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

24M. After a bad 12+ months with my mental health I’m thankfully starting to notice positive changes in my mood and thought patterns.

Since coming off antidepressants and practicing mindfulness daily, I’ve been reading the book “The Power of Now” and the author talks about emotions becoming “stuck” in the body after ignoring them for too long. I’ve always noticed my heart palpitations and tense abdominal muscles and put it down to anxiety but I have realised it’s trapped emotion.

Each time I meditate however, I feel the physical discomfort of my heart pounding and it interrupts my focus, so my meditation (although a positive experience) just seems pretty surface level, and I haven’t been able to reach a deeper state.

If anyone has any advice/experience with these trapped emotions please do share!🙂‍↕️

I’ve started mediation just recently, about 2 weeks ago. I’ll always do my meditation session around 10:00PM for 15 minutes everyday. I’m facing problems with accidentally falling asleep while meditating. I’ll be closing my eyes, focusing on breathing and I’ll start to doze off. Is that normal? How can I combat that?

Huge crashing when certain state of meditation is reached in my ears. Loud and makes my body jolt. Can range from ambiguous loud loud clash to almost like a loud shock. Anyone experienced this?

Im trying to meditate everyday since it used to be my morning and night ritual for my anxious overthinking thoughts / severe anxiety ,

I know i should breathe slowly to not force the tension to leave but every time i try deep breathing i feel a stiff hard feeling in my chest even though i have more oxygen.

Also when i do the 4:4 In and out i get a lil shakey

Hey, I just started meditating daily. It’s been 3 weeks, and after every meditation, I start overthinking and feel like I’m becoming more and more detached from this world. It feels like I don’t really care about anything anymore. It feels like it was better before. I’m not sure—I feel lost. Also, I’ve started feeling headaches, which I’ve never experienced before in my life.

I made a post today about sitting with discomfort and a lot of you were very helpful. I've done some further digging and I think I have got to the root cause of my low self-esteem and why I have ended up in some of the places I have ended up in life. I had a rough childhood. I don't think it would help to be any more detailed than that. In short, I learned from a young age that I was stupid and a coward.

I put my body under intense challenges three days a week with weight lifting and cardio. I get a lot of compliments on my looks and my body but I guess my mental maturity never caught up. I also think I am suffering from some sort of PTSD from childhood bullying and watching my mother get abused by my step-dad.

I know the response is going to be to get offline and go find a therapist. I have found one. A hypnotherapist at that. I concluded my session with him because I couldn't afford to pay him. I am thinking of resuming again.

I would like to know what type of mediation you can recommend that can combat this? Would I need something a little more complex than just "leaning into discomfort"?

I can't even get into how much detail the cost for low-self-esteem has cost me and the horrid loneliness that stems from it. I know I have to unfuck myself and I am willing to do the work. Thank you for the recommendations and I am literally going offline now to implement some of the suggestions you all have given me so I wont be able to respond for the next thirty minutes.

I have been practicing gratitude, let say over past two years with some breaks in between. At the beginning I want to emphasise that practicing it has brought a lot of joy in my life. It was kind of happiness "settled in the present". I'm extremely emphatic person, so appreciation come to me really easy, and I could cry happy tears being so grateful for what I got, even in outgoing hardships around. However I realised that my gratitude comes along with some negative consequences. Let's give some examples - let's say I'm grateful for job, friends, relationships, my personal development. The moment I embrace it fully for how the things are, everything literally start to change and sink. Following the examples of thing I was grateful for - job conditions completely change all of the sudden (for worse to this point I have to resign), and I started to have friendship/relationship issues as never before, learning something about disturbing qualities I wasn't aware this people have, or qualities I used to love are disappearing. And because I had some much joy coming from gratitude, those comedown hurt x100 than they should, and leaves me with thinking l'm just stupid and delusional. I really appreciate any advice or if you spot where my faulty thinking is. As I don't want to be bitter and be open to embrace what I got fully, but I realised there is some fear to be really happy about things, in case they change and to protect myself from unnecessary additional hurt which came from r being so settle into gratitude.

