/r/Meditation

Photograph via snooOG

This community is for sharing experiences, stories and instruction relating to the practice of meditation.

How to meditate - Stories relating to the practice of meditation.

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Please keep the discussion clean and neutral. If you are part of a particular school of Meditation/Yoga then please disclose this and keep an open mind - there exist many forms of meditation, and experience of Truth is subjective by definition.

Please read up on the subreddit rules here, before posting.

  • Please do not post your personal blog, pretty pictures, or videos, there are many other subreddits for them. If your post is removed, it is most likely because it contained: audio, video, link to YouTube, or blog, or some sort of promotion or recruitment. Please understand these will be removed.

  • Images may be posted over at /r/meditationpics.

  • Meditation music and guided meditations may be posted over at /r/audiomeditation. Audio tracks consisting of teachings are OK to post here.

  • Short inspirational quotes or texts should be posted as self-posts.

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  • If you see a post that is doing/not doing any of the above, and is breaking the subreddit rules, please report it!


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Meditation Related on Reddit



Thanks to Radicalem for the great logo!

/r/Meditation

2,233,301 Subscribers

1

Is there a way to cool the body with meditation?

I work in construction and have had bad experiences in the heat(heat exhaustion) Now anytime it feels a little warm outside my body kinda freaks out and I feel like I’m overheating. Are there techniques that help cool the body down?

0 Comments
2024/03/22
03:12 UTC

1

Something that I’ve been worrying about

How do I know if I’m genuinely a good person or if every good thing I do is just to feed my own ego? I’m scared that I’m a narcissist or something and I just don’t know it.

4 Comments
2024/03/22
02:02 UTC

0

Kundalini cures you

2 Comments
2024/03/22
00:52 UTC

1

Meditation technique - "Please make it disappear"

Hi All, I have just started doing meditation. The instructor advised me to think about my life cycle (from birth to recent) or recent painful stuff in each session (an hour long session) and then asked me to throw those into imaginary sun and pray "please make it disappear". Does anyone follow this technique? Just wanted to know how much helpful it is.

12 Comments
2024/03/21
22:17 UTC

1

question on breathing meditation

When I started to learn breathing meditation, here is a difficulty I have. My breathing is normal and natural if I don't pay attention to it. But when I start to "watch" my breath, it becomes a little bit awkward and I sense a little nervous rather than relaxed. It feels like my mind would interference with the breathing. Does anyone have similar feelings and how do you overcome it?

2 Comments
2024/03/21
21:35 UTC

1

Do you visualize while you meditate?

I’m a beginner. I have a hard time focusing on my breathing as it feels somewhat uncomfortable. I’ve been trying to do this thing where I try to let go of my thoughts and feelings and just observe them in front of me. I visualize them in a boat that starts floating away from me. I’m trying to observe those things like they are not a part of me anymore. But my mind is not empty, it’s focusing on the observing and visualization. Do you think this is a good way to meditate or should I try to let go of all the thoughts and focus on my breathing only?

1 Comment
2024/03/21
21:14 UTC

1

Metta meditation before bed?

Does anyone do this? I’m wondering if it will help you reprogram your mind by sleeping right after. I’m worried about whether it would keep me awake though.

Any experiences?

0 Comments
2024/03/21
21:07 UTC

0

What kind of music ruins meditation?

I don’t always meditate with music on, and I know the general consensus is that it’s often best to go without it. However I have pretty bad adhd and find that I can have an easier time meditating with music since my mind wanders less.

I enjoy psytrance such as shpongle since I find it heavily layered yet soothing. I find it’s the type of music where rather than truly listening to it, I’m allowing the experience to simply happen and observing the different aspects of how it sounds or how I feel. I enjoy that there’s little to no lyrics and I find it helps me focus for longer periods.

That said, would this type of music retract from the point of meditation? I feel like I have a mild addiction to music and feel weird when i sit in silence for long periods. It’s not always bad, but I feel like if there’s a particular technique that allows you to get the most out of meditation with music, I’d do it more frequently. I tend to meditate before bed, but that’s more so to drift to sleep, and not really about being mindful. I enjoy meditating generally, but I just feel oddly uncomfortable without some form of background music at times(not always, but more than I’d like to admit).

