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

Yes, growingup, I guess you are spot on there. I have always admired people who can feel that 'home' in some spiritual tradition, but most likely this is just not to be for me. Guess as I have never really felt at home anywhere geographically, personally or otherwise and I thought that I had simply not looked hard enough! Hmmmm, very thought provoking....

what interesting posts, kids and growingup...kids, i was actually not being clear, sorry about that - i've only been to one NKT group meeting, and that was last week in hay-on-wye - i live 20 mins from hay (about 25 miuns north-west of hereford). i had not heard of the worcester one. basically i am willing to try anything that is local to me - once, at least! however in this instance it really is going to be just the once
the only thing i have been to so far in worcester is the FWBO meeting, about 3 weeks ago now.
growingup, wise, wise words as always - that is certainly what i have found so far - that it is possible to take what you need (gratefully in my case, after years of confusion!) from what comes your way without necessarily signing up to the entire tradition lock stock and barrel. if you find your perfect spiritual home, then how fantastic - but i agree that many of us probably don't. and that, in its way, is okay too! i love attending the local quaker meetings, but don't feel like a fully-fledged quaker and i don't think i ever will, and i supplement those with buddhist meetings because i feel the need to do so. if i had the perfect sangha down the road for me i would be delighted but i can live with the imperfection of my current set-up
by the way - how amazing to feel that way about your phD subject matter - really inspiring. we will all need to read it when you finish it
kids - the FWBO problems bothered me and peanut for a while. in my case it is more important to me to find a group of like-minded people who make me feel supported and from whom i can learn - the worcester group has all the right ingredients and was totally different in that respect from the NKT group. so i'll keep going to that for now. it doesn't mean i feel any major allegiance to their spirital guru, let me say right now!! or not so far, at least. but i don't think that matters.
anyway if ever you do want to come to the FWBO in worcester do let me know - but i know childcare is a real issue and other commitments too. the session was about equally split between meditation and discussion - about an hour of each, or just under, with a nice chatty tea break inbetween.
hope to see you there one day.
xxx

...coincidentally, this was the daily dharma in my inbox from the 'tricycle' buddhist review - thought i would past it below!

Many Westerners attracted to Buddhist practice have abandoned their own spiritual traditions. They reject the churches and clergy of their own traditions because they feel constricted and uncomfortable with the attitudes and practices they have encountered there. They have suffered within their own tradition and so have sought another. They approach Buddhist practice with the hope of replacing their own tradition and may wish to break away from their own tradition forever.

According to Buddhist wisdom, such wishing is in vain. A person severed from her own culture and traditions is like a tree pulled out by the roots. Such a person will find it hard to be happy. Buddhist practice can offer effective means to heal, reconcile, and reunite with one?s blood and spiritual families, in order to discover the precious gems in one?s own traditions. Thanks to the practice, people will see that Buddhism and their own spiritual tradition have many things in common, and therefore it is not necessary to reject their own spiritual tradition. They will see that there are things that need to be transformed in Buddhism as well as in their own tradition.

?Thich Nhat Hanh, from Teachings on Love (Parallax Press)

i don't think so, g/up - i have subscribed, (google tricycle, the buddhist review)but i think i was getting the daily dharmas before that, if memory serves - the subscription was to be able to access the full edition of the digital mag, plus the archives
the daily dharmas are really lovely, i find - never fail to give me pause for thought!

Hi PhilB and kidsRTW and welcome to the corner of the world that keeps me (someway) sane!

PhilB - I've had that book in the deep and distant past, way before it started to dawn on me what it was actually about. Afraid I can't remember much - I think I may have given it away , not realising I would one day want and cherish it. Jon Kabat Zinn co-wrote the book on mindful approaches to depression that has been my bible over the past year or so so I would reckon it is good.

KidsRTW - know exactly what you mean about not settling in a spiritual home. As Katie mentioned, we both had/have big reservations about the FWBO but our reservations are mostly about the upper echelons and stuff that may or may not now be consigned to history. Having said that, on a day to day level, my local FWBO sangha is a lovely warm place to be and so I fully plan to continue attending, just maintaining an upwards cynical glance ever now and then.

