Depression Forums
General => Medication => Topic started by: stewart on December 21, 2012, 07:34:12 PM
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i see many people here use this, and for some it works, but how does one do it?
my mind is always going in a million places, its like they say counting sheep jumping to get to sleep. are they jumping a fence, a hedge, a ditch, what color is the hedge, what color are the sheep, have they got their coats or been shawn, what wood is the fence made of, is it broken or new.... etc etc,
how the heck can i just hit the pause button and clear the mind??????????
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Its great. If I can meditate than anyone can. I highly recommend it, but are too tired at the moment to post instruction. Either myself or Zaf can help though.
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not so much meditation but i tried this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0kNeOyH98
and i have to say it completely relaxed me, i am not that flexible but to be honest you can work you way around it
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Meditation can be very useful mat, it certainly helps me, there are several different methods, if you need any tips pm me. Some people find tai chi more useful as its easier to quieten your thoughts.
Z xxx
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laying on the floor would be very uncomfortable for my back, and legs wont bent like that
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It isnt necessary to adopt any particular posture stewart, although most sit cross legged. I have two elderly friends (late 80's and early 90's) who both meditate daily for 2-3 hours despite having some seriously painful physical conditions, both simply sit in a comfortable chair and do their best
Z xx
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sit there i can do Zaf, but thats about it.... i cant just think of nothing :-\
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You could try a mantra, visialisation, candle meditation, sound meditation, contemplation,there are lots of ways to still the mind and at first it may seem an impossible task but eventually the results come and I find it very worthwhile
Z xx
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Mindfulness is currently working for me. I still have my dark days but the Mindfulness meditations have been enormously beneficial. You can do the meditations in any position - you don't need to lie on your back.
This book offers the perfect introduction and comes with audio CD which talks you through the simple meditation practices.
"Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world" by Prof. Mark Williams and Dr. Danny Penman
Available from Amazon.
Best of luck with it, pal.
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Mindfulness is definitely very helpful too :0)
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Stewart, Mindfulness is not about sitting and thinking of nothing. It's about training yourself to live more in the present moment by focussing your thoughts on your breathing.
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i'll give that a try jon, let you know how it goes
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Please do, Stewart.
All good things, Jon
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well, over the past week or 2 i have tried to think of my breathing, when laying in bed as it is most comfy place, and it just doesnt do anything for me
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There is a little bit more to it than that.
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Hi Stewart.
There IS more to meditation than that. It requires practice and application.
I would recommend any of the books on Mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Some of them come complete with audio CDs that will gently guide you through the meditation practices.
I've been practicing Mindfulness for two months and I would describe it as life-changing for me.
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will keep trying, see if it starts to do anything, maybe im hoping for too much.
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Hi Stewart.
It might sound odd but the best way to approach meditation is without any goals. If you think, say, "I want this to make me happy and feel peaceful," it tends not to work. It's best to meditate for the experience of meditating. The benefits then flow naturally. It's not for everybody. But I'm glad to say it's working for me. I wish you well, Jon
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Steve and Jon are both right Stewart, sometimes its necessary to learn to meditate in a group or be taught, sometimes trying a different method works better for some people than others. Have you tried using a mantra or perhaps candle meditation? Mindfulness works better for some people at first too.
Z xxx
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I started by going to a group once a week for first three week. It cost £7 a session which I think its abit steep. I know these people want to make abit of money but the person who did the sessions hardly lived in a crap house and was poor or struggling. Anyhow, go to a few paid sessions if you can just to get an idea of what its about. Dont expect to clear your mind till you've been meditating awhile during the session, as in you will start and relax and find your mind is full of random thoughts. Dont worry thats normal, it will start to clear abit more and more the longer you meditate for. It takes time.
I started doing meditation for ten mins a day. Best to start small and build it up. I plan to go up to 20 mins a day. It can be quite boring at first, hence why I started on just 10 mins so I can get used to it and build it up. Find a time and place where you wont be disturbed. If there is any kind of noise, accept the noise and hopefully it will go(the source of noise) and you can just move on from it in your thoughts. If there is a constant source of noise that will be distracting then pick a time when its going to be quiet.
Focus on your breathing, slower but natural breathing through the nose. Listen to the sound of your breathing through your nose and try to concentrate on how the breath feels as it passes in and then out through your nostrils. Try to be soft in your breathing but as you first begin take in deliberate, slow long breathes through your nose, count to ten in your mind on each breath and then go into a normal pattern of soft, breathing. Focus on your lungs inflating and then deflating, or on your navel and abdomen rising and falling with each breath.
Oh I forgot, sit upright when meditating prefably with your back against the wall, cross legged with your right foot placed on your left calf and your hands placed either palm down, relaxed on each knee or hands facing upwards and your thumb and first finger touching at the tips in the classic meditating posture. Make sure you are comfortable.