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If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

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Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#81

Post by pestaa »

agumonkey wrote: post #63
webwanderings wrote: post #2

The misconception about meditation is that it requires one to give up everything and sit silently. This is not true in its entirety as it depends on how one interprets the word "meditation". The meditation does not necessarily require you to give up one thing for the sake of another. The goal of the meditation is to "be in awareness" and you can achieve this same goal by being alert and aware with any activity your f…

I play a game that I call MIKADO where I do everything in the smoothest way trying to generate the smallest amount of sound (or any kind of wave). It comes from a blend of the child game, taichi, and drumming (drumming ask for fine perception of balance shifts and acceleration) and forces me to focus on everything at everytime. From the object of action, its surroundings, myself and my surrounding. Sound seems quite…

Sounds fun and boy would I look silly doing that in the street. I'll call it walk fu.

Thanks for the great idea.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#82

Post by KirinDave »

shock-value wrote: post #77
KirinDave wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Meditation is the focused practice of resisting distraction. Are we defining it this way? Because this does not jive with my experience of meditation, focusing, or resisting distraction. > Have you ever tried sitting still for 15-30 minutes, doing nothing but breathing? Yes. As a matter of fact, meditation was part of a martial arts practice I participated in for 2 years. In all that time I tried very hard to do th…

Basically you are arguing that being able to resist distractions isn't a great value in and of itself, at least compared to some other values. Fine. I think a lot of people would disagree, but it's a legitimate viewpoint. But you also claim that taking a period of time in a day to train oneself to resist distractions does not lead to a more focused mindset throughout the day. I think most of us who have practiced med…

> But you also claim that taking a period of time in a day to train oneself to resist distractions does not lead to a more focused mindset throughout the day. I think most of us who have practiced meditation (and actually put real effort in, rather than reflecting on other thoughts during the practice) would disagree.

Not to put too fine a point on this, because I'm not trying t pick a fight here, but... Homeopaths would disagree when you say that Avagadros Limit rules out any possibility of their cures working save by pure magic.

> At the moment I don't have any actual studies on hand to back that up (I'm on my phone) but I would be very surprised if they don't exist, and even more surprised if there were studies disproving positive effects of meditation.

I'm not arguing that meditation has no positive effects. I'm arguing other things may have similar positive effects and meditation is not unique in this. For example, how is meditation any different from strenuous exercise in forcing your mind to focus?

The article in question suggests that there is science behind the link between meditation and willpower. I don't see that. I also don't see unique properties of meditation in this. Meditation devotees spring up out of the woodwork in response saying, "If you did it you'd understand..." like that's somehow a response to this contention.

By all means, continue to meditate. By all means, feel that it helps make you a better person. By all means, recommend it to your friends. But please do not suggest there is concrete evidence that there is a causal link unless you have _something_ to back that up.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#83

Post by driverdan »

webwanderings wrote: post #2

The misconception about meditation is that it requires one to give up everything and sit silently. This is not true in its entirety as it depends on how one interprets the word "meditation". The meditation does not necessarily require you to give up one thing for the sake of another. The goal of the meditation is to "be in awareness" and you can achieve this same goal by being alert and aware with any activity your f…

This is exactly how I lift weights / exercise, with complete focus and mindfulness.

While working out it is all I think about. I put on headphones with fast, heavy music and focus on the exercise I'm doing at that moment. I don't think about email in my inbox, I don't think about the errands I need to run, I don't talk to the other people around me. I think about my muscles contracting. I think about the extra 5 lbs I just added to the bar. I think about my form. I think about my breathing.

It is meditation as much as sitting on a pillow with legs crossed and eyes closed.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#84

Post by sukuriant »

KirinDave wrote: post #69
johnthedebs wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think when most people say 'meditation' what they mean is 'mindfulness meditation' (and that seems to be the case here). During mindfulness meditation, yes, resisting urges is part of what you're supposed to do. The basic process goes something like: 1) Sit down in a comfortable position that you can stay in without moving. 2) Take deep breaths through your nose and focus your attention on the sensation of air movi…

Why is "breathing" more effective than, say, "cats"?

cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats cats forgets to breathe

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#85

Post by johnthedebs »

KirinDave wrote: post #69
johnthedebs wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think when most people say 'meditation' what they mean is 'mindfulness meditation' (and that seems to be the case here). During mindfulness meditation, yes, resisting urges is part of what you're supposed to do. The basic process goes something like: 1) Sit down in a comfortable position that you can stay in without moving. 2) Take deep breaths through your nose and focus your attention on the sensation of air movi…

Why is "breathing" more effective than, say, "cats"?

