I've been back at my meditation practice for a week now after almost a year-and-a-half hiatus. I just started out with short 10-minute sessions twice a day, morning and night. Gonna move it up to 15 minutes starting tonight. I used to do 2 half-hour sessions a day, we'll see how I work up to that, I figure 10 minutes of good focused meditation is better than a half-hour distracted attempt tho, so whatever fits best is what I will aim to keep at.
There are moments of pure clarity and times of endless internal narration. I don't feel frustrated by it the way I have in the past, tho - I feel confident and am able to re-direct my mindfulness back to being quiet and still when the chatter arises. That fact alone pleases me greatly.
It feels good to clear the cobwebs off of my practice - I figure that now is the time to get a good steady daily rhythm going as I have more free time at the present. Hopefully, by making it a daily habit, it will stick when times get a little more busier than they are now.
Meditation Practice
Started by
Lazy Lightning
, Aug 02 2011 07:17 PM
22 replies to this topic
#2
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- VibeTribe
- 377 posts
Posted 03 August 2011 - 08:23 PM
it is great that you aren't becoming frustrated with your "endless internal narration"--it is very difficult to quiet the mind. as long as we let go of those thoughts that arise then we are heading in the right direction. good luck with the old\new "habit"!
#3
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 03 August 2011 - 10:02 PM
Yes, that's a "new thing" when I am coming at it this time around - nice to just be able to turn it back without getting frustrated by it as I had in the past. Altho, this morning's session was a little noisier than usual - I had to turn back to my focus quite a bit more than I have in the past week. Sometimes I wonder if that's a psychological trick my own mind is playing on me in light of having stepped it up 5 more minutes.
Brains can be tricky!
Brains can be tricky!
#4
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 13 August 2011 - 08:48 PM
A week and a half at 15 minutes and I am ready to step it up to 20 minutes/session next week.
Really happy with my progress and stick-to-it-ivness... Some sessions are noisier than others, and I've missed a session here and there, but overall I have been keeping at two sessions/day and am already feeling some benefits from the steady practice.
Really happy with my progress and stick-to-it-ivness... Some sessions are noisier than others, and I've missed a session here and there, but overall I have been keeping at two sessions/day and am already feeling some benefits from the steady practice.
#6
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 19 August 2011 - 01:04 PM
That's awesome! I'm reading Buddha right now which has a LOT of meditation in it. Very interesting stuff. He could literally sit for 3 days and meditate without noticing a thing.
Now THAT is a lot of discipline!!!
I am finding the 20 minute threshold to be a challenge these past 2-3 days - when I set my chime for 15 minutes, it goes off and I usually keep on for another 5 minutes or so afterwards, so I'm not sure why I am finding my head crowded when I set the chime for 20 minutes - could be totally psychological just knowing that I am sitting for 20 rather than 15. I'm going to keep at the 20 for another week and see how it goes, b/c it could be just where I am at right now. If I don't find it's going so well, I am going to cut back to 15 minutes - I'd rather a good solid 15 minutes of sound practice than 20 minutes with bouts of drifting.
We'll see if I can shape my mind into where it needs to be to really get some good out of the lengthier sitting over the next week or so.
#7
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 12 September 2011 - 10:10 AM
So it has been a little over a month since I started my daily practice. I find 2 sessions of 15 minutes each works really well for me. It has brought to light some changes I needed to make - some of these have been conscious decisions, some have just come about on their own - good stuff, that!
Really happy to have started this up again. Sometimes I miss a session, sometimes I miss a few in a row. I don't feel guilty or down on myself for it, I just start back up again when the first opportunity allows.
I am thankful for my practice.
Really happy to have started this up again. Sometimes I miss a session, sometimes I miss a few in a row. I don't feel guilty or down on myself for it, I just start back up again when the first opportunity allows.
I am thankful for my practice.
#10
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 27 November 2011 - 11:43 PM
That workshop sounds cool, CC - hope you enjoyed your second day as much as the first!
I took a break for the month of November and aim to get back at it in December. Sometimes if I feel as tho I am plateauing or starting to wander, taking a break brings me back to a more solid practice. Don't ask me why, it just works for me. The trick is making sure I start again after having some time off - well, that begins again in a few days, so I just have to make sure that I do it!
I feel good about having done a solid three months!
I took a break for the month of November and aim to get back at it in December. Sometimes if I feel as tho I am plateauing or starting to wander, taking a break brings me back to a more solid practice. Don't ask me why, it just works for me. The trick is making sure I start again after having some time off - well, that begins again in a few days, so I just have to make sure that I do it!
I feel good about having done a solid three months!
