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Do you meditate?

zoebartlett

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If you meditate, could you please pass along tips for a beginner? I'd like to learn to tune out noise and just be in the moment, but every time I try to meditate, my mind wanders. I begin thinking of my to-do lists, or a song pops into my head and of course then I'm singing it to myself when I should be ignoring it. I think part of the problem is that I always have something on at home. The TV's on for background noise, even if I'm not watching a show. Pandora's playing on my computer while I'm reading or working. There's always something ON. Yes, the simple answer would be to turn it off but then it's too quiet and then that's all I focus on. How do you get your brain to turn off and just BE?
 

sonnyjane

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Jul 13, 2008
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I don't meditate, but I grew up with my dad meditating twice a day, every single day, for 20 minute sessions (and he still does 30 years later). We had a two story house, so he would tell "us kids" that he'd be going downstairs and not to bother him, and then he would shut the door to the bedroom downstairs and set an alarm clock for 20 minutes later. He would meditate once in the morning and once at night.

Do you have a quiet place like that where you can go? A room where you can shut the door? Trying to meditate with the television on just really isn't going to happen. If you don't want silence, you can get some nature sounds or calming instrumental music to play quietly in the background to soothe you into calm. That would be better than television.

Now, as far as how to "turn off your brain", I have talked to my dad about this a lot because I tried to meditate for a while but just never got really big into it. At first, you really just close your eyes and focus on nice deep breaths, etc. If your thoughts go from "breathe in, breathe out" to "what am I going to have for dinner?", that's okay, just try to get back on track once you realize that you've slipped. My dad has told me that while he definitely can "zone out" completely, it doesn't happen every single session. A lot of times he just sits there for 20 minutes thinking about his breathing and having little "day dreams" and that's okay too. There is no wrong way to meditate. The idea is just to take time for yourself to bring out away from the stress of life. The trick is that you don't want to not think of anything. The real plus is that you can think more deeply. For example, after a meditation session, my dad would always have all these great ideas for poems and artwork. They came from things he saw during his sessions. So again, don't punish yourself because you're having thoughts. Having thoughts is okay. You don't want to think about work stress or household chores or anything though! So, like I said, if you find yourself in that state, just try to go back to focusing on your breaths and calming music, etc.

It gets much easier with practice also, so don't feel discouraged. You may not "get there" very often in the beginning, but my dad has told me that now, because he has been doing it for so long, he can pretty much be in deep meditation within a couple of minutes.
 

Iowa Lizzy

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Yes, I meditate. I find it calms me so much and really helps any issue I'm having.

If you are having a hard time keeping your focus, I would suggest guided meditation. And there's no reason it has to be long. There's nothing wrong with starting your meditations at 3 or 5 minutes max and slowly working towards longer meditation sessions. Guided imagery with someone experienced is a very powerful thing.

I've definitely tried to meditate and the rest of the world just keeps butting-in. One of my meditation tools is to create a yard for myself with a fence or a gate, and during my meditation, I tend to my yard. Then I imagine a big pretty tree that sits just outside my yard and I can gather up everything that's bothering me or causing me to lose focus and I hang these items like ornaments on my tree. I know they'll be there and safe for me when I need them, but they're not in my yard anymore. All that is in my yard is me and peace and calm. I do this with anything that isn't serving me in the moment. An argument with a friend, a house that should be cleaned, a bill that needs to be paid. All these things will get my attention eventually, but during my meditation, they are not invited.

Hope this helps. I'm betting you can find some good guided meditations on YouTube or iTunes, too. Happy Meditating!
 

JewelFreak

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It takes practice, Zoe. You have to keep chugging at it -- the first several times I tried, I achieved nada. Then I could empty my brain for a nanosecond & now, maybe a few solid minutes. First, I would say turn stuff off. At least at the beginning, distractions are a menace -- eventually you learn to tune them out.

Here's how I do it -- others may have different methods. Sit comfortably, but not too -- not lounging in a chair, for instance. I meditate after finishing my yoga (at home), cross-legged on the floor. Sometimes I do qi gong meditation, standing up. Try concentrating on your breathing initially, just listen to breath in & out. Let other thoughts float to the bottom of your mind, like snow in a snow globe, as Cameron Shayne says. Don't think about trying, just Be. Don't be upset if your mind wanders into your shopping list, etc., simply drop that to the bottom & listen to your breath again.

It takes discipline, like using unaccustomed muscles. Better to keep sessions short at first -- a minute, say. Trying for too long only makes you impatient; it's not a contest, just something for your own relaxation. It helps me to picture myself as an empty vessel, open to be filled by the universe. No biggie if you don't succeed at first -- it feels great just going new places in your head.

