Lullabyehaze's Forum Posts

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.

I'd love to hear people's tips on this. I have issues with my back and shoulders, and I readjust my posture every few minutes or so. But here are my tips:
Spend a minute or two at the beginning arranging your legs and bottom so that you'll be comfortable. Don't rush into it.
Think of stacking up the vertebrae on top of each other, building from the bottom to the crown of the head.
Tilt the head down a bit so that the highest point is the crown of the head, not the forehead. This lengthens the back of the neck and points the gaze down.
Try to have a straight and firm posture, but at the same time soft and not rigid. I don't know if this is helpful to anyone else, but I imagine my spine/shoulders as a hanger or coat rack, and my body is the shirt/coat/whatever. There is structure in the middle, but the rest of the body, shoulders, etc. is relaxed.

We have a small fenced patio with a bit of garden space. I created a small platform using a wooden pallet that I sanded a bit and spray-painted. This is a lovely meditation space-- it is fairly quiet, peaceful, and often sunny. But since I tend to meditate in the mornings, right now it's a bit cold to be outside. I usually set up my zafu and zabuton in an area of the living room and then put away the pillows again when I'm finished. Now that you mention it, I may try to think of a different place to set up-- maybe facing a wall or window. My current space is just kind of in the middle of things. I would love to have a little nook where I could keep my cushions set up, maybe add some candles or incense. One day!
For me, the real key is having a place that is quiet, if possible. Everything else is optional...and even the quiet is negotiable! 

I like this idea! I remember hearing it before, but I forgot. For some people it is waiting at red lights, stuff like that. Someone also suggested putting a small "dot" sticker in a certain place-- on the computer or phone for example-- to remind you to be mindful.

The challenge for me is to stay mindful throughout the day at work. When I can, I try to take a little walk around the block. This helps my back and all the muscles that don't like to sit at a computer all day, but it can also revive my mind and help me to look at a situation in a more balanced way without simply getting caught up in my own perspective.

EVERYBODY'S mind wanders. Don't beat yourself up about it.

Morning is often a good time for me-- on work days, in can fit into my morning routine, and this ensures that I don't forget to do it! At the same time, if I am too sleepy, this can be a problem, and I am clearer-headed later in the day. My issue is that I can't find a routine that works for me so that I can be consistent with it later in the day.

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. :)

I like the question, and I really like the reply from gordon. My first thought at reading the question was yes, definitely. I definitely have sessions that are calm and peaceful, and in which I am very present. Sometimes a great idea or solution will come to me during meditation, or I will slowly work through a negative feeling that I am experiencing. 
But other sessions, like gordon says, are full of anger or impatience. Or maybe they are full of positive emotion like excitement about something that is happening later in the day. Sometimes I have sessions where I think, "does that even "count" as meditation?" Maybe that was just thinking or planning. All of this goes to show that I definitely have the tendency to want to evaluate the quality or content of my sessions.
So, sessions are each different from each other, but I agree that the point is just to see what happens. I am working on this non-attached and non-evaluative attitude.

Yep. Not that I'm going to be preachy about it, but I think that everyone should meditate. Also, many people say "_______ is my meditation." For example, "running is my meditation." Again, not to judge, but running can be meditative, swimming can be meditative, and I'm sure that there are others...but none of these is the same as stopping your busy motion and sitting still. I think the world would be a more calm and happy place if more people meditated.

I have learned through books, in-person classes and events, YouTube videos, etc. The things that have helped me the most were books by Thich Nhat Hanh and an 8-week course in Mindfulness-Based Stress Management (Jon Kabat-Zinn) which included a few guided meditation tracks to do at home. 
Though, "learned about" all of a sudden seems like not quite the right word for me. Certainly it is important to learn about meditation, but I'm realizing that there is "learning about meditation" and there is "learning meditation." Much as I love to read and research, it is only actually meditating that teaches me meditation. For this, I have to say that what helps me and disciplines me most is meditating in a group. The Mindfulness class was great for that, and there are continuing alumni sessions which I like to attend. In addition, though I don't know a lot about Zen, there is a Zen Center in my area that has multiple sittings each week. I have found these to be excellent for helping me to deepen my practice.

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!

Busyness and restlessness-- this thought that there is something else that I need to do...nothing specific, just when I think of sitting, it makes me feel restless.

Agreed. That's the beauty of it-- while it might be nice to have a special cushion, a bell, incense, whatever, none of that is really necessary. You just need yourself and your attention.

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.

Oooh...good point! It isn't really a matter of time, but priorities. I've been thinking about that off and on for a while now-- not specifically with regard to meditation, but just about how much time is automatically wasted on TV every evening. TV happens to be the easiest thing to do. One thing I thought about trying was starting with just one tv-less night per week, and see how it goes.

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.

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.

The majority of my meditation experiences are pleasant. The ones that have been the most positive have involved nature, such as walking meditation outside, or just sitting outside by the ocean or in a forest. I try to seek out these settings when I can. The other great ones are the longer ones with other people. When I do a half day or day retreat, after a while it's like I'm in another state altogether, and it feels wonderful.

I'll want to get a real cushion at some point, but wow-- so pricey! For the time being, I added another pillow so that I'm sitting a little higher, nearer to the height of a zafu. This is more comfortable than just one pillow.

I usually sit cross-legged on a cushion-- just a cushion that I had at home, not a special meditation cushion for the time being. There are times when I sit in a chair if my back or knees hurt. And I really like to meditate outside when I can, so I might sit on a bench or a tree stump.

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.