Does anyone have a daily meditation practice? Would anyone like one but needs motivation?

[mangolassi]

Ooh, I feel all shy

I am agnostic and generally confused about spiritual things, but after recovering from a bout of pnd found a great book - The Mindful Way Through Depression. It has a programme of daily meditation, and I've tried in the past, but it's soooo hard to stick to with no support.

The meditation style in the book is 'western insight' - basically vipassana with the Buddhism taken out - but it would be great to have a thread for anyone trying to get started with daily practice, whatever kind of meditation appeals. Even better if there's anyone who actually has a daily practice already

hello girls - lovely to read you all. and so glad you had a great cobweb-clearing time of it in ireland peanut. anytime you fancy a blast of country air come my way ! the retreat i mentioned got back to me saying 'hmm, you might want to consider an alternative weekend, as that one's a 3-dayer and it's not ideal to leave after 2' (which i'd explained i would have to do - there's only so much 'retreating' on my part that DH will put up with on a bank holiday weekend!) - i bit back the very non-buddhist response that sprang to mind, which went along the lines of 'do you know how friggin' difficult it's been to get a weekend pass at all, with two young kids, far less the unheard-of luxury of a three-day one?'!! instead i am trying to (calmly!!)rearrange and get to a weekend one later in the spring/early summer. and to Stay Cool and Mindful etc(!).(ha!!). i found my re-read of 'buddhism for mothers' invaluable while in france. have just finished steve hagan's book 'buddhism plain and simple' which was brilliant, a really good, stripped-bare read. meditation group was this morning at mine, but am afraid to say my 'monkey mind' took over so that could definitely have gone better...have been preoccupied by matters of the heart and emotional baggage, and mindfulness has gone out of the window for the last few days. so am posting to remind myself to Be In The Now!!! hugs girls and collective chins up! thinking of you.

sending you the love justa - hope you get through this stressful period

it's hard sometimes, very hard

I like to just "be" - in fact it has saved me from almost certain insanity these past few months...very underrated in today's society...just "be-ing"

good luck with it justa - hope it brings you peace

I am entering another period of angst ridden turmoil as I wrestle with who I am and where I want to be

think I should go back to the just "be-ing" myself, but I kind of need to deal with this now

hell, maybe I'll just "be" for another while...or is that more of just "be-ing...an ostrich"?

wasn't suggesting that just "be" ing is always navel gazing or avoidance of issues

just that in my case, at the moment, it probably is!

although I definately need a bit of it too

can't wait til DH is not working on a thursday night anymore and I can go to the buddhist thing regularly

I like the "just being" message although tbh I rarely practise it and I should more often - like when I am in a crowded tube with a crying toddler trying to get home after a hard days work to a pile of washing and cooking. I am sure Tibetan monks could just be a lot easier than I could!

Have been doing lots of little meditations over the past few days, even the minute or so I spend is helping me a bit. Also I have asked our PA, who is also a naturalist to help me with my sugar cravings. I am hoping this will help me with my depression (ie when I ease off the sugar a bit it might help my mood) and she is drawing up a questionnaire and list of herbs and things for me this weekend - hopefully something good will come of it.

louie - great to hear from you

wrt the sugar craving stuff - I think it is a great idea to get on top of that. As you may have picked up I've done a total detox over the past month or so and I find pretty much all my cravings are one now (I used to suffer very badly with caffeine cravings in particular, and sugar carvings at time of month, alcohol whenever things got tough) - there was tough coupl eof weeks but now I find my immediate reaction is to reach for the herbal tea! apart from really helping with the mood swings etc I find my skin looks clearer than it has in years, I'd swear I look younger, and all mt clothes have gotten looser and it is much easier to get dressed in teh morning as I am not constantly looking for things to hide my bulges as I have far fewer

I started off with the neal's yard detox kit which contains a great cleansing herbal tea, as well as a tincture and some toning oil to rub in to body (gives you a focus you see ) and a flower blend called "courage" to help deal with trying to change things

I really feel MUCH better now, and able to face things I haven't been able to in years

I hope you manage to get on top of this - you may be surprised at the difference it makes

I'd be very interested to hear what the naturalist (nearly wrote "naturist" there !)
has to say

best of luck

cravings are gone NOT "cravings are one" (although that does sound quite deep...me and my cravings are now one...)

