey mind does not determine successful vs. unsuccessful; i'm not even certain success and meditation are words that go together.  as soon as we are judging our experience and our performance, we are leaving the non-judgmental mind that is part of meditation.  
i've been meditating off and on for years and i still have incredible monkey mind. every time i notice i've gone off with my thoughts and bring myself back to my breath (compassionately), i'm being mindful.  
i'm glad you mentioned "success" in your post.  it reminds me of the "how did it feel" rating here on Medivate.  i don't use that anymore.  reading Pema Chodron and many others has led me to the realization that how a sitting "feels" is probably no indication of how much i might have gained from it.    those sittings where i'm feeling anxious, upset, whatever - don't feel good but they may teach me so much about how i deal with different emotions.  anyway, i think judging "how it felt" is probably irrelevant at best and misleading or even harmful at worst.   once again, non-judgmentalism. 

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gustavo.picado — 12 years ago — permalink

Hi, thank you for repplying my post. I wasn't expecting that! haha
I am very new to meditation, and I (can't remember where) read about this non-judgmentalism... Until this moment I was always relating how much "focus on the present moment" I was able to get on the meditation session to "how good was it" or to the how it felt rating. But reading your comment made me realize that judging a practice of (amongst other things) non-judging the things around and inside you is extremely contradictory.
Well, i agree with you and I am going to take your advice and try to stop judging my meditation-related things.
And about the monkey mind, isn't one of the "goals" of meditation just observing the thoughts without applying any judgement to it (wasn't a rethorical question, I am a newbie after all haha)? If this is true, perhaps we can say that the monkey mind is a important factor to a "succesful" meditation (succesful always in quotes now!), I would say...
And sorry if I had any grammar mistakes... English is not my native language and I'm actually a little rusty on it. So, feel free to correct me any time :p
See ya!

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Shakuhachi — 14 years ago — permalink

Sometimes I am too sleepy or somthing on TV I would rather watch.
If I put meditation off to do somehting else I may or may not get back too it.
I have many possible distractions, pets & family.
Then if I have a very good meditation followed by not so good I get depressed and discouraged.
Sometimes I am just too impatient to sit there.

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emmacat — 14 years ago — permalink

By the lack of replies to this post, I'm guessing I'm not the only one who found this question uncomfortable to ponder. The first thing that comes up is, rather predictably, I don't have enough time to sit as much as I would want to. But that's an excuse, not a reason. I used to have conversations in my head to justify not meditating, lately I don't even try. When I lie to myself, it kind of defeats the purpose of having a practice in the first place. The truth is, sometimes Idon't have the courage to connect with what's going on in my mind and heart. There are days when Im going through something painful I just can't sit before I go to work because I need to be functioning. I've been meditating for almost a year and I still have bouts of escapism. The thing with meditation is that it leaves me with no place to hide and sometimes I don't have the strength to stay with my feelings. 

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

Yeah, I definitely sometimes put off meditation because what's going on in my mind is uncomfortable, even though actually doing it would help hugely.
A more common problem for me is just that even when it's wonderful, meditation isn't necessarily fun. They're two different things, it seems; and fun things seem to be a lot more habit-forming...

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emmacat — 14 years ago — permalink

Hmmm... that's an interesting distinction. I can relate to that, when I have a pleasant meditation session I think: 'I wanna do it more' but I end up sticking to my planned times or even skipping it altogether the very next day. I think its because I can't really count on the next session being as good, but I know I'm going to like the next episode of my favorite show. 

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Kyletin — 13 years ago — permalink

I love the internet. While of course everyone would suggest you go to a meditation master for introduction, when you're sort of just dipping your feet into the pool, you want not for someone to try to get you to do backstrokes right away, but instead let you feel around a bit for yourself. 
As such, a lot of my sources are online. I find this very inspiring, for I am not trapped into one school of thought as of yet. Eventually, I hope to settle down in a place/practise that I find most suitable for me. 

 

Some of the sites I find the most helpful are: 

 

http://www.viewonbuddhism.org/  — This website appears to be put together by an individual. It's not a leading book on finding your "inner zen" but is almost like a very user-friendly wikipedia article. Of course, as with all information online, take everything with a grain of salt. I  think this site may focus on Tibetan Buddhism/information, but it at LEAST explains the other schools as well. All-in-all, I find reading a page every day or so to be good practise for expanding my knowledge, without feeling like I am adding another 3-credit course on my load. There is information on meditation here, including several styles of meditation as well as "hints" for meditation on certain topics. 

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe49/index.htm  — If I feel particularly zealous, I sometimes poke around on this site about Mahayana Buddhism. It's not really about meditation, but for MYSELF, meditation and Buddhism work together.

 

I don't really look for too much advise on meditation. I think if one allows it to get too complicated, it is easy to get trapped in pedagogical fretting. 

 

Good luck! :D

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Thanks for the resources, Kyle. I'll have to look at them a little closer when I get time. 
I have the same basic sense of you. Meditation studied too closely probably becomes a not-too-helpful head trip.
And I'm more comfortable trawling the internet for resources than busting into a specific center for a specific kind of practice I know little about. That said, I think there's a lot of merit into being the kind of person who just does that. It's bold, and you almost certainly learn the reality of that type or practice in that place quite quickly.
Anyway, thanks for sharing!

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russcpt — 13 years ago — permalink

One important resource for my practice has been this book...http://www.amazon.com/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki/dp/1590308492/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381883222&sr=8-1&keywords=Zen+beginner%27s+mind

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

One of my favorites, too.

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Lullabyehaze — 13 years ago — permalink

This is difficult because I'm not sure who to go to. I turn to the internet, mostly. I wish I had a person to ask, and I am working at finding more of a community of meditators.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

If you don't mind my asking, are there specific reasons you're interested in mediation? That's a great place to start if you're looking for somewhere to get more information.
For me, I really came into it as an idea because Buddhism as a philosophy (not trying to start any fights) was appealing to me. Thus in a series of fortunate coincidences, I ended up listening to some Buddhist podcasts — I listen to lots of podcasts — that are very regularly giving me interesting ideas and thoughts about meditation. 
I can't really begin to guess what brought you to it but I'd love to help you look for or find resources if that'd be helpful. You could reply, message in Medivate (it's the envelope at the top), or email me at david@medivate.com.

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elouneda — 5 years ago — permalink

Yes but I don't know where to start

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jermur1 — 13 years ago — permalink

I usually lie down as I have way 2 much energy otherwise and I never fall asleep when meditating...well almost never:)

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

That's interesting.
I've tried lying down, but usually for the *terrible* reason that I don't feel I have enough energy to meditate. As you may expect from the prior sentence, the result is usually either that I do in fact fall asleep, or else drift into this low-energy, low-awareness state that definitely isn't quite sleep, but is also definitely not meditation.
I'd be curious to hear more about how it works for you, and how other postures feel too energetic.

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jermur1 — 13 years ago — permalink

Hey,
Well basically I just lie down on my  yoga mat and I never feel tired:) Its so much easier for me to let go and just focus on my breath. I do try to spend some time sitting though to build up strength as I would like to do a retreat. I feel very restless sitting but maybe its just an excuse as lying is so easy!!
I walk my dog everyday trying to be as mindful as possible easier said then done but getting a little better all the time. Also do Yoga for an hour.
only in last few weeks I've started doing so much. This site is helping keep me focused though.
You been a meditator long?? What kind do you practice

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Slow to reply, but thanks a lot for sharing.
I do think I understand what you mean about being better able to focus on the breath, whenever I do lie down the sensation of the breath was different in a very interesting way.
I've actually been meditating for almost two years now. We started Medivate a little after that, though not as a result. Meditation's been really interesting, and certainly a fair number of highs and lows. Medivate's helpful for me too, but I don't think we've yet made it the case that's is sufficient to keep people motivated. That's the much harder goal.
I typically do mindfulness of breath meditation. I've tried a few other forms once in a while, but that's what I do 99% of the time. It's still teaching me things and challenging me on a regular basis.