Now, I may well have found something that will end up being more of a spiritual home for me in the Commununity of Interbeing, which is Thich Nhat Hanh's group in UK. I went to my first meetng last week and liked it, liked the people, but most importantly enjoyed the fact that one of the leaders talked to me about the fact that while thay are affiliated to TNH they are in fact an all embracing group, they welcome practising christians etc as well and often engage with our local inter-faith group. Ineed she had on her shrine, just behind the buddha statue a picture of christ. Which all fits in with Katies daily dharma from TNH and seems appropriate to me. I went through the manual from the CoI and was very ipressed by how transparant the workings of the group seemed to be, particularly in comparision to the FWBO.

Growing Up - I am subscribed to the daily dharma on tricycle (thanks Katie) and I don't pay anything...

had my most wonderful ever meditation last thursday, we did the metta bhavana and I was with it totally for the 50 minutes - first time ever. Now I know the trials of monkey mind are what makes our practice stronger but it was so glorious to have one session which was without it. I even managed to include my BiL about whom I have felt emotions ranging from a distrustful ambivalence to immense and inordinate dislike on my compassion radar and really, truly wish him well. I got some lovely images going in my head, a rose quartz heart being one of the main ones, and it just took me from strength to strength. I honestly think that dowsing with the cyrstal I got last week may have a lot to answer for

have a lovely week all

Well, the tricycle seems to make good progress through this group, her I go as well... Admittedly in all my looking at traditions TNH has so far never featured - I guess you have been through this many a time before but is there some introductory book you can recommend? You are actually right about the FWBO - I attended a meeting on London when down there by chance and it was lovely. Might try a Tues in Worcester some time, Katie, just can't quite seem to say goodbye to my week's best training session at the moment (oops, priorities...?)

at priorities kids, know the feeling...

'peace is every step' is a book some of us have really enjoyed by TNH - really simple, short chapters, but profound, wise and clear.

am nearing the end of 'a new earth' by tolle - cannot recommend it highly enough. chimes in very well with buddhism, which he holds in high regard. it is a bit cringily new-agey in its cover and back cover blurb...but makes a lot of sense to me and seems to have helped me to resolve a nagging internal 'knot' (as TNH would put it) that i have been struggling with of late. essentially, he too advises being PRESENT in your life, absolutely at one with the present moment. it's all the same message at heart to that in buddhism and especially as advocated by TNH, mindfulness...creating space around emotion, recognising that vast inner space...realising that there IS no past or future (in a sense), there is only NOW and awakening can only happen NOW - all very zen!

...eek!..must start work - have a lovely morning, girls. much to respond to in your long and interesting post, peanut. will come back!!

X

for you, girls - came to me from my poetry chaikhana website subscription - i just LOVE this poem

Ah, not to be cut off

by Rainer Maria Rilke

Ah, not to be cut off,
not through the slightest partition
shut out from the law of the stars.
The inner -- what is it?
if not the intensified sky,
hurled through with birds and deep
with the winds of homecoming.

that's lovely Katie - thanks

no time to write much (trying to be mindful at work) but just wanted to second the vote for "peace is every step" it's the one that opened my heart to TNH in a big way

HI everyone.... Sorry I can't offer any good quotes but I wanted to share this with you. This evening after I'd finished meditating and was feeling v at one with the world I said to DD (engrossed in CBeebies) "Would you like to learn to meditate?". She said "Oh it's alright Mum I know how to - you just cross your legs, put your hands like this and sit quietly." I was astonished - so I asked, how do you know that? . She replied - oh I've just seen pictures of Buddha. If only it was so easy - or maybe it is !!!

I think DD is a theologian in the making as last week she asked: What does God smell like Mum?...
I suggested fairy cakes. Any clues Growing up?

Hope all well with all - am thinking of going to NKP meeting tomorrow if RL doesn't get in the way.

PS Have started list of books recommended here - it's a slow process as all the posts are so interesting to read.!

HI PFS and everyone

that really made me laugh!!! I had a similar experience with my two - I've set up a tiny buddhist shrine in my bedroom (my lunchtime non-shopping yesterday resulted in the purchase of a rather lovely buddha statue from bali...ahem...no more leaving the office at lunchtime for me) anyway I was meditating in front of it last night and DD1 wandered in from her supposed slumber, all inetrested. Tonight they were both in my room and DD2 saw it for the first time. They both wanted to "have a go" so DD1 sat down on my cushion first and assumed a perfect position, palms pointing up, thumb and index finger touching, eyes closed. I asked her afterwards where she got that from and she said she just knew. Mumbled something about gymnastics and circle time at school. DD2 hopped on teh cushion then and interestingly assumed more of a traditional hands in prayer posture. And she was happy with that. They looked so cute.

