- MEDITATION THREAD 2013 (Enlightenment) (Alpha) (Instructions) -

[Impermanence]

- Meditation thread 2013 -

- Home of Meditation CREW 2013 -

[No hippie] [Those seeking enlightenment ENTER]



Brahs, I hope some of you find this useful to either get started meditating or continue your daily practice of meditation.

Props to ajn for creating the other thread about meditation which you can find here: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...3525223&page=1

This is a long post and there are no cliffs or TLDR. Read it and change your life for the better.. Or don't.

I am happy to answer any questions you brahs may have about meditation.

And a video that may get you interested:

CONTENTS

1. WHAT IS MEDITATION?
2. WHY MEDITATE?
3. MAINTAINING A DAILY PRACTICE OF MEDITATION
4. DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING
5. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
6. MANTRAS AND AFFIRMATIONS
7. MEDITATING ON IMPERMANENCE
8. IMAGERY AND MEDITATION
9. SOUND AND MEDITATION
10. MEDITATION FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT
11. CREATING YOUR OWN MEDITATION
12. VIPASSANA MEDITATION RETREATS
13. FAQ
14. BOOKS OF INTEREST

1. WHAT IS MEDITATION?

What is meditation?

For those of you who think meditation is some kind of hippie, religious, or spiritual thing, I can assure you that it is not. While it is true that all religious and spiritual traditions have incorporated meditation or meditation-like practices into their cultures, meditation is not some grandiose, mystical thing.

Meditation is in fact very simple. I do not want to try to provide an exhaustive definition but you can think of meditation as any or several of the following:

• The practice of being aware of the present moment
• The practice of focusing your concentration
• The practice of cultivating a single mindset
• The practice of calming your mind
  

One important point to note is that meditation is not a state of relaxation; in fact, it is a state of heightened awareness.

2. WHY MEDITATE?

The benefits to meditating are numerous and well documented. For example, meditation results in:

• physiological benefits - e.g. reduction in blood pressure;
• psychological benefits - e.g. reduction in anxiety
• spiritual benefits - e.g. enables you to see the 'bigger picture'
  

However, for my misc brahs, let me aware you on two reasons that meditation may be the key to unlocking all of the potential of your life:

2.1 Greater control over your mind

With practice, meditation can give you complete control over your mind. At the end of the day, you are no more than the strength of your mind.

Think about the situation where, on a cut, you want to eat a cheat meal, some mouth-watering food that you are craving, but where you know full well that it does not fit within your daily macro requirements. In such a situation, there is a voice in your mind that tells you not to eat the cheat meal, for want of the delayed gratification of being shredded.

Then there is another voice in your mind that tells you to eat it - to disregard the longer term goal for the short term satisfaction of the incomparable joy of eating the cheat meal.

Then there is yet another voice in your mind that tries to rationalise these two former voices. It examines them squabbling over which desire - the long term, or the short term - is the superior option. It rationalises that in general, delayed gratification is more rewarding, but that one must 'enjoy life' at one point - and that maybe eating this cheat meal is the way that one should do that.

Then there is yet another voice in your mind, observing the three former voices, simply observing them without making judgment. You could refer to this voice as the passive, observing mind.

Which voice is truly you?

I can tell you now that every stoner or fat khunt out there cannot control these voices. He cannot reconcile the various modes of conscience in his mind to channel out one voice, which can govern how he chooses his actions and leads his life. I can tell you that the stoner or fact khunt or WOW-playing version of Zyzz would also, in general, not have the strength to shut off the voice that is telling him to eat the cheat meal, and would let that voice take over and make decisions that a different voice would later regret.

I can also tell you that successful people, CEO 10k/days and so on, have a strong grasp over these voices. They can sit back and muse at the apparent havoc going on in their brain and reconcile which voice is saying what, how the voices should appropriately be assessed, and what the optimum action to take is.

Do you want to be a weak-minded khunt or a sick khunt?

2.2 An ability to change who you fundamentally are

Modern neuroscience shows quite uncontroversially that meditation can change the physical pathology of your brain. With meditation you can calm your body to a semi-conscious state, where you become susceptible to suggestions that you make to yourself.

