Mindful Meditation [2/13 - Unlimited]- Always Open

[Moira]

 

We all need peace in our lives. If you would like to find that balance between your mind, body and spirit, try this PvP challenge.

 

You can do this through your yoga practice, walking, running, shavasana or sitting comfortably in a quiet room. Focus on your breath, and either a candle or your foundation, as long as you bring yourself back if your thoughts start to wander (they are called the minds bicep curls).

 

This analogy on reddit has been referenced frequently, but here is something you should keep in mind:
 

Quote

"A lot of people think they fail at mindfulness meditation, just watching the breath, because they get distracted by thoughts. In fact being distracted and then noticing the distraction and returning to your breath is the entire point. That is what makes you more mindful in the long run, the ability to be aware of your thoughts when you are having them. Instead of being consumed by them and thus unaware."

 

Post your meditation and describe what you can from it. First with the tally of how many meditations you have completed.

How did you do it? For how long? How often did your mind wander? How did you feel afterwards? Did you learn anything new about yourself?

 

Try this for at least 10 minutes every day or every other day, depending on your routine. If you complete 30 days of meditation, you are rewarded with learning how to embrace your distractions, taking time to focus on yourself. and gained "emotional intelligence". Among many other benefits people have claimed to experience.

 

I have downloaded the Insight Timer app. I usually meditate during yoga class, but I will use the app on non-yoga days.

 

Please feel free to offer any suggestions for this PvP. I plan on making a list to keep track of how far each participant has come. If you want to do more than 30, go for it!

 

Good luck and namaste! 

[Moira]

 

Participant	Start Date	Progress
Lokesbrah	2/13/17	5/30
ChirpyBird Curl Brogo IAmInfinite	2/13/17 2/15/17 2/20/17	5/30 19/30 0/30

 

[Lokesbrah]

 

I use Calm on the Open Ended Meditation, with bells ringing every two minutes. I usually try to go for 5 to 10 minutes. So, I'll go for 10 minutes to gain entry for this PVP .

 

 

Enviado do meu SM-G925F através de Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

[Moira]

Just now, Lokesbrah said:

 

 

I use Calm on the Open Ended Meditation, with bells ringing every two minutes. I usually try to go for 5 to 10 minutes. So, I'll go for 10 minutes to gain entry for this PVP .

 

 

 

 

Enviado do meu SM-G925F através de Tapatalk

 

 

If you have to do less than 10 minutes, go for it! This "challenge" is understanding of everyone's limits. I just put 10 because I figured people generally go for that period of time.

You do what helps you.

[Moira]

1st

Meditation before yoga session: 5 min sitting

After yoga: 10 min shavasana

 

I am anxious about a project at work. I had to try to bring myself back frequently today. I always remind myself how important it is not to sweat the small stuff. It is what I try to live my life by. So doing this meditation every day will help me stick with that motto.

[ChirpyBird]

I would love to participate in this! My goal is to get to 5 minutes before my mind wanders and I have to come back. I have a crazy ADD mind, so this will be a great challenge for me! Thanks for doing this! Are there any rules I need to know about as far as PVP challenges, as this is my very first one? 

[Moira]

1 hour ago, ChirpyBird said:

I would love to participate in this! My goal is to get to 5 minutes before my mind wanders and I have to come back. I have a crazy ADD mind, so this will be a great challenge for me! Thanks for doing this! Are there any rules I need to know about as far as PVP challenges, as this is my very first one? 

 

No, they are simply made for reporting and motivating yourself to reach a specific goal. Many of these PvPs are competitive to see who can get the most push-ups, etc. But this one I started so that people can see how often and what techniques other people are using for their meditation practice. The rewards are up to the leader (me) and for this one, the benefits that come out of picking up daily meditation are the reward.

 

The most important thing is to be aware of your mind drifting off. As long as you can bring yourself back. Don't be disappointed if you don't go 5 minutes without losing focus on your breath. I still can't make it to that, especially today!

[ChirpyBird]

1 minute ago, NucleotidalWave said:

 

No, they are simply made for reporting and motivating yourself to reach a specific goal. Many of these PvPs are competitive to see who can get the most push-ups, etc. But this one I started so that people can see how often and what techniques other people are using for their meditation practice. The rewards are up to the leader (me) and for this one, the benefits that come out of picking up daily meditation are the reward.

