Meditation

[The Sum of Awe]

I'd like to start meditating. I've had a lot of stress and I noticed that the main way I deal with it is suppressing it, because there's not much else I can do. There's a lot of responsibilities that I have, and a lot of things I worry about on top of it. I just worry that it is unhealthy, even though I feel alright.

Would meditating 15 minutes a day be enough? And how specifically do you do it (I'd rather not watch a five minute video or read a lengthy article, just simple instructions)

Every time I've tried meditating in the past I would only do it for a couple weeks then stop. Maybe that's okay though, maybe I don't have to do it every day for the rest of my life, just when I need to.

 

[vulcanlogician]

I think too much, and racing thoughts inhibit my ability to successfully meditate, so I like to chant mantras. It's something that I "do" rather than just sitting there following my breath or waiting for my 1.5 billion thoughts to settle down.

I sit in a chair, I chant mantras for like ten minutes, then I meditate silently once I'm not so "thinky."

I say check out YouTube, try different things and see what works for you.

(chi gong is also pretty nice)

 

[Quagmire]

I summed up what I do here:

Post your meditation music here

posts #8 and #11.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I think too much, and racing thoughts inhibit my ability to successfully meditate, so I like to chant mantras. It's something that I "do" rather than just sitting there following my breath or waiting for my 1.5 billion thoughts will settle down.

I sit in a chair, I chant mantras for like ten minutes, then I meditate silently once I'm not so "thinky."

I say check out YouTube, try different things and see what works for you.

(chi gong is also pretty nice)

I've never had much of an issue returning to the point of concentrating on my breath when I did it, I should be alright to not use mantras. Is that really all it boils down to is focusing on your breath?

Also, if I were to only practice 15 minutes a day, would that be beneficial?

 

[Quagmire]

I've never had much of an issue returning to the point of concentrating on my breath when I did it, I should be alright to not use mantras. Is that really all it boils down to is focusing on your breath?

Also, if I were to only practice 15 minutes a day, would that be beneficial?

I think 15 minutes a day is pretty good.

 

[vulcanlogician]

Also, if I were to only practice 15 minutes a day, would that be beneficial?

Probably. Especially if you can just sit right down and concentrate on your breath.

 

[JustGeorge]

I'd like to start meditating. I've had a lot of stress and I noticed that the main way I deal with it is suppressing it, because there's not much else I can do. There's a lot of responsibilities that I have, and a lot of things I worry about on top of it. I just worry that it is unhealthy, even though I feel alright.

Would meditating 15 minutes a day be enough? And how specifically do you do it (I'd rather not watch a five minute video or read a lengthy article, just simple instructions)

Every time I've tried meditating in the past I would only do it for a couple weeks then stop. Maybe that's okay though, maybe I don't have to do it every day for the rest of my life, just when I need to.

I notice a lot of people take to meditation for stress relief. Nothing wrong with this, but just be aware, not all find it destressing(I fall into this camp, and know others who do, too). I would take notes(if only mental) if you try a certain type, and it makes you feel worse. If that happens, I would recommend trying out another method; sometimes trucking through it increases anxiety.

I vary my methods. Visualization is the easiest for me. Breath focus works well, too. I switch it up as desired.

I used to keep a timer going, but found it discouraging(I'd obsess over the time). I'm trying to get back into the habit myself... At the moment I'm not worrying about the time. If 15 minutes a day worked before for you, I'd try that again(or work up to it, if its hard at first).

 

[Quintessence]

Much of the information out there about meditation is inspired by Eastern traditions and their methods of practicing meditation. This is both a good and a bad thing. On the plus side, the Eastern styles of meditation have a robust history and they work well. On the minus side, removing them from their religious context can sometimes make them an odd fit for people who do not follow Eastern religions. The assumption that meditation necessitates shutting up your thinking, for example, makes more sense if your religion emphasizes detachment as per Buddhism, and less sense in other contexts. Don't get me wrong, the typical materialist American can really use some letting go of their attachments to things, but this style of meditation can be hard to start with especially if you have certain neurodiversity traits.

When I did a broader study of what gets called meditation across different traditions, it seemed to be broadly about learning how to shift your attention to a state of focused awareness. I came up with a four-fold classification system for types of meditation based on two binaries: whether the meditation focuses within or without, and whether the meditation is centered on a point of focus or more diffuse in terms of where it is casting your awareness. To come up with a style of meditation that works for you, you can ask yourself a couple of basic questions to figure out which of the four styles to start with:

• Where do I want to focus my attention? Internally or externally?
• How much do I want to focus my attention? On a center point or more diffusely?

You'll get somewhat different experiences with the different combinations, and each can have a different use within your religious practice.