had an interesting session with the HG woman today - she took me "imagineering" (as she calls it) which is basically a guided meditation to a safe place. It was lovely. I went in with a splitting headache which was threatening to go migraine on me and left without it. Came back on way home but I managed to massage it out of my temples without my usual need to ultimately resort to Nurofen plus. I must remember this.

right, gotta go to bed early tonight.

love to you all

hello all! lovely images of your little cutester neophyte buddhists pinkfluffy and peanut! and respect to ya PFS for having begun the herculean book roundup task - well done you.
just back from the FWBO meeting which was very nice, again - though i had trouble with the meditation. it was a metta one, but i had no idea how long it was going to be (one hour, as it transpired) and kind of rushed through it as i often have to at home, when i usually have half an hour maximum of a morning and/or evening, then thought - ah. so meditated on the breath instead for the rest of the time. but felt a little out of kilter with the group, and like i had been uncompassionate for not having spent enough time on everyone i had had in my mind! but it was lovely to get to know a few people a bit more, during the coffee break. then i dashed off - bcs i wanted to get home before 11pm. the teaching was going to be on some obscure (to me, i mean!) buddha of the 11th century etc etc - i have to say i am not sure how much i find all of that side relevant at the moment to my daily practice - again, i love TNH for being so brilliant at integrating buddhism into daily life for westerners. i don't feel a huge urge to go all tibetan or learn the mudras(?) associated with the different coloured buddhas(??) etc right now - perhaps that will come in time. and perhaps it won't
big hugs! night night x

that's interesting Katie - I think you've got a hard core group/leader there...at my fwbo group the bit after the tea break is a group discussion on something broad (mindfulness has been running for some weeks now) where we investigate the topic totally from a real life type perspective, sharing thoughts and experiences...that's what the COI one is like too (well, based on one attendance I think that's how it is)

on the metta - our leader always rings the bell after each stage so you know when it is time to move on - I find that immensely helpful. Would also find it useful in the breathing one but the guy who ends to lead that one doesn't like to be bothered, I think he might nod off sometimes (this isn't me being unskilful - I hope - he said so last time )

hi peanut! that sounds much better to me - i would love to discuss mindfulness in a group with like-minded and more experienced people. i just don't have a huge and burning interest in 'red buddhas' and 'white buddhas' and 'artistic representations of the buddha through the ages' etc. i guess i am really a TNH girl at heart like you.
maybe the group discussions go through phases and i just entered late in a particular cycle? have not been often enough to find out, i suppose!

they did do the lovely 'singing bowl' bell to mark the different stages of the metta meditation, but i didn't know that at the time, and didn't pace myself accordingly! should have talked to the group leader beforehand.

have been thinking a lot about TNH's inclusive-of-all-religious-traditions message and reminding myself that i am lucky with my local 'sangha', my quaker group - maybe it doesn't need to be a buddhist one after all. as long as i can go to the FWBO now and again but keep meeting with my quaker buddies regularly, perhaps that can be the way forward ... must get back to work!!

x

It is really useful for me to see that I am not the only one who struggles with these issues and finds the intricacies of some traditions and their art a bit to the side of the real issue. I am intrigued by the TNH approach and will look out for a book when I am in B'ham tomorrow.
Actually, I used to have quite a meditation routine with my kids and it certainly helped them stay calm in a very difficult time with DD1's serious illness. It has somehow slipped out of our routine when we were travelling for a few months last year btu reading your posts I feel quite encouraged to restart, especially with DD1. Ther is, BTW a very good book with kids' guided meditations 'the wishing star' which I used to read to them and expand on for them to meditate along with. Does anyone actually use guided meditation podcasts? I love them and they kept me sane on the road when I was on my own, home educating the kids and sometimes wondering why I hadn't just mindfully appreciated my lovely home surroundings. But, hey, the travel bug is my main problem and I don't want to bore you with that.
I would like to come to the Worcester FWBO in the near future, KAtie, but at the moment I am supporting my trainer through bereavement and then have an exam in a few weeks so it realistically won't be in the next month, but then maybe we could go together if you havn't been put off by them...
Got to do a bit more revision, mindful or not, my last few exams I have always been able to combine witha maternity leave but that seems a bit of a poor reason to have a baby (and I sure have more than enough of those...)
'speak' soon..

hey kidsRTW - will check out "the wishing star" DD1 gets very wound up and could do with something like that. Am at your home schooling/travelling lifestyle...sounds lovely. Where do you get your guided meditation podcasts?

guys - I'd go bonkers if I had to listen to folk ramble on about coloured buddhas of the 11th century and other buddhist art stuff (very tiny whisper - I find "buddhist art" in general very garish - looks about, wondering who might have heard this "unskilful speech" - although I tend to find zen style imagery a lot more acceptable...hmm, my minimalist tendencies...aesthetic ego...etc no doubt) but you know what the hard core would say? you must make this part of your practice it is through the discomfort that we grow sit with it

phew, thank the stars it's not me!

hello girls!