--- Laurie
 

kenny

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No, but I should.
I used to.

Maybe soon.
Thanks.
 

zoebartlett

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Thanks so much, sonnyjane! I'll definitely turn the TV off before trying to meditate. I might not know all the "rules" but I do know that one. :bigsmile: I like the idea of soothing music so I'll try that. I can use our guest room, so finding a quiet spot shouldn't be too much of a problem. My mind definitely wanders a lot, so I think this will take a lot of practice. Thanks again for all your tips!

Travel Goddess, thank you! I love the guided imagery idea. Right now, I picture myself on a beach and I'm holding a bunch of balloons (not sure why, but it was the first thing I thought of when creating my scene and it stuck). I put all the negative thoughts, one by one, into a balloon and then I let go of them one at a time. To each one, I say some sort of goodbye. It helps at that moment but it doesn't last very long before I'm back to square one. I'll keep trying though.

JewelFreak, thanks! Practice, practice, practice. I'll keep at it. I need to learn how to breathe properly. The first few times I tried it I kept cracking up because I could NOT get into it. It's all so foreign to me still.
 

MichelleCarmen

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Feb 8, 2003
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Zoe|1324517564|3086501 said:
Thanks so much, sonnyjane! I'll definitely turn the TV off before trying to meditate. I might not know all the "rules" but I do know that one. :bigsmile: I like the idea of soothing music so I'll try that. I can use our guest room, so finding a quiet spot shouldn't be too much of a problem. My mind definitely wanders a lot, so I think this will take a lot of practice. Thanks again for all your tips!

Travel Goddess, thank you! I love the guided imagery idea. Right now, I picture myself on a beach and I'm holding a bunch of balloons (not sure why, but it was the first thing I thought of when creating my scene and it stuck). I put all the negative thoughts, one by one, into a balloon and then I let go of them one at a time. To each one, I say some sort of goodbye. It helps at that moment but it doesn't last very long before I'm back to square one. I'll keep trying though.

JewelFreak, thanks! Practice, practice, practice. I'll keep at it. I need to learn how to breathe properly. The first few times I tried it I kept cracking up because I could NOT get into it. It's all so foreign to me still.


I've meditated on and off for years and practice is key. It really becomes easier if you do it every day at the same time. If you miss a week or something, it'll take a few weeks to get back into it.

I used a dvd to teach myself how to physically relax and once I got the hang of that, bought audio cds and use those. If you listen to any audio, it's important to use earphones to block out as much external sound as you can. I lay down, which works for me, but I'm not sure if that is the "correct" way.

I can post lonks to the training tools I use later on... I'm on my ipad now and am not sure I can post links from it.
 

MichelleCarmen

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Will post links, that is. Lol can't scroll down and edit my post for some reason...
 

Regular Guy

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Jul 6, 2004
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Zoe,

Good luck with this project.

I've read lots of good suggestions.

Though I've a lot of so called experience, really, as some of the comments above share, practice begets practice. And I've gotten out of practice.

Community helps, too.

I've identified with this one for many years:

http://www.shambhala.org/

...since the 70's. But, things develop, like a marriage happens, where your wife doesn't practice, or isn't associated.

Interestingly, in the last 4 weeks, I've been back to practicing, mixing together Jewish practice (shacharit, with tefillin) and mindfulness meditation, and doing this quite regularly for like 45 minutes daily, before going to work. First time I've had a regular practice like since the 70s. My main community now is my chavurah, my Jewish community, and I coordinate the meditation leaders there (we integrate 5 minutes of meditation during Saturday services).

Best of wishes.

And, yes, don't go with the flow of things going on all the time, the multitasking. Bring that down. Add in meditation.

As they used to tell me...it's one bird, one stone.

Happy Holidays,

Ira Z.
 

purselover

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Sep 20, 2008
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The yoga studio I used to go to did weekly free meditation sessions, perhaps one by you offers something similar? The sessions were short, only 20 minutes and they help you find a comfy place to sit and put on quiet relaxing music to set the mood. I found it really soothing!
 

Sky56

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Feb 27, 2010
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1,040
Sometimes.
Pick 2 short words that you can repeat in your mind over and over to clear your mind. If you can do it, your mind and body will achieve an advanced state of relaxation and you will come out of it feeling refreshed.
The 2 words can be nonsense or mean something, just pick something that feels right for you & works.
I also use the technique when I have trouble falling asleep because my mind is racing.
My personal favorite is "Calm, Clear, Calm, Clear...."
 
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