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

Dillinger - all those things sound very debilitating. Sending good thoughts your way. Please get to the GP and explain you need help and DO NOT feel you just should be able to get on with things on your own. If you have tried to rationalise your way through these fears and are still struggling, you need help.
One day the rationalisations you struggle to believe will just seem true!

Peanut - sorry to hear about the turmoil in your life - I hope you find the best way through.

Mango - I was reading just the Quaker website. I didn't know anything about Quakerism before, and then went on a long rampage through their website late one night - very interesting and powerful stuff, as of course you all know.

Thanks to everyone who commented on my post.

Day 1 of DP being away was ok but I was anxious and overate and feel bloated. I hate this habit of stuffing things in my mouth when I get stressy. I wish I could fix it, it is something no amount of intellectualising can make go away and it is so stupid.

Well the sun is out today! (here, anyway). have a good day all.

I went for the first time to a Quaker meeting last Sunday.

I have lots of uncertainties and irresolution and confusion. But one thing that I admired was the lack of 'striving' in the silence. It was a very human and relaxed quiet.

Thanks for the replies to me - I was on anti depressants for 4 years and since then have really not wanted to go back on them. Maybe a different kind would suit me better but right now its not something I want to consider, however thankyou for your input and Im glad they are working well for you.

It is debilatating but to be honest Ive come round and round in circles for so long! I see a gp, I get offered medication and told the waiting list for cbt is too long. Ive been sent on 'courses' and had counselling (this isnt possible now I have children anyway as I dont have anyone to mind them.)Then after a while none of it is a problem and Im almost quite content staying in. Its just at times like now when I 'know' this isnt how things should be!

Ultimately I know its down to no one but me and I have the 'right' to be here in this world, I know Im not making the most of it though and thats so scary I cant explain. I used to be so much more confident only a matter of a few years ago.

xxx

I think I may consider St Johns Wort and see how that goes. Anyone have any knowledge of this?

I didnt go to the Buddhist meeting again last night but I shall try again next week. Half the battle is getting out the front door!

How are you all doing? Im trying to focus on changing my thoughts, I feel everything at the moment is all tied together so I have to concentrate on one thing at a time to get there.

I hope you all have a beautiful day, I love this time of year, the air seems to get more crisp and fresh by the day.

xx

Hi
Just popping in to say hi to you Dillinger ---- sorry I know nothing about St Johns Wort but I'm sure someone on here does.

Hope you're ok.... think of you often.

Sorry for brevity but want to meditate before school run and getting some lunch.

PFS

Hi Dill.... another quick question...
Could your DH take you to a Quaker meeting on Sunday and look after the kids?
HOw's the meditating going ? I've just done a quick 10 mins whilst letting my nails dry - not v Buddhist like - but necessary!

PB - sorry to hear of the emotional turmoils going on in your life. What website did you download the hatha yoga from?

OK - off to do school run and read BFM in the playground.

XX

Well meditation with me doesnt seem to be happening, my mind is racing a lot of the time. Its actually a lot harder than I thought to be honest!

Im sure my dp could do that, I'll go and have another look at that link recommended.

I think today has been a bit of a turning point, I emailed dp whilst he was at work - I dont think he realised just how bad things have got and if I try to talk about it I well up So we had a talk afterwards, hes got things in motion re. running group so Im going to see if a combo of exercise and St Johns Wort will help, and if it doesnt then I shall try something else.

Thankyou all loads, and I mean that deeply.

xxx

HI D, well done for talking to DP - sometimes talking to the nearest and dearest is the hardest thing. Much easier chatting to cyber strangers.

DO have a go at the meditation - if poss sit down in a quiet room / bedroom set the kitchen timer for 10 minutes and see what happens. You'll get lots of junk / chattering monkies interrupting your thoughts but after time (maybe some weeks) the junk will fade away and you'll have more moments of real inner calm and less chattering monkies. And - if you don't get the inner calm then you've just had a nice quiet sit down for 10 minutes - which is always beneficial.!!

Remember you've got a lot of support here - and we'll support whether you're on or off your meditation cushion!!

