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Does meditation work for you?


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I'm often in a constant struggle to find some calm and peace in my mind. I have too much anxiety and I let too many negative thoughts occupy space in my head. Way too many negative thoughts! I've tried meditation a bunch of times over this past year to clear out the junk and I get nothing from it. I hear how meditation changed the lives of so many people and I often perplexed by this.

 

 

For those who meditate how has it worked for your life? And for those who have found meditation unsuccessful, why hasn't it worked for you?

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Before meditation can work for you, you have to understand why you do it. And that can only be if you learn Buddhism. It will teach you to understand the human condition and your mind. Then you learn the proper meditation technique watching your breath. The whole point of meditation is to tame your mind into a state of mindfulness so your thoughts don't go all over the place. This helps you keep focus on the present moment and not worry too much about the future. But gaining the right perspective is key to utilizing meditation. If you don't have the right understanding, it would not work for you. So study some Buddhism philosophy before you attempt meditation. Of course there are other types of meditation beside Buddhist but I find Buddhist meditation to be what help me free my mind from negative thoughts that has cause my past depression and anxiety. By the way I'm not a Buddhist, I take what's useful and discard the rest.

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Justanaverageguy

Yes it definitely works for me - but there are a couple of keys things that really helped before I started getting real benefits out of meditation.

 

1. Consistency of practice.

Meditation is much like going to the gym. The first few times you go is painful and you aren't very good at it. If you don't go to the gym very often you stay in this state without seeing much improvement or physical benefit. If you can get yourself into a steady daily routine of performing meditation just like with the gym you will slowly start to see it become easier and easier to get into a deep meditative state. Then you start reaping the real rewards.

 

I highly recommend using the App "Insight Timer" or something similar. Allows you to track and monitor your progress to help you build a disciplined practice.

 

2. Active Body work in conjunction with Meditation

Very often - and most especially with beginners - its very difficult to simply come and sit down with your normally every day consciousness and be able to meditate effectively. Your mind is revv'd up from everyday life and is set for thinking and analyzing. Trying to immediately sit down and meditate is like trying to slam the handbrake on a run away freight train. Very difficult to stop. Before meditating I encourage people to find a way to naturally unwind and bring the mind to a relaxed calm state before beginning the meditiation.

 

Engaging in active body work before meditation is a great way to do this. Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi anything like this takes the energetic focus away from the mind and back into the body and breathing. Even just a quick 10 min yoga stretching routine can work wonders and will make the time you meditate far far more effective and rewarding.

 

Keep at it and you will see the results :)

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JustGettingBy
Yes it definitely works for me - but there are a couple of keys things that really helped before I started getting real benefits out of meditation.

 

1. Consistency of practice.

Meditation is much like going to the gym. The first few times you go is painful and you aren't very good at it. If you don't go to the gym very often you stay in this state without seeing much improvement or physical benefit. If you can get yourself into a steady daily routine of performing meditation just like with the gym you will slowly start to see it become easier and easier to get into a deep meditative state. Then you start reaping the real rewards.

 

I highly recommend using the App "Insight Timer" or something similar. Allows you to track and monitor your progress to help you build a disciplined practice.

 

2. Active Body work in conjunction with Meditation

Very often - and most especially with beginners - its very difficult to simply come and sit down with your normally every day consciousness and be able to meditate effectively. Your mind is revv'd up from everyday life and is set for thinking and analyzing. Trying to immediately sit down and meditate is like trying to slam the handbrake on a run away freight train. Very difficult to stop. Before meditating I encourage people to find a way to naturally unwind and bring the mind to a relaxed calm state before beginning the meditiation.

 

Engaging in active body work before meditation is a great way to do this. Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi anything like this takes the energetic focus away from the mind and back into the body and breathing. Even just a quick 10 min yoga stretching routine can work wonders and will make the time you meditate far far more effective and rewarding.

 

Keep at it and you will see the results :)

This has been my experience as well.

 

I would also recommend a short amount of time (5 minutes works) daily and at a fixed point (part of your morning or evening routine). In the first couple of weeks, simply making it part of your habit is the most important part.

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I don't discount the effectiveness of meditation, but at the end of an especially stressful week, nothing provides better relief than a couple of beers. It works well if you are joined by a light hearted friend. It even works if you're alone and watching a (suddenly) funny sitcom.

 

 

I rarely drink, so 2 beers can enlighten me without making me stupid or sick.

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For those who meditate how has it worked for your life? And for those who have found meditation unsuccessful, why hasn't it worked for you?

 

Meditation isn't just something you do... it's how you think. The ability to let things go and stop thinking about that which don't really matter.

 

If you meditate daily but spend the rest of your waking time thinking and acting exactly the same way as before, of course you're not going to see any benefit from it. That's like spending half an hour jogging and twelve hours smoking, and expecting to feel healthier. It doesn't work like that.

 

The point of meditation is to get better at clearing your mind. A meditation session is great because you have dedicated time in which there is nothing else you need to be dwelling on, but beyond that you need to actively focus on keeping your mind clear the rest of the time too.

 

If you can stop thinking about the work deadline or the car's MOT failure for half an hour while you're sat in silence, you can stop thinking about it when you're having dinner or out shopping too. It just takes more discipline and practice.

 

Once you truly get the hang of that, you won't need the meditation to help you feel calm any more. Or the beers :)

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Justanaverageguy

Also one other I can recommend for removing anxiety and bringing a feeling of peace, calm and contentedness is mantra chanting. Often during meditation you recite a mantra silently in your mind. But if your having difficulty stilling the mind then chanting or singing these out loud also has a very profound effect and can help to cleanse negative thoughts and calm you.

 

The Sanskrit language most sacred mantras are based on is "sound sensitive". The specific sounds matter more then the meaning. They have been studied and found to have specific effects on the body and mental processes when recited. Those that bring about a sense of calm, peace, joy were considered to be divine names because of the effects they had. They were turned into mantras which said repetitively amplified this calming effect.

 

The effects of chanting are cumulative. They subtly build over time. I would recommend people practices mantra chanting for a week or two consistently before judging its effectiveness. I can recommend you a specific Mantra I have used in the past which is very good for removing negative thoughts, promoting peace and calm. That is the Gayatri Mantra. It is one of the oldest and most sacred mantras in the vedic traditions.

 

om bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ

tát savitúr váreṇ(i)yaṃ

bhárgo devásya dhīmahi

dhíyo yó naḥ prachodayāt

 

You can use this Youtube video from a wonderful performer Deva Premal who made this mantra popular in the west. If you listen to her singing and follow along singing the words with her you will find you get a deep sense of calm slowly comes over you. The more you practice and recite the mantra the more it will begin to seep into your every day sense of being. Once you have learnt the words you can then play it when your driving the car or washing the dishes etc etc and you have an instant pick me up / antidote to bring you back to a place of calm and centered peace.

 

 

:)

Edited by Justanaverageguy
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Download the app Headspace. It's a great app with guided meditation. It's all about being aware of your thoughts instead of trying to control them. I think meditation does work but it takes time.

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