Does anyone on MFP meditate?

I do. Not in the sense that most people might think of, with the lit candles, incense, and chanting like a Tibetan monk. I have an app on my phone called "Simply Being" that guides you through a period of mindfulness and "being ok" with how things are. Helps my stress a lot!

I don't, but I think I REALLY need it!!

I really want to, so I know I need to find time to, more like make time!!! Otherwise I used to everyday!

I do when I can.

I do home made meditation, by which I mean finding a quite spot, thinking about something simple (like breathing or height or distance) and letting other thoughts and stresses disappear. Not sure if this counts, but it helps me relax and allows random ideas to come in to my head. I'm fairly sure it helps me solve problems later in the day.

As often as I can

I say to myself a positive statement that works for me when things get tough and I'm overwhelmed. Amazing how it makes me feel..like a deep breath. Positive thinking helps. That and a solo long run with great tunes is pretty close to meditation for me.

When I was a kid right up into my 20's and even still kinda do it on occasion .. I did a form of meditation by doodling. I would start writing somethng, a single word for instance, over and over .. and in no time at all, I could fill a whole page of doodle. I don't know how something like that could help me to 'escape', calm down and refocus...but it did. It was like getting lost in a deep sleep, not catatonic .. more like a daydream.

I often experienced frustration of one form or another, like any teenager or young adult .. Even now, that I'm in my 50's, and have experienced menopause, it's even worse ... Like you know, when you are trying to think of something and you just can't remember .. the harder you try to remember, the worse it gets. It's almost like there is just too much information in there and it's piled on top of what I am trying to retreive. Frustrates the heck outta me!

Often times, the frustrations of the day would melt away, and with a new refocus, I would have one of those 'ah ha' moments. When I can't sleep, I kind of do the same thing, I concentrate on one thing like a picture of an object .. when I feel other thoughts sneeking in (like stuff from work, things that happened during the day, emotional feelings, I would fight to refocus on that object. Sometimes it was a struggle, and I'd have to fight to concentrate, some times it's wasn't so hard and it wouldn't take as long.. EVERYtime, I'd fall off to sleep. Kind of like counting sheep .. don't laugh .. It works!

I meditate almost every day-- you wouldn't believe the awesome effects it has on your body, mind, and life overall. Try it

I practice Transcendental Meditation (TM).

WOW! Awesome that so many people meditate---or use prayer---to relieve stress and relax, or for other reasons.

I meditate when I need to. Usually if I get really upset over something stupid, or if I get a headache or migraine. I've found that it takes away the pain and leaves me feeling refreshed and relaxed!

I thought about being changing my religion, but after much research I decided not to lol!

I did however read this book and enjoyed it very much. It put things into perspective for me.



I'm currently reading this book, and have liked it so far:


I found a quote in this ^^^ book that I plan to use for the rest of my LIFE!

"Do everything with a mind that lets go. Don't accept praise or gain or anything else. If you let go a little you will have a little peace; if you let go a lot you will have a lot of peace; if you let go completely you will have complete peace."

-Achaan Chah

I took a free Introduction to Meditation class offered by this group. You can sign up for the next class, and listen to some audio feeds or read transcripts that are posted. www.audiodharma.org.

Nope. I got caught up in some spiritual group thing that almost broke my head. I left it all behind and my head has never been clearer!

Having said that, sitting quietly and focusing on your breath is great in times of stress.

Sorry to hear that. None of the organizations or teachers I've encountered has been like that. The mindfulness exercises they teach often do reduce stress, although there's more to it than that.

I meditate several times a day, usually at work. It helps me focus. It gives me time to think, but if I do it right, it helps me not to think. Over time I have actually been able to quiet my mind. There's a lot of random noise in my head. When I was younger I self medicated with alcohol, weed, opiates, LSD, to either enhance or tone down all that randomness, but I have only been able to silence it through meditation.

I meditate for about 30 minutes when I first boot up my computer in the morning. Then I usually meditate for an hour or so around 10am, then another hour after lunch, then about 2pm, and then one more time when I get home. I used to call it "spacing out" but I discovered that I felt better about myself and less guilty about not working if I referred to it as "meditation".