Peanut I was wondering what "one" craving you had . Yes it will be wonderful to be free from cravings, they have been the bain of my life for so many years - I will look into that Neal's Yard kit - thanks.

Hi everyone, I've just discovered this wonderful thread - would love to join in.

I've been a member of a practical philosophy school for four years and as part of this have been introduced to meditation and a practice of regularly 'pausing' to connect with the underlying stillness between daily activities. These practices are great and together with the philosophy teaching (eastern and western) have really helped me but I do find it hard to fit them in (or even remember them) along with the relentless busyness of parenting and working. It's so refreshing to read about other mums experiences of finding ways to nourish the spiritual/philosophical aspect of life. Thank you!

hello saffy, how lovely to have you join us
this thread has been so helpful to me and i hope it can be to you and to others too...i come back to it again and again, especially when times are tough, to remind me to stay present to all that there is to be grateful for in the present.
that reminds me - i asked my kids to think of three things they were grateful for last night. DD: (after protesting that i was getting SO boring and 'sort of RELIGIOUS mummy, i wish you'd STOP' - 'that you and daddy are MY mummy and daddy', 'that i live in this house' and 'that i go to my school'. DS:'my remote controlled helicopter' and 'my fighter plane' 'and that's it'. not quite a buddhist yet, then

welcome saffycat - glad to have you here

KatieK - how funny. I started to do that "grateful" thing at sunday dinnertime (the only time of the week we all sit and eat together properly) but it became a joke - the kids would do eeny meeny to decide who got to go next and whenever it was my turn there would be much laughing and shouting as everytime my first one would be "my lovely family" - in the end they banned me from that one and I used to have to try to sneak it in. I think it's a great practice, and must start it up again. Thanks for the reminder.

I had a lovely weekend. It started badly with me doing lots of housework in a state of deep resentment at everyone who made the mess and hadn't tidied it up. By the end of the three or so hours I was at boiling point - but then I pulled it back and reminded myself that it was a good opportunity to practise mindfullness. It allowed the anger to fade. SO then we went to the garden centre and for a drink in the pub and all was well with us again. Sunday continued happily with preparing beds in the garden and planting. For the first time ever I was relaxed enough to enjoy the process. I blame the mindfullness I am reading a great book I got from the library on Anger by Thich Nhat Hanh and it is really helping me. I even suggested to my DH he should read it too (we are in a difficult period at the mo) - he laughed and said he isn't a buddhist but I told him it might help. I know it's juvenile but I find it hard to be the one "doing all the work" sometimes, which is what it can feel like. Anyway, I think he took it in the spirit it was intended. I also told him I though it would be a good idea to think about why we are together, and reflect on that, and remind ourselves and each other in an affirmative way. Then today on the bus good old TNH says pretty much the same thing. In fact he says we should be writing "love" letters to each other. Missives that allow us the mindful time to reflect and remember our love and compassion. He recommends it not just for partners but for parents, children, siblings etc too. I think it is a lovely idea. So it's seeping into my consciousness on some level at least! I'm sure you'll all have read other TNH books, am thinging of getting peace is every step next - I like his simple style.

Katie - did you sort out your retreat? I never said thank you for the offer to come to you whenever I need countryside and space. Very sweet of you. Am looking into a retreat at rivendell at the mo but they haven't got back to me yet.

