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

Okay… so, I’ve been getting back into meditation for the past several months. I have been doing it on and off for years throughout my life. When I used to meditate. I would go for hours and be in a trance like state. But, lately after not having done meditation for several years I’ve been getting back into it.

I started with 10 or 20 minute sessions. But then have been doing hour long sessions. But the longer I meditate. I’m noticing that a lot of pent up erotic thoughts come flooding into my mind.

I then feel the urge to you know what lol

Anyways… yea, so this has been a new experience for me. Has anyone else experienced this?

What does meditation mean? 1 or 2?

1. Sit and focus on breathing and bringing back your attention when mind wanders off
2. Sit and specifically dedicate a time to think about all things that need your attention

Let's say throughout the day something happened and it was bothering me. So does meditation mean to sit at the end of the day and focus on relaxing myself focus on breathing and bring myself back whenever my mind thinks about that bad incident which happened earlier in the day, or does it mean that during meditation I will specifically reflect back on that incident and think things through?

During my recent meditation sessions, I've been thinking way too much. To the point where I go a full 20 mins with just thoughts

I always make a mental note of the thought and try to return to not thinking naturally, but end up just thinking about not thinking or another thought just pops up

Should I change the way I meditate??

Like the title states.

I usually sit up in the chair while meditating, but today, I decided to do it lying down in the bed while meditating since my brother about to wake up and I'm embarassed and uncomfortable being seen by him that I am meditating (I just prefer to do it alone). Doing it in the bed so he does not know I am meditating, and looks like I am just sleeping in front of him.

One of the reason why it needs to be in a chair, coz the book said that we tend to associate the bed with sleep. And totally it makes sense, coz lying down makes me sleepy when the meditation states that I need to be present and aware.

Been going from asleep, then find myself being present that I have fallen asleep. Then, after a minute, asleep again, then find mins later that I've been aware that I have fallen asleep.

Now, I felt that the meditation I'm doing today is useless since I just been going off sleeping and state to myself that I will just cut my meditation midway and just sleep. So, I put my meditation audio off and gone off to bed again.

And now I can't fall asleep .....just why??

I've seen some post and blogs about some people when after meditation, they can't fall asleep. Then, people in comment section tend to congratulate them since it means they are starting to be aware. Whoohoo

But, in my case is different, I didn't finished my meditation and cut it midway lmaaooo, so I knew that wasn't the reason. Is cutting midway causes this? I am usually fine after meditating, I just fell asleep after that, but now I can't.

Part of me irks that I should have just finished the meditation but it is already morning so I can't right now.

This little mantra helps me with my practice. Let's be real, even for experienced meditators the habit of engaging with thoughts and being unmindful is real. To uncondition decades of conditioning is hard.

At every moment whenever we feel feel suffering from our headspace, just know the capacity to be mindful of your body, feelings, mental faculties, and the impermanent nature of reality is always there. Yes, the habit of conditioned mind makes it painful to actually practice mindfulness in every moment. But at least going through this kind of pain will yield great benefits in the long term, as opposed to engaging with the pain of being swept away by thoughts and unawareness and further strengthening the habit.

Whenever it feels hard to practice mindfulness, just remember pain is practice, the perfect kind of pracfice.

Hello & good day to you, fellow practitioners both new and old, both spiritual & clinical.

I wish to hold an open discussion on the objects of focus that one may use in their meditative practice.

Whether it be grounded in objectivity or subjective in complexity - Whether it be time tested and historical or modernly studied in a clinical capacity - Whether it is a custom object that suites a purpose like a tool; I ask that you lay forth the objects of focus you use while maintaining relaxation and breathing rhythm.

(Obviously following the breath is not to be forgotten. We all start somewhere and must remain diligent to the basics while we add in the other objects over top of it.)

If you have any anecdotes on how it helps you, the effects, tips to execution, or historical/scientific texts to accompany it or not - it is all going to be helpful to those who come after us.

Hi all. I'm currently trying to strengthen the fundamentals of my meditation by doing 45 mins of Samatha meditation at 5am every day. I focus on the sensation of breathing at the nose, labeling the breath and pauses as I go. My two biggest issues are physical comfort and let's say lucid dreams.

Firstly, I sit on a meditation cushion in the Burmese position and can maintain that for about 20-25 minutes before I have to move to sitting on the sofa. I'm ok with that - my sitting position and endurance is getting better with time.

The bigger challenge is entering states of lucid dreaming. I'm managing pretty well with maintaining focus on the breath. I don't get lost in active thought, planning the day, reliving the past etc. I am also getting pretty quick at bringing my focus back to the in-breath. But what I notice is that most of lost concentration is to dream like states. If I actually micro-sleep I feel a sudden rush as I snap back into consciousness. But generally that doesn't happen unless I'm very tired (I have a coffee as soon as I wake up). Instead I get to watch some of the weirdest thoughts and images that make absolutely no sense, as you would expect from a dream, but I lose mindfulness in the process.

