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Old 09-18-19, 10:43 AM  
Vintage VFer
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Question Do you practice meditation?

After starting and stopping over the years, I now have been meditating every morning for several years. I have meditation CDs, freebies and often use the Insight timer app. I meditate in the morning. If I do it at night, I just fall asleep.

Daily meditation is not a miracle cure for anything. It does help me with relaxation and stress relief.

If I have advice to someone interested in meditation, it is that it does not have to be for hours at a time. I think that myth puts a lot of folks off even trying. I average 5-20 minutes per day and see the benefits. Also, there are many meditations that don't have any kind of religious or spiritual content. Simply contemplating gratitude can be an awesome practice.

Do you meditate regularly? What advice wold you give to a person interested in starting a meditation practice?
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Old 09-18-19, 11:30 AM  
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I have mediated off and on for several years. Do definitely see the benefits (more relaxed, sleep better, catch myself sooner when having negative thoughts)when I am doing at least a short meditation-5 minutes/ at least most days.

My advice to someone just starting to meditation, is that there are going to be days when you when trying to do a meditation that distracting thoughts are bouncing around like ping pong balls in your mind the whole time.
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Old 09-18-19, 11:40 AM  
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I try to meditate daily. I would love to sit on my cushion and quietly breathe in silence in front of a window but I feel like I never have time so I listen to the Insight Timer app while I walk my dogs. I feel more calm on the mornings I do this. I would like to add a seated meditation before bed but I'm too obsessed with baseball to turn off the TV before the game is over. I try to go to bed as soon as the post-game show is over.

My advice is don't feel like you have to be still to get some benefit. Sure, I might be even calmer if I did that, but dog walking meditation is better for me than nothing and more accessible. Our morning walks are after a lot of people have left for work and on sidewalks so not a huge traffic concern. Work with the time you have. If your house is quiet while you make supper, listen to smthg then. Or take 5 minutes after your shower to just be mindful of your routine.
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Old 09-18-19, 12:27 PM  
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I try to meditate daily also. Usually it's 11 minutes, sometimes as little as 5 or as much as 20. Usually I don't use media, just the timer function of Insight Timer or Erich Schiffmann's iMeditate app. If the house is noisy, I'll use music or nature sounds with Insight. I agree that meditation helps my mindset a lot. Even if your mind is all over the place, don't give up - just keep bringing your mind back. That's the practice! You aren't "doing it wrong".
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Old 09-18-19, 12:58 PM  
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I keep starting and stopping. I want to try again. Thanks for these suggestions. I like the idea of walking meditation since I am very fidgety

I cannot do guided meditation that have a lot of talking. That drives me crazy!
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Old 09-18-19, 01:16 PM  
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yes.

in my experience, alternate nostril breathing lowers my BP! I do the ANB while waiting my turn in the doc's office. my systolic usually runs 140. I have been able to lower it to 120 using ANB for 5 min before my reading.


I also have lots of CDs, audio files, and apps on my phone for meditation and breathing.
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Old 09-18-19, 02:14 PM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Vintage VFer View Post
After starting and stopping over the years, I now have been meditating every morning for several years. I have meditation CDs, freebies and often use the Insight timer app. I meditate in the morning. If I do it at night, I just fall asleep.

Daily meditation is not a miracle cure for anything. It does help me with relaxation and stress relief.

If I have advice to someone interested in meditation, it is that it does not have to be for hours at a time. I think that myth puts a lot of folks off even trying. I average 5-20 minutes per day and see the benefits. Also, there are many meditations that don't have any kind of religious or spiritual content. Simply contemplating gratitude can be an awesome practice.

Do you meditate regularly? What advice wold you give to a person interested in starting a meditation practice?
Ditto what Alta has said, especially the bolded part. I would add to that--you do not have to sit cross-legged on the floor. Sitting in a chair is perfectly acceptable and do not let any meditation zealot tell you differently!
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Old 09-18-19, 02:38 PM  
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Yep, like the majority I have meditated on and off for the past 10 years or so. Doing it daily now for maybe 5 minutes. I have several meditation CDs but they tend to run 15 minutes or more and I just do Not have time for that!
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Old 09-18-19, 02:51 PM  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bzar View Post
yes.

in my experience, alternate nostril breathing lowers my BP! I do the ANB while waiting my turn in the doc's office. my systolic usually runs 140. I have been able to lower it to 120 using ANB for 5 min before my reading.


I also have lots of CDs, audio files, and apps on my phone for meditation and breathing.
Unfortunately for me for some reason this type of breathing makes me very anxious. I have no idea why it does, but the anxiety is bad enough I don't even try it anymore.
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"God, please help me to be the person my dog thinks I am."
"You can't run from your problems. But you'll both feel a little lighter when you get back." ~New Balance shoe ad
You don't have to be fast, just keep moving forward.
Note to self: You don't get to complain about things you won't work to change!

Word for 2024: Accomplished; Word for 2023: Grounded; Word for 2022: Consistency; Word for 2021: Mindfulness
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Old 09-18-19, 02:51 PM  
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Breath work is my meditation, also by with mental mantras. Daily, sometimes several short sessions.
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