Meditation

[Perpetual Change]

Does anyone here meditate? How does it help you in your daily life, or your more general outlook?

I seem to have a problem with dealing with the normal stresses of life, especially the big sorts of changes that happen regardless of whether you have control over them or not. A prime example is, like, having to change a flight because somethign unexpected happened. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it's the type of thing that drives me into an almost crippling depression where I can end up doing nothing but moping for days; whether that be in the form of just sleeping through days, skipping out on classes/work, etc.

This doesn't happen to me often, but when it does I always feel like it's because I panick when things come up and don't think about them rationally or in a productive way. I've tried praying on things, but that doesn't really work, and bitching with friends also isn't really a great idea because it often leads me to get caught up in my negativity and  make my problems out to be worse than they are.

Does anyone who mediates think that it would help with problems like mine?

I think this belongs in PR since I'm talking about religious ways to deal with stresses, but if someone thinks different move to general chat.

[bosk1]

Depends what you mean by "meditate."  I don't sit in a lotus position and do chants, or anything like that.  But I try to, as the Bible puts it, take time to pray and meditate.  What this consists of is taking the time to put everything else aside and focus my mind on something, whether it be an aspect of my life I am struggling with, an idea in Scripture, etc.  I find that it is difficult to discipline my mind to focus on just one thing and not wander, but I find it very beneficial to try to train the mind to do that and that doing so carries over into other parts of life.  Unfortunately, it is something I find myself doing with decreasing frequency as I get older and life gets filled with more and more things--especially in a society that puts a premium on multitasking, which is pretty much the antithesis of meditation.

[Perpetual Change]

I don't sit in a lotus position and do chants, or anything like that.  But I try to, as the Bible puts it, take time to pray and meditate.  What this consists of is taking the time to put everything else aside and focus my mind on something, whether it be an aspect of my life I am struggling with, an idea in Scripture, etc.  I find that it is difficult to discipline my mind to focus on just one thing and not wander, but I find it very beneficial to try to train the mind to do that and that doing so carries over into other parts of life.  

This is sort of what I feel I need in my life. Not chance or something, but something other than prayer or venting with friends, where I don't feel like I'm just trying push my problems onto to God or a person and expecting them to fix things for me. Rather, I need to spend some time focusing on things that bother me long enough so that I can come to terms with it.

I'm sure prayer and friends come in at some point, but there are some things I have to try and come to terms with on my own, too.

I've actually tried the other type of mediating you mentioned before, but lotus positions is NOT comfortable at all. My body just doesn't work that way. And, yeah, chants are just as awkward.

[Adami]

I haven't tried too much meditation, but I am very eager to start doing pain meditation once my life is less busy.

[In The Name Of Rudess]

I practice vipassana and anapanasati meditation at least 1 hour daily. There was a meditation thread a while back here, I posted lots of information in there on how to get started:

https://www.dreamtheaterforums.org/boards/index.php?topic=15253.0

I think this would also be helpful:

https://www.urbanmonk.net/85/the-elusive-key-to-emotional-mastery-is-it-really-that-simple/\

I think it would be best for you to first read the second link and learn to apply the technique by means of meditation.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I don't know about meditation, but sometimes I like to sit alone and do some inward reflection on things that are happening to me

[73109]

I'm trying my balls off to get into Zen. I sought guidance in a professor of Eastern philosophy and he told me to go to a zendo in order to practice because I can't just read about it and do it. I plan on going to my first session in a little over a week.

[Jamesman42]

Depends what you mean by "meditate."  I don't sit in a lotus position and do chants, or anything like that.  But I try to, as the Bible puts it, take time to pray and meditate.  What this consists of is taking the time to put everything else aside and focus my mind on something, whether it be an aspect of my life I am struggling with, an idea in Scripture, etc.  I find that it is difficult to discipline my mind to focus on just one thing and not wander, but I find it very beneficial to try to train the mind to do that and that doing so carries over into other parts of life.  Unfortunately, it is something I find myself doing with decreasing frequency as I get older and life gets filled with more and more things--especially in a society that puts a premium on multitasking, which is pretty much the antithesis of meditation.

All of this exactly. I even have a "prayer" list for myself to motivate me. It really helps on different levels. I find that it calms me and makes me joyous about life.

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I'm trying my balls off to get into Zen. I sought guidance in a professor of Eastern philosophy and he told me to go to a zendo in order to practice because I can't just read about it and do it. I plan on going to my first session in a little over a week.

Question:

Why are you trying your balls off?

[73109]

Like jokingly? Or are you seriously asking why I want to get into it so badly?

[PlaysLikeMyung]

No seriously

[73109]

Oh...well, 2 reasons:

1. I see pictures of monks and stuff when they meditate, and honestly, I'm just very jealous. Being that...calm, and "one" with the nature surrounding you just needs to be incredible. I just really want to feel that at peace with myself and everything around me.

2. I don't like to admit this, but I am a very angry person. I keep calm on the outside and seem very very chill most of the time, but inside, there's an apocalypse in my brain. It isn't lolteenangst, both my mom and especially my dad are just angry people and I seem to have inherited it, and I don't like being that way. My ideologies are so calm and so pacifistic, but my mind sometimes needs to fight with my instincts(?) to remain calm and composed and I think Zen meditation would really help me with that.

[Adami]

I'm trying my balls off to get into Zen. I sought guidance in a professor of Eastern philosophy and he told me to go to a zendo in order to practice because I can't just read about it and do it. I plan on going to my first session in a little over a week.

You're going to fail. Because you're trying.

[73109]

I know. I've heard that and it sucks.

But, I mean, how do I do it? I can't can't into it...by not wanting to get into it. That's why I am going to go to a real monk who is trained in the stuff.

[Adami]

I know. I've heard that and it sucks.

Your entire motivation and path to success are flawed and will stop you from going anywhere other than backwards.


Give up.


Abandon all of your ambitions to be zen, stop wanting it, completely forget about it, realize you can't do it.


Then maybe you'll get somewhere.

[73109]

Thanks bro.

[AndyDT]

Depends what you mean by "meditate."  I don't sit in a lotus position and do chants, or anything like that.  But I try to, as the Bible puts it, take time to pray and meditate.  What this consists of is taking the time to put everything else aside and focus my mind on something, whether it be an aspect of my life I am struggling with, an idea in Scripture, etc.  I find that it is difficult to discipline my mind to focus on just one thing and not wander, but I find it very beneficial to try to train the mind to do that and that doing so carries over into other parts of life.  Unfortunately, it is something I find myself doing with decreasing frequency as I get older and life gets filled with more and more things--especially in a society that puts a premium on multitasking, which is pretty much the antithesis of meditation.

Try reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn.