I think we have such a skewed idea what meditation is, or maybe what mindfulness it. Like you shared there are so many ways to notice what is going on inside of us and be with it, which in my opinion is what meditation is for anyways. I meditate quite frequently, but I gave up on trying to make my mind quite and I label what comes to my brain. I don’t always feel different after I meditate, but I do notice my brain will notice what it is doing during the day and I spiral less often...sometimes, depends on the season!
Thank you for sharing this with me Emma. What do you find helps you to meditate, and to keep a practice up? That's also brilliant you notice the difference it makes... I think one of my problems is I don't notice an immediate or significant difference - not with the meditation where you sit and breathe anyway - so I don't feel motivated to keep it up...
I never felt motivated with any other sort of practice but labeling my thoughts works, probably because I feel like I’m doing something. I actually don’t know, I think it’s something I think I should be doing, and there have been times it has felt very beneficial. I think I’m in a season where it’s more routine than anything else.
Thanks Ellie. This chimes a lot with my story of meditation. I was asked recently (the person who knew I was a Buddhist once) What meditation do you do? I answered "Focusing"! A core piece in all of this is how the idea of meditation is so often associated with "trying to feel different" (calmer/peaceful). It so easily skips the practice of just being with how we are! (There are meditation methods that are totally not about this assumption....) Anyway, I'm glad you bring out the point that being with others is hugely important and definitely one of the reasons I found meditation hard - on my own, with my eyes closed and doing lots of trying! Our bodies do know the way. Here's to not doing what we are "supposed" to do...!
Thanks Peter. Yes, like you, I've found Focusing so much more resonant - one of the few meditation practices that helped me feel genuine compassion and acceptance for what I was feeling, rather than telling myself what I was feeling was wrong and needed to change.
I think we have such a skewed idea what meditation is, or maybe what mindfulness it. Like you shared there are so many ways to notice what is going on inside of us and be with it, which in my opinion is what meditation is for anyways. I meditate quite frequently, but I gave up on trying to make my mind quite and I label what comes to my brain. I don’t always feel different after I meditate, but I do notice my brain will notice what it is doing during the day and I spiral less often...sometimes, depends on the season!
Thank you for sharing this with me Emma. What do you find helps you to meditate, and to keep a practice up? That's also brilliant you notice the difference it makes... I think one of my problems is I don't notice an immediate or significant difference - not with the meditation where you sit and breathe anyway - so I don't feel motivated to keep it up...
I never felt motivated with any other sort of practice but labeling my thoughts works, probably because I feel like I’m doing something. I actually don’t know, I think it’s something I think I should be doing, and there have been times it has felt very beneficial. I think I’m in a season where it’s more routine than anything else.
Thanks Ellie. This chimes a lot with my story of meditation. I was asked recently (the person who knew I was a Buddhist once) What meditation do you do? I answered "Focusing"! A core piece in all of this is how the idea of meditation is so often associated with "trying to feel different" (calmer/peaceful). It so easily skips the practice of just being with how we are! (There are meditation methods that are totally not about this assumption....) Anyway, I'm glad you bring out the point that being with others is hugely important and definitely one of the reasons I found meditation hard - on my own, with my eyes closed and doing lots of trying! Our bodies do know the way. Here's to not doing what we are "supposed" to do...!
Thanks Peter. Yes, like you, I've found Focusing so much more resonant - one of the few meditation practices that helped me feel genuine compassion and acceptance for what I was feeling, rather than telling myself what I was feeling was wrong and needed to change.
Love this!!
Thanks Katie, and thank you for the inspiration :)