Thus it is possible to cultivate a mindset where, for example, you do not care about other people's opinions of you. There are many ways you could do such a thing. You could simply repeat an affirmation to yourself for 10 minutes that 'I do not care if other people judge me'. You could focus on the enormity of the universe if, for you, that allows you to realise the triviality of other people's opinions. Whatever the case, you would simply choose an object of meditation (on which you focus) or a method of meditation which allows you to achieve the desired end. As a result, the neurons in your brain will actually rewire, so that you can become the person that you want to be.

3. MAINTAINING A DAILY PRACTICE OF MEDITATION

Before actually going into 'how' to meditate let me say three things about maintaining a daily practice of meditation.

3.1 The power of 50

If you are serious about developing a daily practice of meditation in 2013, I recommend using 'The power of 50' approach. After 50 sessions (at one session per day), meditation will have become such a habit that it's no longer difficult to meditate. You don't balk at the prospect or worry that you'll be bored or annoyed or irritated. Instead, you simply go ahead and do it, in the same way that you brush your teeth. If you can make yourself meditate 50 times according to the following schedule, you will have made a habit of meditating and it will no longer be a struggle.

Schedule:

• Week 1 - Meditate 7 minutes per day
• Week 2 - Meditate 10 minutes per day
• Week 3 - Meditate 12 minutes per day
• Week 4 - Meditate 15 minutes per day
• Week 5 - Meditate 17 minutes per day
• Week 6 - Meditate 20 minutes per day
• Week 7 - Meditate 20+ minutes per day
• Week 8 - Day 1 - You have done 50 sessions and it should now be a habit

Literally get a piece of paper. Draw up the next two months. Put a box for each day and how long you have to meditate for that day. As you complete the meditations, fill out how long you meditated for. Treat it like you would with any other training.

Also, remember that if you miss a day for whatever reason, or could not meet the goal time for the relevant day, all is not lost. Try not to have a defeatist attitude and don't beat yourself up. Simply continue on and try to get to 50 days and once you get there, things will be easy.

3.2 Ritualise your practice of meditation

The second point to make here is that if you are serious about meditating, you should try to ritualise your practice. By this I mean make it a ritual, so that you associate certain circumstances with meditation. In particular I suggest:

• Meditate in the same place each day, e.g. on a couch or floor.
• Meditate at the same time each day. Some people prefer mornings; I prefer late at night.
• Wear certain clothing for meditation. If you live in a cold place maybe there's a jumper that you could wear each time; etc. Generally, make sure your clothes are light, loose fitting, but enough to keep you warm.
• Sit in the same position when you meditate. It does not matter too much how you sit, but I like to sit in the traditional position (with legs crossed, hands on knees with palms facing upwards, and pointer and thumb forming a circle). You could simply sit on a chair, and put your hands on your lap, for example.
• You can do other lings like light incense or candles. I don't do this because I am heterosexual, but you may like to.
  

3.3 Take an interest

Finally, try to take an interest in meditation. Read about it; take a course; join a class; post in this thread. The more you get interested in it, the more likely you will succeed at establishing a daily practice.

[Impermanence]

4. DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATHING

Diaphragmatic breathing is the cornerstone of meditation. Once you learn it you can engage in your first meditation.

4.1 How to breath diaphragmatically

Diaphragmatic breathing is quite simply really:

• Breath in and out from your nose, not your mouth
• Breath from your belly
• Your belly should rise and fall the most - not your shoulders
• You can start by taking a few very deep breaths, but once you are in the swing of it, you should not be 'pumping' your breath in and out.
• Once you are in the swing of it, you should slow your breathing. It should take you 5-10 seconds for a breath so that you may be taking as few breaths as 6 per minute.
  