One of the meditations I first learned was an inner centering meditation whose goal is relaxation. It is especially good for stress, because it teaches you how to control your own body to relax your muscles. There are abundant guided meditations that will train you in this technique, and after practicing it enough you can do it without the walkthrough. Being able to relax can help lower the barriers for doing other types of meditation, so I think it's a helpful one to start with. It also sounds like it'd be a good one for your particular situation. Not sure I can find the old guided meditation I first learned with, but if you dig around you will definitely find one similar. The guide will prompt you to relax different, specific parts of your body one by one usually over about that fifteen minute time frame you are looking for.

 

[Heyo]

My meditation style is Autogenic Training. It fits my western thinking with its rational approach. It is well studied and has ample evidence of effectiveness. It can go beyond mere relaxation and treat or even cure neurophysical ailments. I got rid of hay fever with it.
The bummer is that it takes quite some time (month) to learn and one sitting is 30 minutes (for me, you might go faster).

 

[vulcanlogician]

I came up with a four-fold classification system for types of meditation based on two binaries: whether the meditation focuses within or without, and whether the meditation is centered on a point of focus or more diffuse in terms of where it is casting your awareness.

Wow. I appreciate your thorough assessment.

 

[Secret Chief]

15 minutes sounds fine.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

Much of the information out there about meditation is inspired by Eastern traditions and their methods of practicing meditation. This is both a good and a bad thing. On the plus side, the Eastern styles of meditation have a robust history and they work well. On the minus side, removing them from their religious context can sometimes make them an odd fit for people who do not follow Eastern religions. The assumption that meditation necessitates shutting up your thinking, for example, makes more sense if your religion emphasizes detachment as per Buddhism, and less sense in other contexts. Don't get me wrong, the typical materialist American can really use some letting go of their attachments to things, but this style of meditation can be hard to start with especially if you have certain neurodiversity traits.

When I did a broader study of what gets called meditation across different traditions, it seemed to be broadly about learning how to shift your attention to a state of focused awareness. I came up with a four-fold classification system for types of meditation based on two binaries: whether the meditation focuses within or without, and whether the meditation is centered on a point of focus or more diffuse in terms of where it is casting your awareness. To come up with a style of meditation that works for you, you can ask yourself a couple of basic questions to figure out which of the four styles to start with:

• Where do I want to focus my attention? Internally or externally?
• How much do I want to focus my attention? On a center point or more diffusely?

You'll get somewhat different experiences with the different combinations, and each can have a different use within your religious practice.

One of the meditations I first learned was an inner centering meditation whose goal is relaxation. It is especially good for stress, because it teaches you how to control your own body to relax your muscles. There are abundant guided meditations that will train you in this technique, and after practicing it enough you can do it without the walkthrough. Being able to relax can help lower the barriers for doing other types of meditation, so I think it's a helpful one to start with. It also sounds like it'd be a good one for your particular situation. Not sure I can find the old guided meditation I first learned with, but if you dig around you will definitely find one similar. The guide will prompt you to relax different, specific parts of your body one by one usually over about that fifteen minute time frame you are looking for.

Thank you for the information

 

[SalixIncendium]

Would meditating 15 minutes a day be enough? And how specifically do you do it (I'd rather not watch a five minute video or read a lengthy article, just simple instructions)

People tend to put too much emphasis on duration of a meditation session. It's the quality of the meditation, not the length of time one meditates that determines the effectiveness of the session.

I'm currently teaching my daughter, who tends toward succumbing to anxiety, how to meditate, so I'll share with you what I'm teaching her...

First, find a quiet time/place where you'll be uninterrupted. She finds water soothing, so we began sitting at a lake.

I have her close her eyes and open her senses, rendering full awareness of sounds, smells, air temp, how her clothing feels on her skin, the feeling of what she is sitting on, and even the taste in her mouth.

I then have her focus on her breath, not taking deep breaths, but just breathing normally, and then I have her count each breath in and out until she reaches 10, then start over at 1 (you'd be surprised when I started this practice myself how many times I had found myself in the 20s before realizing I missed 10).

She does this for the amount of time it takes to have complete focus on breath without being distracted by the monkey mind.
​

This practice has proven effective for me in the past and appears to help her (when she's not making excuses that she doesn't have time to do it).

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'd like to start meditating. I've had a lot of stress and I noticed that the main way I deal with it is suppressing it, because there's not much else I can do. There's a lot of responsibilities that I have, and a lot of things I worry about on top of it. I just worry that it is unhealthy, even though I feel alright.

Would meditating 15 minutes a day be enough? And how specifically do you do it (I'd rather not watch a five minute video or read a lengthy article, just simple instructions)

Every time I've tried meditating in the past I would only do it for a couple weeks then stop. Maybe that's okay though, maybe I don't have to do it every day for the rest of my life, just when I need to.

