Meditation

joanlawson

Hi

I have been trying meditation as a way of combatting pain, stress and tiredness. I have found this a beneficial exercise, so I thought I would post it for anyone else who would like to try it. It need only take 5 minutes, but you can build it up to longer ( preferably 15 to 30 minutes a day, 4 or 5 times a week) So don't just do something--- sit there!!

Begin by finding a quiet spot where you will not be disturbed.

Take the phone off the hook.

Turn off your mobile phone, radio, and television, as well as any unnecessary electrical equipment in the area immediately surrounding where you will be meditating.

Sit or lay down in a comfortable position. This could be in an arm chair with back straight, feet flat on the ground, and hands resting on thighs with palms flat. If you choose to lay down, this can be either on the ground with feet shoulder width apart, back straight and hands resting gently to the sides, or on a bed in the same position.

Close your eyes. Take a deep breath, hold it in and tense up every muscle you can. Exhale and release the tension.

Repeat this twice more, making three breath/tensions in total.

Visualize your muscles becoming relaxed and saturated with a brilliant, white light.

Start at your toes and work your way up to the top of your head, pay particular attention to the shoulders, jaw and facial area, and any other area that may be causing you particular concern. All the while taking gentle, deep breaths.

If you hear sounds such as cars passing by, people talking, dogs barking etc. Just let these sounds pass over you. Do not judge these sounds, simply allow them to occur and fade away, all the while taking gentle deep breaths.

When you feel sufficiently relaxed, draw your attention to your chest area, and visualize a tiny ball of light that rests half inside and half outside the center of your chest.

This ball of light can be any colour that feels comfortable to you. The ball of light starts out tiny, but expands gradually with every inhalation and every exhalation.

Continue to visualize for this meditation so that the ball grows larger and larger, all the while producing a greater feeling of loving peace and calm.

Allow the ball of light to grow as large as you feel comfortable with.

This ball is a ball of healing love-energy. Allow the ball to move to wherever you need healing in your body.

You can direct the ball or allow it to move by itself. If you have a loved one that needs healing or love, who may be emotionally troubled, you can send this ball of love-energy to this person in your mind.

Visualize the ball leaving the room and travelling to the person in need. Or you can allow the ball to leave of its own accord, it will travel to someone who needs your love-energy. Or you can simply reabsorb the ball back into your body.

When you feel that the meditation has finished, gradually and gently bring your attention back to your surroundings, and slowly open your eyes.

Do a few stretches after meditation and just chill and relax for a few minutes before moving on with day to day things.

Joan

ninakang

Or you could have a glass of wine the size of a goldfish bowl...

Works for me anyway 8)

Nx

dreamdaisy

Too frivolous Ninakang! I think joan has made a good point - there are things that we can do to help ourselves instead of just relying on the poisons the docs give us. I'm going to try the meditation.

I'm glad that you found the topper comfortable - I'm seriously considering one now. The Husband is dead against it so I'll just get a single for my side. He can suffer! DD

angel1

Over the years, I have been on dozens of courses with my job, and meditation and visualisation always played a big part.....BUT, I have never been able to get it to work for me. I have watched colleagues deriving great benefit, whilst I`ve been left wondering if all was well at home! I am ABSOLUTELY unable to switch off.

On one occasion, I actually gave the presentation, and had everyone so relaxed, they were half asleep. Me, I was wondering what time we could leave!!!........Ange.

elnafinn

At home, I sometimes sit, for a short while, eyes shut or open (I don't sit down very often unless at the pc) and all is quiet except for the tick tock of the clock. I find this most soothing
and relaxing.

Elna x

joanlawson

Hi Nina

A glass of wine plus the meditation would be a good combination, depending on the time of day. I would probably fall asleep, so not a good idea during the day.

Hi Dreamdaisy

I'm glad you are going to try this. I was sceptical about it initially, but I do find it helps. The relaxation takes a bit of practice, but once you get into it, it does become easier.

There are many benefits to meditation. Most recently, the Mental Health Foundation said that the NHS should prescribe meditation routinely for depression. There is some evidence that regular meditation can enlarge the parts of the brain that control emotion, and it can reach right into the mind to strengthen it.

The thing is that it can do no harm, and it could increase a sense of wellbeing, so it is worth a try.

Hi Ange

I'm sorry it hasn't worked for you, but I don't suppose it does for everyone. I do think you have to train yourself into relaxation, and it takes a bit of practice to learn to switch off.

Hi Elna

You have found your own way of relaxing, but the meditation can take it to a deeper level, I believe. The tick-tock of the clock probably focuses your mind and helps you to relax.

Joan

frogmorton

Hi Joan

I 'meditate' after a fashion regularly.

I also use it with my youngest daughter Lucy and she loves it too.

Only poroblem was last week she decided to get the area ready....and lit one of my incense sticks :shock:

Nice hole on carpet and dining table :?

Serioulsy I agree it really can help.

Love

Toni xx

joanlawson

Hi Toni

Some schools are teaching children to meditate for a short time every day, and they report that it improves behaviour and concentration. It also has a calming effect.

The hole in the carpet is a small price to pay for all the benefits :!:

frogmorton

The hole in the carpet is a small price to pay for all the benefits :!: [/quote]

Tell that to my husband

he he!!

serioulsy she got the idea from school. It is a very good idea i genuinely beleive.

Love

Toni xx

tkachev

joanlawson wrote:

Hi Toni

Some schools are teaching children to meditate for a short time every day, and they report that it improves behaviour and concentration. It also has a calming effect.