Metta to all. X

May I recommend lighting a candle in front of you, and just gazing at it - not staring, not straining your eyes, just relaxing, not going fuzzy wuzzy, just observing the flame, watch it flicker and glow, and know that you have a flame inside and it is always shining, and feel the peace of that.

I wouldn't recommend 10 minutes, as I think a few seconds at a time is perfect for starting off. You don't need to have a fancy lotus position or anything- just sitting in a chair, with your back straight, and hands palm upwards in your lap (so your shoulders automatically relax) is perfect.

I tried St John's wort after DD's birth and it worked very well, and had no side effects, apart from interfering with the absorption of the contraceptive pill (which I wasn't on) so I believe it's very well tolerated, and as effective as Prozac, for mild depression.

I hope you re-connect with the light inside yourself - it's always there you know - it sometimes takes a few breaths of stillness to find it again, and to simply BE that light.
With practice, a few breaths at a time, you will find that you ARE that light more and more, and this will come easily to you.

namaste all

Zazen - your post is lovely. I will definitely try it.

Of course you're right you don't need 10 minutes - but for me I find I can ring fence that time as "me time".

xx

Thats very lovely. Ive just got back from buying my St Johns Wort and *whispers some arg. nit. 30c recommended to me for exam stress.

So I'll take the SJW daily, and the remedy as needed. Its a start hey

Im feeling much better today, like a weight has lifted. Im hoping its onwards and upwards from here!

Bless you all so much. I hope you have a beautiful weekend xx

at your //whispered// homeopathic remedy dill - i dabble in that particular dark art, and often recommend it to patients - i hope that it helps you - after a couple of years i am STILL undecided where i stand on its efficacy!. seems to help some people beautifully, and do sod-all for others. definitely worth a go, though! and i agree that st john's wort is worth a try too xxx

Yes Im inbetween with it too - I cant completely dismiss it. Even if it is only going to work in a placebo manner thats still gotta be better than how Ive been feeling lately! And of course its more accessable to me right now than other methods of help.

Patients? What do you do?

Thankyou all again, sending lovely thoughts in return for such kindness xxx

hello dill, i work as a gp - albeit as a very part-time one. hope the remedy does something for you!
have recovered from major melt-down with DD earlier today over - sigh - clothes; she couldn't decide what to wear this morning and had an attack of mounting anxiety tinged with increasing dollops of all-out anger over it all...wailing, getting really agitated, making us really late for DS's rugby, shouting - i tried to be patient and understanding for what felt like aoens, and then suddenly lost it, shouted back at her and flounced down the stairs ...sigh. however things were almost immediately a lot better - it was like a boil had been lanced (to use a medical metaphor ). we drove to a friend's after that and steve wright's sunday morning love songs came on the radio and we had a darkly amusing conversation- DD pointed out that if there was a 'sunday morning hate songs' we could have sent our request in earlier that day. we then spent some time choosing our parallel world requests (mine was 'devil child' by the demons)
i had been reading my latest attempt to decode my child 'parenting tweens (8-12 yr olds)' and apparently one of their biggest tasks at this age is discovering that love and hate are two sides of the same coin. so we discussed that a little, little bit, as far as one can with an 8 yr old.
and then we agreed that we adored each other really. and she came to my quaker meeting, and was great, read harry potter and an illustrated children's bible and was made much fuss over afterwards - and i think an hour of calm and silence was just what my little firecracker needed!
and since then we've had a lovely pottering around kinda day. i hope you have all had lovely sundays thus far. hugs to you all, girls xxx

Wow cool job Katie123

Ive had a shocker of a day, very low, lots of crying but did try some meditation after my bath earlier, I enjoyed it.

