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For those who are interested and new to meditation, I started meditating several years ago with Headspace and YouTube videos of Jonathan Kabat Zinn and others.

by pcpcpc 8y ago

For those who are interested and new to meditation, I started meditating several years ago with Headspace and YouTube videos of Jonathan Kabat Zinn and others. It's a great place to start. I later went on a silent meditation retreat and learned a lot more about meditation and got confident with techniques I could practice on my own. This may not be available to everyone due to the time commitment (and being completely disconnected during this time), but it really cemented my meditation practice. These days I meditate on my own as well as attend meditation groups (in traditions that I feel connected to). I strive to meditate on my own daily but don't stick to it (ironically meditating has helped me be ok with that inconsistency). While meditating on my own is very helpful, the groups are what really help me stick to the practice. I get a lot from other people's questions and comments and the teachers' responses. I highly recommended finding a group (in a tradition you are open to) if you are just starting out or have an existing meditation practice and want to maintain and develop it. In the grand scheme, I'm early on and not a "high level" meditator, but sharing one data point, meditation has been pretty life changing for me in terms of dealing with minor mood disorders (depression and anxiety), feeling happier (and recognizing it when I am), and treating others with compassion. It's all still a work in progress. I'll end with a common phrase. May everyone reading this be happy and free.

eigenschwarz 8y ago
I feel this describes my experience to a 'T' and wholeheartedly agree to the advice here. Edit: All I am trying to do, from being a fellow complete newbie, is to add support from N=1 to N=2 of the path from Headspace-->Other videos and literature-->10-day retreat-->Local group. Hopefully this can help others who are intimidated about trying to pick up a mediation practice. :)
puranjay 8y ago
In practical terms, how do you feel meditation has changed you? Curious to learn more
- tvladeck 8y ago
  Not the OP, but have a similar story. According to my goal-tracking apps, I meditate about 65% of days, and I average about 10 minutes a day. (So, not a ton, but pretty consistent.) The most common way that meditation changes me is to help me identify that I'm in a rumination cycle and to break out of it, and to be more present in certain moments. For me, it's not that I have noticed a baseline change, but rather that it's a skill that's super-helpful in key moments. Some examples: - When my mind is racing while trying to sleep - In moments of anger or frustration when I'm ruminating about some slight or when someone has reneged on a committment - Noticing that I'm distracted or anxious when out with friends or at a concert
  - the_clarence 8y ago
    It makes me think that meditation could just be practicing to put your mind in a quiet place. Whenever you are in a bad place, if you’ve trained well, it’s easy to grt back to that quiet place of your mind.
    - iandanforth 8y ago
      Yep, the skill is "refocusing." I thought it was going to be the skill of "focusing" at first, but as the parent notes you first have to develop the skill of noticing that your mind has wandered, or is locked on something you don't want it to be, then you expend effort to refocus and then maintain that new intentional focus. I also had no idea how damn hard it is.
    - babygoat 8y ago
      It is that and so much more. That quiet place is infinitely deep.
  - mercer 8y ago
    > The most common way that meditation changes me is to help me identify that I'm in a rumination cycle and to break out of it, and to be more present in certain moments I'll add that as someone on the autism spectrum, this has been one of the most valuable benefits of meditation. I'm pretty sure that I'll always have an unusual tendency to get fixated on things, whether particular topics, or particular problems in my life (often social ones). If it's something unclear, my mind just picks at it incessantly at the expense of everything else. In some cases this can be beneficial. Leaning into an 'obsessive' interest in a new programming language or topic can be wonderful. But in other cases (often social problems), it becomes pointless rumination. When I meditate, it becomes easier to 1) decide whether the fixation is useful or not, and 2) snap out of it when I should, rather than days or weeks later. I've discovered other benefits to meditation that might be particular for people with ASD, such as being able to notice physical needs and emotional states. But being able to snap out of 'thought loops' has been the most beneficial by far. Of course, actually doing the meditating is incredibly difficult when I get myself tangled up in thoughts, and it's an ongoing struggle to remind myself of its value time and again, and to make a habit of it, but it's probably in my top three priorities to make sure it becomes part of my daily routine, because it makes everything else easier.
perseusprime11 8y ago
Do you have links to those YouTube videos from Jon Kabat Zinn?
- pcpcpc 8y ago
  There are many good ones on YouTube, but here are two to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Z4t9ZiUzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Z4t9ZiUzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15q-N-_kkrU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15q-N-_kkrU
  - perseusprime11 8y ago
    Thanks!
amrx431 8y ago
> May everyone reading this be happy and free. सुभ्मस्तु as I would say in Sanskrit.
- wmhorne 8y ago
  What does this mean? And how would you transliterate it?
  - cmonnow 8y ago
    May everyone reading this be happy and free.
  - kranner 8y ago
    सुभ्मस्तु should probably be spelled शुभमस्तु. Transliteration would be "shubhamastu".
Regardsyjc 8y ago
Do you have any tips for finding a meditation group or retreat recommendations? Would a yoga class count as meditation?
- pcpcpc 8y ago
  Yoga can be a form of meditation, and if it's working well for you that's fantastic! The groups that I go to and the retreat that I did are in the Buddhist (Theravada/Thai Forest and Zen) tradition (with some other traditions mixed in). If I move to a new city or do another retreat, I plan to look for something in these traditions online and then try out a couple groups. Even within a single group you may be more drawn to certain teachers. I'd shop around a bit at the beginning until you find what you like. Usually the Buddhist groups are free with a suggested donation. There are also secular groups and given my exposure to Jon Kabat Zinn, I'd recommend the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) / Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) groups. Secular groups will typically require payment but it's usually pretty reasonable.