The hole in the carpet is a small price to pay for all the benefits :!:

I think my son would benefit from this.
Toni I once melted the side of the bath burning inscence.
Elizabeth

joyful164

My reiki friend got me interested in meditation.
I then bought a couple of books

If I try to do it now, I'm asleep in 5 minutes..

Joy

dreamdaisy

I love reiki - that's a meditation in itself. DD

joanlawson

dreamdaisy wrote:

I love reiki - that's a meditation in itself. DD

I don't know much about reiki, but some of the principles of it are:

At least for today:

Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to people.

Every morning and evening, join your hands in meditation and pray with your heart.

I like that.

ninakang

Do not be angry,
Do not worry,
Be grateful,
Work with diligence,
Be kind to people.


I do that after a glass of wine 8)

Nx

PS - I am being tongue-in-cheek, by the way, I adore yoga and pilates.

joanlawson

Everything works better after a glass of wine, Nina :!:

By the way, no need for explanations about tongue -in -cheek. I KNOW you, remember :!:

only49

dreamdaisy wrote:

Too frivolous Ninakang! I think joan has made a good point - there are things that we can do to help ourselves instead of just relying on the poisons the docs give us. I'm going to try the meditation.

I'm glad that you found the topper comfortable - I'm seriously considering one now. The Husband is dead against it so I'll just get a single for my side. He can suffer! DD

good one D D

skezier

Hi Joan,

Been using it for years, started it when I lost the use of my legs and you know what its done me so much good..... been a dolphin, been a bird but the best ever is to go up through the clouds to the white mists and you com back so much better and filled with peace

Hey try this one.....

Imagine at your feet there is a huge ball of pure light...... See it in your head, pick it up over your head and let it drop into you...... it work for me and so does the gin ice cream scoop to scoop out the sadness inside...... I think I had best shut up now :oops: :oops: :oops:

Purrs to Tommy and a ((( ))) to you as well as a hope you carry on doing this cus you know what better than any tablet or injection known to man..... Cris xx

joanlawson

Hi Cris

I remember once when I was feeling depressed, you helped me a lot by telling me how to visualise something nice. It was good advice, and I do that quite frequently. I like the ice cream scoop idea.

I just read about your night in the car, you poor thing :!: :shock: I would have been scared to death :!:

Joan

skezier

Hi Joan,

Glad it helped you cus its something I am quite good at... well too good actually and another one I often do is see a hand go into my spine and rip out the pain......

In a state f fear and pain back along, I genuinely only got through it cus my head stayed free...... I was lucky an op and 3 moths of hydrotherapy got my legs working again but you know with out the injury.... well I would never have learned about meditation and drifting or visualisation...... I did escape into music as a kid so maybe that's why I do it so 'well'?

First one for me was Dock on the Bay.... I found my self sitting there.... looked a bit like Porthleven or maybe Mowzl and I don't think Mr Reading was singing about them

You keep doing the meditation and you can get some good tapes to take you places. Luv Cris xx

annie_mial

angel1 wrote:

Over the years, I have been on dozens of courses with my job, and meditation and visualisation always played a big part.....BUT, I have never been able to get it to work for me. I have watched colleagues deriving great benefit, whilst I`ve been left wondering if all was well at home! I am ABSOLUTELY unable to switch off.

On one occasion, I actually gave the presentation, and had everyone so relaxed, they were half asleep. Me, I was wondering what time we could leave!!!........Ange.

Ange, I find it impossible, too; I could understand it if I was worrying about something, but my mind is just uncontrollable and undisciplined - I find myself wondering if that woman up the road did wear a wig (30 years ago) or whatever happened to the insurance man who used to come round (20 years ago) and other rubbish like that.

One class I went to the woman next to me did doze off.........I was lying there looking at my watch every 3 minutes and wondering what would happen if I suddenly jumped up shouting 'Fire'!
I hoped it would get better but it got worse instead and I had to resort to the laziest thing I can think of - mentally 'reading' books. I have read some so often that I can recall them word for word. I gave it up after 4 sessions.

Annie

dreamdaisy

It is difficult to stop thinking - The Husband can lie in a bath for anything up to two hours. He gets cross when I burst in needing a wee but what am I supposed to do? We only have the one facility! He lies there, doing nothing, thinking nothing.

I used to like baths, I would set it all up, candles, bubbles, wine, then after five minutes think 'Right, done that, time to go.'

I had relaxation classes at the GPs surgery when the arthritis was first starting, and I learned how to do it properly. For me the clue lies in tensing/releasing groups of muscles. I shall try this again, perhaps plugged in to my euroMP (as my mum calls my MP3) tonight, then in a few days' time go for silence. Must buy earplugs - I live on the outskirts of a noisy town!

Joanlawson, a big THANK YOU from me for reminding about meditation. DD

joanlawson

Hi Annie

I don't suppose it suits everyone, although I think you can train yourself to relax and meditate. Perhaps it's best to start with just 5 minutes and build up. Maybe you were trying for too long a period of time.

Hi DD

I love to soak in the bath :!: I can lie there for ages and just enjoy relaxing and letting my mind wander wherever it takes me.

skezier

Hi Annie and Ange,

Been thinking about this.....

I don't think you can empty your ind really.... I used to see a cave in my head, a nice cave and there was a screen in it..... One day instead of watching the screen I went through it... now the caves gone but it was there for a while.....

Your brain does have compartments... get your central bit working and meditation becomes easier.......

I should add I am very tired, doped up and suffering

Its just such a good way to escape the grinding pain and worry.....

Not sure if mine is really meditation but boy do I drift

Love to you both Cris xx