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Lullabyehaze — 13 years ago — permalink

Interesting question. I hope I won't stop, as I'm on a the longest streak of my life right now. But a big change in routine might be the thing that would break it. I'll be traveling soon and staying at my in-laws and I can see that that might interrupt things. I'm glad this question came up so that I can think about how to prevent that. if that happened, though it would probably be hard for me to get back into it because of the "breaking the chain" mentality. meaning once I did not have so many days in a row! the motivation to keep going might not be as strong.
i can't think of anything that would make me stop meditating for good, though. It's just too nice and too helpful to stop doing forever.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Yah, I definitely think that you're right about the power of the chain. There's a lot more commitment for me in knowing that I've basically been meditating every day for over a year than there would be if I thought I'd just meditated sometimes.
And I find the disruption of traveling problematic as well. I find that two big things help me with traveling: having a plan and allowing for flexibility. They're almost two sides of the same coin, but by having a plan I mean that I have a rough idea of what it'll be like where I'm staying, and when and how I'll find time to fit sitting in in that situation. I like to brainstorm more times and places than I need, so that at least one theorized times can fall through but I can still make it work.
 
By flexibility, I mean that sometimes you really don't get to sit down on your zafu in a quiet corner and do it like you do at home. You've got to kind of roll with the punches there, and if that means you're meditating while riding the bus, so be it. If that means sitting on a bench in the mall while your traveling companions are shopping, that's OK too.

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Lullabyehaze — 13 years ago — permalink

I'm on my trip, and so far, so good. I adjusted my goal to 15 minutes every day and have mostly done 20. i meditated in the flight and in the car, but I am also in the habit of going upstairs to the terrace after breakfast for 20 minutes of yoga and 20 minutes of sitting. I do the sitting first so that if I am interrupted, at least I'll have met my daily goal. I'm at my in-laws' now, and tomorrow we all leave on a trip for a few days, so I'll need to make a special effort. I think my best bets for alone time are right after waking up or right before bed.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

That's great to hear! Hope the little trip didn't interfere too much with your ability to keep it up. Sound's like you're really managing it deftly.

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Formlessness — 13 years ago — permalink

It captures some of the spirit of meditation. Most of our unhealthy, wandering thoughts are about regretting the past or fearing the future.
But it's pretty vague. I'm here now already. I guess it means focus on the present. That's one type of meditation, but others are more specific: focus on breathing, focus on a mantra, etc. But whatever it is that you are aware of, there is always the awareness itself, underlying all thoughts. All thoughts have that awareness in common. Observe thoughts as they come and go, and the background of awareness will start to jump out at you.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Really well said--thank you!
What does it feel like to you when the background of awareness jumps out at you? In my experience, I'd say it feels a bit more like realizing everything is submerged in awareness.

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Formlessness — 13 years ago — permalink

"What does it feel like to you when the background of awareness jumps out at you?"
It's difficult to put into words, because while a thought can be like something, the awareness is just the "isness" of things. It's just grasping things as they are.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I think you really hit it on the head with the point that it's vague. It's good instruction if you're already really sure of what each word in it means in the context of meditation, but doesn't really work for someone just coming to it. They'd maybe understand it, but only to the level of "so I can't move?" The idea of thoughts and attention and patience and awareness are all not expressed.
I have this idea — it's really becoming a bit on an old saw for me — that everything that's really important to know can be (and is) packed into simple common-sense phrases that everyone knows (a cliche) and just looks past. I wrote an essay (which I don't love) about it a few years ago, but I think this phrase is a potent example of what I meant. For someone who's already familiar and comfortable with the idea of meditation, "be here now" may be a sufficient and potent reminder. But for most people most of the time, the idea just blows past them as something too simple to be worth considering.

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patrick — 7 years ago — permalink

I'm not trying to be smart,but the idea of 'having no idea' I find helpful as a lead into meditation.

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

You got it, Patrick!  Your 'no idea' approach is the younger brother of, 'expect nothing'.  Keep up the good work.  Blessings.

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patrick — 7 years ago — permalink

Glad to get a reply,thank-you!

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

You're very welcome, Patrick.  Blessings.

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hanjini — 13 years ago — permalink

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana. This book is clearly and comfortably written, comprehensive and intelligent yet full of simple basics on how to and why meditate.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

I've had a friend strongly recommend it, as well. I'll try to pick it up...

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Actually the whole thing is freely available online. I'm pretty sure even with the authors consent. The first Google result is the one I've seen linked most, though the results point to a few other sites offering it as well.

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Erastoles — 13 years ago — permalink

I ordered it.
Looks like one of the best.
I'll let you know what I thought about it...

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Lately I've been feeling a bit dull and bored. I should really go do some research & advice-seeking on it. Anyone have anything to recommend?

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PurplePotato — 12 years ago — permalink

How do you know that you are bored?

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Huh. I'll have to hold that question for a bit. Seems like a good one.
To answer immediately, my mind seems to eagerly seek anything novel and not the object (typically my meditation object is the breath) to attach to a be able to play with. As though what it is experiencing isn't sufficient. I'm reading that as boredom.

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PurplePotato — 12 years ago — permalink

How do you know that you are bored?

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

I've been sitting with this question for a few days. It's brought clarity on a few different things.
The most concrete is that a lot of the time when I'm looking for distraction — which I thought was caused by "boredom" — is actually a drive for comfort. I want to adjust my posture to be more comfortable, but I also want a place for my mind to land to keep it comfortably active. I'd not noticed the latter part — grabbing the phone and checking email is typically a seek for the "comfort" of the distraction of email.
The other more broad point I'd not realized was how much the label I give to a bundle of things allows me to safely avoid needing to investigate and be more attentive. This is a thing I feel a bit like I should have known, but it surprised me. The power of this or any question — that at first I was like "what a dumb simple question..." — is that it makes you see more clearly and accurately all that's really there.

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PurplePotato — 12 years ago — permalink

Good to hear. I was originally going to post something much longer but then had a feeling that that wasn't the best idea, and thought of the simple question. I also wondered whether it would look like too simple a question - I'm glad it worked!
You can use this sort of inquiry on just about anything that comes up: How do I know x is true?

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     The most important thing is to just sit.  Have no expectations with respect to immediate returns on your practice.  Another commenter somewhere here said, "Expect nothing."  That's good advice.  Just sitting is reward enough.  Anything else is a blessing.  I like the idea that meditation practice is a marathon, not a sprint.  The benefits will come, but don't try to rush things.  Blessings.

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

I am much, much more able to be kind than if I were equipped only with ideas.

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

This is, at the most basic level, the reason I started meditating. I'd feel that I knew the value of being kind, but was regularly disappointed by my (lack of) ability to be so.
For me, the experience of being more kind is really rooted in something that feels more concrete to me, which is a sense of space around my thoughts and emotions. I found myself more able to see and say "angry feelings are rising" and thus respond to the sense that I may be unkind soon. Before, I might randomly find myself shouting without any warning or mental space to correct for the fact that feelings of anger were rising up.

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undragonslayer7 — 14 years ago — permalink

I am more motivated towards things that are important to me. Working in tandem with that, I am far more able to set my own goals and not feel guilty about disgregarding artificial milestones society and 'authorities' set for me. I am also happier and much more able to love my friends, feeling in tune with their emotions.
The largest benefit by far has been my ability to appreciate things in the present, including the present itself. Whenever I find myself bored now I can just look around me and see the incredible beauty and significance of nature and humanity alike.

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Shakuhachi — 14 years ago — permalink

Frequent meditation helps me to feel more integrated, more whole, more centered.  Without it I notice I can get to feel out of phase with myself, out of kilter.  I think some people, need it more than others and I am one who needs it.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

A corner of my room. In general, I think these kinds of spaces should be clean, insulated from noise, and have a good line-of-sight. (Not sure my corner fully qualifies, though...)

