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 Post subject: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 11:24 am 
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I keep wanting to be able to post in the exercise thread but, I don't exercise much, however, I do meditate regularly, and I've noticed that there are a few other kittens who either already meditate, or would like to start meditating, so I thought it would be cool to start a thread where people could post about their daily meditation experience or ask questions about the meditation process.

I've been meditating regularly for more than five years and am currently using the Vipassana technique, which is a sensation based method and focuses on accepting physical sensation as that without relating it to a positive or negative experience (which is my understanding so far, as I've just recently started this type of meditation and am only in the beginning stages of the technique).

You don't have to be a Buddhist to meditate or to benefit from meditation. Anyone can meditate. So feel free to join in. :)

I'll start.

I meditated for a little over an hour last night, focusing solely on the sensation of each breath as it passed through my nose (just focusing on the sensation of the breath--not on the actual breathing itself) I feel I had a good 25 minutes of proper meditation, while the rest of the hour was intermingled with moments where I found myself in need of refocusing. Overall I think it was a fairly good session.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 5:46 pm 
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I always wanted to meditate, but some how it never worked for me. I never could stop thinking of things. I wish I could do it, it sounds wonderful to be able to zoom out and refresh your strength.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 6:50 pm 
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Hey emms,
What a great thread. I "try" to meditate regularly but I'm not great at it. I started probably nine years ago and did it 6/7 days or so for about 3 years. But then it just... You know... Now I'm trying to get back into it. Right now, it's probably 3 nights a week.

I do mantra meditation for lack of a better term. I think there's a Buddhist term but that's the one that I learned. What I do: Sit (on my cushion) and relax and close my eyes. I attempt to clear my mind. If a thought or sensation enters my mind, I refocus it on the next word in a mantra. For a long time my mantra was the Lord's Prayer and now it is the Prayer of Saint Francis. I've tried others including Om Mani Padni Om with beads but find the the long prayers work best for me.

Last night I meditated for about 15 minutes. My heart was really beating was my biggest distraction.

Great thread.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:07 pm 
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I like mindfulness meditation. I've found it to be very useful out in the hectic world. It's not easy even in a quiet, peaceful place when I'm alone, but I've found that the more I do it, the easier it gets. And you can do it anywhere you are, no matter what you're doing. It's really not so different from simply paying attention. I've found it to be very grounding when I feel dispersed. It's like it recalls all the scattered fragments back home. It's also a nice way to be more engaged, more fully present, when doing something mundane like washing dishes or walking across a parking lot. Once you start making an effort to be mindful, you realize how much time you normally spend focused on the past and the future, with the present often neglected. I'm a huge, huge daydreamer and I value daydreaming a lot, but my life is better when it's balanced with mindfulness.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Thu Jun 14, 2007 9:19 pm 
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I have a pretty random schedule between my two jobs, so I really get to meditate every day, but I usually try to do it at least every week. I'm kind of a blessed wannabe when it comes to meditation :p . Plus someone usually calls me or I calm myself down and then suddenly realize I was supposed to do something right in the middle of my mediatation, so clearly I'm not an expert. I find that humming one note helps me to clear my mind, because it's easy to focus on the sound and my breathing.


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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 8:52 am 
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Wow it's neat that there's so many people interested in meditation!

Henny ~ I know what you mean, but don't give up because just like everything else, meditation takes practice. When I first started it wasn't easy for me to remain still for a long period of time or even to still my thoughts...but after time you'll get the hang of it and it will become easier. Perhaps if you look at it less as "zooming out" and more as "zooming in" because what you're really trying to do is pay extra close attention to whatever it is you choose in order to gain awareness of yourself and the world around you.

