Anyone Practice Meditation?

[BlueAlpha1]

About a year ago I got into it thanks to the work of Sam Harris. He spent the better part of 2 years on retreat in far east Asia and is now what some might consider a zen master. I probably will never get to such a point because I do think there is a time and a place for anger, but after about a year of sporadic light practice I have seen a sharp decrease in anger/rage and about a 20% increase in patience overall. A lot of practitoners believe it's the kind of skill that takes 20 years to perfect.

I generally do much better now in light-moderate stress situations like traffic or long lines. I don't suffer from anger like I used to and my family could swear to. The decrease in road rage has been the best indicator of success. I think it's rather stupid now.

So it has helped but I have been meaning to get around to doing more of it, even including going to gatherings to talk to some monks and other people, but have been dragging my feet on this. Right now I do about 2-3 sessions a month around 20 minutes each and they are guided meditations from Youtube. A couple times I went to a Korean spa in the rural outskirts of my neighborhood and meditated overnight in a dimly lit room, with some saunas and hot tubs sprinkled into breaks. Talk about rejuvenation.

Any thoughts or best practices?

 

[ZTIME]

Google Buddhist meditation with your city or town name, you'll probably find a class nearby. I find that going to a class environment helps you to remain focused, and often offers more insight into enlightened teaching.

You'll find that meditation can do so much more then help with anger. It will help you to stay focused, and problem solve also.

 

[Scaramouche]

Dear Blue Alpha,
I can't see any connection with issues that interest a DJ?

 

[BlueAlpha1]

Dear Blue Alpha,
I can't see any connection with issues that interest a DJ?

Then move on to the next thread

 

[raider87]

I might have to try some meditation myself. I think I have a bit of an anger problem myself and theres some tension in my gut. I wanna have a more relaxed, easy going vibe.

 

[BlueAlpha1]

Google Buddhist meditation with your city or town name, you'll probably find a class nearby. I find that going to a class environment helps you to remain focused, and often offers more insight into enlightened teaching.

You'll find that meditation can do so much more then help with anger. It will help you to stay focused, and problem solve also.

I noticed this. After about 15 sessions peppered about the last 4-6 months, I noticed the first thing that subsided was rage and anger at trivial things.

The next thing I would like to see go is anxiousness and tension. I go for a 30 minute massage every 2-3 weeks because of how tense my neck and upper back are all the time from putting myself in stress positions unwittingly.

Finally the last problem I'd like to tackle in always living in the damn past or future. I think we all do this. Regretting the past, fantasizing about the future, and in the mean time we miss our life. I think this is due to us always trying to perfect our life and refusing to accept that life is full of suffering. I now understand the notion that the moment we accept this is the moment we suffer less. Now the goal is to fully internalize this.

I can clearly see this works, but it is not a fast process by any means. If home plate is Nirvana, I feel like I've made it to 1st base

 

[Bible_Belt]

Prayer and meditation are pretty much the same thing. Pick one, and try doing it just before you leave your house each time; it gives a clear mind - you will never forget your keys.

 

[Dingo]

I did TM back in the 70's.... Even met the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Basically it was a calming of the mind for a period of time.... stopping or slowing all the busy negative activity in the brain. In TM we used a mantra to basically induce a self hypnotic state.

It was good.... I should get back into it....

 

[Once Bitten]

I should get back into it as well. Does much good for the mind and spirit.

 

[taiyuu_otoko]

Meditation is a skill and like any other skill, you can improve with practice. So if anybody wants to "get back into" meditation, just "get back into it."

All you need is a quiet place to sit (at first) and practice releasing all thoughts. Paying close attention to your internal physiological processes and feelings is a good focus. Breathing, sensations on your skin, etc.

It can be easy to trick yourself into thinking you need to go to a special place with a special room and a special mat with a special guru-teacher, but not really.

Sit quietly, close your eyes, count your breaths. As soon as you notice any other thoughts besides the number and your breath, start over at one. If you get up to five you're cheating.

Ideally you'd want to get the point where you can quickly "find your center" anywhere, anytime, like in the middle of a speech or a first time conversation with a hottie. Eyes open, right in the middle of a sentence.

Daily meditation should part of anybody's schedule, who wants to master money, puzzy, and life.

 

[Steady Eddie]

I did meditation for roughly 4 years, 15 years ago. It's great in small doses. It clears and focuses the mind. But take it too far and you lose your critical awareness. You'll also lose the ability to think and act in real time.
You'll also find yourself craving the company of others.
Friends and acquaintances alike will take advantage of you in your "enlightened" though vulnerable state.
I stopped because of this.

I found, what you consume is just as important as anything we can do to better ourselves.

 

[EverSure75]

I practice TM (transcendental meditation).
I learnt it as a student in undergrad so I paid next to nothing. I gather it's pretty expensive as a non student.

I'm still able to check in with a teacher nearby having paid for it back then.

I return to it every few years during times of stress and I find it helps tremendously. As someone above said...more than just anger management. It helps me sleep better, remain more focused. I find less of an urge to indulge in my vices.

There's a lot of research on TM out there that shows it helps with hypertension and a host of other things. Some of the research has holes in it too.

I think it's important to have a teacher or a community at some point though...especially if you plan on practising it regularly. It's not all peaceful and dandy. It can bring to the surface a lot of anxieties and emotions you didn't know were there. It's good to have a fellow meditator to bounce things off.