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emmacat — 13 years ago — permalink

A corner of my bedroom is designated for practicing. The main object is, rather obviously, my mat and cushions. Other objects are a framed sacred image with candles and incense that help create the environment for meditation. The main aspect of this space is that it's stable, I don't have to set it up every time I sit which helps keep a regular practice. When I skip a meditation session, I can go over to that space and take a moment to acknowledge the fact that I'm skipping that session. It's a way to connect to my practice and bring it into my life in a concrete way.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I definitely agree about the value of a space that's all set to go. (Mine's also just a part of my bedroom.) Preparing your practice area, even if it only takes a few seconds can sometimes be enough to prevent you from doing it.
I think the idea of acknowledging your space when you don't sit is really interesting. Is it mostly the sacred images you acknowledge, or the space itself? Do you think that helps keep you honest, or more likely to maintain your practice? I'd be interested to hear more about that if there's anything you'd be willing to share.

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emmacat — 13 years ago — permalink

I don't worship the sacred image (it's more of a reminder of our innate enlightened nature, not some kind of saint) so I acknowledge the space as a whole. it is a way to be honest with myself and to keep track of my patterns (when I usually sit, when I don't, why I don't and so on).
Sometimes it works as a little 'trick': once I'm facing my cushion, I might  change my mind and sit, even if for 10 minutes instead of the 30 I regularly sit, which is better than nothing. Other times the acknowledgement gives me the thrust to plan my next session better and make sure I don't skip it. And then there are times when I just feel plain silly about having an intimate relationship with an inanimate object. Whatever comes up, it's a way to get in touch with my practice. 

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Thanks so much for sharing.
I'd never considered the idea that your meditation space could be engaged with in a way that it encouraged you to practice. Now that you've said it I can think of similar examples from other areas of life---I feel like I've heard people talk about leaving their running shoes by the door, for example---but I'd never thought of it with respect to helping with regular meditation.
I also really like the "Whatever comes up" phrase. Isn't that what life is, a continuous experience of "whatever comes up"?
And I don't know that it matters to you one bit, but I feel like there's a lot to justify your relationship to the space. People have always and rightfully venerated sacred spaces---those that make them feel safe, a part of something greater, more connected---and I think of the place I meditate as such a place.

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rachelcotterill — 13 years ago — permalink

I think anything that reminds and encourages mindfulness in daily life can only be positive.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I mostly agree. I do think there may be some way in which these hybrids would degrade or change the concept in the way it's understood in the wider world. That's the biggest risk I can foresee, but I know of no specific examples of that problem.

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Lullabyehaze — 13 years ago — permalink

I think the reason mindfulness is everywhere these days is that it IS everywhere-- it is a part of almost everything we do, or it should be. Maintaining a healthy weight comes from mindful eating and moving. Having good posture and a healthy back comes from mindful working and sitting. Having good relationships comes from mindful communication. Etc... I can see how people might think it's getting "trendy" or something, and that can be annoying. But I think anything that makes us more mindful of any part of our lives can only be good because it seems to bleed into other parts of life.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I think you're right. Mindfulness is getting applied in all these new place because it's applicable in all these places. I literally can't think of problem in my life that mindfulness hasn't or doesn't have the potential to play a role in making better. A very good point.

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drschilling — 13 years ago — permalink

There are a few things:
1. I moved into a zazen dojo in Tokyo in the 1990's and lived there for two years and immediately found myself in the middle of a "Sangha"! It was a community of people interested in Buddhism and meditation, some with more previous experience and dedication than others, but all very supportive of each other. There were Japanese monks (men & women) and people from Poland, Canada, US, UK, Israel, China, Germany and elsewhere. We cooked and ate together, sat together drinking tea and talking, and even went out together on various excursions that normal people do. We had a little old Japanese lady who would come in sometimes and cook us traditional Japanese meals: Aji no hiraki, natto, raw eggs in rice, etc. So, the benefit was having one of the things Buddha described as part of a three leg stool: "Sangha" a place that gives you physical, psychological and social support and few outside distractions.
2. My sensei in Tokyo was a great man but very simple and in many ways as plain a person as you could imagine but the key was he never wanted anything from us. There was no psychological BS, so we could just do zazen and live. He was dedicated to Buddhism, sitting, lecturing and translating Japanese Buddhist texts to English so we would help him with it. So the environment was nice to let life unfold the way it would. Having a good teacher is a key, someone you inherently like and trust.
3. I studied Soto Shu Buddhism which basically says that sitting itself is enlightenment. Of course, you won't "get there" the first time you sit or the 500th but eventually you may "get there" and when you arrive it will be timeless, like living in eternity and everything you ever knew or thought will evaporate in the face of the most incredible conscious experience you've ever had. But then it fades away and you feel totally human again. Then, you go back and sit some more.
But really, sitting is not about getting somewhere, it is about "being here now." The more you sit, the more your consciousness and sense of self is altered and the more you are able to perceive.
This carries over into the rest of your life and you find yourself very even keeled and sane. It is not necessary to read books, listen to lectures, do koans, chant, or even talk about what you experience when you sit. The experience in and of itself is enough. There is no need to get feedback from the outside about who or where you are. Simple regular meditation will bring you along the path. As you sit daily, and days, weeks and months flow by, you'll begin to notice a complete change in your perception of the world and your place in it. It's a wonderful process but can only be experienced by sitting for months upon months.
My mind used to race all the time, lots of thoughts running through it all the time, making me anxious and worried. Suddenly, I could take an hour train ride and literally not have a thought the whole time. Just serene peace and connectedness with here and now.
4. For books, I like the Three Pillar of Zen and the "Oxherding Pictures." The Oxherding Pictures can show you the journey you'll take, if sitting somehow becomes a part of your life.
5. I think the "progress" that comes with sitting and the changes it brings to your regular conscious life and activities happens on time and for a reason and that you can't really get anywhere sooner. This is not a race, it is not a competition, it is nothing less that the unraveling of the chains that bind your Soul and in order for that to happen, it requires your own totally unique to yourself journey that only you can travel. We all have our own "crosses to bear."

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

What a wealth of interesting and novel information. Thanks so much for sharing!
The thing that most jumped out at me was the Oxherding Pictures, which I'd never heard of. They're a really cool model of the progression of practice. For those who've never seen them, I'll save you some Googling: Wikipedia and a great set of pictures and simple explanations.
I'd heard of Soto (Shu) before, but never really understood how it differed. I really like your explanation of what the school and practice means to you; feel like I understand it at least a little more clearly now. Your experience in Japan sound awesome too, glad to hear about them. Thanks again; I'm really completely blown away by your post.

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Formlessness — 13 years ago — permalink

A few things come to mind. How to sit properly without hurting yourself. What the goal of meditation is. And that meditation is more worthwhile than almost anything you can use as an excuse to procrastinate.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

"Meditation is more worthwhile than almost anything you can use as an excuse to procrastinate."
Really, really well said--thanks!

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gordon — 12 years ago — permalink

I sit on just a regular elephant.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Uh... we probably have different understandings of the word "regular." But I really want to know what you mean by "regular elephant."

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davemulls — 12 years ago — permalink

I like to grab two pillows off my bed and stack them together. Creates a nice roll in my hips that allows me to sit cross-legged more comfortably.