Debra ~ wow... three hours a day 6/7 days a week for three years?! I wish I had that kind of dedication! I'm lucky if I squeeze out 1 hour a night! And I know what you mean because I go through phases once in a while where I'm really intense about my meditation routine and then it just sort of slips away from me for a while and gets replaced by other activities, but then I'll cycle back around to being really careful about getting my hour in every night! I think a lot of people go through that. And Mantra meditation, that sounds like such a cool method! I've heard a lot about it, but I've never actually sat down and tried it. I guess because I'm afraid that I'll get too distracted by trying to remember what word comes next! LOL

Maudmac~ That is an excellent method! I practiced that when I first started out, and stuck with it for over two years... and you're right, it really teaches you to appreciate the moment you're in and to focus on the "right now" which is so important!

rumble bubbles ~ LOL that's how I am a lot of the time! I think we are all easily distracted when we first start out meditating, the trick to starting out is to remove as many distractions as you can...like unplugging the phone. And as you get more practice meditating you'll find it easier and easier to shrugg off the little things that distracted you before. I like your method though, of humming one note to refocus, I do that sometimes too when my mind just won't seem to settle down. Except my note is not actually a note, it’s the word OM.

I meditated for about 30 minutes last night after my wife went to bed, but, for whatever reason, I was really distracted and I don’t feel that I got any actual quality meditation flowing. In Vipassana we’re taught to take physical sensation as neither positive or negative, so while meditating, if you find an itch arise or a (usually) unpleasant feeling, you’re supposed to acknowledge that sensation and then let it go. But last night, for some reason, I kept getting these itchy places. The first one I let go, but then when it happened again I was already too distracted to let it go…and so on and so on it went until I decided to pack it in for the night… LOL

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:51 pm 
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Interesting article about mindfulness meditation in schools at the New York Times website: In the Classroom, a New Focus on Quieting the Mind

A snipped:
Quote:
With the sound of their new school bell, the fifth graders at Piedmont Avenue Elementary School here closed their eyes and focused on their breathing, as they tried to imagine “loving kindness” on the playground.

“I was losing at baseball and I was about to throw a bat,” Alex Menton, 11, reported to his classmates the next day. “The mindfulness really helped.”

As summer looms, students at dozens of schools across the country are trying hard to be in the present moment. This is what is known as mindfulness training, in which stress-reducing techniques drawn from Buddhist meditation are wedged between reading and spelling tests.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 12:31 pm 
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Hey there, this is a great thread.

I do Zen meditation and have done it off and on for about 7 years, but I recently got back into doing it daily. I got into it initially as a way to combat depression, and lately, to help deal with stress. To kick-start my practice again, I actually went to live in a Zen community in CA for two weeks in May. It was a wonderful experience. I really don't know what to say about it other than that.

Anyway, so I try to meditate a minimum of 30 min./day. I am traveling right now, but when I am at home, I like to go to the Buddhist center in my town and sit with a group at least once a week.

Oh, and as far as I can tell, the kind of Zen meditation I do is not far off from mindfulness meditation. The focus is on breathing. It's okay if your thoughts drift, but if you see it happening, the idea is to bring your focus back onto the breath and the here-and-now. The drifting thoughts don't detract from the meditation as long as you don't 'follow' them and can bring yourself back to just breathing. I think the bringing yourself back is the important part of the process. Everyone's mind drifts to a greater or lesser degree no matter how long you've been doing it.

I find that meditation really helps me see things more objectively, just the physical act of sitting there and not moving or reacting no matter what goes through your head, and bringing yourself constantly back to a state of calm breathing really helps me in daily life.

I think we bring so much stress on ourselves thinking about the past (gone, can't fix it), the future (purely fantasy, we have little control over it) and what other people think (which is likely not true anyway, and who cares if it is?), and I feel like meditation helps me get a handle on seeing those things for what they are. Because really, what's happening *right now* is usually pretty okay and even great on occasion, and even if it's not, it will pass.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 7:19 pm 
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So very true about the past and the future. In a way, they aren't real. Only the present is really real.

It isn't that the past and future are unimportant or that we shouldn't think about them at all, it's just that we should not lose touch with the present. (Imagine how your life would be if you couldn't even remember the past or if you made no preparations for the future. It would suck mightily.) I think, with mindfulness, that if you find your thoughts are drifting so strongly to something in particular, it can be useful to actually go ahead and follow them - not in a distracted, mindless sort of way, but with a strong awareness. If your mind is repeatedly turning toward a particular worry or hope or whatever, really paying attention to that can lead you to insight about why it's happening, and can give you, perhaps, a fresh perspective on why this is such an issue at the moment. After all, being aware of where your mind is at present is part of being fully engaged with the present moment.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 9:42 pm 
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I think I can call meditation what I do once per day.