4.2 Quick start guide GOGOGO

Knowing what you know above, you can actually go and do a meditation NOW. I'll run you through a sample meditation:

• Start by getting comfortable. Sit in whatever meditation posture you like.
• Try to relax. If you are feely impatient, nervous, anxious, or whatever else, try to let it go.
• Generate some goodwill toward meditating. By this I simply mean ask yourself why you want to meditate and what you think it can achieve.
• Close your eyes.
• Start breathing diaphragmatically.
• Take your attention to your breath and simple let your attention rest with your breath.
• It may help if you focus on your abdominal muscles rising and falling.
• It may help if you repeat in your mind words like 'my breath is rising / my breath is falling' repeatedly to help focus your attention on your breath.
• Inevitably, thoughts will enter your mind. Simply let them enter and acknowledge or notice them, and then let them pass. Try not to chastise yourself if your mind is running rampant - this is natural and normal. Simply take your attention and gently return it to your breath.
• You may like to count to 21 breaths, and see if you can hold your attention on your breath for the full 21 counts.
• You may also like to try to slow your breathing so that one breath (inward or outward) takes about 6 seconds which you can count, with about a 1 second hold at the top and bottom.
• After you have counted to 21 and have spent a few minutes paying attention to your breath, take your attention to your toes. See if you can feel any tension in them. Perhaps you can notice their temperature. Are they hot or cold? Perhaps you can notice circulation of blood in them; or an absence of circulation.
• Next, take your attention to your feet. Ask yourself the same questions as above. Can you feel any tension in them? If you can, see if you can relax your feet and let the tension go.
• Continue to do this as you move up your body - from your feet to your calves, thighs, lower back, middle back, upper back, shoulders, arms, neck, and head.
• Once you have finished this upward scan of the body, take your attention to the miniature muscles in your face. Start with the muscles in your forehead. Relax them - let them release - feel the surface tension of your muscles easing. Let all the muscles around your eyebrows and eyes release. Then let the muscles in your cheeks release. Let the muscles around your mouth and your jaw release. Let your tongue fall into a neutral position.
• After you have 'been through' your body and your face, return your attention to your breath. Spend 2 minutes again just paying attention to your breath.
• I should note that it is critically important that in the whole of the meditation you should be still. If you have an itch, or you feel like getting up, or stopping the exercise, that's fine. Simply observe the experience, sensation or desire, acknowledge it, then gently escort your mind back to your breath. Don't get angry with yourself; don't scold yourself. Simply notice your feelings and then move on.
• Done!
  

What I have outlined above is in fact my 'warm-up' which I do every day when I start my meditation. It should take you about 7 minutes but it may take more or less.

Sometimes performing this warmup alone is sufficient to get me into the 'meditative state' - other times I have to continue on until I can get into the state of heightened awareness.

5. MINDFULNESS MEDITATION

5.1 What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is currently all the rage. It is based on centuries of Buddhist meditative techniques. It has been shown to have an endless list of benefits. I incorporate mindfulness meditation into my daily practice.

The essential feature of mindfulness meditation is that you simply focus on what you can sense - what you can hear, see, taste, feel, or smell. Because your senses are always in the present moment, focusing on what you can sense can bring you completely to the present moment. The senses only operate in the present moment; they cannot operate in the past or in the future. In this way you can train yourself to simply become aware of what is going on NOW, and completely 'forget' about the past and the future. Mindfulness meditation is thus very different from other forms of meditation where you may try to concentrate on an object, mantra, or something else. You might realise that the breathing exercise above is a type of mindfulness meditation because your breath is only ever in the present moment. If you can focus only on your breath, then you are not in the past or the future - you are simply in the present moment.

You can literally do anything 'mindfully'. So you can drive mindfully, for example. In such a case your attention would be fully with the sensation of driving - seeing your surroundings pass you - noticing the makes and models of cars as you pass them - noticing the feeling of your steering wheel and the sensation of being pushed back into your chair as you accelerate. The opposite of 'driving mindfully' would be driving from A to B while thinking of all of your worries and concerns or plans for the day or week, and then not even remembering how you actually got from A to B - and this is an experience that I'm sure you can all relate to.

The ordinary person can easily get completely wrapped up in their past - regrets, failures, shortcomings, or even glory or magnificence; or get caught up in planning for the future. But the present moment is all you have, and mindfulness meditation is one way of increasing your ability to bring your attention to the present moment.