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Lullabyehaze — 12 years ago — permalink

I used to stack up some pillows or blankets. A few months ago, I sprang for a beautiful zafu and zabuton with a beautiful rust-colored removable covers. Even though it is not necessary to have these special cushions, I have to say that I really enjoy sitting on them. They are comfortable and nice-looking, and it feels good to have the "right" equipment. :)

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

The biggest lesson I feel like I've learned is that there is always space and a fundamental "okay-ness" available. It's down there at the base, waiting to be known. Your mind can run itself into ragged circles of crazy thoughts of desire or discomfort or rage, but that root calm and comfort is still down there, just hard to find. And don't mistake me, it can be VERY hard to find. But it never goes away, and it can't be taken from us.
I wrote a bit of an essay about this, but basically for me it comes back to this: "You're just a guy sitting in a room." I can always go totally crazy, angry, happy, whatever, but I'm just a guy sitting in a room (or a woman standing outside, whatever). I'm a person having experiences, but those experiences don't take away from the the simple wonder, peace, and beauty of being a living human being.
It's such a simple idea, but it's so hard to drop all our stories and find it down there. But you can do it, if you have the patience to "wait until the mud has settled and the mind is clear." And I think that's the most important thing I've learned from meditation.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

• My desire to always be able to take the action I'll later know is right. This one is huge for me. Mindfulness practice has really clicked for me because I've seen in my life so many times that I did something at the time that seemed right and then later realized it was wrong. I've heard this gap of when one takes an action to when the wiser action is clear as a "refractory period", but whatever you call the idea the point is that I find that as I practice I'm much better able to ask "What's the wisest response in this situation?" before I respond, rather than hours later. And that difference, being seen, feels so powerful and useful that it keeps me practicing.
• Medivate helps, but in a way I doubt it does for other users. Because I'm a cofounder of the site, I feel pretty dedicated to using it, paying attention to it, and using its log to track how I'm doing. I don't think we've got it sticky enough that it has had the same effect for any other users as well as it does for me, unfortunately.
• Dharma talks. I've never sought or found a local sangha, but I regularly listen to podcasts, and listening to some specific podcasts of dharma talks is hugely supportive to me. The diversity of perspectives I get from Audio Dharma and Dharma Seed really keeps me interested, and regularly drops a new idea into my practice and life that makes me remember why I'm doing the practice and what my goals are.

I'm quite certain there are other supportive influences, but those immediately came to mind. 

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     I have been avoiding this question because I use so many variations on my basic training in meditation that I fear it may be more confusing than helpful to those of my family of meditators here on Medivate than it would be helpful.  But, let me give it a try anyway.
      My basic training in meditation happened during my first years as a student at the University of Oregon back in 1972.  At that time there were several movements going around that claimed to provide some training in various aspects of spirituality as there was a that time, a mood among young people of my age of searching for a greater depth of spirituality in their everyday lives.  It was the age of Anti-War, Anti-Draft, and Civil Rights protests and demonstrations; and the age of Paramahansa Yogananda ("Autobiography Of A Yogi"), Shunryu Suzuki ("Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"), Herman Hesse ("Siddhartha"), Peter Matthiessen ("The Snow Leopard"), Alan Watts ("The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" and "Beyond Theology" among many others), and Thich Nhat Hanh ("Being Peace" among many others) and almost too many more personages and books on spirituality in one's daily life to name.  Most of those books are still out there for other seekers to study though many of those personages have since passed on.
     One of the largest movements going around university campuses all over the country at that time was "Transcendental Meditation" (TM) as taught by a cadre of practitioners/teachers of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his followers.  Among these, of course, were The Beatles, with George Harrison probably being the one most deeply invested in TM.  When I saw the announcement that there would be teachers in TM at Oregon in the near future, I signed up for instruction.  At that time I think there was somewhere around a $100.00 fee for the course.
     So, TM was my basic training way back then.  In the many years which have passed since then, I have added a number of variations to my practice.  These have come about to deal with the various states of my mind when entering my 30 minute morning and evening meditation sessions; and, I vary the type of process I use depending on that and how my mind and the session evolve in the course of that particular 30 minute session.  These include:
                             A.  Regular TM Practice with Mantra
                             B.  Focus on breathing through nose only with or without Mantra
                             C.  Focus on breathing; in through nose; out through mouth, with or
                                   without Mantra
                             D.   Focus on breathing, in through nose, out through mouth with the 
                                   addition of mental visualization and/or affirmation
                              E.  Circular Breathing (will probably require some explanation)
                              F.   Silent prayer
I think that pretty much covers my variations.  Now to try to explain how these are put into play.
     As I said before, I vary my 'method' depending upon my state of mind before and during a session.  Each of the methods proceed (A - F) from a quiet and calm state of mind (A&B) through a very 'chatty' state of mind (C&D) to a 'chaotic' state of mind (E&F): and each, in its own way, serves to take advantage of a calmer state of mind or to deal with a more restless one.  The reason is that each requires a greater degree of mental focus to follow the process as I proceed from A through F.
     Now, A, B, and C are self explanatory.  Starting with D, it gets a bit more tricky, though really, not that difficult.  My favorite 'visualization' is to imagine myself drawing energy directly from the torrent of Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos which bombard our bodies every second of every day, and using that energy to effect some change in, say, my physiology or mental state.  Now; I know this sounds a little crazy - but hang with me here!  Here's an example:  I visualize that energy entering my body from every direction. Breathing in (through my nose) I visualize the colors white and blue and say, "Healing and regenerating energy in."  Breathing out (though my mouth), "Toxic Vapors out."
Get it?  I just repeat that 'visualization' like a mantra.  You could use any kind if similar visualization you need in that moment.  And, it effectively focuses your mind on the visualization and completely excludes intrusive thoughts.
     We're all familiar with affirmations.  I just repeat the affirmation like a mantra.  My favorite at the moment is, "I love to meditate."  Hey, works for me!  Now, on to circular breathing.
     This process requires an even greater degree of mental focus.  I'm not sure exactly how to explain it.  Let me just start by noting that, normally, when we breathe, there is a rather abrupt stop between breathing in and breathing out.  In circular breathing, breathing in flows smoothly into breathing out, and breathing out flows smoothly into breathing in: no abrupt stop in the direction of the flow of breath.  Perhaps a little visualization will help here too.  It's like I have an old fashioned 'water wheel' with air instead of water, and the wheel goes into my nose and comes out through my mouth.  It's a gentle, constant flow.  I think that's the best I can do by way of explanation.  Hope it makes sense to my readers.
     Finally there is silent prayer; that device used by so many of our mystics from three of the world's great religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  This one is pretty straightforward too.  What's your favorite prayer?  Mine is 'The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi'.  You can find it posted in the 'Compassionate Poetry' forum.  Just repeat your favorite prayer like a mantra, but slowly, giving deep awareness to each of the words.  Again, this practice excludes any possibility of intrusive thoughts:  'too many minds' and 'mental chatter'.
     O.K. my friends.  It has only taken me an hour and a half to get through this posting.  I hope someone, anyone will benefit from it.  Do let me know what you think or if you have some other kinds of variation in methods you think I might benefit from.  I dedicate this posting, "For the sake of all sentient beings."  Blessings

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thejimigemini — 6 years ago — permalink

Your post has been read! Hahaha *thumbs up*

 

I have just done some "box breathing" and it ended in a circle breathing.

The box breathing is more of like a four edged loop of breathing, so it has a breath in, hold, breath out, hold... I've just heard in a youtube video that Navy Seals learned that way, which probably learns them to be at peace during stressful situations. (the holding of the breath creates a "panic" situation which the practitioner then has to learn to meditate through... so it's a dealing with panic/stress way. It does sound logical to me!

 

But mostly I just sit and try to focus on the breath normally.

Very few times I do say an affirmation, or perhaps I decide to say various affirmations, and then I recognise the way it supports a optimistic mindset.

I'm very satisfied with this website and it's easy Timer.

 

I'm currently in a period where I decide to meditate in nice short 5 minute meditation sessions, so that it is easy for me to decide after one session, if I like to do another 5 minute session or that I will stop.

 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts! Blessings, Jimi

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

Fascinating!  I think I'll try your Box Breathing method.  In the mean time, you hang in there jimi.  Blessings to you.  Oh, yeah, do check out the 'Compassion Poetry' listings.  Good stuff in there.

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thejimigemini — 6 years ago — permalink

I have this basic rule: be still and relax.

 

Then I can vary in whatever way I wish, while keeping this rule.

