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Clothing and privacy during meditation

edited August 2010 in Sanghas
What clothes should I wear when I meditate,and how could I get the privacy I need when I live with my dad?
Please help...!

Namaste,
wertyupf

Comments

  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    edited August 2010
    Do you have a private room that you spend time alone in? Any place can become a space to practice. Meditation doesn't need to take much time - it can be one minute or one hour. In any case would it matter if your Dad saw you meditating?

    As far as clothing, you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Some temples or monasteries may have different clothing requirements (ex. no revealing clothes, no shorts, no graphics on shirts, etc) but in general there's usually not a lot of rules. I would avoid any negative imagery or designs, but that's just my personal opinion.
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited August 2010
    If your dad is not always home then use this time to meditate and find a room that you feel most comfortable in, at first maybe one with the least distractions with regards to noise.
    If he is home a lot or often then what is wrong with the bathroom... That is the one room people cannot barge into and disturb you :p

    Referring to clothes, if you are at home then wear whatever you desire. That really has no relevance in meditation I think, as long as it is comfortable and does not have some speaker blaring music built into it somewhere. I must admit I have mediated naked before at home, just as nature intended :p

    tom
  • edited August 2010
    Thanks for answers:My dad has to go to work sometimes,so I'll use that time meditating. ThailandTom,I have always pictured myself meditating in a robe (just an orange fabric wrapped around me loosely) under a birch tree... :D
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited August 2010
    Lol, this is the typical cliche image isn't it :) I heard a story once that was obviously just made up and not real about a monk who became attached to his new robe. He totally loved it and would admire himself in it every day. He loved the new smell, the vibrancy of the orange and how it fitted him. When he died he became reincarnated as a flee that lived within the fibres of clothing due to his desire on passing away :p

    But yea, just wear whatever you want :D As long as you are comfortable with it and practice meditation, it does not matter, tom
  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    edited August 2010
    wertyupf wrote: »
    ThailandTom,I have always pictured myself meditating in a robe (just an orange fabric wrapped around me loosely) under a birch tree... :D

    Why not? Sounds nice to me ;)
  • edited August 2010
    I'm moving(tomorrow!) and there are no trees there... :( I just have to meditate in my room...
  • ThailandTomThailandTom Veteran
    edited August 2010
    I have only ever meditated outdoors a few times and found it more difficult than being inside a room. With time probably comes the ability to meditate in pretty much any situation or surrounding :)
  • edited August 2010
    I have actually moved now (today,we went to the post office to change my address) and once I get my clothes etc.arranged,I'll put up a buddhist altar... (A box turned upside down,covered with a cloth and my statues placed there)
  • edited August 2010
    When I meditate I look like Mugzy's avatar, only I'm wearing less clothing.
    I highly recommend it.
  • mugzymugzy Veteran
    edited August 2010
    When I meditate I look like Mugzy's avatar, only I'm wearing less clothing.
    I highly recommend it.

    :bigclap:
  • edited August 2010
    when I meditate,I look like an absolute jerk wearing a black "robe" (a sarong) with red flowers... :D
  • I have moved again,into a bigger house,and we have a spare room (the mighty kingdom of Spare Oom from Narnia :D),between my room and the toilet :D and that will become my meditation spac some day.
  • If in doubt, go with your birthday suit! :D It seems to be working for me.
  • i have done mindfulness-crocheting and mindfulness-baking,and I have an entire studio apartment downstairs to crochet and meditate in...
  • Being quite unwell sometimes, I often meditate sitting on my bed, particularly at night when I cannot sleep (I figure I might as well be doing something useful). I have learned to meditate in darkness, usually wearing my pyjamas.

    However, my preference is to meditate on a stool, with a candle and some incense, wearing a lounge suit or something equally comfortable. When I go to classes, I usually wear a loose top and some jogging pants.

    I have discovered that external factors are less important than motivation, when meditating.
  • I've really enjoyed my adventures into what I think of as "spontaneous meditation." I'm with wertyupf! Mindful dish washing seems to be the most common activity. Also, mindful bus riding was a term favorite until I recently have been driven around in a car. Whenever I do dedicated mediation at home I have my comfy chair (I can sit cross legged in it :) it's huge!) and I wear whatever feels the most comfortable/least distracting. It's also not probably the most traditional meditation, but I like to "meditate" as a way of falling asleep (on purpose! *gasp*) when I'm trying to sleep on particularly stressful nights.
  • i have done mindfulness-crocheting and mindfulness-baking,and I have an entire studio apartment downstairs to crochet and meditate in...
    :clap:
  • Tamm: I read about meditation for way too long before i ever really tried to develop a good practice and meditating as I fell asleep was the only way I ever meditated. I don't know if it does me any god. How do you feel about it? The author of The eightfold path to happiness says that if you count your breaths as you fall asleep you'll be counting your breaths when you wake up... I'm skeptical but I havn't tried strict breath counting yet.
  • LesCLesC Bermuda Veteran
    I have only ever meditated outdoors a few times and found it more difficult than being inside a room. With time probably comes the ability to meditate in pretty much any situation or surrounding :)
    I forced myself to meditate in really noisy places just so that I could if I had to. My all-time greatest acheivement... meditating for 90 minutes at the DVM on the last day for all commercial vehicle licences!! Brings a whole new meaning to noise!!!

    :om:
  • BonsaiDougBonsaiDoug Simply, on the path. Veteran
    I can't address the privacy issue 'cause that's never been a problem for me. You just need to find that "spot" where you feel comfortable with your practice.

    As to clothing, the only concession I've made is a pair of Thai fisherman's pants. They're very roomy and very comfortable; especially for any of the seated meditation positions.
  • I meditate very early in the morning. It is when my mind has the most clarity and no one is awake. Also, I live on a busy road so this is when traffic is lightest. I usually wear basketball shorts. I just meditate in my bedroom on the floor.

    I've tried meditating outside with little success. But I'm still relatively inexperienced.
  • I now live in the studio apartment alone, so I'm meditating in a red sarong. I have found that the Seiza, or kneeling position, is the best for me,so the next time I go shopping I'll by myself a decent seiza pillow.
  • If you have a private room with a lock then I would suggest very loose clothing, the last time I meditated I only wore a basketball jersey and that is all, but I live alone so...
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