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If you're looking for a low-entry start to meditation, Headspace is a great little app. It starts off easy, with 10 10 minute guided sessions.

by Tharkun 11y ago

fsloth 11y ago
Even a lower entry: sit down, put five minutes on a timer, start counting your breaths up to ten. one - out, two - in and so one. Once at ten, start from one. The odd breath out functions as a check sum. If five minutes seems easy, try 10. If you notice you've lost count, it's ok, just start from one. If you notice you are lost in your thoughts, it's ok, just try to gently move focus back to counting and breathing. Do not "give extra energy on purpose" to thoughts that pop into your mind, just aknowledge them. This is, IMO, is the core of the meditation routine - training on introspective perception and association of observation of personal thoughts with calmness. The focusing of breathing is a hack on autonomic nervous system as I understand it. It's the only bodily function that one can control that backfeeds into the brain, and calming the breath can be used to calm the brain as well. I'm not an expert, I've just read a few books that I've not double checked - if this is somehow wrong please correct me.
- mercer 11y ago
  There's not one 'proper' way to meditate, but what you're describing is indeed the most basic, no-frills approach, and so far it's been my preferred form. That said, even most basic teachings add a 'warmup' and 'cooldown' to the breathing part. I've been using the Headspace app and the core template always includes the following: - sit down comfortably, and use a soft focus on some point in front of you - breathe in and out a few times, audibly enough that someone sitting next to you would hear it - close your eyes and focus on the points of the body that connect with the chair/floor/whatever. - do a 'body scan' from the top of your head to your feet. As you do this, make note of tensions, as well as pleasant sensations, but don't dwell on them. - this body scan often leads to a more general awareness of how you're feeling physically and/or emotionally. Make note of that too, but once again don't dwell. - do the 'core part' that you describe - once you're done with this, basically do the earlier steps in reverse. - for bonus mindfulness practicing: think of what you want to do next, and practice maintaining the state of mind you're in (focus only on what you do now, rather than constantly being ahead of yourself in your mind) Personally, I've found the warmup to be crucial to my own meditation, and the cooldown to be very beneficial in 'maintaining' the calmness throughout the day.
ggreer 11y ago
I also think guided meditations are very useful for beginners. The best sessions I've found (at any price) are from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.[1] There's no phone app or payment required. All of their guided meditations are released as MP3 files. 1. http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22 http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

If you're looking for a low-entry start to meditation, Headspace is a great little app. It starts off easy, with 10 10 minute guided sessions.

by Tharkun 11y ago

If you're looking for a low-entry start to meditation, Headspace is a great little app. It starts off easy, with 10 10 minute guided sessions.

fsloth 11y ago

Even a lower entry: sit down, put five minutes on a timer, start counting your breaths up to ten. one - out, two - in and so one. Once at ten, start from one. The odd breath out functions as a check sum. If five minutes seems easy, try 10. If you notice you've lost count, it's ok, just start from one. If you notice you are lost in your thoughts, it's ok, just try to gently move focus back to counting and breathing. Do not "give extra energy on purpose" to thoughts that pop into your mind, just aknowledge them. This is, IMO, is the core of the meditation routine - training on introspective perception and association of observation of personal thoughts with calmness. The focusing of breathing is a hack on autonomic nervous system as I understand it. It's the only bodily function that one can control that backfeeds into the brain, and calming the breath can be used to calm the brain as well. I'm not an expert, I've just read a few books that I've not double checked - if this is somehow wrong please correct me.

mercer 11y ago
There's not one 'proper' way to meditate, but what you're describing is indeed the most basic, no-frills approach, and so far it's been my preferred form. That said, even most basic teachings add a 'warmup' and 'cooldown' to the breathing part. I've been using the Headspace app and the core template always includes the following: - sit down comfortably, and use a soft focus on some point in front of you - breathe in and out a few times, audibly enough that someone sitting next to you would hear it - close your eyes and focus on the points of the body that connect with the chair/floor/whatever. - do a 'body scan' from the top of your head to your feet. As you do this, make note of tensions, as well as pleasant sensations, but don't dwell on them. - this body scan often leads to a more general awareness of how you're feeling physically and/or emotionally. Make note of that too, but once again don't dwell. - do the 'core part' that you describe - once you're done with this, basically do the earlier steps in reverse. - for bonus mindfulness practicing: think of what you want to do next, and practice maintaining the state of mind you're in (focus only on what you do now, rather than constantly being ahead of yourself in your mind) Personally, I've found the warmup to be crucial to my own meditation, and the cooldown to be very beneficial in 'maintaining' the calmness throughout the day.

ggreer 11y ago

I also think guided meditations are very useful for beginners. The best sessions I've found (at any price) are from the UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center.[1] There's no phone app or payment required. All of their guided meditations are released as MP3 files. 1. http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22 http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22