I lay down on my back with a cloth on my eyes... and concentrate on my breathing.
Sometimes I add some music. It is something I discovered recently, some voices only. (Georgian Chants)
Before that the music was classic or jazz. Without lyrics. Just the music. It helps me to find a pace and also calm me.

So I don't know if it is real meditation but it has the same affects on me ^^

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:07 pm 
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What is your favorite zen koan? Mine is "why do hot dogs come in packs of 10 and hot dog buns come in packs of 8?"


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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 11:02 pm 
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maudmac wrote:
I think, with mindfulness, that if you find your thoughts are drifting so strongly to something in particular, it can be useful to actually go ahead and follow them - not in a distracted, mindless sort of way, but with a strong awareness. If your mind is repeatedly turning toward a particular worry or hope or whatever, really paying attention to that can lead you to insight about why it's happening, and can give you, perhaps, a fresh perspective on why this is such an issue at the moment. After all, being aware of where your mind is at present is part of being fully engaged with the present moment.


Zen isn't against thinking about the past or future, that's just not a goal during meditation. The idea is supposed to be doing whatever you're doing, and only that one thing and bringing your full being into it. So if you're meditating, meditate, if you're thinking about a particular problem, think about it, if you're washing your car, wash your car... and so on.

The hotdog/bun thing is a definite koan. I think the answer is you buy 4 packages of the hotdogs, then 5 packages of the buns, and then you've got 40 of each and can have a cookout


Last edited by ellbogen on Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 6:55 pm 
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Werewolf123, I so have to use that next time I meditate :D . That is too awesome.

I don't want to put words in maudmac's mouth, but I think what they were trying to say was that meditation puts things in perspective. We don't meditate on the future or the past, but it is a stress reliever that clears your mind and can give you a fresh outlook on what the most important parts of your life are. The washing your car, washing your car thing is a way to focus and clear your mind, but the end result is the perspective on the past and future and such. Or that's how I see it, anyway. Feel free to correct me if I misinterpreted :D .


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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 11:52 pm 
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nope - that's what I meant :kitty


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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 10:49 am 
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JuJu ~ I don't think there's really a wrong way to meditate -- even if there are some teachers/books/methods that recommend that you don't lay down because it takes away from your awareness and could possibly lead to sleep :lol but I say, if it works for you, then it works for you and you should do whatever makes you comfortable.

Maudmac ~ That's an interesting article!

ellbogen ~ Wow...sounds like you're into some pretty hardcore meditation. That's awesome.

werewolf123 ~ what a great question! My favorite Koan (not that I use one to meditate...but I think they're fun to ponder sometimes) is the classic "what is the sound of one hand clapping". I like that one for some reason.

I skipped two nights and didn't meditate. I don't know why...I just didn't feel in the right frame of mind for it. But I did get a session in last night and was surprised at how focused I was. It really turned out to be a great session and lasted about an hour (I forgot to make a note of when I started so I'm estimating here ) I did have to bring my focus back once or twice, but for the most part I was right where I needed to be.

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Last edited by Emms on Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:32 pm 
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Hi all

everybody- If you type in "meditation timer" into your favorite search engine starting with a "G," the second or third link will be to a site that offers free MP3s of different lengths of silence punctuated on each end by a bell. I use this because I don't have to look at the clock and wonder and thereby distract myself. It has periods of as little as 5 min. and as much as 60 min. I'd post the link here but I haven't been on this board long enough to be allowed. I will do so asap though.

Emms - It's not as hardcore as it sounds once you're used to it. If you are at all interested in this practice, there is (ironically enough) a book called "Hardcore Zen" by a zen meditation teacher who used to be the bass player for a hardcore punk band called 0DFX ("zero defects") in the 1980s. It's a hilarious book, very accessible - no funky koans or weird mysticism, just very straightforward, reasonable information about meditation, woven in with the author's interesting life story. A fun read. I recommend it to everybody on this thread.

