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Meditation

Old 11-26-2012, 11:22 PM
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Meditation

Hi,

I was considering beginning meditation, but don't really know where to start! Can anyone offer any good podcasts or websites?

Thanks!
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Old 11-26-2012, 11:33 PM
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There are meditation courses you can do in the UK. There's load of them and should be obe near you. My sister goes and absolutely loves it. She's been trying to get me to go and I'm going to go along when a new course starts. I tried a few guided meditations but they are hit and miss. I 'meditate' when I go for my daily 5k walks. It can be as simple as saying in your head, whatever your eyes fall on to keep from other thoughts entering your head. Don't think I've explained that well! But sometimes I just repeat a mantra while I am walking (in my head). 'I am calm, patient and resourceful' etc

S x
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Old 11-26-2012, 11:43 PM
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Hi! Thanks for your reply sazzle. I am from the uk, but actually live in Luxembourg! I like the idea of using exercise as a time to meditate... It makes perfect sense! Enjoy the meditation class when you do get to go! Xxx
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Old 11-26-2012, 11:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Susan80 View Post
Hi! Thanks for your reply sazzle. I am from the uk, but actually live in Luxembourg! I like the idea of using exercise as a time to meditate... It makes perfect sense! Enjoy the meditation class when you do get to go! Xxx
Oh I see! Lucky you living in Luxembourg! I once walked out (quietly) of a meditation class in a spa. It was ridiculous and I couldn't relate. I think meditation is something you have to start off small and do in your own way. I've git a wii and there is a candle meditation game. You have to sit in the balance board and try not to move. The candle on screen flickers when you do and goes out if you move too much.

Meditation Techniques for Beginners

S x
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Old 11-27-2012, 02:53 AM
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hiya susan,, you could try asking mycoolfitz,, hes one helluva dude,, and a buddist,, hes very wise,, i do what saz does,, when i take my dog out (not 5k,,, bet shes fibbing) lol saz xxx
i just repeat stuff , like,, im hot,, im cool ,,im sexy ,, nah
sorry,, im a one for being silly,,, a giggle never hurts right!!1

so, yep i do,, and i have the "desiderata" printed and framed.. thats a reading ,(google it) thats kinda meditation,, plus it s beautiful,, and such an inspiring thing to read to yourself each gorgeous morn,,,
hope you get going,, let us know how u do,,, how is luxembourg??
cold here in uk,,, ugh xxx
but sunny in my heart
lv cleo xxxx
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Old 11-27-2012, 03:13 AM
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Hi!!! I know what you mean about some of the classess being bit much. . . I don't wan o get into chanting and that kind of thing!!! Thanks for your suggetions I will have a look online. :-)

Ahhh the weather is not much better in Luxembourg ladies!! It is really grey and miserable. On a brighter not I cannot WAIT to go home (Scotland) for Christmas!! It's funny the things that you miss when you live away. . . . humour being the no 1!! Nobody does it better than we Brits.

Hope you are having a good day and thanks again for the replies!

S
xxx
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Old 11-27-2012, 03:22 AM
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I just listen to YouTube meditation music when I go to sleep on the iPad.... the nature ones....find it helps me get to sleep...just search meditation music....heaps to chose from.
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Old 11-27-2012, 05:17 AM
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Walking meditation is a good entry point into for a more formal meditation it does not however provide all the benefits of true meditation.

Two major benefits of a formal meditation is a you enter into the relaxation response and you start to become in touch with your inner wisdom.

To properly meditate you have to learn to properly breathe, this is not chest or thorax breathing or abdominal breathing it's learning to breathe with the diaphragm. The chest and the gut state virtually motionless while the diaphragm expands the lower floating ribs.

Dr. Andrew Weill teaches the 478 method, this is an inhale through the nose to a count of 4 hold breath for a count of seven and exhale very slowlyeither through the nose for the mouth to count eight.

As you begin to enter the relaxation response breathing rate will go from 12 to 18 breaths per minute down to 4 to 6. This starts to conserve more carbon dioxide and as it does that calms every nerve in the body and allows vasodilation for more oxygen to reach every organ and you begin to enter into parasympathetic relaxation.