Hoping tomorrow will be a better day! xx

Dear all,
am bit shy about intruding on this wonderful thread have been lurking for about a month now, doing lots of reading and just wanted to say thank you all of you for your very inspiring stories and helpful pointers about books, courses, groups etc.
Zazens post of Friday prompted me to post- I have been doing this in the evening for 10 minutes and felt a bit unsure whether sitting on a beanbag gazing at a candle and shutting my eyes although very peaceful was in any way related to 'proper' meditation so it was very lovely to read.
Love and light to you all
Gxxx

hey lady G - good grief please don't feel like an intruder of any kind! it's lovely to have you join us. i am weary, reeling from a day in the trenches with fireball DD but at least it ended on a high note with a lovely little joint meditation session. we lit two candles and cuddled up on the spare room sofa under a blanket and i read a couple of the meditations from the chidren's book i got her a few months ago, and it was wonderful to see and feel her relax and enjoy it so much, and be able to concentrate (unlike her little brother). she really loved it. so heartening. her moods are so volatile and her emotions so passionately felt, that i feel that if i can introduce her to some 'self-soothing' techniques that she can perhaps build on as she gets older, then that can only stand her in good stead. it's so difficult to maintain equanimity (great buddhist word!) on days like this one but remembering that all stages are transient (and so are all tantrums) helps. i talked to her about that tonight - that we (in our close and happy meditative mode) were like totally different people from our earlier upset/angry selves, and that we are all changing, all the time. and that it's good to try to remember that in the midst of our worst moment - that they will NOT last. to which she said, words to the effect of, yes, but life itself keeps going, meaning (i think) the thread of life. which i liked. and agreed with. we talked about how the flame of life perhaps never dies. maybe it lights the candle of another life after ours, or maybe there is a heaven, who knows!

it's hard to believe that just an hour before i had been wondering what on earth i had been thinking when i decided on having kids !!!
justa, i am very sorry about your dad. i bet you and yours put a smile on his face today
dill - commiserations on the crap day front. i sympathise in bucketloads. hope the meditation helped. i think i'll try a little sit before bed quite soon too.
bye girls, speak soon! xxx

ps lady G
after three years of on/off meditating i am still very glad if i can managed ten minutes of soothing relaxation in front of a candle - that sounds absolutely great to me

So many comments I want to make, let's see -

peanut - so sorry to hear your news, I hope you have some rl support and that you're feeling like you're making the right decision for you, whichever way that goes. And I like Pema Chodron - great choice to help you through, I think

justa - you have a lot going on too, I think your nap-after-lunch approach is perfect for your circumstances, and bugger what has to be done. Thinking of you.

Katie - lovely to read about your relationship with your daughter. She sounds great, and your communication with her is excellent.

Homeopathy (clearly homeopathy isn't actually a poster on this thread, never mind) - "seems to help some people beautifully, and do sod-all for others". That's sort of my experience with some mainstream medicine too though. I had chronic acne as a teen, and the dr just went down a list of treatments till we found one that worked. Which took years.

I'm experimenting with "mindful housework" at the moment, which is interesting - have discovered that on occasion I can enjoy sweeping/ washing up/ whatever. Am generally the least domestic person ever so it's a bit of a revelation

Do we need to start thinking about a new thread title? This one's starting to take too long to load. We should obviously put "all welcome" in it (yes, that means you, Lady G!) Does anyone have a nice, short quote we could use? Plus the word 'mindfulness' somewhere.

Thanks so much for recommending the candle meditation -Zazen- I did it last night after a particularly frazzling evening with DD and DH- it was WONDERFUL and I slept so well for the first time in days. Having that image of the flame in my mind has really soothed me.

Good to hear everyone's news..I want to reply in detail but am busy (as usual at this hour) with doing lunch boxes.
Just want to say welcome Lady G.

Mango -last night I thought that perhaps we could have a group meditation on the first anniversary of you posting this thread!!

hello girls!
like the idea of our new poster 'homeopathy' mango - i totally agree that conventional medicine is just as much of a gamble much of the time. so much of it either fails to work, or works partially... but with nasty side-effects. glad your doc EVENTUALLY found the right thing for you.
so - YES to an anniversary group meditation, that sounds lovely! and by all means let's start a new thread - maybe 'mindfulness' and 'meditation' should both make an appearance in the title? and we could put a link to the original thread in one of the first posts so that there is easy access to the background chat...mango surely this falls to you as our original poster and instigator and Ideas Woman? plus you can do links
must get back to the chaos of RL!
have a lovely day everyone
x