 

The most important thing is to be aware of your mind drifting off. As long as you can bring yourself back. Don't be disappointed if you don't go 5 minutes without losing focus on your breath. I still can't make it to that, especially today!

 

Here's a question that may be silly (I'm new to all this! hehe): How do I know I'm really, truly gone? When I tried meditation over the weekend, I couldn't leave my mind for more than a couple seconds without it going crazy on me. It wasn't until I put on some background sounds of nature that I was able to picture myself walking through a forest and looking around. Does that count as being gone?

[Moira]

Just now, ChirpyBird said:

 

Here's a question that may be silly (I'm new to all this! hehe): How do I know I'm really, truly gone? When I tried meditation over the weekend, I couldn't leave my mind for more than a couple seconds without it going crazy on me. It wasn't until I put on some background sounds of nature that I was able to picture myself walking through a forest and looking around. Does that count as being gone?

 

You almost lose the concept of time. You pretty much forget where you are or that you are meditating. Your body totally relaxes and your breathing goes into autopilot. You become so aware that it almost disappears. This is why we download the apps that make the soft meditation bell sound to bring us back.

Imagining a place that makes you happy is a great way to do this. I am not a professional but I have only experienced true deep meditation a couple of times.

 

Here is a helpful reddit post asking the same question:

 

[ChirpyBird]

13 minutes ago, NucleotidalWave said:

 

You almost lose the concept of time. You pretty much forget where you are or that you are meditating. Your body totally relaxes and your breathing goes into autopilot. You become so aware that it almost disappears. This is why we download the apps that make the soft meditation bell sound to bring us back.

Imagining a place that makes you happy is a great way to do this. I am not a professional but I have only experienced true deep meditation a couple of times.

 

Here is a helpful reddit post asking the same question:

 

 

I hope I can feel that someday!! Sounds soooo amazing. My first session, after I started picturing myself in the woods using the background noise, lasted about 6 minutes or so until I couldn't stop my mind from wandering and bouncing around thought after thought, but that wasn't this. Is focusing on being somewhere else meditating like this, or will it hinder my ability to get to this kind of level that is discussed in the Reddit post?

[ChirpyBird]

4 min 30 seconds until I suddenly snapped out.

 

My mind was crazy for the first fifteen seconds or so, but I put on some soothing background forest noise over my speakers and I was gone. I feel like I was asleep but I wasn't. There were times, unlike last time (which was my first) when my mind said a single word but I was able to not finish the thought and keep going). A much better session than last time! I think my mind was aflutter due to a disagreement with my husband an hour earlier that was weighing on me (we had a fight about our differing diet needs, ugh). Off to make a (hopefully) healthy dinner and see how relaxed I will be after that successful session!  

 

[Moira]

1 hour ago, ChirpyBird said:

4 min 30 seconds until I suddenly snapped out.

 

My mind was crazy for the first fifteen seconds or so, but I put on some soothing background forest noise over my speakers and I was gone. I feel like I was asleep but I wasn't. There were times, unlike last time (which was my first) when my mind said a single word but I was able to not finish the thought and keep going). A much better session than last time! I think my mind was aflutter due to a disagreement with my husband an hour earlier that was weighing on me (we had a fight about our differing diet needs, ugh). Off to make a (hopefully) healthy dinner and see how relaxed I will be after that successful session!  

 

 

I am so proud!

You should try the Insight Timer app.

I think you will know after you have reached deep meditation.

[ChirpyBird]

Thank you!!! Can't wait to try again! I'll check out the app for sure

 

[Lokesbrah]

16 minutes yesterday. At first (3 minutes I think) I was just becoming aware of my body, the feel of the clothes and relaxing. Then I went to my "mind cave" and went to the room for the true mindful meditation. At first it was just random thoughts but then I kept remembering a quiz I did long ago for fun about which character from Cowboy Bebop I was. The result was Vicious, and the sentence I kept coming back to was "if society wants an alpha dog, you have no problem in becoming that alpha dog". After the meditation what I felt was that I have been passing around the idea that I am too relaxed and that I need to start dominating my field of action. So today I feel that I am much calmer than usual, quieter, but more focused.

 

Enviado do meu SM-G925F através de Tapatalk

 

 

[Moira]

2nd

Listened to "The True Nature of Awareness" guided meditation through the app.

He makes a valid point in saying that there is no such thing as a "perfect" meditation. The state you're is in the state you accept. Awareness is the acceptance of what is now.

