emmacat (Emmacat)
Basic Info
29, female
Lives in
Rye, NH
Meditating for
1 year, 4 months
Meditation technique
Shamatha-vipashyana. Tonglen.;
Affiliations
Buddhism - Shambhala
Influences and sources of support
Shambhala (Meditation group (affiliated with a spiritual tradition)), Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (Meditation instructor or teacher), The sacred path of the warrior (Book or written material), Tonglen: the path of transformation by Pema Chodron (Book or written material), Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche (Meditation instructor or teacher)
About
| Date | Duration | How it felt | Public Comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/31/26 | ||||
| 10/30/26 | ||||
| 10/29/26 | ||||
| Goal | Sit at least 180 minutes per day, five days per week, for three weeks. | |||
| Reward | ||||
Current Experiences in Meditation
I struggle to practice longer than 45 minutes, but find it easy to meditate shorter than 30 minutes.
| I am happy with how often I meditate | |||
| I am happy with my session duration | |||
| I feel like I understand "how to meditate" | |||
| I can meditate without much difficulty | |||
| I find meditation enjoyable | |||
| Meditation is yielding results in my life |
Originally taken: 13 years ago
Meditation in Daily Life
| Harsh, unfriendly attitudes toward myself | Kindness and gentleness toward myself | ||||
| 'Out-of-control' thinking (like unhelpful worry or rehashing past events) | Freedom from out-of-control thinking; mental stability | ||||
| Feeling unable to cope with strong emotions | Feeling able to cope with strong emotions | ||||
| Finding it difficult to empathize with others | Empathizing easily and deeply with others | ||||
| Panicked or overwhelmed by challenges | Confident when facing challenges | ||||
| Unable to process pain in healthy ways | Able to process pain in healthy ways | ||||
| Little capacity to enjoy life | Great capacity to enjoy life | ||||
| Lack of energy and enthusiasm | Energy and enthusiasm for life and activities | ||||
| Wishing life were different | Appreciation or gratitude for life as it is | ||||
| Feeling lost or bewildered by life | Feeling of broad understanding, 'attunement,' or wisdom |
Originally taken: 13 years ago
Challenges in Meditation
| Difficulty simply willing myself to practice | |||
| Lack of time | |||
| Boredom, restlessness | |||
| Strong emotional experiences | |||
| Physical pain or discomfort | |||
| Frustration, feeling of not "getting it right" | |||
| Philosophical or spiritual doubts | |||
| Confusion about meditation technique | |||
| Doubts about efficacy of meditation | |||
| Perceived lack of results or progress |
Originally taken: 13 years ago
Motivators to Meditate
Why I'm interested in meditation: "____"
| Developing compassion for others | |||
| Mindfulness, "presence," clarity | |||
| "Sub-clinical" psychological problems | |||
| Improved mood or happiness | |||
| "Clinical" psychological problems | |||
| Spiritual insights or experiences | |||
| Physical pain or maladies | |||
| Religious reasons |
Originally taken: 13 years ago
Brainstorm of Reasons to Meditate
| Being fearless | ||
| Being kind to others | ||
| Establishing discipline | ||
| Maintaining sanity | ||
| Developing patience |
Originally taken: 14 years ago