Apart from its general benefits, mindfulness meditation has been shown, in particular, to be incredibly effective at preventing or curing depression for those brahs out there who are having difficulties with mental health. It has also been shown (empirically through controlled studies) to be effective at attacking other problems such as:

• eating disorders;
• insomnia;
• chronic pain; and
• more.
  

One trial is currently showing that mindfulness meditation can cause DNA to actually repair itself which has positive implications in a number of ways, for example, by slowing the aging process.

5.2 An example mindfulness meditation

The following is a very simple but effective mindfulness meditation. Note: it is simple, but it may not be easy. You could perform this meditation after doing the breathing exercise above.

• Start by noticing all of the sounds around you. What does the aural landscape look like? Is there a particular noise that comes to your attention? Are there a number of noises?
• Turn your attention to the sounds that you can hear outside the room.
• Focus on the sounds outside the room.
• First notice the sound furthest from you and pay attention to it.
• Pay attention to the sound furthest from you for about one minute. Try to single out that sound and explore it - maybe it's the wind; maybe it's cars; maybe it's birds; maybe it's construction work.
• If your mind wanders, simply acknowledge the thoughts that your mind is wandering to, and then gently bring your attention back to the sound farthest from you.
• After one minute, focus on the next closest sound. Hold your attention on that sound for a minute like you did for the furthest sound.
• Then choose another closer sound - still outside if there are many sounds outside - and spend a minute just paying attention to the furthest sound.
• Next, focus on sounds inside the room. Pay attention to a sound inside the room. Hold your attention on that sound for a minute. Explore the sound if possible.
• After you have paid attention to these sounds, bring your attention to the air coming in and out of your nose.
• Pay attention to its temperature on the way in and out
• On the way in, you may notice that the air is very cold as it enters your nostrils.
• You may notice that it has warmed as it exits your nostrils. See if you can pay attention to this temperature differential.
• After spending one minute focusing on the temperature of the air entering and exiting your nose, turn your attention to the sound of the air entering and exiting your nose.
• If your nose is stuffy you may notice the sound of congestion as the air enters and exists; if you have a clear nose you may notice the air whooshing in freely, without effort.
• Gently pay attention to those sounds for one minute.
• After you have spent a minute on the sound of the air entering and exiting your nose, turn your attention the seat, couch or floor underneath you. Pay attention to the tension against your bottom and the sensation of sitting.
• See if you can hold your attention on the sensation of sitting for a minute.
• Done!
  

[Impermanence]

6. MANTRAS AND AFFIRMATIONS

Mantras and affirmations can be used in meditation. A mantra is a word or phrase that you repeat over and over. An affirmation is a declaration or statement, which you could repeat but I think typically are not. In both affirmations and mantras, the object of the meditation is the words that you 'say' in your mind.

6.1 The Emile Coue Mantra

The Emile Coue mantra is an example of a mantra, and one that I incorporate into my meditations.

The mantra is this: Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.

You repeat the mantra over and over again, but placing emphasis and pausing on each consecutive word as you repeat it. Thus, you would repeat it like this:

Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.
Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.

Placing emphasis on each word changes the meaning of the mantra in a slight but important way. It is also important (I think) to change the emphasis of each word in this way, as it prevents the mind from becoming bored. One of the 'dangers' of using mantras is that the words lose meaning after you have repeated them too much. By emphasising each word in turn, your mind is forced to concentrate on the phrase.

The theory behind this mantra, and behind many mantras, is that any idea exclusively occupying the mind turns into reality - to the extent that the idea is within the realm of possibility. So if you are obese and formulate a mantra which is 'this year I will lose 200lbs of fat and get shredded', you may simply be repeating words that have no meaning to you because you cannot genuinely believe them. However, if you formulate a mantra which is that 'this year I train with unrelenting perseverance and intense resolve', you may find that you derive some benefit from chanting that mantra to yourself.

You must also try to accept the statement. If you find yourself arguing with the statement (e.g. 'No, I'm NOT getting better, everything is getting WORSE!') that is okay. Simply notice the fact that you are arguing with the statement. Gently turn your mind to the fact that the statement might be true and then gently accept that it is true (if you truly cannot accept that the statement is true, you have probably chosen a poor mantra).