I looked up TNH's plum village and think if we all "stay together" in our little virtual sangha/community/congregation on here we should plan a retreat trip there sometime

peace and happiness to you all

hello peanut, and everyone!

peanut, i am finding great comfort at the moment from thich nhat nanh (just wish i could write his name down correctly without having to refer to the books each time!) so it's great to hear you are reading him too. needless to say i have also considered a few days at plum village and would definitely be on for that at some stage! my parents live about 2 hours' drive from the dordogne so we could use them as a stop-over and have a go at persuading my couldn't-be-less-buddhist mother to come along too

i just finished 'the miracle of mindfulness' so may look at the others you mention as my next book, thanks. no- no forward movement on the retreat front here in the uk, meanwhile - i'm forcing my ever-reluctant DH to come camping in pembrokeshire instead that first weekend in may! but do google 'taraloka' if you have a moment and see what you think, might be one for the future perhaps though it's a bit of a trek from london for you i concede!

am finding the buddhist advice on simply being aware of emotions (such as our old friend anger) arising, letting them do their thing, trying if possible not to act on them (ha!) and seeing that they do in fact pass again, very very useful in daily life. er, when i remember

liked the scene at the dinner table you depict v much - v familiar. i get constant abuse for being 'soppy mummy' for that sort of comment (but i tell myself they like it really ) nothing like a bit of self-delusion eh?

hugs to all and back soon x

yes yes yes justabout - come too! anyone else? I must say I am definately on for a communal trip to plum village with a stopover at Katies parents. Sounds delightful. The attempt to drag your mum along could be quite amusing. However, with my real head on, I suspect that may take some organising and is maybe something that, if you are at all serious, we start planning for for the winter or spring/summer of next year. Wouldn't it be lovely to have that to look forward to.

In the meantime, Katie, I looked at taraloka and it looks perfect. Rivendell have gotten back to me and the retreat I wanted is full, so am on for a trip further afield. I never mind travelling a bit so if you fancy a companion let's talk!

have just ordered the mindfulness of meditation book you mentioned Katie, plus the peace is every step one

TNH's writing is deceptively simple, I really like it. Have recommended to my sister, who is getting interested in all this "stuff" too...

XXX

ooh ooh ooh this is very exciting!
of course i am serious, peanut! i look fwd greatly to continuing to calling you that, by the way - v solemnly - in RL when we meet - and justa that's great you're keen too...anyone else?? obviously i am brushing aside the small detail of how easy it is going to be to take a few days off Family Life in order to sit about stuffing plums down our throats (mindfully!) in the french sunshine with TNH our new best friend, but we'll all come to those negotiations avec le other half in due course!
in the meantime, am game on for taraloka with you peanut, and once again anyone else who might be interested. this year taraloka and next year plum - surely one retreat per year is okay-able by one's non-spiritual DH!!
taraloka-wise, what dates are good for you, peanut? shall we start by inspecting their timetable? they had a good introductory weekend the first weekend of july, but unfort DH is working that weekend, curses. will check their website out again xxx

justa, plenty of time to worry about that, we'll research it all in due course. we shall cajole/force my parents to pick us up from the airport. easyjet fly cheaply to bordeaux (and we are planning so far ahead surely we can get environmentally-toxic £1 flights) (guilt, guilt...AND i went into primark, rare event but that is no excuse, today...Very Bad Karma)

peanut - have checked out taraloka (justa, come with us to that - cheap and cheerful?)- only weekends possible in near-ish future are 10-12 july (DH doing triathlon, the loon, but can maybe get in-laws on kid duty), that one appeals to me as it's yoga as well as meditation, are you into yoga? ...and september 18-20. either of those any good? all the others are either for days on end (if only, eh) or not open to beginners.

we could travel together to save funds - I have a 7 seater car and never mind driving anywhere and it won't cost much when we are there I'm sure - I mean it's not like we'll be off handbag shopping and cocktail supping in bordeaux is it?!

the retreats cost about 300-400 euro I think - between now and next year we could try to scrape that together gradually...

Katie (and anyone else up for taraloka) yes! I've emailed to find out what their availability is like. I'm not sure yet when/if I will be away this summer (waiting on tenterhooks to find out if DH being made redundant) but anytime up til start of school hols and then anytime after end of august will definately be fine for me. And yes, will be insulted if you call me anything other than peanut (or Ms. Brittle if you want to be more formal )

x posts! we are getting crazy with excitement here...

I do like yoga but can't do much due to dodgey post childbirth pelvis - but would love one in July...will look it up and see how strenous the yoga is

otherwise the sept one will be fine for me

yes, come Justabout...