I sat on a folded blanket near a window, it is very sunny here today. I let the sun hit my face and focused on that. Did not think about my anxiety at all. My cat tried to get my attention at one point by touching my shoulder with a cute "mew" and I appreciated it. This one made me very excited for the warm weather coming.

12min

 

[ChirpyBird]

Yay! 6:24! Same thing happened, I found my peace and suddenly snapped out of it. My eyes snap open and I take a deep breath in and sit up. It's like I was asleep while awake and aware of myself. So cool! Then I look at the timer (I downloaded that Insight App, thanks for the recommendation @NucleotidalWave :D) and go ... woah, that much time passed? It only felt like a couple of minutes! I'm loving meditation.

[Moira]

Yoga meditation

5 min sitting up

10 min after, shavasana

Anxiety from work kept creeping in again. I need more sunlight. 

I also snuck into yoga without scanning in. So naughty! But the lavender oil! And the nice singing and the music!

[Lokesbrah]

12 minutes, random chatter in my mind. nothing particular or noteworthy happened, except my inability to focus.

[Stronkey Kong]

3 hours ago, Lokesbrah said:

12 minutes, random chatter in my mind. nothing particular or noteworthy happened, except my inability to focus.

 

You're doing fine then. Noticing your inability to focus I'd what really matters.

 

I'm in btw.

[Lokesbrah]

16 minutes again. Felt the need to become like Vicious again, and visualized a caged wolf ready to be set free in my mind cave. I also saw 2 figures that didn't appear clearly to me. Today I'll try to keep up with this to see where it leads me.

 

Enviado do meu SM-G925F através de Tapatalk

 

 

[Stronkey Kong]

I did 10-15 min today.

 

I normally try in the morning, but skipped. I find myself in an emotional vortex and vowed to do some sitting when i got home. The meditation itself was not special. I just focused on my posture and breath, and noticed they both became a little better as time passed...posture became straighter, breath got deeper and smoother.

 

My prior experience and what i practice comes from Soto Zen, zazen meditation. Today reminded me of a teaching i once read. Not verbatim, but:

 

"Sitting in zazen does not bring enlightenment. Choosing to sit in zazen is enlightenment. Practicing means becoming aware of this, that each of us is already enlightened."

[Stronkey Kong]

I got my ten in tonight. Full disclosure, I'm a little buzzed, but the practice was done sincerely.

 

The fifth precept be damned.

[ChirpyBird]

Yay, I did it! 10 minutes straight! Used the Insight app. Took about 30 seconds for my mind to calm down, but once it did, I was so relaxed. When the bell sounded at 10 minutes and brought me back I thought it was a mistake, because it felt as if it had only been about 5 minutes, but nope! Ten!  YAY!

[ChirpyBird]

On 2/13/2017 at 8:15 PM, NucleotidalWave said:

 

I am so proud!

You sfhould try the Insight Timer app.

I think you will know after you have reached deep meditation.

On 2/12/2017 at 11:34 PM, NucleotidalWave said:

 

We all need peace in our lives. If you would like to find that balance between your mind, body and spirit, try this PvP challenge.

 

You can do this through your yoga practice, walking, running, shavasana or sitting comfortably in a quiet room. Focus on your breath, and either a candle or your foundation, as long as you bring yourself back if your thoughts start to wander (they are called the minds bicep curls).

 

This analogy on reddit has been referenced frequently, but here is something you should keep in mind:
 

 

Post your meditation and describe what you can from it. First with the tally of how many meditations you have completed.

How did you do it? For how long? How often did your mind wander? How did you feel afterwards? Did you learn anything new about yourself?

 

Try this for at least 10 minutes every day or every other day, depending on your routine. If you complete 30 days of meditation, you are rewarded with learning how to embrace your distractions, taking time to focus on yourself. and gained "emotional intelligence". Among many other benefits people have claimed to experience.

 

I have downloaded the Insight Timer app. I usually meditate during yoga class, but I will use the app on non-yoga days.

 

Please feel free to offer any suggestions for this PvP. I plan on making a list to keep track of how far each participant has come. If you want to do more than 30, go for it!

 

Good luck and namaste! 

 

 

And again!

 

10 minutes straight.

20 minute yoga after.

10 minutes after for a total of 20 for today.

I feel amazing right now.

<3

 

[Lokesbrah]

Yesterday I did 12 minutes but it was not good again. Hard time focusing...

 

Enviado do meu SM-G925F através de Tapatalk