Maybe you should know your stress.

Make it the best stress you ever had.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

People tend to put too much emphasis on duration of a meditation session. It's the quality of the meditation, not the length of time one meditates that determines the effectiveness of the session.

I'm currently teaching my daughter, who tends toward succumbing to anxiety, how to meditate, so I'll share with you what I'm teaching her...

First, find a quiet time/place where you'll be uninterrupted. She finds water soothing, so we began sitting at a lake.

I have her close her eyes and open her senses, rendering full awareness of sounds, smells, air temp, how her clothing feels on her skin, the feeling of what she is sitting on, and even the taste in her mouth.

I then have her focus on her breath, not taking deep breaths, but just breathing normally, and then I have her count each breath in and out until she reaches 10, then start over at 1 (you'd be surprised when I started this practice myself how many times I had found myself in the 20s before realizing I missed 10).

She does this for the amount of time it takes to have complete focus on breath without being distracted by the monkey mind.
​

This practice has proven effective for me in the past and appears to help her (when she's not making excuses that she doesn't have time to do it).

Thank you, that was very explanatory and helpful.

 

[Secret Chief]

Depending on what type of meditation you do, some method of timing might be useful. You can buy physical ones or, if you're a cheapskate like me, download an app.

 

[RestlessSoul]

Depending on what type of meditation you do, some method of timing might be useful. You can buy physical ones or, if you're a cheapskate like me, download an app.

Imagine what the Buddha might have achieved, if only he’d had an app

 

[Debater Slayer]

I'd like to start meditating. I've had a lot of stress and I noticed that the main way I deal with it is suppressing it, because there's not much else I can do. There's a lot of responsibilities that I have, and a lot of things I worry about on top of it. I just worry that it is unhealthy, even though I feel alright.

Would meditating 15 minutes a day be enough? And how specifically do you do it (I'd rather not watch a five minute video or read a lengthy article, just simple instructions)

Every time I've tried meditating in the past I would only do it for a couple weeks then stop. Maybe that's okay though, maybe I don't have to do it every day for the rest of my life, just when I need to.

I practice mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation, and visualization. I also sometimes do these in conjunction with physical exercise (primarily yoga) or while listening to music.

The duration itself is far less important than the process of the meditation and the results you get from it. The way I usually do it is thus:

• Sit in a quiet, dark room. This is not necessary for me anymore, but it helps. It's also good for someone who is just picking up meditation.

• Don't suppress any feelings, be they stressful or positive. Let them occur and focus on breathing, visualization, and contemplation of the fleeting nature of thoughts. My therapist told me about the 90-second rule, which I have found to be an immensely helpful addition to my routine.

• Think about the lack of free will and how this means that ultimately, there's no reason to feel angry or dwell on the past. (This one is personally tailored to my own worldview, so ignore it if you believe in free will. I find it significantly calming within the context of my own worldview.)

• Finally, don't give up if you don't experience much difference after the first few or even several meditation sessions. Meditation is easy to pick up but can be quite difficult to get significant results from. It may need patience, frequent practice, and personal exploration. One of its most challenging but also most helpful aspects is that it is so malleable and compatible with numerous different worldviews. You can make your meditation routine quite personal.

Good luck! I wish you the best with your decision to meditate.

 

[The Sum of Awe]

I practice mindfulness, loving-kindness meditation, and visualization. I also sometimes do these in conjunction with physical exercise (primarily yoga) or while listening to music.

The duration itself is far less important than the process of the meditation and the results you get from it. The way I usually do it is thus:

• Sit in a quiet, dark room. This is not necessary for me anymore, but it helps. It's also good for someone who is just picking up meditation.

• Don't suppress any feelings, be they stressful or positive. Let them occur and focus on breathing, visualization, and contemplation of the fleeting nature of thoughts. My therapist told me about the 90-second rule, which I have found to be an immensely helpful addition to my routine.

• Think about the lack of free will and how this means that ultimately, there's no reason to feel angry or dwell on the past. (This one is personally tailored to my own worldview, so ignore it if you believe in free will. I find it significantly calming within the context of my own worldview.)

• Finally, don't give up if you don't experience much difference after the first few or even several meditation sessions. Meditation is easy to pick up but can be quite difficult to get significant results from. It may need patience, frequent practice, and personal exploration. One of its most challenging but also most helpful aspects is that it is so malleable and compatible with numerous different worldviews. You can make your meditation routine quite personal.

Good luck! I wish you the best with your decision to meditate.

Would you say that meditation must be consistently practiced then? Not just for a month until you’re feeling better?

 

[Secret Chief]

Imagine what the Buddha might have achieved, if only he’d had an app

He could have tracked his path to Nirvana.