The subject of meditation isn't all that important, the focus is. Breathing just happens to be a great subject: it's simple and repetitive, it's always with you, it's something you can feel (you're supposed to pay attention to the sensation), etc.

I recently read Mindfulness in Plain English and really enjoyed it. If you're looking for an explanation and how-to (but not necessarily data to back it up), it's a great book.

Edit: Regarding cats specifically, breathing does not demand your attention (the way cats do) and it does not leave on a whim once it has received your attention (the way cats do). It's up to you, and only you, to focus and continue focusing.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#86

Post by KirinDave »

dwiel wrote: post #79
KirinDave wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why is "breathing" more effective than, say, "cats"?

If you are "cats" you are also "breathing". If you are "breathing" you are only "breathing".

> If you are "breathing" you are only "breathing".

And sitting, and your heart is beating, and you're swallowing, and your eyes are moving reflexively, and you're probably digesting. And what about people with tinnitis? They're often "hearing" something.

Sorry, I just don't understand why focusing on a specific topic to the exclusion of everything else is somehow inferior to focusing on breathing. Because your higher functioning mind can take over your breathing, but your reflexive breathing is plenty good at it nearly all the time. Woudln't the same distraction-free mindset be attainable by contemplating the central limit theorem, or Euler's formula, or focusing on doing more situps than your body is comfortable with?

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#87

Post by agumonkey »

pestaa wrote: post #81
agumonkey wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I play a game that I call MIKADO where I do everything in the smoothest way trying to generate the smallest amount of sound (or any kind of wave). It comes from a blend of the child game, taichi, and drumming (drumming ask for fine perception of balance shifts and acceleration) and forces me to focus on everything at everytime. From the object of action, its surroundings, myself and my surrounding. Sound seems quite…

Sounds fun and boy would I look silly doing that in the street. I'll call it walk fu. Thanks for the great idea.

Man, I was already embarrassed to write about it. I only do that inside walls of course. Outside I'm a perfectly normal alien.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#88

Post by zafka »

starpilot wrote: post #34
webwanderings wrote: post #2

The misconception about meditation is that it requires one to give up everything and sit silently. This is not true in its entirety as it depends on how one interprets the word "meditation". The meditation does not necessarily require you to give up one thing for the sake of another. The goal of the meditation is to "be in awareness" and you can achieve this same goal by being alert and aware with any activity your f…

Parent has read "Miracle of Mindfulness," by Thich Nhat Hanh. He explains, > If we can't wash the dishes, the chances are we won't be able to drink our tea either. While drinking the cup of tea, we will only be thinking of other things, barely aware of the cup in our hands. Thus we are sucked away into the future - and we are incapable of actually living one minute of life.

I too have read several of Thich Nhat Hann's books. I don't even know how many times I have referenced the washing dishes story. I do feel that it has added value to my life. I wonder if a statistically significant number of folks here on HN have read his books.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#89

Post by dwiel »

KirinDave wrote: post #68
codegeek wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Meditation has what do with this, exactly?" I think you are taking an extreme position on this issue. Meditation may not have everything to do with this but it does play a significant part. In my experience, meditation helps you analyze, hold and channel your thought process better. If your thought process is better, you have better control over your impulses.

It's "extreme" to ask for evidence on something testable now. :(

You didn't ask for evidence in any of this posts' ancestery. If all you had said was "A scientific study regarding the connection between meditation and the ability to resist urges would be interesting and helpful to the authors assertions" you would have gotten a wholly different response.

Re: If You're Too Busy to Meditate, Read This

#90

Post by lobo_tuerto »

KirinDave wrote: post #8

Wait. Wait wait wait. > Research shows that an ability to resist urges will improve your relationships, increase your dependability, and raise your performance... Great. Yes. Impulse control is key. Delayed gratification is part of how we define higher intelligence. Meditation has what do with this, exactly? > How [does meditation help]? By increasing your capacity to resist distracting urges. This entire article is…

Maybe this can shed some light on your question:

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2011/meditation-0505.html

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