Hello! First ever post on Reddit.

I have a pure copper pyramid for meditation 🍄journeys. I’m a seamstress and have a moderate knowledge of fabric. I’m trying to figure out ways to enclose the pyramid that would help with these journeys. I will custom make one to fit around it if I can figure out what type of fabric is best. Or does it even have to conduct electricity?

A friend mentioned buying colloidal metals and soaking the fabric in it.

Just looking to brain storm. Thanks! ✌🏼

Just feeling bad about myself

Hi.

I've been meditation for 2 months now. I meditate everyday between 1 to 2 hours. But for the last 2 weeks I've discovered something I didn't expect. After around 30 minutes of meditation , my body feels like it's dissolving. It's disappearing. My whole body feels like a gigantic ball of energy. The darkness behind my eyes became pitch black, clear black, no signs or shapes and sign of light whatsoever.. my hands and arms feel like they are vibration at an immense speed and also hovering .. then my body goes into survival mode .. my heart beat goes up, I feel lots of heat around me, I simply get scared of the unknown , I can't seem to go behind that state.. I always get scared and open my eyes to bring my heart rate down. It all happens very quickly. Is this normal. How can I go behind that state of meditation? Or something wrong with me ?

H

I started meditating last year for about 10 minutes a day as a part of awlf improvement. I meditate as a last thing of the day then i go to sleep. And to be honest i dont see any difference AT ALL. Nothing literaly changed it Has no benefits for me i dont know if i am doing it wrong but it dindt increase my awareness, i didnt stop daydreaming as much, i dont have better focus, i still stress the same i dont know i justetdy to focus on the present everytine and i still get interrupted by my thoughts i font know why. Please help me.

I dont know why i cant place a photo but i medititated for 51 hours in prana breath app.

In alot of near death experiences, people talk about how dying was the best feeling u could imagine, and going back into the body was just like subjecting themselves to torture compared to what they felt out of body. So how do you feel about things? Im curious about the way other people see the world.

A bunch of funny little creatures discussing things that cannot be fully explained with words. I find it really fascinating.

But meditation is quite radical tbh, and little places like this remind me that the internet, and humanity as a whole, isn’t totally screwed.

Breathing awareness is moving ‘off the cushion’ to even the most stressful situations, like work meetings, difficult people ( in slow measures so I’m not exaggerating, but it is creeping in)

Reduced alcohol consumption, from 10-15 drinks/week to 2-3 (and even now, me considering that the ‘promise’ accompanied by the urge to drink often feels unfulfilled once I have it).

Realizing that I may not need two cups of coffee to get going, but rather just one followed by simple hydration.

Feeling reduced ever-present desire to listen to music or be around others (and in particular, loud or flashy personalities that I might’ve once competed with for attention).

Fewer conflicts with others, from intimate to passing encounters. The interest and unconscious energy just isn’t there as much.

Hi. I did variations of meditation most of my adult life. I’m 60+ now. A few years ago i did TM training. My teacher since moved and i lost contact with her.

I never actually saw or was given, and never asked for, the “text” or, written “word” of my one-word mantra. She simply spoke the sound a few times. I’ve always wondered what the actual literal spelling of it was/is.

I don’t know why this concerns me. I typically just “think” or, envision silently in my mind - the sound as i believe to be.

As far as i can tell it corresponds with a TM mantra that was commonly given by instructors to those over a certain age (60 at the time for me). How much does it matter to folks whether they can visualize in the minds eye, the actual word(s) of the mantra? -its odd that this has often been a thought that comes to mind when i meditate. I only know what i think the sound was that she “gave” me.

One other ponderance. Is there any reason tm cannot be effectively practiced lying down ?
I often feel more inclined to “do” it when just lying on my bed …in reflective times…where i am awake but…more comfortable and relaxed in that mode. I usually use a timer so i am not that concerned about falling asleep - unless i want to.

