Meditation Adventure Group

[Heidi]

Welcome rebels!

This is a challenge for all things meditation related.

Add your name to the spreadsheet and track along.

Let us know what’s working and what’s difficult.

 

Simple sheet for simple rules: did you meditate today? Y/N

All forms of meditation count, especially the weird ones.  

[Scaly Freak]

So... start date is today? Tomorrow?

[Loveable_Bouncer]

Looks like yesterday start day... 

Add me in, goal is to sit quietly for 5 mins.

[Heidi]

On 2/15/2023 at 11:19 PM, Scaly Freak said:

So... start date is today? Tomorrow?

Meditation starts now. 

☯️

On 2/16/2023 at 6:51 AM, Loveable_Bouncer said:

Looks like yesterday start day... 

Add me in, goal is to sit quietly for 5 mins.

Nice. I like this ❤️ 

 

The funny thing about having a meditation practice is that most days I'm like "I think I'll meditate" and I do, and it's good. 

But every so often often it's like meditation says "I think I'll Heidi" and it's a whole wild ride.

 

This morning was like that for me. I only meant to do a few minutes (15 ish) and it lasted nearly an hour and I was 100% unaware of the time.

And yes, I feel much lighter.  

[Heidi]

Spreadsheet updated for edit privs.

Add your names, and let the adventure begin.

[Heidi]

9 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

So... start date is today? Tomorrow?

So, I think the official kickoff date will be February 20th and run for four weeks at a time.

 

What / how does meditation add to your life?

WHat are your hopes for a meditation practice?

[Scaly Freak]

Okay, I've added myself to the sheet and back dated based on the active streak in Insight Timer. 

 

4 hours ago, Heidi said:

What / how does meditation add to your life?

 

It banks The Flame. Meditation is anxiety medication.  

[KeysMcGee]

I mean, who doesn't love a good spreadsheet? Sure. I'm game.

 

11 hours ago, Heidi said:

What / how does meditation add to your life?

I like Dan Harris's explanation. It makes me less of an asshole. 

 

11 hours ago, Heidi said:

WHat are your hopes for a meditation practice?

To be less of an asshole.

[Heidi]

Didn't think I'd have the time or energy for menditation this morning, but sat down anyway.

Got a good 15 minutes in, and I'm glad I did.

[Heidi]

What are some of yor favorite depictions of meditation in popular culture?

 

I think my favorite-of-the-moment is Stick in the Netflix Daredevil series. They get their butts royally handed to them and he says "Time to sit down and meditate."

 

[Heidi]

20 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

Okay, I've added myself to the sheet and back dated based on the active streak in Insight Timer. 

 

 

It banks The Flame. Meditation is anxiety medication.  

I love this about meditation!

Anxiety management was my gateway entry to meditaition. ❤️ 

These days it's like an Emergency Room visit, between the neurological and cardiac issues going on (which are, of course, made worse by anety).

 

13 hours ago, KeysMcGee said:

I mean, who doesn't love a good spreadsheet? Sure. I'm game.

 

I like Dan Harris's explanation. It makes me less of an asshole. 

 

To be less of an asshole.

#DruidApproved

[Renate]

On 2/16/2023 at 2:24 PM, Heidi said:

What / how does meditation add to your life?

What are your hopes for a meditation practice?

 

It allows me to let the dust settle.

It gives me space to hear what is noise, and what is what my inner voice is telling me. What feels right.

[Scaly Freak]

@Renate!! I was looking for your challenge and didn't find it, so I assumed you were taking a break. Good to see you again!  

[Renate]

On 2/17/2023 at 8:59 PM, Scaly Freak said:

@Renate!! I was looking for your challenge and didn't find it, so I assumed you were taking a break. Good to see you again!  

 

Thank you! 😊 Likewise and good to be here!

[Qnobi]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:24 AM, Heidi said:

What / how does meditation add to your life?

WHat are your hopes for a meditation practice?

 

Joining for the group.  My practice is like Swiss cheese -- really old (almost 40 years!) with lots of holes. Meditation has literally added years and quality to my life. These days I'm working more in the metta realm, but maintaining awareness practice. I'm hoping to improve my listening presence.

