What would you like to learn about meditation?

Mirna·Nov 30, 2023

Posted in:Mental Health Advice Health & Wellness Personal Growth Productivity

Hey Elphas,

I just got motivated by a post saying "I’m not very good at meditating and it is something I’d love to learn" by @michelletang118

I am a trainer of positive psychology, and among others things, I build a loooot of experience and knowledge related to mindfulness and meditation.

I truly believe that mindfulness is a super power that makes everything in our life so much better, and meditation is one of the best tools that we can to train and strengthen that superpower.

Now, I am happy to share many more resources here - but instead of overwhelming you with the resources, I would love to hear what are actually your questions and challenges with meditation?

What would you like to improve about it?

I will be happy to share some insights, examples, exercises related to the questions that you share.

Feel free to also share tips of what is working well for you - I am sure the rest of community will be appreciating that too :)

Iynna·Nov 30, 2023

Thank you for posting this, Mirna! Such a great topic, I have always wanted to meditate but my mind always seems to wander when I do, until I realise... perhaps that is the whole point. I can't do guided meditation because I cannot concentrate/don't manage to take it seriously. I am wondering if there's a world in which meditation can occur when were in movement eg I find myself thinking long and hard when i vacuum my apartment or when I am in the shower (especially when I wash my hair(?)). Is this a thing? Would love your take on this!

oliviajoy·Dec 01, 2023

I love this! I would like to achieve more intentionality and less anxiety and stress in my life. Stress is causing me health problems and I want to combat it!

saraanderson·Dec 05, 2023

Hi Olivia! I'm currently in research phase for a stress-reduction beta program. Would you be open to a 15 minute casual research interview? I hope you don't mind me popping in here with this, Mirna.

oliviajoy·Dec 06, 2023

Totally open to it!!

saraanderson·Dec 06, 2023

Amazing! DMing you. :)

oaladeselu·Dec 01, 2023

I'd enjoy learning about mediation for people who have aphantasia. So often mediation doesn't seem to include this group. And maybe tips for people with c-PTSD.

Mirna·Dec 05, 2023

Hmm I am not an expert on that topic and don't now much about aphantasia, but I can imagine that that would be a challenge for visualizations - however, most quality meditations don't include visualizations. I would suggest exploring breathing exercises (eg box breathing) but also body scan or progressive muscle relaxation, where you dont need to visualise body parts but you can focus on sensations in the body and in different muscles. Here is an example of similar exercise, one that I call self-check in (in 10 min version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3RuG9lasvA Also exercises like mindful eating could be useful, where you focus more on guiding your attention. Would also be curious to learn more, including questions, challenges, concerns? As for c-PTSD, again, not an expert - I am quite familiar with PTSD in general (coming from a country that had 4 years of was during my childhood, it was quite a big topic for us), but not with c-PTSD so not sure what the exact differences are. For PTSD in general, mindfulness and meditation exercises are actually highly recommended, as they help emotional regulation and work with uncomfortable emotions. One program I would definitely look into for this is MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction), it's research-based program that has significant results in this area. However, this is a bit more comprehensive program (usually around 45min daily meditation for period of 8 weeks), not a "quick hack". It is usually available in many locations in live version, paid, but usually not expensive. There is also free online version available here: https://palousemindfulness.com/Also MBCT (mindfulness cognitive behavioural therapy) has really good results with PTSD. But again, I am not an expert in this area so wouldnt go as far as offering more specific advice.

oaladeselu·Dec 06, 2023

Thank you. I'll look into these.

teresaman·Dec 01, 2023

Love that you're asking so thoughfully!For me, the most difficult aspect of meditation is having to keep it up as a habit since I sometimes associate meditation with boredom, rather than clarity of mind or inner peace. I wonder if there's any way to go about that!

Mirna·Dec 04, 2023

Oh, I hear you, I think that is struggle for everyone :) Three quick tips: 1. make it very small and simple and aim for consistency with that small "habit" - eg. 5min sitting in silence or 5min breathing exercise (box breathing is a great one!) or every day trying different 5 min meditation (insighttimer is a great app with many free meditations) - or a mix of all of these, but aiming for 5min, or max 10min every day ;) When choosing which of these you do, choose according to what feels appealing to you and what would give you value - and perhaps test a few of these, and see which one makes you feel good, focused, calm, grounded.2. Seek to plug it into part of your day where it will be easiest and/or most effective:Take a moment to think (yep, right now :))), what would be the easiest part of the day for me to add this new habit? It might be the morning eg right after morning coffee, right after brushing the teeth, or even the moment you wake up or perhaps as the last thing before you leave the house... or perhaps it might be in the mid of workday as a break to refocus or reenergise.Or perhaps the moment before you leave work, or in commute home (even if you work from home, take a "5 min virtual commute" for meditation :D), or right after closing of work. The key is to choose regular time, always around the same moment in your day, and to aim for consistency with that timeslot. It's great if you can attach it to an existing habit - such as coffee break, commute, shower or brushing your teeth, or breakfast - because then you use an existing habit as a reminder.3. Set reminders or accountability buddy - set a post it or virtual post it in a strategic place (eg your mirror if you wanna do it right after brushing the teeth, or on your laptop if you wanna do it right before starting work etc) or find a buddy with whome you will be checking in about this - you can also use habit tracker and set yourself a 30 day challenge - you can download printable PDF habit tracker here https://happiness-academy.eu/habit-tracker/ , or look for apps to track habits Seek to build that small habit first - just 5 min, in an easy part of your day, but doing it regularly. Then, whenever you do a small meditation, notice the benefits it has on you, your life and people around you - this will build motivation to do it even when you don't feel like it. Then, when you build up that "basic 5 min", you can also seek to move it to more effective part of your day (meaning, in a moment that is not the easiest but where the impact of mediation is most valuable) - eg before big meeting, or in a moment in the afternoon when your energy and focus drops. But strengthen the basics first for at least a month or so!And then also with time you might seek to lengthen it to 10, 20, 30 minutes - or so add more of those 5 min moments in the day. I hope this helps - I will add more ideas when I think of some :)