I want to set the intention of being more mindful, but also to explore consciousness in the sober state. Any information that can aid in this goal, information regarding if music is a good or bad idea, and any other general tips.

I want to do meditation more often, and I feel if music won’t ruin it I could set a more consistent habit of doing it. But if music does ruin it, I might have to step back and just exist in the odd feeling of silence.

6 Comments
2024/03/21
20:36 UTC

20

What to do when I hate my job???

I have to spend many hours in front of a computer doing a job I hate, but it's the only thing I can do right now as a living. This job is very demanding mentally and drains all my energies.

Can anyone recommend me some meditative technique to improve my mental state when I start working??? Sometimes I just start working and after 5 minutes I really want to quit it, it's so frustrating to live with this.

21 Comments
2024/03/21
20:24 UTC

3

What is the best mindfulness meditation practice?

Hello! Newbie here. I want to get into meditating to practice mindfulness. I’ve found that to be the type of meditation that works best for me. I am naturally very whimsical and “floaty” as a being so it’s easy to drift away while meditating. I want to know how to stay present and here.

How can I go about that?

14 Comments
2024/03/21
20:24 UTC

2

My Story of going from ADHD diagnosis to being able to focus at school

https://youtu.be/4z7j7wZzf8U

Meditation is one of the strongest tolls for life. It gives me a compound effect unrivaled by anything.

I suffered of ADHD as diagnosed by a doctor, but now I'm able to focus trough boring lectures when everyone gets fatigues/loses focus.

I wanted to share this with you guys, I'd love to discuss my technique and hoping for your feedback on my method of meditating!

0 Comments
2024/03/21
20:22 UTC

3

Life Path number 11's

What does it mean to be a Life path number 11?
Often considered a master number in numerology, individuals with a life path number of 11 are highly intuitive, visionary, and spiritually aware. They may possess psychic or healing abilities and often serve as catalysts for positive change in the world.

https://spritualbeing.quora.com/

2 Comments
2024/03/21
19:55 UTC

2

Meditation habit

How long did it take you to make meditation a regular habit? Where it didn't feel like a chore and it became a part of your normal routine, like brushing your teeth?

3 Comments
2024/03/21
19:00 UTC

1

The Breathe Never Ends?

Hey all, I've been attending a meditation center for about a year now, and I've heard people talk about where the breathe ends when you're meditating.

At first I was thinking it was the point where an inhale becomes an exhale, but I don't know if that's true. See, I asked myself "What really is the act of breathing?" It can't be just inhaling or exhaling, its gotta be the whole process. If you just do one or another, you haven't completed a breath.

Which lead me to another, possibly schizo, thought. When I breathe, I am simply doing. I have no real choice or conscious will to keep breathing at all times, it just happens on its own. The air enters my lungs, goes into my blood, is pumped throughout my entire body, and ends up facilitating my survival. It's like I'm simply following a pre-made plan or set of circumstances.

My next thought was, well obviously when I die I will stop breathing, and that is where the breathe ends. But, what if I expand the definition of breathing beyond just sustaining myself? When I die, the plan goes on. My body decays, but the chain of events is still going to go forward.

Idk really how to voice what I'm trying to say. The closest thing I can think of is that it makes me feel like I'm an object pretending to person.

4 Comments
2024/03/21
18:39 UTC

2

Writing as Meditation

I've looked through the sub for information on established meditations practices to do with writing. I have yet to find anything that is similar in nature to paying attention to the breath, as in writing to quiet the mind.

I think that some of the definitions of automatic writing could fit this but I'm not totally sure. I've also thought that some sort of copywork involving a repeating word on Mantra on the page.

I enjoy the physical act of writing and I'm just looking for ways to use that to progress my meditation practice.

0 Comments
2024/03/21
18:22 UTC

6

Why even meditate?

So I have been trying to get into meditation. Because people are really excited about it. It is supposed to quiet your mind, you can get some insight from it, connect with the devine., and all kinds of things.