For more information on mantras of this sort, search for 'optimistic autosuggestion'.

6.2 Brett Kirk affirmation

Affirmations, similarly to mantras are a string of words that you repeat to yourself. Instead of giving you a made-up example, the following is Brett Kirk's affirmation that he says to himself every morning.

Brett Kirk is a former Australian footballer, captain of the Sydney Swans and an all round Alpha as phuark male (and I don't even like AFL).

His affirmation is:

As a human being I'm honest
I'm passionate
I'm courageous
I'm disciplined

I have a concentrated mind
I'm compassionate
I'm aware
I'm a good listener

I'm patient
I'm tolerant
I'm fun
I'm adventurous

I'm loving and I'm affectionate
I'm kind
I'm responsible
I am love

I don't get caught up in my thoughts
I don't be controlled by my ego
I don't dwell on the past and I don't worry about the future
Because the only moment we have is this moment we have right now.

He tells it here (video is same as the one at the very start of OP): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WflGgprVpA

Here is another small snippet of him talking about meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnFTkKgyABY

6.3 My affirmation

I don't aspire to be many of the things that Brett Kirk lists in his affirmation and so I have my own (borrowing some lines from his), which reinforces to me what I aspire to be like. It is:

I am motivated.
I am disciplined.
I am decisive.

I have a concentrated mind.
I have the fiercest of resolves.
I have the strength to do what I need to do.

I don't dwell on the past and I don't worry about the future.
I am attentive to the present moment, and aware of the action that needs to be taken, now.
I remain steadfast to my main purpose.
I am limitless.
I am free.

6.4 An affirmation for the misc?

I encourage you to develop your own affirmation that may help improve your life. I have written a very short affirmation that I think many miscers may be able to work with to improve their lives because I see so many FAs around here wallowing in their misery when they could be unlocking their true potential. It is:

This is your life
And it's ending one minute at a time.
Life is not like money
You can only spend your life once.
Always remember that you are mortal
And always remember that one day, you will die.

You are part of a generation of the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived.
A generation of so much potential.
Ask yourself: if not now, when?
You may delay;
but time will not.

It is important, when you recite any affirmation, that you don't just say the words. You should pause on each word and slowly understand the meaning of what you are actually saying.

7. MEDITATING ON IMPERMANENCE

Meditating on impermanence is quite a specific practice. It has a long tradition in Buddhist meditation. There are many benefits to meditating on the impermanent nature of life and reality. For me, I find that it assists in painting the bigger picture.

7.1 An example meditation on impermanence

The following is the main meditation that I use when meditating on impermanence:

• First, simply bring your awareness to your body
• Then turn your attention to what it is made up of: bones, blood, skin, organs
• Turn your attention to what those organs are made up of - cells. Cells that are constantly changing, reproducing and dying.
• Take that awareness to the things in the room - the floor, the walls, the ceiling, the windows.
• Consider how they are changing, every millisecond. Consider that that they are not the same, from one second to the next.
• Bring your attention to the earth, trees, mountains, buildings, houses, cars and roads. The sun, moon, stars, and clouds. In the same way as the items in the room, these objects are all changing, every millisecond.
• Now think about how all these things are slowly disintegrating, becoming older, worn out, and that at some point in time, they will go out of existence.
• These things are not going to be there forever. Everything has its end.
• Now turn to an object to which you are attached.
• Imagine how this object will appear 10 years from now. Will it have worn out somewhat? Spend a moment visualising how this object will appear in 10 years.
• Imagine this object 50 years from now. Will it have decayed further? Spend a moment visualising this object in 50 years time.
• Now imagine this object 100 years from now. Spend a moment visualising this object as it will appear in 100 years.
• Existence is impermanent.
• Use this wisdom to see thing as they are, and thus be less under the influence of deluded misconceptions and emotions.
• Try to allow yourself to be free from any misunderstanding or suffering, as a result of thinking things have permanence.
  

8. IMAGERY AND MEDITATION

Imagery may be incorporated into meditation. By this I mean, you can imagine certain images in your mind in a beneficial way. For example, I have two meditation routines that involve visualising me in different regions.

