Meditation: Anyone do it?

[JumBie]

Does anyone here meditate? If so what type of meditation do you practice, and how has it changed you.

I have been researching it for quite some time, and never got a chance to actually practice it. I tried it once last week for about 10 minutes. And I got to say I felt quite clear minded and free. However, I did not continue with it after that one experience. Can anyone chime in and share their experiences with this practice.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

I practice mindfulness meditation fairly regularly. I don't typically set aside 30min-1hr to do it like some practitioners, but the point is to be able to use it when you need it. I typically will sneak 5-10min sessions in where I clear my head, focus on my breathing, and assess myself.

I do it mainly for stress management, as I do have mild to moderately severe anxiety. When I get a nice session in, it helps me reduce my stress, gain new perspective, and re-group. While I don't think it's a cure for anything, it is nice to almost see yourself, your thoughts, and your worries from an outsider's perspective. You can then non-judgmentally assess them, problem solve, and resume your regular life.

For me, it has given me some better insight as to my thought processes and the pettiness of anxiety. I attempt to maintain a larger view, as opposed to micromanaging, which helps me get things done on a broader scale.

I have done sessions up to 3h with classes and it's almost disorienting. One of the main/only side effects of meditation is going into a dissociative state. This means you essentially have an out-of-body experience where you don't feel like you - you feel like an outsider viewing yourself. It's very odd. That's why I tend to stick to 30min sessions at maximum and it works just fine for me.

 

[JumBie]

I practice mindfulness meditation fairly regularly. I don't typically set aside 30min-1hr to do it like some practitioners, but the point is to be able to use it when you need it. I typically will sneak 5-10min sessions in where I clear my head, focus on my breathing, and assess myself.

I do it mainly for stress management, as I do have mild to moderately severe anxiety. When I get a nice session in, it helps me reduce my stress, gain new perspective, and re-group. While I don't think it's a cure for anything, it is nice to almost see yourself, your thoughts, and your worries from an outsider's perspective. You can then non-judgmentally assess them, problem solve, and resume your regular life.

For me, it has given me some better insight as to my thought processes and the pettiness of anxiety. I attempt to maintain a larger view, as opposed to micromanaging, which helps me get things done on a broader scale.

I have done sessions up to 3h with classes and it's almost disorienting. One of the main/only side effects of meditation is going into a dissociative state. This means you essentially have an out-of-body experience where you don't feel like you - you feel like an outsider viewing yourself. It's very odd. That's why I tend to stick to 30min sessions at maximum and it works just fine for me.

Interesting, I feel like thats the same reason I want to try this out long term. Mostly to manage stress and anxiety.

How do you practice? Do you sit in a certain fashion, chant any words, etc?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Interesting, I feel like thats the same reason I want to try this out long term. Mostly to manage stress and anxiety.

How do you practice? Do you sit in a certain fashion, chant any words, etc?

To be honest, I don't assume any special position or anything. I often meditate while at my work desk or while driving (which takes a lot of practice to get to - don't try this early on. You will drive just fine, but won't have a successful meditation session). The main thing I have to focus on is having a soft gaze in front of me and reducing tension throughout my body.

I think I've become more flexible with meditating in whatever position I like from yoga. Some people are pretty rigid and have to sit in the lotus position and set up their environment, but I'm a realist and acknowledge I won't do it if I require that of myself.

I also don't chant anything. Sometimes, with longer sessions, I will meditate on a philosophical quote and see if I can acquire personal meaning from it. Other than that, I really just focus on a soft gaze and deep, regular breathing.

 

[JumBie]

To be honest, I don't assume any special position or anything. I often meditate while at my work desk or while driving (which takes a lot of practice to get to - don't try this early on. You will drive just fine, but won't have a successful meditation session). The main thing I have to focus on is having a soft gaze in front of me and reducing tension throughout my body.

I think I've become more flexible with meditating in whatever position I like from yoga. Some people are pretty rigid and have to sit in the lotus position and set up their environment, but I'm a realist and acknowledge I won't do it if I require that of myself.

I also don't chant anything. Sometimes, with longer sessions, I will meditate on a philosophical quote and see if I can acquire personal meaning from it. Other than that, I really just focus on a soft gaze and deep, regular breathing.

Thanks for the insight and tips. I wonder if i can squeeze some meditation in while laying down before bed. I might try and meditate on personal goals and see how that helps me with my anxiety over not really knowing what to do, or what my future holds.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Thanks for the insight and tips. I wonder if i can squeeze some meditation in while laying down before bed. I might try and meditate on personal goals and see how that helps me with my anxiety over not really knowing what to do, or what my future holds.

To be honest, both of those strategies are strongly recommended AGAINST with meditation. First of all, meditation is supposed to be done in an active, very awake state. That means, no lying down, nobed, no closing your eyes. With mindfulness meditation, the goal is actually to clear your mind of all thought. The goal is to block everything out and think of nothing initially. If you try to think about your personal goals and your future... that can actually facilitate stress, especially early in your session.

If I intend to think of topics with a clear mind, what I will usually do is spend 5-10min calming my mind, clearing my thoughts - all thoughts. Literally, your job is to think of absolutely nothing other than your body, your tension, and what you feel (not why you're feeling that way, just absorb the senses). After that point, when you have a clear mind, you can approach a specific topic - not life, not your entire future, but a tangible issue. Later on, you may be able to tackle big concepts, but early on it has to be very small and guided so you can maintain focus and clarity.

That's just mindfulness meditation, which is different from other types, but I can pretty much guarantee none of them will suggest your above process. It might be worth it to read some more, participate in a video meditation, or go to a local meditation center or temple. Everyone needs some guidance to get going.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I use meditation to help me manage pain. It works quite well.