Who Meditates?

[iceman]

I used to do 20 minutes a day. Almost like a cat nap effect. Also helps smooth out the stress.

[SB]

So then it's like masturbation without tactile sensation?

or the mess

[guroo270]

Any personal experiences with this? Extremely fascinating back story. Kind of a shame it's been turned into a nap room.
"The Integratron is a structure designed by ufologist and contactee George Van Tassel. Tassel claimed the Integratron to be capable of rejuvenation, anti-gravity and time travel. He built the structure in Landers, California (near Joshua Tree) supposedly following instructions provided by visitors from the planet Venus. The Integratron machine was started in 1957, the structure was erected in 1959.[1] The structure was financed predominantly by donations, including funds from Howard Hughes.[2]

Following Van Tassel's death in 1978, the building was owned by a series of individuals (and was left in various states of disrepair) before sisters Joanne, Nancy, and Patty Karl purchased it in the early 2000s. The sisters promote the Integratron as an "acoustically perfect structure," give tours and offer "sound baths" they describe as "...meditation-like sessions accompanied by tones from quartz bowls."
http://integratron.com

[danmelon]

Tai chi chuan is my most favorite form of extend mindful movement meditation. Some of the styles are less fluffy than others with actual martial art application and the learn in curve is steep. But, some of the styles lead to 30-45 minutes of movement in a constant squat, which leads to improved strength from the abs/core down, increased flexibility, and the potential for a very focused and intense 30-45 minute meditation. If you believe all the Taoist/Chinese medicine, you get that benefit, too, but it's not a requisite (if you have the right instructor).

Something that I would love to get into.

[jgibb]

Calming the mind is probably the hardest thing I've ever done. To me meditation not only teaches you how to calm oneself, but it also teaches you to have a different mindset throughout the day. I really enjoy meditating and usually do 10-20 min a day. It helps me calm down in the moment but also during various situations. If I am in a hectic situation I now find that I'm able to look at it with a realistic, calming view rather than just bugging out which I used to do.

[PNWbrit]

rather than just bugging out which I used to do.

fucking quitter.

[irul&ublo]

[iceman]

haha....oh, no.

[gaijin]

[jgb@etree]

focus on your breathing.
the rising and falling of your diaphragm.
the weight and balance of your body.
the beat of your heart.

That's meditation? In that case, I meditate every time I get behind a scope.

[Aus George]

Meditated about 4 years. It does improve your life and there is a way to test it. If you meditate regularly, stop. Have a 3 month break, you will find how different you become. For me personally i slipped back into anxiety, really bad.
Now im all good again. Nothing in my day to day life changed, i just got lost in my head.

I find i get the same feeling/oneness when i ski. I personally believe some of the more extreme sports are very similar to formal meditation. You guys might be surprised how similar it is if you tried

[iceman]

What, like actually ski?!? pfffft.

[SB]

Bowling for Nepal

[I've seen black diamonds!]

That's meditation? In that case, I meditate every time I get behind a scope.

Funny you should say this. There is a measurable change in brain activity, a certain quieting, that occurs just before an experienced marksman fires a gun (or bow). It lasts but moments. Skilled meditators can sustain this quieting state for minutes at a time.

I'm a sceptic in most respects. In the hands of a crystal waving new age goofball, meditation is nothing but self important silliness. But meditation can have real, measurable benefits, such as in the use a dialectical behavioral therapy in the treatment of borderline personality disorder. In this case, meditation should no longer be considered alternative medicine.

[bodywhomper]

I find i get the same feeling/oneness when i ski. I personally believe some of the more extreme sports are very similar to formal meditation. You guys might be surprised how similar it is if you tried

i don't think it's limited to extreme sports, but any activity where you are forced to be absolutely focused in the moment, in the here and now.

however, my understanding is there are additional benefits when one is able to do it for longer periods.

here's an interesting presentation from one of my previous tai chi chuan teachers. joseph is a UCSF clinical researcher on acupuncture and tai chi chuan, along with being a tai chi chuan instructor and other related stuff. for anyone in the bay area that are interested, he teaches tai chi chuan at a few places in SF and oakland. he and a bunch of 'old timers' also practice somewhere in gg park on weekends. "Integrative medicine specialist Joseph Acquah examines some of the conventional as well as the scientific reasons which contribute to its effect and popularity."

[mtl_ripper]

Meditation is awesome.

[Aus George]

Meditation is nothing but self important silliness.

Oh how wrong you are. I feel more connected to everyone and everything (much more than stillness) while meditating than during any other time. 'Myself' is but an egotism my thinking mind creates.

[iceman]

Oh how wrong you are.

there was a comma after that quote, and another clause

[ArmadaBC]

You don't have to sit in a room and stare at a wall....that can help certainly but the most important thing is to realize your nature. I'm not talking about plants and shit I'm talking about how you move your arm. That's not thinking, it doesn't come from thinking it comes from nature, it's doing thing and if you can apply that more globally things really get interesting.

Nature is fundamentally empty, it provides a general construct that we all exist in, a common set of tools, nothing more and nothing less.

Thinking is very important, its a very nifty little trick but it creates the world a person lives in. If your thinking is anxious your anxious, if your thinking is angry your angry, regardless of what is actually occurring outside of your mind.

Meditation is a path to learning how to control your thinking and control both by discarding thinking that is useless and by not doing it at all. Mediation isn't anything, people that sit in a room humming some bullshit miss the point, that's useful to learn but not all that useful in life.

Wanna watch tv great, watch tv, not the other crap we engage in. Driving the car, great but actually drive the car. Meditation is a path to a focused mind, those are actions, things one does, so do it not think it.

This world is incredibly, mind blowingly beautiful but we can't see it, our eyes are collecting light but our thinking mind is mostly ignoring it. If you can undo this general state of affairs and simply look with your eyes alone it's almost religious. The connectedness one feels with all things is truly amazing and you can see the beauty in all things again. It's almost as if you had never seen say a tree before.

I don't do religion, I don't do bullshit, If it's not science 99.999999999% of the time I don't believe in it. I'm not a vegan and I love gluten and I swear meditation can change your life at the most basic level. It can redefine who or what you think you are at the most basic of levels. I'm a human.....yes but your really nature and that really changes pretty much everything you think you know about yourself.

[delco714]

I'll resurrect this since I'm new here... I'm a new ish American who practices (the best I can) Buddhism

[iceman]

This is the meditation thread. For Resurrection you need to go to the Catholicism thread.

[MakersTeleMark]

OM ice, mutherfucking OM.

Well, that's what I do.

[delco714]

This is the meditation thread. For Resurrection you need to go to the Catholicism thread.

I chuckled. not a lot though. But I appreciated it

[iceman]

Well I didn't work very hard on it so a chuckle is fine.

[KQ]

Well I didn't work very hard on it so a chuckle is fine.

but oh so timely this being holy week and all so bonus points there.