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thejimigemini — 6 years ago — permalink

Oh, also focus on what you feel inside.

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

     In addition to the books I mentioned in the Question of The Week asking what methods I use in my practice, I would also recommend any books by Thomas Moore ("Care of The Soul" and others), Gary Zukav ("Seat of The Soul" and others) and Thomas Merton ("The Seven Story Mountain" and others).  The truth is, there are so many great books to choose from dealing directly with meditation and especially spirituality in general, a complete list would be enormously long.  Have fun finding your favorites!  Just search "meditation" or "spirituality" in Amazon or Google and you'll be overwhelmed with possibilities.

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micahmeditates — 12 years ago — permalink

Good question! I think we are going to make it, but I can't find a total minute count. I am grateful that I am getting a little push to sit everyday though!

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tusculum — 10 years ago — permalink

Try it for yourself... or don't. I have no investment in convincing you of anything. If you don't try it for yourself, you'll never know for sure whether meditation is beneficial or not.

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     Never have served as an instructor in meditation.  Closest I've come to that is when I was a guide for people wanting to try LSD for the first time and wanted someone hanging with them to help them through some of the sharper curves in the road on their trips.  But, that was over fifty years ago.
     For anyone trying meditation for the first time I would have only three basic instructions.
     First, put yourself into a comfortable sitting position.  That may be cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, or in some relatively comfortable chair with your back straight but not stiff or ridged; hands resting gently in your lap.
     Second, start by taking three slow, deep breaths and then allow your breathing to return to a slow, steady pace, upon which you will set your awareness.
     Finally, be aware how your thoughts rise and fall through your mind without allowing yourself to be captured by them.  Just sit.  Just watch.  Just breath.  And, as you become aware of being carried away by a thought, gently, without anxiousness, bring your awareness back to watching their rise and fall; their coming and going; the appearance and disappearance: without attachment.  That is all there is to it.  That is the beginning . . . . . and end.  That is the heart . .  . of zen.  Blessings!

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thejimigemini — 6 years ago — permalink

Google the science.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

The biggest change I'd make is to have started sooner. There are a number of small mistakes—lapses, unnecessary distractions, added energy that made practice harder than it should be—but sitting for more years than I have feels like the most valuable change I could make.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I typically sit on a kneeling chair or meditation cushion in my room. It's convenient and easy.
Sometimes, especially as it's getting warmer outside here, I'll try to find a nice place outside and either meditate seated on a bench or while walking. I mostly do this for variety.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

There are so many ways to count progress! On one hand, I feel sometimes like I've even worse than I ever was — more quick to shift focus to novel and interesting phenomena, more prone to seek them out, more likely to float away into some diffuse state of inattention — but I suspect more than a little that this is simply a result of being better at observing it. That behaviors that escaped my attention in the past are coming into focus.
In my daily life — which for me definitely should be scored here — I regularly notice times when I'm pretty sure a past version of me would be quite anxious or angry when I find myself largely unmoved. It's been a while since I found myself suddenly worked up in one state or another, and much more common that I see that I could get worked up in a situation and choose not to.
For me, it's obviously a good idea to look for encouraging signs that result from meditation. Knowing and understanding the benefits of this (or any) behavior is to me one of the best motivations to keep doing it. In noticing the changes in my daily life that I'm pretty sure are related to working with mindfulness in meditation, I'm much more sure and committed to keeping up the practice. 
The one caveat I would make about looking for progress though, is that you must be careful when doing it not to expect too much too soon. It took me many months of sitting regularly before I felt confident of any change having happened. It seems hard to have much awareness of ourselves over time. It seems like a hard thing for us to track, our memories are so malleable, and our memories of mental phenomenon seem like they may be especially so.
I recalling hear an exchange attributed to the (current) Dalai Lama. Someone asked when they would notice changes as a result of regular meditation. He said to "check in" in five years. Then they might notice something. Sustaining the practice if you're not able to be patient with the possibility for changes seems to me it would be very hard. Understanding meditation's slow effectiveness seems essential to having the faith and confidence to keep going and making a point of doing the practice.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

It depends a lot on how I'm feeling about the session. Sometimes it really has seemed to fly by. Generally I'd say it feels about the same speed as in the rest of my life. I'd say that's because my mind is at about the same level of engagement as when I'm in the rest of my life, for better or worse. This does make me think I don't pay munch attention to my perception of time.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

It's an interesting question. I do think it's similar and different in a number of ways. Start with similar:

• I really feel like there's a clear benefit from all of the things I'm counting. And a lot like exercise, or good oral hygiene, or eating well, it doesn't necessarily feel beneficial in every session or period, but over the long term it's more evident.
• For all of them, the benefit come more from returning repeatedly and contintually working than from a single good run or single good session on the cushion or single good writing session.
• For all of them, I didn't really all come together for me until I routinized it and made it so regular I felt weird *not* doing it. Until that point, each time to do it would require a larger effort than I could regularly muster.
• They all can feel a bit like a grind at times, and are hugely helped by the way in which I trust in the long term goals and results to get through the times it's not fun and I have to grit my teeth and just do it.

Ways they're different?

• They obviously have different goals and results. While all things I'd describe as "helpful practices" have the very simple goal of "a better me", body health and mental health are related but still pretty distinct in my mind. Lots of people have one but not the other.
• The kind of discipline and attention that's needed to go running when I'm not really feeling it is at least a bit different from the kind that's needed to sit when I'm not really feeling it. It's similar, but "bearing down" to meditate is a trickier and finer line for me then for exercise. Because meditation is so mental and balance is so embedded as and necessary for the goal, it requires a lighter touch.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

Well for me, meditation is all about routines. Every morning I wake up, have a bowl of cereal, and then sit down to meditate. I don't think about it.
Every day around noon I go for a walk. To fit more time to meditate into my day, I take that as an opportunity to pause everything and stay with my breath as I walk. 

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

It's interesting. I think that eating, hydrating, and other bodily functions are obviously more important. I don't know about bathing — I think because of its value to others I'd put it before meditation. And I suppose, practically, I also put my job — making money, helping team mates, etc — above meditation. The way in which it contributes to the others — the ability to eat, etc — is the logic there, though I'm not sure it's strictly that simple.
But I would rank meditation as more important to me than exercise, though not by a large margin. I really enjoying finding time to read, and write various things, but those are certainly less important to me than meditation. As are watching TV or movies, listening to music, etc.
Spending time with family and friends is an interesting and hard one for me. Practically I do my best to not have to make that specific trade-off, but if I did I can't say confidently which way I'd decide. I know that I'm better with my family and friends — better able to enjoy their company, better able to deal with potentially hard situations, etc — when I meditate. But I also know that to many of them, in many situations, my bodily presence is more important than my psychological one, and they mostly gloss over the difference. Practically I'd probably have to weigh the importance of my presence to others in a particular situation against how much value I perceive I would get from meditating for that time.

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shadowmack — 7 years ago — permalink

Never.  If it feels like a chore you are probably not meditating correctly.  Sometimes I feel like I don't have time to meditate, but I always welcome it.

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tomchicago01@gmail.com — 8 years ago — permalink

I am reading Ayya Khema's "Being Nobody, Going Nowhere".  She is direct, down-to-earth, no-nonsense.

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joyhappiness — 9 years ago — permalink

I have found that where once I was reactive to criticism and things I perceived as attacks, these days I am more 'yeah whatever' and let comments go. This helps in relationships because I am just more of a 'laugh it off' kind of guy, less serious. I put a lot of that down to meditation practice.

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

Well, busyness. And, more than that, I think a general sense of busyness that I carry around throughout the day?
There's also this feeling that I've trained myself to see meditation as something I "have" to do--even though when I actually sit down to do it it's one of the most pleasurable parts of my day.
Pretty weird...

