Do you meditate?

[motely36]

I was looking through the DU groups and couldn't find much information on meditation. Possibly I just wasn't looking in the right place.

Do you meditate? do you use tapes or specific practices? How often and how long? Anything else you want to share.

Thanks.

:)

[sui generis]

1. I talk to myself in traffic. Does that count?

[motely36]

5. Well, I do that too.

Not sure if it's stress relieving!

[Modem Butterfly]

2. No, but I probably should

Of course, if I had time to meditate, I wouldn't need to meditate so much.

:)

Not the answer you're looking for, but honest, none-the-less.

A friend of mine took a class in Tai-Chi and she performs those exercises while listening to Enya. I don't think it qualifies as classic meditation but she says she gets more benefits from time spent in quiet contemplation this way.

[KitchenWitch]

3. try the ancient wisdom DU group!

[motely36]

6. I will check it out thanks

:)

[kick-ass-bob]

4. DIdn't we do this and all it's accompanying copycats last week?

:D

[motely36]

7. Sorry I must have missed it

:hi:

[kick-ass-bob]

8. I'm just waiting for the 'cats to come out

I see one has already showed!

BTW - I do at least once a week, and sometimes more.

[hippiechick]

9. Yes.

O8)

I have a smudging bowl that I fire up, and some healing music.

I get into comfy garb, turn off the lights, and usually sit in the middle of my living room on the floor, surrounded by candles and with the smudge bowl a couple feet in front of me.

It took a few months of nearly daily meditation for me to notice any effect on my 'reality', but now I feel less stressed, and clarity comes to me with less effort than previously in my life.


O8)

[motely36]

10. That's cool

I really could use some stress relief

[BikeWriter]

15. I can do that with a half gallon of whisky... n/t

[hippiechick]

17. If that's what floats your boat ...

But I'm guessing my way results in fewer headaches, hangovers, and DT episodes ...



:hippie:

[BikeWriter]

20. I seldom see... wait! What's that over there? n/t

[nickinSTL]

11. I try

but with my schedule these days, I just end up falling asleep :)

[Jackpine Radical]

12. Yeah. I've meditated for 30 years.

I also teach simple forms of it to many of my psych patients.

I do various kinds of meditation. Any kind is better than not doing it at all.

The simplest method I can think of is breath meditation. First, learn to do diphragmattic breathing, which some call "belly breathing." You can use the belly breathing in various ways. You can just be aware of your breath going in and out. You can do counting to pace the breathing--count 4 on the inhale, 6 on the exhale for example. In yoga they make a big deal of using various simople counting schemes to either energize you or relax you.

Or combine the belly breathing with a simple mantra. maybe "Om" or "Peace." Do the mantra (quietly, to yourself) on each exhale.

Vipassana meditation is a little more advanced. Some call it meaningfulness meditation. Essentially, the idea is to learn to watch your mind in operation as various thoughts and emotions flit through it. You learn to distance yourself from the mental chatter.

The most important rule in any form of meditation is to keep at it & don't worry about whether you're doing it "well" or if you're doing it "right." When you find that your thoughts have wandered off just gently return yourself to the meditation. Don't worry. This happebns to everybody. Maybe in a 20 minute meditation session you will only be meditating a total of 5 minutes, and the rest of the time obsdessing on something or woolgathering or thinking about sex. That's OK. It happens to everybody. The thing that counts is that you stuck with trying.

Start out with however long you can stand to do it. Maybe 5 minutes. Work up to 20 minutes. If you do 20 minutes a day for the rest of your life, the quality of your life will improve in various subtle ways. You'll be calmer, more centered, less stressed-out.

It is particularly pleasant to meditate in small groups. I belong to a group that meets once a week. I go when I can, maybe 2 or 3 times a month. If you can't find a group, start one. Run an ad in the paper or something.

I hope this comes somewhere near to answering your question.

[motely36]

16. Thanks

Yes that answers my question very nicely :)

[johnnie]

13. Not as much as I used to

I used to do about 45 minutes each day, but lately I haven't. I have an attic that is pretty cool and I have my stuff up there. There are many techniques, but I just clear my thoughts. I would burn incense so I could have a constant sense of smell and then start my mantra. The key to meditation is to not get frustrated if your mind wonders, you just easily start again.

[BikeWriter]

14. Yeah, I take a few drugs...

;)

[Cerridwen]

18. . n/t

[madison2000]

19. I have some relaxation tapes by Belleruth Naparstek of Health Journeys

that I listen to from time to time.