I don't have a problem with the lucid nature of it, but I was wondering you any of you knew of particularly effective ways of maintaining mindfulness and awareness and not getting swept into these thoughts. Thanks!

Simply curious. I was feeling extreamly relaxed earlier today (almost like sleeping with eyes open) and I started to see 1...than many eye floaters....I was able to focus on one when it turned into a black 3d like dot or marble...what is this? Never had this happen couldn't hold the gaze more than 10 seconds...

I've been using it for about a year. I'm interested in some exploring new techniques that could further help me.

Hello,

So I have struggled with the above emotions for some time. How do you all deal with these emotions and lessen their impact? I have tried affirmations but they don't seem to work for me like they do other people unless I am doing the wrong affirmation.

Is that's right the enormousness of the task is almost as great as the inspiration behind it?

Hey guys. I don’t get why when I meditate first thing in the morning, I feel so much optimism, love for life and joy but it slowly fades away and become a different person by afternoon. Even when I try to meditate in the afternoon or evening it doesn’t feel the same. Curious to know what’s going on here?

I’ve met a guy who is super into meditation but like to an unhealthy level. The way he talks kind of makes me think of Workout Bros who are trying to maximize their gains and are like “If you aren’t crushing 5000 calories a day to keep up with your workout, are you even trying, bro?”

Is there a precedent for this in meditation?

I think this meditation guy reminds me of that kind of dude bro workout man. Talking to him is kind of like, “If you aren’t transcending time and space to reach levels of consciousness never before experienced by mankind and elevating yourself out of your human shell, are you even meditating, bro?” He has these wild stories of his meditation experiences and I’m over here like, “um, yeah. I just was very relaxed and felt peaceful. I guess I realized some stuff about myself too?”

Am I alone? Maybe I’m being too judgy of someone else’s excitement and intensity.

Hello, fellow Redditors!

I’m a yoga instructor with a deep passion for understanding different experiences and journeys in the world of yoga and meditation. I’m curious to learn from your stories, insights, and feedback.

Today, I have a question for you: What has been your experience attending meditation retreats?

Whether you’ve found inner peace, faced challenges, or had unique learnings, I’d love to hear about it! Your responses will help me better understand the diverse impacts of meditation retreats.

Thank you for sharing!

Distracting imagination products are blocking your way. Tell them that. Feedback: Fuck you, I am the way!

Therefore, repeating the phrase "this is the place to go, this is the thing to do, this is the thing to love" to gain awareness that what is will is will. But I am afraid that with too much repetition the concept loses its depth, I wonder if the zoom out effect that made the closed eye focus on the darkness in the beginning has been lost?

Hello my friends of the inner world,

I am a long time meditation lover. I love especially the calmness and the feeling of coming home without thoughts or the urge to do anything about it.

I was just meditating about what it means to be aware throughout the day. A long time ago it meant some kind of being focussed fully on what you are doing in every moment for me.

Now I think it is more of a kind of trance like state. Half into the inner world, half outside. With the possibiltiy of focussing on something, but not the need to. Trance does not mean being unconscious in this context, but more of a broader and more silent awareness that keeps body and mind calm and encompasses everything, but nothing concrete. I hope you know what I mean.

The problem is, I have never read something like this. Everybody tells us to focus on the moment, to be right here every blink of an eye. This is - at least for me - only possible if I take a step back from focussing.

What are your thoughts about it?

I saw some questions here about the effect of weed on meditation, so I decided to share my own perspective on it. I'll discuss my practice and give you a review of how quitting weed has changed my own experience of meditation. I am not here to make any judgment about what is right for you. I am simply offering the opinions I have developed from my own life.

Meditation isn't necessarily something that I do on purpose. It's just something I find easier to do than surfing the internet, playing video games or watching TV. I sit away from any screens or electronics for half an hour in the morning and for half an hour before bed. This isn't the result of any hard discipline. It's a habit I've fallen into because it makes my life easier. I just sit where I'm comfortable and let the thoughts come.

I used weed on and off for about 15 years. It was something I did for fun with my friends until they moved away. I started with smoking, switched to vaping, and learned how to make cannabutter. I transitioned to hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) when that became easier to acquire, and very gradually needed THC less and less. I quit THC completely more than a year ago, and presently take only CBD powder or THC-free hemp for anxiety or when I have to sleep.

I think meditation is easier without marijuana. After quitting, what really amazed me were the memories that came back. There were times I felt like I was waking up from a coma. It didn't happen all at once, but the longer I went without it, the happier I felt that I had quit. I'm more alert and responsive, can easily read books and talk to people, manage my time, and feel more in control of myself. I still drink an occasional beer, but am happy without weed after 16 months without it.