Maybe I'm just doing it wrong but first of all it is a task. I have to set time apart to meditate. Then I have to sit up straight with an elongated spine for let's say 10 whole minutes. That already hurts 2 minutes in. Then I have to quiet my mind, which seems almost impossible, cause a new thought pops in every 0,5 seconds, sometimes more than one at a time. Then I become itchy all over my body, my foot is asleep, I hear a strange no8se and I have to pee.

You know what, I'm gonna scratch everything, go to the toilet real quick, find out what that noise is, come back and find a more comfortable position. Like in a chair. When I finally get to a point I'm semi comfortable and quiet my mind for 2 whole minutes I immediately fall asleep.

When I wake up I'm even more stressed than before cause I just wasted time doing nothing while I could have been cleaning the house or walk the dog.

So this seems like a rant but it is not. It is more of a question. Maybe some other people have experienced this. How did you overcome it? Why should I even meditate? Am I doing the wrong meditation? If the goal of meditation is to get rid of the self, does that mean there is something wrong with me? Or should I set a different goal? All of those questions.

Thank you so much if you got through this rambling and are still here 🙏

23 Comments
2024/03/21
18:06 UTC

26

What has meditation done for you? Has it changed who you are?

The reason i ask this is because for years i have known about meditating, over the years i have only done it here and there for 5-10 mins but, im 19, i have loads of anxiety sometimes and i want to change that. I want to change as a person, be more confident. For example say im walking back from work and i see somebody ik i dont wanna just nod my head and say u alright, i wanna be like yoo wasssupp man and like ACTUALLY talk to them and stuff. idk. im normally confident on weekend and stuff but during the week im a ball of anxious thoughts. I also want to gain peace and not overthink stuff. So has anybody also got any tips on what i should listen to, like any good recommendations on youtube? Thanks

30 Comments
2024/03/21
18:05 UTC

2

Demotivated to continue mediating

Hello everyone! So I started meditating everyday several months ago. And until then, everything went great! It feels good to meditate and get my mind off of my busy daily life. With this long period of meditating, I also started to progress, meaning that I am meditating for a longer time now. Right now I am meditating for about 18-20 min and before, it was like 9. But that is starting to be the problem, like I am kind if demotivated to meditate because I feel like it takes tooo long for me to finish. Even though I love it, the first step is always the hardest and lately, it‘s been hard sticking to my routine. Lately, I have also been procrastinating meditation to a point where my day is over and I can‘t meditate anymore (to the fullest). On the other hand, I don‘t want meditation to be something I have to force onto myself but just as a peaceful break.

Can you please give me some advice? Maybe by emphasizing all the benefits of meditation and why it is so important because I really feel like I need it. I want to be able to meditate everyday for 20-25 min and stick to this routine.

0 Comments
2024/03/21
17:23 UTC

2

Sporadic knee pain throughout the day after meditation

I recently started meditating in a Zen sangha and they're quite a bit more strict about posture. The good news is that my meditation is much improved, as far as mental state goes. The bad news is that the way I was doing it before, with my legs folded Indian style and admittedly my back a bit rounded, was not ok. I've been trying Burmese, with different heights under my zafu, and getting regular twinges of knee pain during meditation as well as throughout the day. Some of the pain feels like it's "in" the knee, whereas some is right above the knee, maybe where the ligament connects.

Does this go away over time and I should just push through? Should I take more breaks and swap which leg is under vs over? Any other tips to reduce the knee pain?

It's not excruciating, but I feel my body is trying to tell me something and I should try to make it happy.

2 Comments
2024/03/21
17:17 UTC

10

What happens when you reach traumas?

I decided to get serious about meditation, and I begun reading The mind illuminated by Culadasa. It seems that above a certain level you have to dissolve traumas to go on. I haven't reached the part of the book where he explain it, but I always thought you can't overcome traumas alone, you need connection to others. So I was wondering what this is about? Have you reached that level and overcame it by yourself? What happens there?

13 Comments
2024/03/21
16:25 UTC

2

Trustworthy Free Sources

Hello all, I am very new to meditation. It has been recommended by my therapist.

I would like to do it from home and do not know where to go for trustworthy instruction and information online. I know there are many types of meditation and I would like to try one that is ideally non-spiritual focused and has some studies I could look over as well.

Please let me know of any resources, guided videos or studies I should start with.