PB you made me laugh with your XXX-treme naughtiness re buddhist art - am with you all the way though!!

kids - BIG respect to you with all you have gone through and with home schooling. i could no more home school my kids than fly to the moon. what you say about meditation for kids is fascinating. i have a very highly-strung 8 yr-old daughter (before hanging out on this thread i spent a good 6 months lurking on a thread about 'demanding children' on MN!)who was born 10 weeks early and whose difficult start in life set the tone for her early childhood years. once we had got through the first 2 years of virtually continual respiratory illness, we then hit temperamental issues - tantrums, high anxiety, insomnia, almost perpetual negativity, constant frustration issues. at this time we were also working through our own travel bug, and were variously in autralia, NZ and then back in the UK but in a new area previously unknown to us - all very exciting on one level, but also incredibly stressful given how change-resistant DD proved to be (poor soul).

i look back on those years as the most challenging of my life. every day would beging (after 6 or so night waking between the two kids) at about 6am with DD throwing a massive tantrum over the shape made by the cornflakes when they fell into her bowl.that pretty much set the tone for the day, while i was also running around after a high-jinks-prone toddler DS. that's why sarah n's 'buddhism for mothers' book spoke to me so much, when she says that many of us come to buddhism or related systems of beliefs/philosophy through the suffering - as well as the ecstatic joys! - of motherhood.

anyway, i digress. in short, i would love to help DD with her strong and volatile emotions through teaching her about meditation. she is a different child these days in any case - much more settled and just...happier in herself, but still has a lot of mood ups and downs and is very easily upset/enraged

...so i will look out that book with great interest! sorry to have rambled on. it certainly sounds like you have had very tough times with your DD, kids, and i truly hope things are a lot easier now. i would love to meet up in worcester one of these days. there was a mention of a sangha party on sunday mid-july sometime - i think that must signal the 'end of term' - anyway if you can make it to that, or to one of the tuesdays then great, but if not then maybe in september. i only go every 3-4 weeks myself in any case. my mainstay is my lovely quaker group which is a blissful 10 minute cycle ride through abundant green birdsong-filled country lanes - as opposed to an hour in the car!

have a lovely day everyone!

XXX

ps i have made contact with a TNH sangha (i still find it hard to use the phrase 'Community of Interbeing' with a straight face ) in stroud,gloucestershire - they are going to get back to me. only an hour and a half away!!! i am seriously thinking of setting up my own sangha (membership: one)

HI i've always noticed your thread when browsing P/R/S. I'm in a bit of a state so hope you don't mind me asking for your advice? (If so just tell me!)

DP and I have been exploring Pagan spirituality for a few years and have both found comfort and strength there. However DP in very bad place now for many reasons, work, family problems and strains and is 'shut away' in a dark place.

On past experience, medication is probably the next best short term solution but I noticed you talking about 'mindfulness for depression'; I goggled but can't find anything in South Wales.

Can you point me in the right direction, DP is a lovely person, trapped in the past with an utter disbelief in any good qualities or self-worth.

This obviously impacts on me and our family and as a menopausal woman I am finding to my shame that patience is in short supply.

I'm willing to attempt anything to help, (though I get really riled with Louise Hay!!).

Or should I just find DP's mother and punch her tell her about the legacy she's passed on to her children? (I don't mean it but it would feel good for a few minutes, til my understanding of others kicked in)

Thank you I'll keep watching, really appreciate your reply.

I'm struggling because I resent this happening after a really awful year in 2008, I thought I 'deserved' to be'happy'.....I'm more self aware really but just wanted a little time to concentrate on stuff I've waiting to do for years. I think I need to learn there is no 'right' time and just get on with it.

I'm gardening like crazy at the moment so please don't think I'm ignoring you if I don't post for a while.

We're going to Glastonbury tomorrow for much needed spiritual R&R so will be in best place for purchasing any books you recommend!