Meditation helped me to take an objective look at marijuana use and to make the decisions that are best for me. In my practice, I stopped using THC by substituting it for CBD. Now my mind is more alert and responsive, better able to recall memories, stronger in reading and writing, and more effective in communication. "May your meditation bring you peace, happiness, and bliss" -- Swami J

We are in a golden age for meditation apps, but I still find myself looking or wanting for more specific meditations I can’t find. I sometimes create my own on a voice note.

Are there any specific guided ones you wish existed? Like anxiety focused, manifestation focused, pain management etc? Just curious to hear if others felt the same 💛

if so, is there a specific guided meditation you follow to clear your mind before bed and be calm? or if you don’t meditate before bed, let me know why you don’t!

There is a specific technique Frank yang talked about, called vipasshena or something along those lines. After doing the do nothing meditation to let go of effort, doing vipassana to vippassionalize the vippasionizer or something like that. Just wanted to know more about the specific name of this.

Hello everyone, I have seen all kinds of things, from white birds, fire and smoke, to spinning wheels, and orphic egg like things. I am not schizophrenic to my knowledge and am speaking to a psychologist who does not believe me to be schizophrenic although i do have anxiety and depression. I have never heard anything, the hallucinations have only been visual and are quite subtle, they are more like silhouettes than 3D reality. I do not hallucinate in any other circumstance although I do experience sleep paralysis. Is there a classical name for what I experience?

Any thoughts on my predicament would be greatly appreciated.

Hello, I've been trying on using some of my free time at work to meditate. But, I'm having trouble concentrating as the people around the office tends to be quite noisy during breaks.

I've tried listening to music to drown any distracting noises and there really isn't any area at work where it's quiet given that we have a small office space.

Any advice to help me avoid getting distracted while meditating?

recommended apps/creators would be appreciated 🙏 and the duration of time you do it for! as specific as possible really hahah

Hi, guys.

Here's my method that helps me in my concentration.

I have always been on and off meditation, but since around a month now I have been meditating 30 min twice a day.

It seems to be an effective way to control my OCD and improving my judgement & awareness.

Since I am easily distracted, I started to count everytime I am able to recapture my attention, and I imagine the corresponding number (like a golden coin) to help me remember.

The next time I zone out, and then get back on track, I add 1. And I also say something like "Be quiet" or "focus".

It makes it all less abstract, and kind of "gamifies" (sorry for the jargon) the process.

So it goes something like this:

Start > Pure awareness > Random memory > Related thought > "Damnit!" > "One...Be quiet" > Pure awareness > "My back is itching" > "I have to improve my posture" > "Oops lost it again" > "2...Be Quiet" > Pure awareness >...

You can also make modifications too like, sometimes I won't add or I will jump one number, just to mess with myself (avoid clinging to a sense of order).

So if you are the ADHD type, this might put you on track faster/more often, otherwise you might waste 20 minutes thinking about your insurance or something.

tl;dr

Everytime monkey brain think funny thing and you snap back, add one to your count (like an imaginary coin) and tell yourself to be quiet. This makes you spend less time with monkey thoughts and more time with pure awareness.

i’ve been reading in a lot of meditation books that your supposed to focus on the breath without altering it and have found this almost impossible. Is this necessary for meditation? And is it actually possible?

After today session I noticed something interesting. Usually on the last minute of the session, I open my awareness to everything and not only the breath. I like to hold my hand together like in a praying position, and I can usually feel the contact between my hands and the heat the is produced from my hands being together.

But today that feeling of the contact of my hands disappeared, I couldn't feel my hands touching each other, nor the body heat, is like they were not there. Of course, when the session ended as soon as I moved them everything came back, but it was like my hands became numb for that last minute.

I usually lie down, close my eyes and focus only on my breathing, as time passes (10-20 min) I usually enter a state of deep relaxation, when it reaches that point I start to feel strange things, for example: I feel a body inside my body and the strangest thing is that that other body has its hands turned (I don't know how to explain that) and the most important thing is that my heart starts to accelerate and I start to feel that something is going to happen (I don't know how explain it) my body begins to shake and something inside me begins to grow, as if it were going to explode, one time it happened to me that at the end of that sensation I felt like a light throughout my body anda i started to see all white color instead of black, normally this sensation distracts me and in ecstasy I can't continue meditating anymore, sometimes I feel afraid, I don't know why, deep down I have the feeling that it's something I should channel but I don't know. Does this happen to anyone else? Is there anything I can read about this? Can someone give me a guide?

I try to meditate anywhere from ten to twenty minutes a day. I’m noticing that I’m still having trouble clearing my mind all the way. I know sensory deprivation tanks may help with this so I was wondering what more seasoned meditators think of doing that to get an idea of what a clear mind is like. Thanks.