3 ms·

OP says that: > The best meditation advice I got was to just sit down, focus on doing nothing and be OK with being bored Without any proper technique or guida

OP says that: > The best meditation advice I got was to just sit down, focus on doing nothing and be OK with being bored Without any proper technique or guidance, this is just chilling. What does it mean to "focus on doing nothing here?". I can apply this sentence to binge watching 10 episodes of Friends, getting stoned, just slouching on the couch, staring at walls etc etc. That is what it means to chill. OTOH, to meditate is a very explicit, focused action which requires technique and discipline.

iammjm 3y ago
Watching Netflix or getting stoned is clearly not doing nothing. If you take it literally then it becomes clear what is meant: just being, without indulging in anything, not even our thoughts. I agree this requires focus, but i don't think it requires technique but rather practice. As for discipline, i don't even know what that is
- anon-3988 3y ago
  > I agree this requires focus, but i don't think it requires technique but rather practice. Tell me how you would do this without a technique. Your mind wanders and a random thought appears, what do you do? Whatever you are going to say next is by definition a technique. The fact that there a multiple answers to this questions means that the problem is open to a variety of techniques that have a range of effectiveness. This implies teaching and guidance.
  - iammjm 3y ago
    I guess I agree with you when you put it like this. I think I don't like the term "technique" here because it makes it sound as if there's something you need prior to starting meditating; as if there are some requirements to meditating; whereas I would argue meditation is not that different from the non-meditative state. Sure there are techniques like counting your breaths or body-scanning but I think this is all secondary to just sitting still and noticing whatever appears.
  - kortilla 3y ago
    None of that is related to calling it “chilling”. It’s still not chilling even if you don’t have good techniques.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]

iammjm 3y ago

Watching Netflix or getting stoned is clearly not doing nothing. If you take it literally then it becomes clear what is meant: just being, without indulging in anything, not even our thoughts. I agree this requires focus, but i don't think it requires technique but rather practice. As for discipline, i don't even know what that is

anon-3988 3y ago
> I agree this requires focus, but i don't think it requires technique but rather practice. Tell me how you would do this without a technique. Your mind wanders and a random thought appears, what do you do? Whatever you are going to say next is by definition a technique. The fact that there a multiple answers to this questions means that the problem is open to a variety of techniques that have a range of effectiveness. This implies teaching and guidance.
- iammjm 3y ago
  I guess I agree with you when you put it like this. I think I don't like the term "technique" here because it makes it sound as if there's something you need prior to starting meditating; as if there are some requirements to meditating; whereas I would argue meditation is not that different from the non-meditative state. Sure there are techniques like counting your breaths or body-scanning but I think this is all secondary to just sitting still and noticing whatever appears.
- kortilla 3y ago
  None of that is related to calling it “chilling”. It’s still not chilling even if you don’t have good techniques.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]