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Meditation neither could nor should ever take over the world like nuclear war or other extremely affecting and quick changes one can imagine.
That being said, I think it has the power to change the world in some significant (if small) ways. But I think there's also a sort of inherent aggregation in this conversations that's worth addressing: meditation travels with many religions, but is not the same thing as any of those religions. It's conceivable that Jainism or Hinduism or Buddhism takes over the world and brings meditation along with it, but that doesn't seem like it speaks specifically to meditation's role.
Those provisos in place I think meditation has the potential to change the world on a small scale. I've found that meditation really heightens sensitivity: I'm much more aware of a how things feel. It's kind of what Louis CK is saying about kids saying "You're fat" and experiencing the return of that, but much more so. I'm more sensitive to the impact on me of my thoughts, the impact of other things I'd never previously noticed on my thoughts, and the implications of my actions in a way I never was before.
So I think to the extent I'd expect meditation to change the world, it's through a process of individuals experiencing that kind of change in their own life and sharing that with the small world over which they have influence. To the extent meditation is important to living in a sensitive and caring way, individuals sharing and spreading that energy with people will, in small but tangible ways, change the world.
And there's a real potential for a positive domino-effect to come from that process: a caring person sensitive to the value of meditation may well create a cascade of people looking to be more caring and interested in a practicing meditation. I think slowly but surely, the story of mindfulness/Buddhism/meditation coming to the Western world is that story, and it's early days.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I feel like it moves and changes somewhat throughout a session, but I most frequently find my attention centered at the nostrils. I find it rests there typically because it's the place where for me the sensation of the breath — which is almost always my "object" of meditation — is most strongly felt.

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shadowmack — 9 years ago — permalink

I break my meditation time down into two smaller chunks of time.  Instead of 30 minutes, I can find 15 minutes twice in a day.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Obviously "tried" can be a bit of a fuzzy thing. But one "attempt" really caught in my mind.
I'd put together a little stack of somewhat firm pillow to sit on, and I got comfortable. And I sat there. Breath in, breath out. "Huh, I wonder what that thing over there is? …" Return. Breath in, breath out. Gone. … I managed to stay with this cycle for I'd guess five minutes, though I wasn't making any effort to track time or get to some benchmark, and then I thought "I suck at this and it's no fun." And I got up and I left.
That basic story had probably played out at least five different times in slightly different forms for the previous five years. On my own, without any guideline or social pressure, I just kind of "bounced off" meditation because it's kind of hard and frustrating. I'd do it with a group, or a friend, or alone, once and then forget the whole idea. (Most of my life I've been the kind of person who does things that they're naturally good at and runs from almost all other activities. I've gotten better at it, but that's the logic I'm describing here.)
Anyway, this time I'd recognized the cycle and really had some resolve that I'd come back. I left the stack of pillows in the disused corner of a room, and I earnestly intended to try this for at least three times before I'd give up. And so I came back. And it was still really hard and frustrating for me — the disappointment that I couldn't do this "simple" thing of staying with my breathing got to me — but I'd heard enough about the good of meditation, and I'd listened to enough dharma talks that I wasn't under the false illusion that I was the only one this activity could be difficult for.
So I came back the next day. And it was a bit easier, but I still didn't manage five minutes. And then I forgot, and came back the day after. And after a while on intending to do it regularly I hit a consistent five minutes every day. And I thought "Ten minutes would be an eternity, but I should try." And I've pretty much been going like that ever since.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

For me, like exercise, shaving, teeth brushing, and trimming fingernail, meditation is a habit. And I think it's best that way. 
Why? Because I believe pretty strongly that "you are what you repeatedly do." Stated differently, I think that habits matter more than most anything else. They're so automatic we don't think about them much, but they really shape everything. It nearly goes without saying, but someone in the habit of watching TV all day isn't likely to write the next great novel. Someone who makes a habit of writing everyday just might.
So by having a meditation "habit" I do it regularly. For me anything that I think I should do that doesn't reach the level of "yep I regularly do that and feel weird when I don't" is something i just don't reliably do. It's something I vaguely feel obligated to but never quite accomplish.
I know some people worry about losing some spiritual quality if they make or view meditation as a routine activity. I think there's some merit to that. But I get so much more value out regularly making a point of meditating (especially when there's a lot of resistance and struggle in it) that I wouldn't want it to be more will-based. I just know I'd delay and dally so I never really did it.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Huh. Maybe: Present, pleasant, and spacious. Spacious is the word I always come back to, though certainly there are many time when it's more accurate to say things like "lost in thought" or "frustrated".

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     Well, that's kind of a trick question.  Why?  Because one of the most basic understandings one must have is the 'purposelessness' of practice.  If there be a purpose at all, it is to just sit.  Expectations of benefits or 'why I do it' will undermine one's intent.  Especially for new meditators, expectations of  benefits or rewards will lead to disappointment as benefits of consequence only begin to appear after at least many months if not years.
     But for the patient one, there are these:  increased patience, more easily directed intense focus, less affected by stress, increased ability to actively listen to others, a greater ability to empathize with others' problems, a larger ability to be compassionate toward our fellow human beings, and indeed, "All sentient beings", as well as the physiological benefits which are many,  to name just a few.  The list goes on.  Still, the most important thing is to just sit.  Blessings.

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monkeymind — 9 years ago — permalink

Shown walking meditation on a retreat recently. Barefoot on grass. easy to focus on the sensation of walking and feel of the grass beneath my feet.. compared to the wandering focus on breathing whilst sitting anyway..and no discomfort at all which is sometimes an issue sitting as my bones get older. I found it helpful....better outside than in the house.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

It's a bit of bold and generic question. If everyone meditated regularly (and understood by meditation something approximating what I mean by meditation) then yes, I think the world would slowly change, it'd be a much softer place. But that's a lot of ifs...

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Lullabyehaze — 12 years ago — permalink

I don't think I have ever felt actual fear. Anxiety, yes. When that comes up, I try to just sit with it. More often that simply noticing and observing it, I often spent some time poking at it to figure out what it is, where it is coming from, if there is anything that I can do to abate it. For me, this often comes in affirmations to myself-- I am enough. I am strong. I have everything that I need within me.

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hissen — 12 years ago — permalink

I don't mind logging my times, but I don't personally find it motivating.  If it's helpful that I participate I'm happy to continue.  

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ministerCK — 9 years ago — permalink

Jon Kabat Zin:  Full Catastrophe Living

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

It can, particularly when I use Silent Prayer (Contemplative or Centering Prayer:  see books by Thomas Keating) in my practice.

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hanjini — 12 years ago — permalink

i finally decided to meditate every day instead of messing around with it. So far so good. In my mind, meditation needs to be a daily practice. 

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patrick — 10 years ago — permalink

I meditate because I feel that there may be a reality I could be missing in life.

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

Sometimes open; sometimes closed.  I always start with closed eyes but I'll occasionally open my eyes and look out into the trees and flowers in my back yard and allow myself to be awed by the splendor of creation.  It is important to have one's awareness awestruck as often as possible.  As Max Ehrmann points out in his "Desiderata",  "With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it's still a beautiful world.  Be careful.  Strive to be happy."

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

Lyrics written out for the lazy:

I believe Jehovah Jireh
I believe there's heaven,
I believe in war
I believe a woman's temple
Gives her the right to choose but baby don't abort
I believe that marriage isn't
Between a man and woman but between love and love
And I believe you when you say that you've lost all faith
But you must believe in something, something, something
You gotta believe in something, something, something
I still believe in man
A wise one asked me why
Cause I just don't believe we're wicked
I know that we sin but I do believe we try
We all try, the girls try, the boys try
Women try, men try, you and I try, try, we all try
I don't believe in time travel
I don't believe our nation's flag is on the moon
I don't believe our lives are simple
And I don't believe they're short, this is interlude
I don't believe my hands are cleanly
Can't believe that you would let me touch your heart
She didn't believe me when I said that I lost my faith
You must believe in something, something, something
You gotta believe in something, something, something
Try to believe (just try)
I do believe I do believe

Taken from Rap Genuis (which does a cool kind of line by line explainer; taught me what Jovah Jireh is).

