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Guided meditation for beginners

quietkit.com

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Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#91

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

> no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath.

What is the difference between meditation and concentration?

> mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds

Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#93

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

> no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath. What is the difference between meditation and concentration? > mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?

> Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?

My experience with depression, no. Instead of movies, I played video games. To great effect, my mind was off the things that were bothering me. But it was merely delaying the inevitable, and the wasting of time only added to my stress as I tried to catch up on work (or school work) or lost sleep.

Meditation is (in many of these discussions) about mindfulness, not distracting yourself. You become aware of your feelings, thoughts, situation. Distracting yourself (by sex, alcohol, movies, games, etc.) is the opposite of this mindfulness and often works to set you back far more than the temporary reprieve you achieved from your primary condition.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#94
post #27

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

When you've been doing it for a while your mind will be blank all the time, which sounds kind of bad but it's actually great, but the interesting thing is once you can control your own thoughts you'll start to realise that not all of them are yours. People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those pow…

Meditation definitely has its merits, but...

> People are like radios and broadcast their thoughts, and you'll be picking them up without knowing it. You'll also be able to project them i.e influence people. Those powers known as 'siddhis' are just a fraction of what you can attain.

...now you make it sound like NLP.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#95
is better practice meditation not alone, but with a master or an experienced practicer of many years. Meditation can bring to light unconscious content. In ashtanga yoga of Patanjali (yoga sutra) the meditation (dhyana) is considered an high state of practice. For general relax and for stress, is better learning yoga(for example yoga nidra and some light pranayamas), some forms or chi kung and/or taichi

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#98
post #61

I hate guided meditation... to me this is complete opposite of what meditation should be. You can do this initial few times, but after that, you don't need any voice but your own in your head. That is if you are really doing meditation, if you want to pretend... then headspace yourself. Again, this is my view as someone who actually meditated for like 20+ yrs.

I hate training wheels on my bike... to me this is complete opposite of what riding a bike should be. You can do this initial few times, but after that, you don't need any help but your own sense of balance in your head. That is if you are really riding a bike, if you want to pretend... then continue using training wheels yourself. Again, this is my view as someone who actually rode a bike for like 20+ yrs. --- Comes…

:) It did came out quite a bit snarky. Completely justified criticism. It was late in a day.

Oh, and I did rode my bike for more then 20+ years. I can prop it on back wheel and do few stunts even today. Impresses my kids.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#99

I'm a full-blown a cynic, but after OCD and anxiety got the best of me, my therapist recommended I try meditation to both start and end my day, I've started to notice huge improvements. Can't recommend it enough. It's frustrating at first, the mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds, but almost always on cue, the guided meditation would remind me "is you're mind wandering? no big deal, bring you…

> no big deal, bring your focus back to your breath. What is the difference between meditation and concentration? > mind will just not stop wandering to worries every 10 seconds Can't you just watch a movie( or something similar) to the same effect?

1. Concentration is one edge of a two edged sword. The other edge is relaxation. You use a balance of concentration and relaxation (not too tense, not too relaxed) and rest your awareness on your object of meditation. The breath, in this case, can be your object. Simply rest your awareness on the breath. Use concentration to keep your mind from drifting, and use relaxation to keep your mind from getting too tense. See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys

2. If you're watching the movie whilst being aware that you're watching it (watching yourself watching the movie), that is meditation. Otherwise, you're simply distracted from your basic awareness.

Re: Guided meditation for beginners

#100

I hate guided meditation... to me this is complete opposite of what meditation should be. You can do this initial few times, but after that, you don't need any voice but your own in your head. That is if you are really doing meditation, if you want to pretend... then headspace yourself. Again, this is my view as someone who actually meditated for like 20+ yrs.

Based on your tone and use of sarcasm, I'd say your 20 year practice needs work.

I think you are projecting a lot, just because someone meditate a lot, he is some Yoda like person. I am not. I enjoy meditation and benefits I got from it are numerous. However I am still flawed human being.

But on meditation front, I did accomplish quite a lot, during waking hours when you measure my brainwaves, alpha is pronounced like it is with people when they are relaxing.

And since English is my second language, I am not sarcastic.

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