Thanks for any thoughts🙂

So I’ve been wondering for a long time if I’ve been doing the correct writing thing by the divine and sharing my experiences meditating. For example, seeing God and goddesses, seeing and visiting other world during meditation, and other things. I believe that the Hindi view is that one shouldn’t really share their experiences because it’s very personal but then again I’ve been reading other books by gurus who have been sharing their experiences. Is it probably best to keep those mystical experiences to one oneself? Is it okay to share?

Today is the first day that I tried sitting with discomfort. I don't feel like I gained an epiphany from it but I do feel less anxious. My goal is to sit in my discomfort stemming from past trauma and uncomfortable social interactions and have it teach me insights that can help me mold myself into a better person and not let it deter me from conversing ad making connections with strangers

I usually start with some box breathing for 10 minutes and then just bring up the thing that makes me feel unnerving or awkward and not try to jump to another thought to escape it to distract myself for 36 minutes.

What would you do differently or what are somethings you would add to this way of doing it to make it better?

I want to practise meditation particularly to improve my ability to focus (but I will obviously be happy if other benefits also arise). I really want something different to focussing on my breath. Can anyone suggest what else I might focus on? I’m a complete beginner. Any suggestions much appreciated.

My house is pretty loud and constantly on. I usually leave for a bit but then come back with interrogation questions where'd you go's and why didn't u answer the phone etc... love my family but their so 'Conmected' to TV computers screens etc...

I like my computer time and music but I'm trying to find some Ear Muffs that could block out in house conversations TVs coming through the walls dogs barking etc...

I usually meditate from 5 to 20 minutes on average. But I schedule 5 minutes in the morning usually before I get in the shower and 5 at the end of the day to kind of decompress.

Looking for Ear Muffs that I could block out the background noise of the house...

I see there's 26 -36Db on Amazon but moneys kind of tight right now, but justified on spending. Also maybe large enough to wear earbuds underneath for guided meditation but right now the main is to block out the House lol.

Not really looking for Music headphones as there a bit pricey and I have some audio technas but their not noise canceling.

After a meditation session, I often feel like it’s a golden window of focus. My mind feels clear, free from distractions, and I notice I can concentrate much better afterward. But I've learned this the hard way—once, right after meditating (back when I was new to it), I opened TikTok "just for a minute." Eight hours flew by in what felt like seconds, and I realized that post-meditation focus can get easily hijacked by continuous stimulants.

Beyond just focus, I’ve noticed all my senses become heightened after meditation. Once, I listened to a song, and it was so moving I got goosebumps, and the next track brought me to tears (it was a beautiful piece from Plum Village). But nowadays, while I can still appreciate music, I rarely get that same intense reaction.

Sometimes I channel that clarity into productive work. Other times, I catch myself on the verge of mindless scrolling, like checking Facebook Marketplace, but I've become more aware of it and often choose to stop.

I feel like a lot of meditation guidance focuses on the practice itself—preparation and techniques during meditation. But there’s not much said about what to do afterward. I get that a general answer might be "just let your mind guide you" and I agree that, in that state of clarity, we intuitively know what’s right. But sometimes it feels limited to what we already know or are used to.

So, I’m curious—what do you do after your meditation sessions?

P.S This post was also written right after a meditation session. :) Pss The songs I mentioned are both from the album "A Cloud Never Dies" from Plum Village Band, you can find them on youtube or Spotify. The first, Invocation, gave me goosebumps, and the second, A Cloud Never Dies, moved me to tears the first time I heard it. Listening to "Recommendation" also makes me weep sometimes

I tried meditating the same method after I smoked weed then another day without smoking but I was more relaxed and deeply focused when i meditated after I smoke weed. Any advice if this can lead to dependency?

