Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
advice for getting back into meditation
JetsFan366
Explorer
Does anyone have any advice for getting a practice started again? I have Adult ADD so I have a motivation issue (motivation without guilt, that is) at times.
I was thinking about rereading "Mindfulness In Plain English" again. Does anyone have any ideas that's worked for them? I never had a daily practice (I was working towards that), but probably put in about 3-4 hours a week at my 'best'.
I was thinking about rereading "Mindfulness In Plain English" again. Does anyone have any ideas that's worked for them? I never had a daily practice (I was working towards that), but probably put in about 3-4 hours a week at my 'best'.
0
Comments
Also allow room for random or spontaneous meditations.
Set an intention. Do it. Afterwards reflect on your intention and what you did.
Keep your meditations short at first. Its something better to do short spurts of meditation. like ten minutes. break. ten minutes. break. etc.
See where your mind and body is in the moment. Are you agitated? Maybe relaxing meditation would help. Are you tired? Maybe focusing and concentration meditation could help. Are you neither tired nor agitated? Then maybe just sitting meditation could help.
In regards to your ADD. Its really helpful to do short bursts of meditation. Like even one minute meditations. Then gradually you'll build momentum for longer time.
But to even make that process quicker don't create a separation between meditation and life. You can learn to be more relaxed, focused and attentive in all aspects of life.
Listen to the sounds. Today I am going to listen to all the variety of sounds that appear.
Another day you could just focus on smells. Etc.
Or you could just practice being completely open. Smell. Taste. Thought. Color. Etc. From here you can also use that lack of attention and welcome each arising phenomena. Color hello. Smell hello.
Just some suggestions.
Ow yes, see it as a hobby instead of a chore!
Similarly I would say, just do it real sudden like - when you next think 'I'd like to start my practice again' - sit in a 1 minute meditation - give yourself a gold star, count it as a success and look forward to your next success - whether you're reading, walking, sitting, chatting whatever - it all has potential practice merit - its less about 'starting again' and more about recognising when you consciously 'start again' and tackling the mentality that considers that things can start and stop as such.
Hey twaitsfan
The longer one practises, the more apparent it is that there is no time beyond this very instant that a practise can unfold in. While all the postings above are good for developing a practise of consistancy, one could also try opening up to any nano second for the same.
Love it. Love it like it's the best thing that ever happened to you.
Even tough you don't believe it at first.
I think short bursts are a really really good idea. Also, if your knees or legs get achey slowly undo your pose and massage/rub your feet and legs, I find that it helps a lot.
I think listening to sounds is a great way to get into it! I have read that in Tibet some people count 21 breaths (in and out) as a sorta spring board, and then do what they planned / go with the flow.
Lately, I have been closeting myself up. Literally, I have a closet here that is just big enough for me to sit with legs crossed, and with the doors mostly shut. It's excellent. I don't look at the clock on the kitchen wall as I don't think it's important how much "physical time" goes by when meditating
Chanting / mantras are also REALLY beautiful and beneficial, and I would recommend checking out a few on youtube and then maybe singing them to yourself throughout the day and/or throughout some meditation sessions. Some of my favorite ones are: medicine buddha mantra, Tara mantra, and Avalokiteshvara mantra
Green Tara
Medicine Buddha
Avalokiteshvara (om mani pe me hung / om mani padme hum)
enjoy yourself
Maybe these will be some fun and easy, streamlined instructions for profound insights. (Skip to First, Build Some Concentration as you're just getting back into the swing of things.)
Here's a site that offers advice -
http://www.mindful.org/mindfulness-practice/mindfulness-and-awareness/here-now-aware-practicing-mindfulness
You can be mindful ALL the time once you get the hang of it ...
Best of luck!
Here's a great reminder not 2 take it TOO seriously -
http://www.wildmind.org/blogs/on-practice/100-seconds-of-meditation
Have a good one!
I still don't think I've got the hang of it....er, what was I saying?
Note - I didn't say how LONG it would take 2 be fully mindful all-the-time! May happen in this lifetime or maybe a future one ...
I would compare it with flying a jet plane - 4 most people it's impossible but 4 an experienced pilot it is routine.
I never thought I would get into meditation & mindfulness - i thought all religion was nonsense so you never can tell ...
Cheers
http://www.shambhala.org/teachers/pema/tonglen1.php
Have a good one!
Have a good one!
As the Dalai Lama says, "If you want to be happy, practice compassion; if you want others 2 be happy, practice compassion."
For more of the Dalai Lama, try this page -
http://rudyh.org/dalai-lama-quotes-quotations.htm
Cheers
Just doin a spot of surfin ... and found this page -
http://www.sortlifeout.co.uk/meditation.htm
Hope this helps!