In one meditation, I am on top of the cliffs of a Baltic nation. I can see the waves crashing in on the high cliffs. It is overcast above me. The wind smashes against my face. I kneel and feel the wet grass; beneath it I feel the grit of the dirt in which the grass grows.

In another meditation, I am on a warm beach. The beach is empty. I hear the waves crashing in and hissing out. I can feel the silicone-like texture of the sand beneath my feet.

In either of these meditations, when I have sufficiently visualised the location, and I am in a deep, meditative state, I proceed to consider other things that I will not go into right now.

So for example - I do not use this particular technique - you could 'go to' one of these locations. Then you could visualise two versions of yourself there. One of them angry; impatient; frustrated; annoyed; confused; bewildered. Then the other version of yourself calm; patient; content; peaceful; aware; relaxed. You could compare the contrasting emotions of each of these 'versions' of yourself, and notice how unhappy the former is, and how happy the latter is. You then decide or allow yourself to let go of the former version and become the latter version.

The point is - whatever meditation you choose - that you can use imagery to enhance the experience of whatever it is you are meditating on. Even though it is not real (i.e. you are not actually where you are 'imagining') it does not matter. The mind's imagination is a very powerful tool and you may find that if you 'place' yourself in a certain location, your meditation may become more powerful.

9. SOUND AND MEDITATION

Like imagery, sound can also be used to enhance meditation. Personally, I do not like to use sound in my meditations. I find that silent meditations are far more powerful, and I also find that it is harder for me to enter the meditative state with music, as I feel like I am spending recreational time listening to music.

Nevertheless, it is worth experimenting with, and ajn from the other thread (http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...3525223&page=1) seems to have had a lot of success with using sound in meditation.

I have found the following two tracks to be pretty good:





Ajn also referred to this dance mix which - even though I only do silent meditations - I listen to when I'm not meditating because it's phucking sickness:

[blkbelt42]

Reserved - Will will neg OP momentarily

[Highland3r]

(Alpha)

[Impermanence]

10. MEDITATION FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT

Meditation has the ability to drastically reduce pain of many types, and even, in some instances, cure it. Meditation has been shown to be very successful at addressing chronic pain issues, as well as other pains such as migraines, and so on.

If you think about it, at the end of the day, pain is the brain's interpretation to signals that it receives. No matter how 'real' the inflammation or whatever pain it is might be, it is only as it is because your mind perceives it to be so. You can thus, with much training, begin to influence how your mind responds to pain signals that your body sends to it.

For any of you brahs with chronic pain issues (e.g. back pain) I recommend STRONGLY that you read the two following books:

The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge; and
Teach Us To Sit Still by Tim Parks.

10.1 An example meditation on pain

Because of the intensity of pain, it is difficult to simply 'write' a pain control meditation. I believe it is more effective to see a meditation teacher to guide you, or to listen to a guided recording on pain management.

However, if you are experiencing pain, you could try the following meditation:

• As usual, let yourself into the meditative state by 'warming up' and perhaps doing some mindfulness meditation
• Once you have slowed your breath and are in the meditative state, let your mind go to the pain
• That should be easy because the pain will probably be distracting you from the get-go.
• Now instead of hiding from the pain, focus on it.
• 'Go into' the pain.
• Give the pain form. Is it a writhing ball of heat? Is it a twisted, contorted mass of fire? Is is a sharp jabbing pain, or is a dull ache?
• Just notice the pain; pay attention to it. Try not to judge the pain.
• If the pain is over a large area, try to locate the centre of the pain. If you locate the centre of the pain and it moves, re-focus your attention on the new centre of the pain. Continue to do this as the pain moves around (if it does).
• You may notice the pain change as you pay attention to it. It may increase; it may decrease; it may dissipate; it may be magnified.
• Spend a minute really looking at it.
• What is the pain on a scale of 1-10?
• See if you can increase the intensity of the pain one notch. Spend a moment trying to increase the sensation in the painful area.
• If you can increase the pain, then try to decrease the pain. Dial the pain down. Let the pain cool. Let it dissipate into your muscles or bones. Let it fade. Look at it and let it go.
• If you find yourself arguing with yourself, thinking that 'I cannot control the pain!' that is okay. Instead of trying to make the pain 'do something' just try to 'notice it' and notice it doing the thing that you want it to do. So in your mind the words should be 'I am noticing the pain decrease slowly; I am noticing it dissipate' instead of 'I'm turning the pain down'.
  

