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

oh rev. thoughts and coming your way. am so sorry. must dash to work but back soon. x

Glad you seem to be coping justabout, but hugs and comfort for you anyway.

Have come on here to find some peaceful thoughts. I have been to see my sons therapist, but on my own and the guy was more concerned about me and raised some issues I have been trying to push to the back of my mind.
He is right in his words but I wasn't emotionally prepared to go there at the moment. I am shaking.
I have so much to do but just want to get out of the house for a long walk and clear my head.
Perhaps listening to Thich nhat Hahn would help. How do you put mind stuff back where you need it when it is all running around in your mind?

taking a long walk is a good start - i've walked countless miles to get through some of my emotional issues in the past! hugs to you tiny, and i hope you see clearly again soon. there is a book i found of great comfort at difficult times which i may have mentioned on this thread before by a buddhist nun pema chodron called 'the places that scare you' that may be of some help. and of course breathing in and out, in and out... x

I think of life as a kaleidoscope, with pretty well all the same fragments, and then once in a while someone comes along and shakes it up to create a new pattern.
I use kaleidoscope images a lot in my paintings.
Can I be cheeky and put this link in to my website?
My paintings are very much a form of meditation and probably one of the most spiritually, emotionally and mentally rewarding things that I do.
here.
I'd be delighted if you had time to take a look.

Rev, sparkly rainbows your way.

I had a very early m/c pre DD also - about 50 days, and I was so happy afterwards as it proved to me I could be pregnant 9we had fertility issues) and that a babe had chosen me as his or her mummy - even for a short time. And I knew I was so blessed.
My friends were all expecting me to be devastated, but I wasn't. About three months afterwards DD chose me to be her mummy, and she wouldn't have been able to do that had been pregnant already.

I don't know if that makes sense to you at this time Rev, but please take time to lie in bed and rest. Your body houses your spirit - they both need respect and compassion as they are interdependent.
And I hope everyone who is feeling poorly is better soon - I also have a cold, and haven't tried to meditate, I need to rest, and have compassion for my old body

The concept of emptiness is more Hindu, where there is an absence of everything as the goal, the withdrawl of the senses, the withdrawal from the stimulus. Like the ascetic Christian hermits.

Buddhism has more to do with the presence of everything in a continuum, not an absence. The realisation that your Buddha nature is in an interconnected continuum, and ongoing and joined with every other Buddha nature. You are not alone, because 'you' do not actually exist as 'you' think 'you' do. That's why I love christmas trees and decorations which use light, they remind me that we are all connected, and we are all blazing lights.

Namaste. And happy Hanukkah - the festival of lights!
take it easy dearest Rev, sending love your way

Does anyone ever feel like it's 2 steps forward, 1 step back? (or, God help me, 1 step forward and 2 back?)

Have had time to sit today, managed to spend maybe 10 minutes concentrating on the breath - with all the usual monkey-mind caveats. Actually, I was doing something partly inspired by Smiles' pain meditation - all my thoughts seemed to centre on people, so I was giving them helium balloons and letting them float off - quite fast, sometimes. Do I sound like a loon?

When I was a bit calmer, tried to start the loving-kindness meditation again, but it just wasn't happening today. Not that I expected to have the same experience, but my mind wouldn't settle to it at all and started jumping around more. What i feel i should have done, was just let it go and come back to my breathing. What I actually did was try to force it for a minute, and then give up abruptly when it didn't seem to be happening. It's sometimes hard in the moment to see what the wisest thing would be, isn't it? (And that's not only true of meditation!)

Rev, listen to zazen, make sure you rest a bit (yes, we know you're fine, but still).

Zazen, what you say about emptiness being Hindu is interesting. I would also have pegged it as a Buddhist concept, but the mainstream Buddhism practised here has Hindu concepts intertwined throughout, along with all kinds of animist/ preHindu beliefs.

Smiles: "Always remember than from the point of view of mindfulness practice, as long as you're breathing there's more right with you than there is wrong with you" - JKZ

tiny, thank you for that link! your paintings are gorgeous - i love the gekko/lizard one especially, and the beautiful bird. if i had to pin you down as a homeopathic remedy (i am an amateur homeopath and have a long long way to go!) i would definitely have you as a bird! 'bird' people are very much pulled 'upwards' into the ether and look like you do - all bright-eyed and delicate and fine of feature. i hope things are going better for you.

to all you other girls - hello and sorry for not posting on the meditation front at present - i am also fighting a shitty cold while trying to keep up with the old social diary at the moment - open house for 40 people today for instance, mulled wine and mince pies etc - all 4 of us are under the weather though so it's going to be a slight struggle. DS woke me in the night to tell me 'i know what my illness is mummy. my teacher told me. it's a JCB' go figure!

big hugs and back soon x i will get back to meditating tomorrow i hope!

Simple meditations at the moment....think I need to go to a retreat really!

Thank-you for your lovely comments about my paintings, and your bird comment katiek123, how lovely.

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to all

Yes, have lurked. Would like to say that I agreed with you entirely on thread 1, and I gather someone was mean to you on thread 42 but was behind by then. Sorry though.

Hope Christmas at your parents' is not hideous fun. Wrt meditating while kids pull your hair, I read somewhere about some zen guy who made his new monks meditate all night, while he randomly hit them with planks of wood. To see if it broke their concentration, or something. Sounded a bit odd to me though...

merry christmas girls. have a really lovely day tomorrow. rev - so sorry you have been bruised and battered on some other thread (rolled my sleeves up, flexed my biceps ready to defend you and stomped off to have a look but...couldn't find it).i have been making the world's most pathetic-looking (but surprisingly yummy, if you keep your eyes closed) mince pies with the kids to leave out for santa, and getting very excited about the gavin and stacey xmas special later tonight - could definitely do better on the meditation and spiritual front i know i know! speak soon xxx

I do that justabout. Especially as I suffer from insomnia. Occasionally have to crash out and then sleep deeply for hours. But I am lucky in that I always wake up feeling rejuvenated.

I have started collecting things for my 'box'. Am using an existing one for now but would like to make one if I can find the time. So that I can 'decorate' it. Could actuallly make them to sell(?).

It is lovely going through my things and picking life affirming points in time to remember. Will also have a list of names that inspire me.

I can't decide if the pain meditation thing is working, or if I am just not in as much pain!! It definately helps though, and have been using the balloon idea for 'holiday' stress.

Overall I have a sense of inner contentment and apart from a minor panic attack today am quite pleased with myself.

Hope you are all enjoying the seasonal break.

Surviving so far...keep getting the thoughts and image of feathers (usually white) coming through in my meditations which is lovely on so many levels. I will definately have one in my box.

Not much to report here.. am managing to meditate at least every couple of days. This morning I did a few minutes of standing meditation after yoga, it was intersting just to be in a different position. I need to do some work strengthening one leg and I think regular standing meditation would help, I think I favour one leg a lot without noticing.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas.

I am in India at the moment - am loving it here and not having to do the housework is the best New Years gift I think I could receive!

I have been really struggling over the past few weeks to be in touch with my spiritual side, I think it was mainly the stress over having people to stay, Christmas and getting ready to come here. Now that I am here and I am being looked after wonderfully by my in-laws I can feel myself relaxing and I am starting to find some peace and a chance to meditate.

And the weather here is fantastic too

Wow Louie, sounds fabulous.

I am up in a quiet house for first time of holidays and going to have a quiet moment once I am warm.