#13
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- VibeTribe
- 8 posts
Posted 22 February 2012 - 05:05 PM
This is Thich Nhat Hanh's "ten mindful movements" guided video. This is good to do any time and anywhere. In my consciousness class, we do these movements together outside. I recommend it for people who are just starting in meditation and also people who commit to daily practice. 
#15
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- VibeTribe
- 11 posts
Posted 06 May 2012 - 09:58 PM
I am trying to get back into meditation, but my monkey brain won't shut up for 10 minutes. I think I am going to start trying some guided meditation to train myself to stay still. Any suggestions on this? Anyone have any luck with guided meditation?
#17
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- VibeTribe
- 14,128 posts
Posted 07 May 2012 - 01:57 AM
Hi Perc820,
We did some guided meditation with our teacher back when I was taking classes, but I can't find my notes from those classes to share with you.
That said, I find that a practice called "naming the distractions" really helps me to avoid engaging with any stray thoughts that come up so that I am better able to let them go rather than grabbing on to them. Basically, whatever it is, give a name to it - "dinner" "work" "friends" "tomorrow" - whatever it is that enters your mind. Name it and them let it go. It's been really helpful for my practice.
Don't forget that your mind WILL wander, your job is just to not allow it to lead you too far down the path - even the most seasoned meditation practitioners deal with distracted minds - which if we look at it with gratitude, it just gives us more opportunity to develop discipline.
We did some guided meditation with our teacher back when I was taking classes, but I can't find my notes from those classes to share with you.
That said, I find that a practice called "naming the distractions" really helps me to avoid engaging with any stray thoughts that come up so that I am better able to let them go rather than grabbing on to them. Basically, whatever it is, give a name to it - "dinner" "work" "friends" "tomorrow" - whatever it is that enters your mind. Name it and them let it go. It's been really helpful for my practice.
Don't forget that your mind WILL wander, your job is just to not allow it to lead you too far down the path - even the most seasoned meditation practitioners deal with distracted minds - which if we look at it with gratitude, it just gives us more opportunity to develop discipline.
#21
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- VibeTribe
- 17,237 posts
Posted 12 December 2012 - 07:12 PM
Close your eyes, find a place to sit comfortably with back straight, and begin breathing deeply in thru your nose, out thru your mouth, slowly and fully. Focus on your breathing, how it feels, the speed, and pause between breathsout and in. after several minutes, you will already feel relaxed.
The more you do it, the easier it gets to hold your focus.
The more you do it, the easier it gets to hold your focus.
#22
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- VibeTribe
- 12,928 posts
Posted 12 December 2012 - 08:43 PM
Good advice from Hoagie.
I'll add a couplefew thoughts of my own:
-Starting out, I found it helpful to "count breaths." Breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "one"...breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "two"...repeat up to "ten," then start over. If you get tangled up in thoughts or lose count (and you will, starting out), start over.
-Thoughts will happen. Let 'em pass through without clinging to them. As you practice more, the space between them gets bigger.
-Give yourself plenty of slack. By its nature, a racing mind will race. Don't try a few times, say "I suck at this," beat yourself up and quit trying.
-Try not to get hung up on outcomes. It's not about "succeeding." It's about doin' the thing, however it turns out.
I'll add a couplefew thoughts of my own:
-Starting out, I found it helpful to "count breaths." Breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "one"...breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "two"...repeat up to "ten," then start over. If you get tangled up in thoughts or lose count (and you will, starting out), start over.
-Thoughts will happen. Let 'em pass through without clinging to them. As you practice more, the space between them gets bigger.
-Give yourself plenty of slack. By its nature, a racing mind will race. Don't try a few times, say "I suck at this," beat yourself up and quit trying.
-Try not to get hung up on outcomes. It's not about "succeeding." It's about doin' the thing, however it turns out.
#23
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- VibeTribe
- 17,237 posts
Posted 13 December 2012 - 12:33 AM
Good advice from Hoagie.
I'll add a couplefew thoughts of my own:
-Starting out, I found it helpful to "count breaths." Breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "one"...breath in...and as you exhale...silently count "two"...repeat up to "ten," then start over. If you get tangled up in thoughts or lose count (and you will, starting out), start over.
-Thoughts will happen. Let 'em pass through without clinging to them. As you practice more, the space between them gets bigger.
-Give yourself plenty of slack. By its nature, a racing mind will race. Don't try a few times, say "I suck at this," beat yourself up and quit trying.
-Try not to get hung up on outcomes. It's not about "succeeding." It's about doin' the thing, however it turns out.
i can get waaaaayyy more spaced out faster/easier if I hang with MJ beforehand. Really beneficial in my case.