Juju - Yes, ultimately, whatever method works for you is the right method.

This thread rocks!

Ellbogen


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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:10 pm 
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Emms –
Quote:
wow... three hours a day 6/7 days a week for three years?! I wish I had that kind of dedication! I'm lucky if I squeeze out 1 hour a night!
I think you must have misread something in my post. Not 3 hours a day—3 years or so. I probably went 20-30 minutes on average. I’m super impressed (which of course isn’t what meditation should be about…) that you go an hour.

Quote:
Mantra meditation, that sounds like such a cool method! I've heard a lot about it, but I've never actually sat down and tried it. I guess because I'm afraid that I'll get too distracted by trying to remember what word comes next! LOL
That’s so not a joke either. When I use The Lord’s Prayer, it’s very easy and I can say that with my eyes closed (pun intended) but with The Prayer of Saint Francis, it’s a real challenge—particularly the dyads at the beginning. I’ve tried other meditations including just repeating a sound (OM) or a word like Peace, Love, or Joy but I get distracted by time. With a prayer, I can commit to doing it 2 or 3 times and know that takes a while and not have to look at the clock. The other thing is that I really like to pray. I pray a lot. And I love that during meditation, it’s a chance to pray, to talk to God and see if s/he talks back. I feel very connected then.

ellbogen
Quote:
I do Zen meditation and have done it off and on for about 7 years, but I recently got back into doing it daily. I got into it initially as a way to combat depression, and lately, to help deal with stress. To kick-start my practice again, I actually went to live in a Zen community in CA for two weeks in May. It was a wonderful experience. I really don't know what to say about it other than that.

Anyway, so I try to meditate a minimum of 30 min./day. I am traveling right now, but when I am at home, I like to go to the Buddhist center in my town and sit with a group at least once a week.
Wow. That sounds so fantastic. I have thought about the Buddhist center and there is actually a temple near here but I let my fear stand in the way of ever going.

Quote:
If you type in "meditation timer" into your favorite search engine starting with a "G," the second or third link will be to a site that offers free MP3s of different lengths of silence punctuated on each end by a bell. I use this because I don't have to look at the clock and wonder and thereby distract myself. It has periods of as little as 5 min. and as much as 60 min. I'd post the link here but I haven't been on this board long enough to be allowed. I will do so asap though.
That’s awesome. But then do you have to wear your earbuds to hear the bell? I could download an MP3 to my Ipod but I think the earbuds would bug me. Cool though.

I agree that this thread rocks and love all the posts.

Tonight I mediated about 15 minutes. My heart was beating very fast but I took the seat anyway. I would love to increase my frequency and duration but for now, I’m happy to be there at all.

I would love to hear about people’s favorite meditation books. Mine is probably A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield. He puts things in the most amazingly straightforward but sacred way.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2007 5:09 pm 
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So I took the suggestion about the meditation timer and found this site:

http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/timer/timer.html

It has 15 minute, 20... to 60 minute. I downloaded a few and imported them into ITunes. It meant that I meditated in the computer room rather than mediation but it was so worth it. I started the 20 minute one and was able to just let go of worrying about how long to go. I started and went until the bell at the end. What a great suggestion. Thanks.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 6:00 am 
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Hi Emms,

I know a few things that will help me relax and I'm going to do those things when I get home. And your right I shouldn't see it as a zooming out more of a finding myself. TY.

Henny

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:01 pm 
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Justskipit said:
Quote:
The Prayer of Saint Francis, it’s a real challenge—particularly the dyads at the beginning.

I :love that prayer! It is so wonderful, and I feel like it expresses the really important message at the basis of any religion worth its salt. Also worth a mention, the Sarah McLachlan version of it was featured in an episode, albeit a post-SR episode and so will not be discussed further here.