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billhicks8 — 8 years ago — permalink

The most effective technique I've found has been to get up and begin meditation as early as possible. Not only does the earliest meditation set me up for the rest of the day, but it allows my mind to sit in the kind of "meditative groove" my daily practice has slowly been hollowing out over time.

 

Subsequent meditations are thereby made easier as the quieter, more desired state of open awareness is closer to access from the previous morning efforts I've made leading up to them.

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

Oooops!  The above words are actually those of Chuang Tzu.  Shantideva has another good piece of Compassion Advice which I will post later.  Sorry about that folks!

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     I think the best impact meditation has had on my relations with other people is that I believe it has made me far more patient with others  and less reactionary to stressful situations.  Also, I think I spend more time actively listening to others and respond only when I have something possibly useful to say.

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Shakuhachi — 12 years ago — permalink

This is one of the best treatments of all phases of meditation I haves seen but you have to search through all the highly technical stuff.  it is written by a neuroscientist. Maybe look in the index.
I could not cut and past the link but if you search "elibrary Zen Brain Reflections pdf" you will find it.
I have a hard copy of the older edition "Zen and the Brain".  It is a good resource.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

I'll check it out. Thanks!

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hanjini — 13 years ago — permalink

Briefly, my understanding of the standard teaching for this sort of experience is to note it, find a word to describe it, and then go back to the breath. That would be if you're doing a "concentration" meditation - i.e., when you have decided to focus on a single object, the breath.  Alternately, if you were doing a "mindfulness" session, you could just go with it, noticing everything about the experience, noticing your thinking about it, such as the thought that you're perfectly aware that you're also sitting quite still. Then you would be noticing the beginning of the feeling, the middle of the sensation, and its fading away.  Overall, I'd say the standard teaching is not to attach any significance to it, don't "get into it," and don't give it any more significance than just noticing it.
What you do with it beyond that, like after you meditate, is up to you. I mean, I'd be wondering what that metaphor's about - what else in my life is like a roller coaster? or explore the associations, like, am I making a tempest in a teacup out of something? But I'd say that's strictly outside of the sitting.

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meditateallday.com — 13 years ago — permalink

Hi!

All your sensations are coming from mind. Meditation is a state of no mind. The only way to meditate is to witness only what happens
, but never make any analysis. If you think about all what happened, you are again in mind games.

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

That's interesting! I haven't had that meditating, although I have in other situations. (I also haven't sat with my eyes closed for a prolonged period very often.) I wonder if part of it is losing spatial orientation from having your eyes closed? 
As you say, it doesn't sound like a problem at all, and also not necessarily like a particularly helpful experience. If it happened to me, I'd probably place it in the "Huh" category unless it got more prominent or seemed to be connected to other experiences. (That's where most things in my meditation go, I'd say.)

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santoanasrullah — 6 years ago — permalink

It's good to relax in the body.

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

Good for you!  And, thank you.  Blessings.

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hissen — 12 years ago — permalink

I am hissen.
-Monica

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     I suppose my cue to meditation is the routine I've established over the years.  In addition to this, I am aware that there are many benefits to regular meditation, as have been unquestionably shown by the battery of research that has been undertaken on the practice since, probably the mid '70's.  So, I strive to maintain my regular practice of meditating twice per day.
     Finally, I'm retired, so it's far easier for me to maintain my practice than it might be for a young mother and/or father with family responsibilities for children and work.  Of course, I have been there too, but I always tried to meditate daily even if only for a short time or only once per day.  I believe it's one's intention that is most important.  Maintain that intention always in the back of your mind and I promise, things will work out.  Blessings.

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     Right now I'm quite content to meditate thirty minutes, twice per day and I have the time and freedom from worldly cares to do so.  I will stay with this schedule probably for many months and at some point, I will probably feel the desire to meditate for a longer period of time. Such has been the case throughout my many years of meditation.   But that will come in it's own time.  No pressure.  Blessings!

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     Sure.  Obstacles both minor and major impact meditation.  I suppose the most common is missing a session, or just feeling unable to make it through your time goal for each session.  Other times, householder duties make it really difficult to meet one's goal of meditating twice, or even once each day.
     I like Shantideva's advice on obstacles.  He was an 8th century Buddhist Monk.  He said when talking about the problems of being human, "Don't worry about it!  Let it be  How can we understand it all in one day?"
     The point is that, things will come up that impact our lives and our intent to meditate.  It's only natural.  But, don't worry about it.  Forget about it and carry on doing as best you can.  Certainly don't beat yourself up about it.  That only serves to make our 
meditation, when we can do it more of a dreaded chore.  Don't worry about it!  Let it be.
Blessings to you.

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

     I've just begun to enter a new phase of practice where I meditate for thirty minutes twice a day on Mondays through Fridays and then thirty minutes in the mornings only on  Saturdays and Sundays.  These breaks are an effort to eliminate that nagging feeling that, "I have to meditate" that begins to creep into my practice over time.  Simple as that.  I think it's important to do whatever it takes to eliminate that nagging feeling which, over time, tends to insidiously infect our overall pleasure and commitment to practice.
     I suppose that some would feel that this shows a lack of discipline in my commitment to practice: but, then again, why should our practice take on the semblance of a disciplinary function or activity rather than a pleasurable one?  Just a thought.

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hanjini — 12 years ago — permalink

I looked online for a regular podcast. Amazingly, I found a weekly podcast by a former teacher, Peter Carlson, of Orlando Insight Meditation, where I used to live. They're exploring the Anapanassati Sutta - it's been great! I also re-dedicated myself to a local sangha, led by two Sri Lankan monks. It's very good to sit with real people who are studying the dhamma.

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tusculum — 11 years ago — permalink

What I take "religion" to mean is "believing what an authority tells you on faith, without requiring evidence or asking uncomfortable questions." I see meditation as a project of exploring one's conscious experience and NOT taking anything on faith but questioning every aspect in order to see clearly what's really going on. Thus, to me meditation seems the exact opposite of religion.

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beccab — 9 years ago — permalink

Hello, I didn't know this group existed until today, and this post may be completely out of sync, but the question spoke to me, so I wanted to write my experience and a solution that has been enormously helpful to me.
The past few weeks I have struggled to do a basic lovingkindness meditation.  I'm single, childless, and not close with my family.  My "best friend" has avoided spending time with me for the past couple of years, and we are finally talking about her anger that I interrupt and she feels I am judgmental.  So trying to do a lovingkindness meditation has left me in tears, only more aware that I do not have a loving connection with any people right now, and I'm too tired and discouraged to summon lovingkindness toward myself.
So I started doing yoga and I did discover a sense of peace and harmony.  So yesterday, when I was too tired to do yoga I needed to meditate.  I found the place of stillness inside and created this meditation:
May I be grounded in the soil of my ancestors
May I be filled with the light of understanding
May I fly on the wings of my spirit
May I be one with the Earth and the stars
May you be grounded......

It met a need for me, and I share it in hopes that it will help someone else who may be struggling.

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amayaan — 6 years ago — permalink

"Meditation is an effective way to fight mild depression. It creates awareness and helps in accepting the dark thoughts that you may have and then allowing it to let go. It also allows one to build an intimate relationship with oneself which lets one make peace with their past and concentrate their energy on building a better future.
However, if meditation is unable to help you with your mental health, then do not delay consulting a medical professional immediately.
 Follow : Guided 10 minute morning meditation and stay healthy

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I have not. Not really for any hard reason, but I've never been in a position where I thought it made sense to push someone toward doing it.

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Gameronomist — 12 years ago — permalink

There's a Zen saying that I like for this:
"You should meditate for 10 minutes a day. If you are too busy to meditate for 10 minutes a day, then you should meditate for an hour a day."