 

[Heidi]

On 2/19/2023 at 6:00 PM, Renate said:

 

Thank you! 😊 Likewise and good to be here!

Glad to have you!

 

On 2/20/2023 at 8:48 AM, Qnobi said:

 

Joining for the group.  My practice is like Swiss cheese -- really old (almost 40 years!) with lots of holes. Meditation has literally added years and quality to my life. These days I'm working more in the metta realm, but maintaining awareness practice. I'm hoping to improve my listening presence.

 

Welcome!

 

What are some of the things that you found distracting early in meditation, and how did (do) you address them?

 

For me one of the things that was fiddly at first was learning that for my meditation practice, I need to have my back supported in some way. This was hard to determine because i needed something i didn’t have, and i didn’t know what it was until after I found it (at a meditation group sit with a bunch of strangers who happened to have props and the like.)

 

I had been limiting myself without realizing i was stuck in the idea of “proper acceptable meditation posture.”  

[Qnobi]

1 hour ago, Heidi said:

What are some of the things that you found distracting early in meditation, and how did (do) you address them?

Oh, goodness...what wasn't? Several challenges:

 

1) I first learned from a book, so there was a lot of "am I doing this right?" and not knowing what to expect to know if I was making progress. This was back in the days when we had to go to a library to get books, and I was a suburban kid, so I got one of the three meditation books they had and gave it a try. I only kept doing it because I liked it, but I would call the early practice aimless. Not useless...just really undisciplined.

 

2) The other main distraction I struggled with (for a pretty long time) was effort. For some reason, all the instructions to do things "gently" did not penetrate. What started as something I did because it felt good ended up in a sense of trying to do everything right. I had a teacher who made that a little worse, and of course the many books out there tend to emphasize what is essential and proper. Remembering that meditation feels good helps both of those issues. 

 

ETA: Reading back over this...looks like those are sort of the same thing wearing different shoes. 

 

By the way, I also use support more often than not, and frequently lie down (gasp). I don't mind going to sleep in the middle of meditation at all.  

[Heidi]

2 hours ago, Qnobi said:

By the way, I also use support more often than not, and frequently lie down (gasp). I don't mind going to sleep in the middle of meditation at all.  

Same.  

 

[KeysMcGee]

On 2/22/2023 at 5:11 PM, Heidi said:

What are some of the things that you found distracting early in meditation

 

My cat.

 

On 2/22/2023 at 5:11 PM, Heidi said:

how did (do) you address them?

 

I'll have to get back to you on that.

[Renate]

On 2/22/2023 at 11:11 PM, Heidi said:

What are some of the things that you found distracting early in meditation, and how did (do) you address them?

 

Hmm... Also support! Over time I just learnt it's okay to just sit in my chair or in an L-shape against the wall 😊

 

Oh, and having to sit still. Sometimes it feels right to make myself be nearly perfectly still, sometimes I allow myself to just move around while noting what is bothering me.

 

❣️

[Qnobi]

4 hours ago, Renate said:

 

Oh, and having to sit still. Sometimes it feels right to make myself be nearly perfectly still, sometimes I allow myself to just move around while noting what is bothering me.

 

Ditto here -- I think that's a factor in a lot gaps in my practice. When I try to force stillness, it gets to feel like work really fast. On the other hand, I think if you sit and note the discomforts (and monkey mind stuff), stillness comes of its own accord...sometimes.

[Scaly Freak]

On 2/24/2023 at 6:53 PM, KeysMcGee said:

 

My cat.

 

 

I'll have to get back to you on that.

 

I eventually managed to convince the pushy cat that meditation time was a great opportunity for lap time. Meditating while petting a relaxed cat is very relaxing.  

[KeysMcGee]

4 hours ago, Scaly Freak said:

I eventually managed to convince the pushy cat that meditation time was a great opportunity for lap time.

That's generally what I do, too. The key is not to have any beverages nearby as she also has this thing about sticking her whole head into my coffee cup because...reasons?