While you focus on mantra or a point of observation which could be as simple as the breath you begin to shut down the cortex which allows inner wisdom and what I feel this connection with my inner spirit to emerge.

I use the mantra, So Hum which means I Am in Sanskrit.

I have found that the majority of breathing instruction for meditation is incorrect, people have simply repeated the same for information over and over and because of this many people never get to enjoy the real benefits of the deep meditative relaxation practice.

Here is a website that describes accurately the process of proper breathing for meditation and relaxation and healing:

For some reason sober recovery will not let me post this link if you're interested you can email me personally

Doctors understand the true healing comes from a process that is our birthright and that they only help facilitate. It is my belief that the healing process comes from our spirit and as addicts we have lost the connection to our spirit and meditation is the doorway to regaining that connection and our healing.

It also allows us to reconnect with ourselves on a deep level and begin to listen to our own inner wisdom and hear the healthy voice our core self has always maintained in spite of self hate - self loathing and acting out on these anger generated conditions.

My problem is discipline, to enjoy the benefits of a meditation practice we need to do it a minimum of twice a day for at least 20 minutes. I know people that needed some profound healing in many areas of their life and meditated many times a day. While this is not for everyone I have a good friend who has serious medical problems, she goes to meditation intensive in a place called spirit rock where she and a large number of other people meditate from seven the morning until 7 PM for 10 days without speaking. She attributes this practice once or twice a year to profound emotional and physical healing that physicians and psychologists were never able to provide her.

Since the core practice of AA and NA is reconnecting with our spirit I hope everyone who is interested learns proper meditation, for me it is the daily grounding point, the place where I meet myself and speak to my spirit and listen for my spirit wisdom and messages to guide my life.

This part of ourselves has information and guidance that no book, doctor, therapist, friend, or program will ever be able to provide. It comes from our core self, is totally unique to us and knows and always has known exactly what we need.

In our addictions and certainly in mine we lost contact with this or we never knew it existed to make contact. Nowhere in our education or training in this culture were ever taught that we have a direct contact to our spirit, to God, or to our higher true self.

If anyone else is on this path to discovery I would love to connect with you.

Namaste'
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Old 11-27-2012, 06:04 AM
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Stories of Recovery

Juanita U of Santa Fe
A Guided Meditation - from Steps 10 & 11

take a listen
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Old 11-27-2012, 06:15 AM
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Ask Vinyl. He practices zazen. Meditation is a very broad concept and is akin to saying exercise (e.g. I want to exercise more). You probably want to define a tradition you are comfortable with (Buddhism=vipassana, zazen, vajrayana; hinduism=too many to mention but you could do transcendental meditation, Catholicism/Christianity=Centering Prayer; Judaism = hasidic prayer). Once you find a tradition you are comfortable with, then you set aside a certain amount of time each day and go to it. Remember, many meditation practices are associated with a defined religious goal so you need to be comfortable and compatible with that goal.
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Old 11-27-2012, 06:29 AM
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There also books on meditation that include CD's with guided meditation. A good starting point.
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Old 11-27-2012, 06:33 AM
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This is a fantastic meditation guide. It is written by a Buddhist monk, but the instructions are very basic and suitable for anyone looking to learn to meditate, Buddhist or not.

Mindfulness In Plain English
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Old 11-28-2012, 08:53 AM
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I love Spirit Step- Illuminating the 12 Steps Through Meditation. I ordered through Hazelden, but you can get it at spiritstep.com

It is excellent for beginning meditators like me.
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Old 11-28-2012, 08:55 AM
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I've got tons of work to do on meditation.

I do like this website: Meditainment - Guided Meditation Downloads


BTW - Hazelden has a sale going on right now.
Bookstore Home -- Hazelden
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Old 11-28-2012, 09:02 AM
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I just did a guided 20 minute meditation and at first I was about to jump out of my skin. It really is work to relax!

Some things I learned:

Meditation is prolonged concentration on specific thoughts or no thoughts at all.

Our body is made up of: physical, emotional, and mental. If they act in conflict with each other, this is called inner unmanageability. Meditation redirects our energy in a positive way.

Meditation is like a spiritual vitamin.

Practice visualizing thoughts that arrive in your meditation as "floating by" like a leaf in a stream, don't let them carry you away while you are trying to meditate.

Enjoy!
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