Quote:
Quote:
I like to go to the Buddhist center in my town and sit with a group at least once a week.
Wow. That sounds so fantastic. I have thought about the Buddhist center and there is actually a temple near here but I let my fear stand in the way of ever going.

If they have a website, visit it, and see if there is a contact person to offer an orientation if you come early before the first time you attend one of their meditation times. Then go ahead and e-mail them. I have done this at different places, and although I was nervous the first time I met with one of these folks, they have always been really nice and not intimidating in any way. I mean, hello, Buddhists. Very low-key, sincere folks, just wanting to help people achieve inner peace.

re: the meditation timer website
Quote:
That’s awesome. But then do you have to wear your earbuds to hear the bell? I could download an MP3 to my Ipod but I think the earbuds would bug me. Cool though.

Oh, I should've mentioned - I just have them downloaded to my laptop and play the mp3s from there, so no headphones. I also have them on my office computer. I hadn't thought of the headphone factor. That might be annoying, agreed.

Quote:
I would love to hear about people’s favorite meditation books. Mine is probably A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield. He puts things in the most amazingly straightforward but sacred way.

I've read stuff by him - very good writer. I also like Sylvia Boorstein and Charlotte Joko Beck. They have that same straightforward, comforting, down-to-earth style, plus as an added bonus, are women.

I already mentioned Hardcore Zen ('hardcore' referring to the author's previous involvement in the punk scene, not Zen practice) by Brad Warner. Its subtitle is "Punk Rock, Monster Movies, and the Truth about Reality." The monster movie part is the fact that his 'day job' is with a japanese company that makes those kooky guy-in-a-suit-stomping-Tokyo type productions. Needless to say, this book has a lot of humor and irony, but at the same time its introduction to Zen and meditation is very good and straightforward (like the authors above, only more youthful), easy to grasp, not filled with impenetrable spiritual jargon.

I overslept this morning and did not get to meditate, so I will be doing that before bed. Happy sitting (or chanting, or counting, or whatever you happen to do)...

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Mon Jul 02, 2007 5:21 pm 
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Hi everyone,
I just meditated for the first time in days. We were on vacation in a big group of family and it just wasn't... Anyway, excuses don't get my bottom on a cushion but no judgment.

All day I've wanted to mediate so much. I don't ever remember having such a drive to do so. I haven't even eaten yet, putting the baby to bed and then taking the one seat first. It was a good and interesting meditation in that: I felt very centered and focused but was aware of my awareness of that and then named it and then let it go. But also because the dogs kept licking me and my legs felt asleep and finally I stopped because I started coughing and needed a drink. So it was shorter than I expected and things were in the way but you know what? It felt very good. It was nice and connecting and wonderful.

Quote:
I already mentioned Hardcore Zen ('hardcore' referring to the author's previous involvement in the punk scene, not Zen practice) by Brad Warner.
I just added it to my wish list on amazon. My birthday is coming up so I'm sure I'll get it if I rank it high. Otherwise, I'll go buy it next month. Thanks for the recommendation.

I don't want to take this off-topic and I don't think this is. I'm interested to hear other people's take on spirituality and meditation (for you personally). Is meditation merely a body-care practice? Something that you do so that you don't yell at drivers and lose your car keys? Or does it bring you closer to God (or Spirit or whatever your name for a deity or set of dieties may be. I don't mean to offend. I call God "God" or Spirit). My meditation is both a method of helping myself to not yell at drivers (or my son) and not walk into tables or lose my keys and a way of communing with God. My practice is a prayer (both literally and figuratively). I meditate with the Prayer of Saint Francis (as I've said before) but it is also a prayer in that I feel it puts me in the presence of God (not that I'm ever out of his/her presence) but it makes me aware again of that presence. And I feel that the effect lasts all day rather than just during that 20 minutes. I'm not sure how to say more or even if anyone is interested in the question. Anyone?

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 3:44 pm 
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JustSkipIt wrote:
Is meditation merely a body-care practice? Something that you do so that you don't yell at drivers and lose your car keys? Or does it bring you closer to God (or Spirit or whatever your name for a deity or set of dieties may be.


