anchorbird

Just curious if anyone else here meditates? I used to do it very often and it really made a difference in my life. Today I took the time to meditate and WOW, I felt so refreshed afterward. A therapist taught me to use tapping during meditation so that is what I did along with a few mantras I repeated. I do pray every day, but I do not consider that my meditation time.

ClearLight

Thanks for the post.

I am also going to try meditation and yoga. I've heard of others doing the same thing with really good results.

BradJustBrad

I meditate every morning. I feel the benefits throughout the day.

If I miss a morning session, it is very apparent in my relative lack of focus and irritability.

Kris47

I try to meditate at least a few to several times a week. I really should everyday. It really does help to calm me. I do pray, relax, read, and listen to tapes every day.

Sometimes I sit and think.

Sometimes I just sit.

alphaomega

Every. Single. Day. For almost a year.

Can't imagine my life without it now. I even created a space in my home that is my "sacred space" used only for prayer and meditation.

I attribute a large part of my getting and staying sober to meditation.

jaybee1

I've tried to meditate, but I haven't had much success. I would love to take a meditation class or better yet teach myself somehow.

SLurner

I tried a meditation podcast yesterday on my 2nd sober afternoon as i was having major anxiety about getting through this - it really helped calm me and I have downloaded a few more for free and will do some more later this morning. I think it will get more effective with more practice - good luck with it and thanks for that reminder to try more meditation today.

anchorbird

Great idea! Thanks!

anchorbird

Found these
Free Guided Meditations | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

whiskeyman

i try to live by

Praying is talking to God,
Meditating is being silent so he can talk to me.

ClearLight

anchorbird-

Thanks for the link!

Kris47

A few more...............

How to Meditate | Into The Gloss

Meditations for the Modern Mind: Belly-Breathing Meditation | BobTuskin.com

Guided Meditation (Page 2) | Care2 Healthy Living



http://www.collective-evolution.com/...ion-challenge/

Bruce292

I meditate almost every day for about 45 minutes. Now that I've been doing it for a while I've found that I can perform "micro-meditations" that help me reset. Meditation (mindfulness) has been the cornerstone of my recovery. I can't say enough about how much it has helped me. My issue was the negative chatter constantly going on in my head. Meditation has taught me to control all that negative feedback.

EverySngleNight

I practice pretty frequently. But, I've kind of fallen out of love lately. Thanks for this post- I feel inspired to pick it back up. I've been meaning too.

If anyone here is just starting out or if you're having difficulty getting to that frame of mind- my favorite beginner/instructionalish/inspirational book is: The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation: Thich Nhat Hanh, Vo-Dihn Mai, Mobi Ho: 0046442012393: Amazon.com: Books

It's a good read for the experienced too. It addresses meditation with consideration for a more westernized mindset/lifestyle, without going all Barnes & Noble McSpiritual. :-) It explains walking meditation, which is AWESOME! <3 Thich Nhat Hanh books.

Here's an article on brain studies involving Buddhist monks- awesome stuff!
BBC News - Brains of Buddhist monks scanned in meditation study

Thanks again for the post Anchor!

PS- Just wondering, is there a section dedicated to daily meditation- similar to whiners or exercise? I checked around, but maybe I missed it... I think that would be pretty cool.

Jus

I did the free 21 day meditation with Deepak. I couldn't believe the relief and peace it brought me. His calming voice, did that, calmed me.

I've since purchased it, and work hard to do it every morning, sometimes it's hard with distractions (yeah a little dog wanting to play lol)

Jaybee, good luck to you. A good start is to teach your self to be still, just in a calm quiet place, empty your mind. You'll soon learn.

Great post anchor

EverySngleNight

Jus- Do you have a link? I'm interested to check it out. I know Deepak had a program on Wii I was thinking about purchasing. Technology... :-)

gr9813

When you meditate you want to be as comfy as possible. Trying to meditate while sitting cross-legged is annoying for me. It bothers my back and I cant sit still. I prefer to lay on my back. A recliner chair would also work...but you want body to be completely comfortable so you can remain still.

The easiest way to start meditating is to set a timer for 5 minutes. Find your comfortable position and try to keep your body still. Breathe in long and slow, then breath out long and slow (though your nose, unless you're a mouth breather). You can do it in silence or put on some soothing music. That's all there is to it. Its really just about concentrating on your breath.

No attempt is a failure. If your mind wanders from the breath it doesn't matter, just bring it back when you remember to. If you prefer, you can even let your mind wander from thought to thought, like watching clouds pass in the sky. Eventually the clouds (or thoughts) will pass, and their will be a clear day (or mind). Some days will be very cloudy or even stormy. But that's ok, its still a successful meditation session.

As you feel more comfortable you can increase the time to 10-20 minutes.

When you find yourself in a tense situation or feeling anxious. Remembering to breathing slowly may help alleviate some of the tension or anxiety. I find myself meditating when I get stuck in traffic, or when I do the dishes. Breathing slowly and with intent keeps my mind from going crazy, and calms any tension in my body.

Books on meditation go pretty deep, and may make it to be a bit more complex than it needs to be. They offer some great ideas, such as walking and meditation, and body scan stuff. But in essence, its concentrating on your breath so you can still your mind.

Good luck.

zerothehero

Try the book Mindful Recovery by Bien and Bien. A good place to start with meditation, and with recovery issues, as well. Warning: They clearly seek to provide an alternative to 12-Step programs.

AWOL

Thank you for the post Anchorbird.

Meditation, pranayama and yoga every day for an hour. I love meditating to music and find the music of Craig Preuss beautiful for centering the mind and bringing it into a quiet space. There's no doubt it helps the recovery process. Alphaomega, like you, I have a dedicated room reserved only for yoga and meditation. It's one place where alcohol has never been.

Kris47

I like to meditate in the woods or down by the lake when I can.