Thanks in advance!

12 Comments
2024/03/21
16:01 UTC

8

just getting started but already enjoying it

i'm processing a lot of grief right now as well as some seasonal depression and several looming anxieties. my grief is extremely disenfranchised - seems like no one understands because it is such a unique situation, therefore it makes my depression and anxiety feel worse and more isolating. it doesn't make any of these things go away but it helps me relax and feel refreshed and pay attention to my body and where i'm feeling the most stressed. it helps me have a better approach to coping with these things. i'm pretty impressed with how well this process of meditation is going for me. i've started a morning routine. while i wait for my coffee to cool down i just do a few minutes for now. starting small so i can maybe get big later.

i tried sharing this good news with my s/o and best friend but they didn't seem so receptive. i sense a lot of jealousy in that it comes easier to me because i am not as easily distracted as they are. they gave reasons why they don't meditate and i respect it, but it seems to me like there was more anger than celebrating. they are also aware of what i am grieving but can't seem to understand because they still get to be apart of the group in which i no longer can be (long story). i love them and i guess i can understand.

anyway, i wanted to say something to a community of people who do really care and are passionate about this. so thank you for listening.

2 Comments
2024/03/21
15:59 UTC

1

Book Recommendation

Thought as a system by David Bohm. Good luck on your journey

0 Comments
2024/03/21
15:56 UTC

11

What do you think about manifestation and law of assumption/attraction ? It doesn't appeal to me.

I feel like the whole gang of manifestation is on the wrong path. Instead of focusing of getting things in life, they should focus in knowing oneself. Playing with one's desire is a waste to time, rather seeking satisfaction is the right path.

What do you guys think about it ?

44 Comments
2024/03/21
15:22 UTC

36

Why do I have no mastery over myself ? And how to build it ?

I have little to no master over myself. What I mean by that is that my thoughts and emotions are constantly out of my reach. I'm an easily manipulable person. I have convictions but I can hang to it as much as I want it can't compete against sudden desires. I'm at the mercy of deception and manipulation

For some examples,I can think masturbation is a bad deed because it exhaust me and it keep me in a low state,but as soon as the urge kicks in,I literally can't stop it. Or I can think that I don't want to use my phone because it's addicting but as soon as I'm in an inconfortable social situation I'm gonna pull it. That's poor examples so don't pay too much attention to it but mainly the thing is that I'm entirely driven by my subconscious and urges even when it goes against my convictions

22 Comments
2024/03/21
14:22 UTC

3

When doing a focus based meditation, should you strive to notice sensations that are as subtle as possible?

When you are focusing in the beginning of a meditation, you might not be able to perceive all the subtleties of the thing you're trying to focus on. Later on in the session, if it goes well, you will have more and more brain power to notice subtle sensation. Once you are at that point, should you? Or is the only important thing to sustain attention?

On the one hand it seems to me like sustaining attention is the most important thing and that you will notice details after a while anyway. On the other hand there are some meditations based on expanding/increasing awareness that also increase focus.

What is your opinion on this situation?

2 Comments
2024/03/21
13:18 UTC

9

Frank Sinatra's "My Way" stuck in my head

Pretty much this xD. What to do when a song gets stuck in your mind while meditation??? When it comes to normal thoughts I can just observe them, they come and go. But songs are so difficult to go, it can be there for my whole meditation practice.

14 Comments
2024/03/21
11:52 UTC

53

The Breath is the key

It only makes sense that we start meditating by focusing on the breath, as the breath is the perfect analogy to reality, being, and self.

Ask yourself: are you doing the breathing, or is breathing happening to you?

Are your experiences something you do, or are they happening to you?

Just like the breath, the more you try to control your experiences, the more awkward and difficult it becomes. Letting go, surrendering, and just being is much more peaceful.

19 Comments
2024/03/21
04:15 UTC

5

When I’m mindful on vacation anxiety disappears, but meditation makes it worse?

I understand mindfulness is bringing the subconscious to the surface and the beginning can be tough.

How come when I am mindful on vacation my stress levels disappear and my nervous system resets with ease?

Is it because you are doing mindfulness but with movement?

7 Comments
2024/03/21
01:41 UTC

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