I started meditating as a way to deal with depression, and I pretty much viewed it as a mind-body practice only. I started Zen meditation specifically because it doesn't necessarily deal a lot with God per se, although it certainly doesn't rule out that aspect. I tend to shy away from God-esque stuff because I had a lot of fundamentalist Christianity crammed down my throat as a kid, and to this day I'm pretty uncomfortable with anything that reminds me of that experience even a little.

I hadn't ever given much thought to the actual religious aspect of Zen as a form of Buddhism until I went and stayed for two weeks with the Zen community in CA back in May. For obvious reasons, they were very serious about all aspects of the practice, including 'religious' activities like chanting and bowing, lighting incense, etc. Before, I had just looked at this stuff as annoying distractions between meditation sessions. But I really came to appreciate these practices, the whole package and not just the meditation.

The thing I decided is, although they look like worship in the conventional sense, these activities are not really about honoring the Buddha, who probably couldn't have cared less about being honored. Rather, to me at least, it's about acknowledging that there's something out there bigger than I am, and there are people who understand it a lot better than I do, and I want to understand more too.

Sometimes I'm okay with calling that something God, and sometimes I'm not. Whatever it is, it's there and I want to know it better, but I really don't pretend to have a clue. All I can say is that it isn't anything remotely like the load of b.s. I was fed as a child. So, I guess among other benefits, meditation is maybe starting to help me see that kind of damaging representation of spirituality more objectively, and in that sense, maybe it does bring me away from that and closer to something more true and real.

Thanks for this question. It's one I've been trying to hash through on my own lately. I wish my actual feelings were as coherent as writing them down like this, but I guess the writing helps them maybe move towards being a little more coherent.

Totally o.t. to JustSkipIt: Are you going to write a sequel to the Dani story? It was really great and definitely left a lot more of that world to be explored. I'm sure you hear this a lot...


Last edited by ellbogen on Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sun Jul 15, 2007 5:51 pm 
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I just finished a quite nice meditation. I've actually taken the seat quite a few times since I last posted but almost every day I've been interrupted during by something: fireworks, the dogs barking, my son waking up... something. Still they were all good experiences and I'm glad to be getting back to it. Today I went the full 20 minutes that I sat for and for me, that's an accomplishment (even if that's not the way to think about meditation).

ellbogen wrote
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Rather, to me at least, it's about acknowledging that there's something out there bigger than I am, and there are people who understand it a lot better than I do, and I want to understand more too.
I think that's such a great way to put it. I'm sorry that you had a negative early life experience with religion/God. For me taking that seat is frequently a good way to start to understand it more. Of course, so is taking a walk in nature or playing with my son. But yes...

Quote:
Totally o.t. to JustSkipIt: Are you going to write a sequel to the Dani story? It was really great and definitely left a lot more of that world to be explored. I'm sure you hear this a lot...
Yes. The sequel will be narrated by Dani so it will have a different tone but it is generally planned.

Namaste.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 3:01 pm 
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JustSkipIt wrote:
Today I went the full 20 minutes that I sat for and for me, that's an accomplishment (even if that's not the way to think about meditation).


I think any amount of meditation is good. People get too caught up in the 'right' way to meditate. A friend of mine wrote me recently distraught over the fact that her job is so demanding, she doesn't have time to meditate, and later in an unrelated part of her e-mail she mentioned that she has trouble sleeping. I suggested she try to just do a solid 5 or 10 minutes of sitting before going to bed, and maybe that would help both problems. I think she was imagining 'meditation' as this big production that you have to carve out loads of time for. I'm hoping to hear from her again, and I hope she's feeling better.

If only I could approach exercise this way, then maybe *I'd* have time for that. As it is, that's the important thing in my life that always somehow falls by the wayside. I used to do martial arts, which was a form of meditation for me too, but I moved, and I can't find a school in my new location that isn't either too expensive, too macho, or too competition-oriented. *sigh*

Quote:
Quote:
Rather, to me at least, it's about acknowledging that there's something out there bigger than I am, and there are people who understand it a lot better than I do, and I want to understand more too.
I think that's such a great way to put it. I'm sorry that you had a negative early life experience with religion/God. For me taking that seat is frequently a good way to start to understand it more. Of course, so is taking a walk in nature or playing with my son. But yes...