I really enjoy a few things I can get out of meditation such as weightlessness (cannot feel my body at all), loss/distortion of time and of course being deeply relaxed but not tired. I struggle with my mind wandering and I think it is preventing me from getting to the next level, whatever that may be. Are there any tips to elevate my meditation?

A little history is that I’ve tried a number of different techniques, and while I felt relaxed I certainly didn’t observe any more benefits. Not one to give up, I’ve kept looking to trusted sources but I’ve found very little help other than, “isn’t that good enough?”

Reluctantly, I picked up Llewellyn's Complete Book of Meditation by Shai Tubali. In it, he covers a wide range of techniques and connects ideas in a way that I find really helpful. I’ve heard not all techniques work for all people and I suppose that’s true, but there’s also different techniques that he talks about, beginning with the root chakra meditations.

Does anyone know of any other books that do a good job of describing more of the path and experiences of different techniques? Thanks

Been suffering from ADHD for a while, unable to focus, do the things I know I need to do, be productive, and not waste all day on my phone. I did meditate before somewhat consistently but stopped after not seeing results, i decided to start again and I was wondering if there’s an optimal way to meditate to fix my symptoms?

Looking for a Ted talk or video. A monk (it seems to me he had a Gaelic sounding name) was describing mind wandering as suddenly you find yourself skiing in the alps.

I don't know exactly what type of mental illness I have to be honest. But I do know I have one. I suffer from irrational fears, low self esteem, extreme brain fog and pain, headaches, extreme exhaustion, disorganized thoughts, etc.

For the past three years. My life has been sleep 12 hours, work 8 hours, and then meditate four hours. I lack the motivation and energy to do anything else because of how much my mind harrasses me about irrational fears accompanied by horrible feelings.

I tried the radical acceptance approach of putting your head in the demons mouth, but that significantly worsened my symptoms. I have tried this method for over three months in the hopes that it just gets worse before it gets better, but my hopes never got proven right. I believe I was doing everything right. I tried my best to fully surrender myself to the horrible thoughts and feelings. But instead of disappearing, the demons actually started to consume me even more.

What do I do? I am going insane from living this lifestyle. It is very difficult to accept. I feel utterly useless in this world and I absolutely hate living this horrible life.

I’ve always been male and heterosexual. I have been having an awakening over the past 12 months following a traumatic chronic illness. I’ve felt Chakras clear, felt more peaceful and as though negative energy is being cleared however sometimes when I meditate I feel a full ‘Ego Death’ is just around the corner so I back out just before it. The reason for this is because I feel as my ego is dissolving, feminine energy and gender identity questions are starting to arise. I’ve read on here that this can just be your masculine and feminine energy being unbalanced and that once you carry out your full awakening it can balance out and it’ll be worth it however it doesnt necessarily mean I’m homosexual, it’s just healing childhood trauma and balancing both energies? Is this true? I’ve felt such a sense of peace releasing past energies however pretty scared to let go in case I completely start to question too much.

Any advice is appreciated 🙂

Hello, not new to meditation but always new to meditation. I had some periods off and on with practicing daily for months at a time. Then I would slowly stop, just forget to meditate and months go by. I don't know if I was doing it just as a routine or was it beneficial. But it was never longer that 30 mins. 20 on average.

Now I'm wondering if it was good for me at all, maybe in some ways. But now I feel so uneasy/restless (I don't know if I'm using the word correctly), I fall into my addictions more easily and rarely feel present at all.

Should I start the cycle of meditation at 20 minutes like before, with a big probability that I will slowly stop the practice. Or would it be beneficial to do it BIG this time. Maybe the 20 minutes didn't give me enough quality time.

Thank you in advance, and I wish you all a good day.

I am still a beginner in meditation, but a couple of weeks ago I learned the “standing meditation” and I liked it very much, I could focus very well on the meditation while standing. Today I did a standing up meditation again, it went very well, but after a while I suddenly collapsed, I literally fell. What is the reason for this? Is this normal? Have other people had this before?

Thank you in advance!