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

You should fold your legs as is most comfortable for you.  If you're young and flexible you might sit Full Lotus or Half Lotus.  Master Dogen, if I remember correctly, placed a huge amount of importance on posture while meditating - so if you sat in the posture of the Buddha, you are the Buddha, whether you know it or not.
     I think (and believe it has been shown)  posture is not as important as practice.  After all, meditation is not supposed to be a torture session but rather a quiet, comfortable state of awareness.  At my age, if I tried to sit Full Lotus I'd probably pop both my knees out of joint!  So, comfortably cross-legged works fine for me.  I think nowadays TM Teachers even say sitting in a comfortable chair, or even laying down is o.k.
     So, however you choose to sit; just sit.  That's the most important thing.  Blessings.

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MMontez — 7 years ago — permalink

I sit cross-legged on the floor. It helps me keep my spine long and my breathing a little freer. But when I teach chair yoga, we stay in the chair (obviously), sitting up tall, feet flat on the floor. The chair helps you relax your hips.

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davidbhayes — 12 years ago — permalink

It's not something that necessary makes it difficult for me — I just keep going, because I'm quite committed — but I sometimes suffer from a "rote" — dry, just going through the motion, uninspired — period (days or weeks) of meditation. When those things come up, I find it useful to more intentionally seek out inspiring books, dharma talks, etc than I usually do. It doesn't always work, but it's the best way I've found to deal with it.

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Shakuhachi — 13 years ago — permalink

Meditation helps to get me beyond my routine consciousness.  In the silence I sometimes touch "something else" where words have no place.  Sacred ground.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

I always struggle with this kind of question. In many situations, I can't think of any change at all that's occurred; they're all quite subtle. It requires me thinking really hard about what my life was like at a day-to-day level a while ago to start to get a sense of what's changed since I started to meditate.
I think the most valuable change for me is that I'm more skeptical of my first reaction to things. This could be stated similarly as an increase in the space I have around my thoughts and emotions. But essentially, I've learned that most emotions and thoughts aren't really meaningful, and don't really arise for a wise reason. For the most part a feeling is just a set of sensations in the body, a thought just a collection of firings of old prejudices.
What this all means, in practice, is that I'm a lot less quick to get angry, or defensive, than I would in the past. It's not all that long ago that someone suggesting that X or Y was a problem would set me back on my heels declaring that it's better the way it is. Now I, at least, pause for a second and measure my gut reaction with a small willingness to consider that this first reaction, which I may indeed share, isn't necessarily trustworthy. This also makes me much less likely to start yelling when I'm angry, though that does still happen from time to time.

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Interesting has so many different connotations. One sessions that sticks in my mind was the Dallas airport in the middle of an unexpected layover because of bad weather. Not especially scenic or special, but memorable and uncommon for me.

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fredclaymeyer — 14 years ago — permalink

Wow, he was really amazing:

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chenthillrulz — 12 years ago — permalink

While I dont often, I have observed meditation together is unimaginably powerful. It helps everyone to get to deeper states. Sometimes people have got answers for long standing questions and solved long standing problems.
Satsang and group prayers are very very common feature in India. Its often clubbed with singing songs.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Huh! I'm from Colorado--feels rather drab by comparison

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rachelcotterill — 13 years ago — permalink

England :)

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goldtree — 13 years ago — permalink

Sweden

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daidai — 13 years ago — permalink

brazil, here :)

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Ahmedosman — 13 years ago — permalink

Egypt!

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AndrewXPham — 13 years ago — permalink

Thailand, on the Mekong River

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BrightSmile — 6 years ago — permalink

I do a conscious quick check to make sure I do some deep breathing and feel relax.

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BrightSmile — 6 years ago — permalink

I do a quick mental check to make sure I am in a relaxed state first and then take a few deep breaths.

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nancymaggie7 — 12 years ago — permalink

Never mind! I see that you can input the date on the form of which days you sit.

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capemaggie — 12 years ago — permalink

You can enter times for previous days.  Just make sure to reflect the correct date...

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

Huh. No real thoughts, other than: Don't rest it on things if you don't want to fall asleep!
Generally I've never noticed many posture issues around the head. The way that feels most natural to me — mostly upright with the chin tucked slightly in — seems to be optimal.

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fredclaymeyer — 13 years ago — permalink

Make sure not to let it (your chin especially) jut out, or you'll get a tired neck and shoulders...

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hanjini — 13 years ago — permalink

I just let it be, not move around too much, my chin down a little bit, eyes closed. I sit very still.

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

I'm not generally a fan of poetry readings, but this one I've watched a lot and can at least recommend it as the best one I found on YouTube when I looked.

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NEBULABUFF — 7 years ago — permalink

     There have been many times over the years when I was simply too busy to meditate for many various reasons.  I suppose that a few folks would suggest trying to make up the lost session(s) in following days.  As for me, I simply would recognize the fact of missing a session (or two or. . .) and without berating or beating myself up, would continue with my normal routine and time frame at first opportunity.  If you don't immediately forgive yourself, you turn meditation into a chore rather than a time of quiet awareness.
     Remember those lines from that 'Sanskrit Proverb' I posted a couple of days ago:                               
                                             "For yesterday is but a dream;
                                              and tomorrow only a vision.
                                              But today, well lived
                                              makes every yesterday
                                              a dream of happiness,
                                              and tomorrow a vision of hope.
                                              Look well, therefore, to this day."
Hang in there!

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davidbhayes — 13 years ago — permalink

This may seem a bit silly, but one question I always have in the back of my mind is: "What am I doing wrong?"

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Zack1995 — 10 years ago — permalink

The back should be straight but comfortably, eyes should not be shut but half lidded or naturally relaxed but open, and chin should be pointing slightly down ward. But above all you should sit in a comfortable position otherwise your mind tends to focus on readjusting instead of the meditation itself.

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

     Well, my ratings start first with the fact of making it through my thirty minute session.  If I do it's automatically a 6.  Beyond that, 7 is pretty average, 8 is really great; 9 is catching a boat on this side of the river, and 10 is crossing over and leaving the boat behind.  As you might expect, a 9 is on the verge of 'enlightenment' and 10 is 'gone beyond'.  For me, an 8 is really a great session.  Hope this helps.  Blessings!

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NEBULABUFF — 6 years ago — permalink

I suppose I ought to further define 'Really Great' (8).  That would be that I maintained complete awareness on my breathing throughout the session and complete detatchment from all intrusive thoughts.  Hope this clarifies my rating system a bit more.  Blessings!

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davidbhayes — 14 years ago — permalink

First and foremost, I'm of the opinion that just keeping some log of "did or didn't meditate today" is a really valuable thing for keeping yourself honest and doing it regularly. I think everything else Medivate does--track time, let you give it a numerical "feeling" value, say things about it publicly and privately--are just unnecessary but nice bonuses. But if you don't like any of them, I'd not worry to much about not filling them in.
For me, the "how it felt" field is essentially about the balance of positive, neutral, and negative thoughts and feelings during the session. Generally, if a session feels like a struggle throughout, like a chore, etc I'll give it a lower score. And if it feels really pleasant--I'm enjoying my time sitting there and finding the sensations of (for example) the breath quite pleasant, I'll give a higher score. If the session is a mix of those two, or just lacking much of either, I'll generally give it a 5.
For comments, I just put things that occur to me to say about it. Generally they're notes related to the number I gave for "how it felt". Just what kind of things were distracting, what kind of thoughts came up, what sensations were dominant. (And with respect to the public/private divide: anything I wouldn't mind people seeing goes in the public comment.)
All of this bonus data can be interesting to just look back over. (Medivate's tools for this aren't as robust as we might like right now, but they're a start.) There are graphs that utilize the time, but also one of the "how it felt" field which makes it easy for me to identify times when meditation was harder or easier and puzzle at why. There's a basic word-analysis that points out to you words you've used frequently in recent meditation log entries and their occurence in past entries. There's also a basic search engine to find out when you were talking about "back pain" or "fidgetting" and what you said.

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