Thanks. I am sometimes angry about the crappy approach to religion that I experienced as a young person. I'm hoping I can eventually get over it or at least do a better job of putting it into perspective.

Quote:
Quote:
Totally o.t. to JustSkipIt: Are you going to write a sequel to the Dani story? It was really great and definitely left a lot more of that world to be explored. I'm sure you hear this a lot...
Yes. The sequel will be narrated by Dani so it will have a different tone but it is generally planned.

Yay! I would want to read these stories even if they weren't about W/T and co., though that aspect makes it even better of course.


Last edited by ellbogen on Mon Jul 16, 2012 9:09 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:32 pm 
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I just sat down for a meditation session which was quite nice. It wasn't long--like you said ellbogen, sometimes anything is better than nothing. I've been kind of lax with it with working in the evening or sitting down to a DVD with my wife.

But I'm kind of feeling so much that I want/need to do it. My son is at a very defiant stage (and I say that although I dislike labels like that). I find it quite frustrating sometimes to deal with his wants and insistances. We'll get home from the grocery store and it's 100 degrees out and it's hot and we have cold groceries and he wants to stay in the car and listen to 3 more songs! Sometimes it's hard because we have chosen very peaceful parenting (NVC specifically but with some other techniques) so we don't threaten or punish him but sometimes negotiating takes a long time and I'm sitting there getting hot and hotter. I mean... I bet 98% of parents would lose their cool. I don't yell but sometimes I hear myself being very frustrated and I'd like to be able to be more peaceful in that space.

So... meditation. The fact is that for me there's exercise and there's meditation for my mental/emotional health. I'm exercising and I want to be sitting more. And speaking of exercise, I would give similar advice to what you gave your friend: can you sneak little bouts of activity into your day? Walk farther to school or work? Get up for breaks during the day for a 10 minute walk? Ride your bike? Whatever it is: it doesn't have to be a marathon but increase your activity.

Ok, I've got to go and call the wife and then work. I'm glad this thread is here.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:49 am 
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I had a really great meditation yesterday. Ok, I can't take complete credit for it but it was wonderful. I went to the acupuncturist and she put in my needles and left the room and of course she had some music on. It wasn't the type I generally like but I listened for a moment and decided to just relax and "ride" it. The next thing I knew she was coming back in and I was completely relaxed.

Since I hadn't done much meditating this week it was a nice wrap-up.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 4:52 am 
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I've been totally lax about my practice and it has shown. And of course, it's a time when I probably need it more. My work is very stressful, my wife is pregnant and very hormonal, and my son is still having a hard time potty training. The good thing is that earlier this week I spoke to my wife about it. I told her that while I support her wish to watch all the CSIs before the new season starts (we're on season 5, disc 5), I need to take the time to meditate every night or at least 3 nights a week. I said she can watch an episode without me and fill me in. But she surprised me by actually saying that she should probably join me. That would be really nice and very healthy.

Today I'm awake because the dogs needed to go out. And then I decided to meditate. It was... hard. I could tell I was out of practice but I just kept returning to the next word of my mantra.

Ok, the family is calling me. I want to meditate more and post here more.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:21 am 
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I meditated this morning again and it was a very nice thing. I've decided that on days that I don't get up to workout or the weekends when the gym doesn't open until 8:00, I will meditate those mornings. Unfortunately, I am used to meditating at night when I can but apparently my son has decided to stay up until 10:00 each night. That's three in a row so no meditating at night.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:54 am 
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I think I meditated more times this week than I worked out. that's pretty strange for me. It's been nice.

Also, I got the book ellbogen recommeded, Hardcore Zen for my birthday.

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 Post subject: Re: The Meditation Thread
PostPosted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 11:47 am 
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I haven't meditated since my last post here... working 2 jobs has sucked the energy out of me, I think...but I really want to start up again, even if it means I have to mentally force myself to do it the first couple times.

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