by pcpcpc 8y ago

eigenschwarz 8y ago

I feel this describes my experience to a 'T' and wholeheartedly agree to the advice here. Edit: All I am trying to do, from being a fellow complete newbie, is to add support from N=1 to N=2 of the path from Headspace-->Other videos and literature-->10-day retreat-->Local group. Hopefully this can help others who are intimidated about trying to pick up a mediation practice. :)

puranjay 8y ago

In practical terms, how do you feel meditation has changed you? Curious to learn more

tvladeck 8y ago
Not the OP, but have a similar story. According to my goal-tracking apps, I meditate about 65% of days, and I average about 10 minutes a day. (So, not a ton, but pretty consistent.) The most common way that meditation changes me is to help me identify that I'm in a rumination cycle and to break out of it, and to be more present in certain moments. For me, it's not that I have noticed a baseline change, but rather that it's a skill that's super-helpful in key moments. Some examples: - When my mind is racing while trying to sleep - In moments of anger or frustration when I'm ruminating about some slight or when someone has reneged on a committment - Noticing that I'm distracted or anxious when out with friends or at a concert
- the_clarence 8y ago
  It makes me think that meditation could just be practicing to put your mind in a quiet place. Whenever you are in a bad place, if you’ve trained well, it’s easy to grt back to that quiet place of your mind.
  - iandanforth 8y ago
    Yep, the skill is "refocusing." I thought it was going to be the skill of "focusing" at first, but as the parent notes you first have to develop the skill of noticing that your mind has wandered, or is locked on something you don't want it to be, then you expend effort to refocus and then maintain that new intentional focus. I also had no idea how damn hard it is.
  - babygoat 8y ago
    It is that and so much more. That quiet place is infinitely deep.
- mercer 8y ago
  > The most common way that meditation changes me is to help me identify that I'm in a rumination cycle and to break out of it, and to be more present in certain moments I'll add that as someone on the autism spectrum, this has been one of the most valuable benefits of meditation. I'm pretty sure that I'll always have an unusual tendency to get fixated on things, whether particular topics, or particular problems in my life (often social ones). If it's something unclear, my mind just picks at it incessantly at the expense of everything else. In some cases this can be beneficial. Leaning into an 'obsessive' interest in a new programming language or topic can be wonderful. But in other cases (often social problems), it becomes pointless rumination. When I meditate, it becomes easier to 1) decide whether the fixation is useful or not, and 2) snap out of it when I should, rather than days or weeks later. I've discovered other benefits to meditation that might be particular for people with ASD, such as being able to notice physical needs and emotional states. But being able to snap out of 'thought loops' has been the most beneficial by far. Of course, actually doing the meditating is incredibly difficult when I get myself tangled up in thoughts, and it's an ongoing struggle to remind myself of its value time and again, and to make a habit of it, but it's probably in my top three priorities to make sure it becomes part of my daily routine, because it makes everything else easier.

perseusprime11 8y ago

Do you have links to those YouTube videos from Jon Kabat Zinn?

pcpcpc 8y ago
There are many good ones on YouTube, but here are two to get you started: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Z4t9ZiUzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9Z4t9ZiUzM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15q-N-_kkrU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15q-N-_kkrU
- perseusprime11 8y ago
  Thanks!

amrx431 8y ago

> May everyone reading this be happy and free. सुभ्मस्तु as I would say in Sanskrit.

wmhorne 8y ago
What does this mean? And how would you transliterate it?
- cmonnow 8y ago
  May everyone reading this be happy and free.
- kranner 8y ago
  सुभ्मस्तु should probably be spelled शुभमस्तु. Transliteration would be "shubhamastu".

Regardsyjc 8y ago

Do you have any tips for finding a meditation group or retreat recommendations? Would a yoga class count as meditation?

pcpcpc 8y ago
Yoga can be a form of meditation, and if it's working well for you that's fantastic! The groups that I go to and the retreat that I did are in the Buddhist (Theravada/Thai Forest and Zen) tradition (with some other traditions mixed in). If I move to a new city or do another retreat, I plan to look for something in these traditions online and then try out a couple groups. Even within a single group you may be more drawn to certain teachers. I'd shop around a bit at the beginning until you find what you like. Usually the Buddhist groups are free with a suggested donation. There are also secular groups and given my exposure to Jon Kabat Zinn, I'd recommend the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) / Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) groups. Secular groups will typically require payment but it's usually pretty reasonable.