So far, I believe I have actually successfully used one of my meditation techniques to reduce my sensitivity to temperature. I had noticed that I get REALLY hot and REALLY cold if the temperature deviates from room temperature. Since I have incorporated a specific routine into my meditation that involves visualizing me reducing my sensitivity to external stimuli, I am now noticing that on really ridiculously hot days, I simply do not get agitated, and on cold days, I remain quite warm.

The potential for controlling your body's response to pain with meditation is immense. It is certainly not easy and takes much practice, but the potential is there.

11. CREATING YOUR OWN MEDITATION

So, after all of that, how do you go about creating a meditation that suits you?!

I would start with learning the 'breathing meditation' described above. As you progress through the 'Power of 50' I would experiment with the other meditations, and look up whatever you are interest in on the internet. It should be clear to you what appeals to you and what you find works well for you.

11.1 Having a structure - beginning, middle and end

I would stress, however, that it is very useful to have a structure - a beginning, a middle, and an end. The beginning should probably consist of relaxation techniques as described above, and involve slowing your breathing. The middle can consist of whatever you want. The ending may be quite short, but I encourage you to end your meditation in a manner like the following:

• Notice how you feel at the end of the session. Pay attention to how you feel.
• Slowly 'release' your muscles as you return to full consciousness.
• Bring a grin to your face!
  

11.2 Example of meditation structure

Here is an example of a structured meditation:

1. Pre-warm-up (e.g. let go of other thoughts and generate positive motivation for meditation)
2. Warm-up (breathing, releasing muscles during body scan, release facial muscles)
3. Mindfulness meditation
4. Imagery meditation
5. Emile Coue affirmation
6. Personal affirmation
7. Impermanence meditation
8. Ending

12. VIPASSANA MEDITATION RETREATS

I will close off this post with a mention of Vipassana retreats.

Vipassana meditation is an ancient Indian technique. All around the world you can do a Vipassana retreats can be done worldwide and they are regularly run. In my city (Melbourne, Australia) they run them monthly, for free.

Vipassana retreats involve meditating in complete silence for 10 days straight. I have not done one but it sound absolutely wild. Apparently you can get HUGE insights into everything from such a retreat. I would be surprised if anybody could go for 10 days in complete silence, with only their thoughts, without coming to realise a few profound truths.

It is my goal in 2013 to do a Vipassana retreat.

13. FAQ

Can I meditate in bed?
I do not recommend it. Meditation is a state of heightened awareness and you are likely to find it difficult to achieve that state when you are in the place that you sleep. It is also possible that you will become drowsy or actually fall asleep.

I can't get into this so-called 'meditative state'
You may be trying too hard. Don't try to get into the meditative state. Simply try to perform what it is you are trying to perform (e.g. focusing on and slowing your breath) and the meditative state will occur by itself.

Meditating and food?
You should try to meditate a few hours after you've eaten, or an hour after a light meal. You don't want to be spending all of your resting metabolism on digestion, but you also don't want to be hungry.

My head starts to tilt when I meditate, seems like I am getting tired. What do?
This is very common. Just slowly bring your head back up to the neutral plane, but do it ever so slowly, so that somebody watching you would not even notice you moving your head (this is so that you don't exit the meditative state).

Do I say affirmations out loud or in my head?
I say them in my head. Some people do affirmations out loud but invariably the common practice is to say them in your head.

Will be adding more to the FAQ as necessary

14. BOOKS OF INTEREST

The following are good books that may spark your interest or maintain your interest in meditation. I have read some but not all of these but will get onto them in time:

• THE BRAIN THAT CHANGES ITSELF - Norman Doidge
  
• TEACH US TO SIT STILL - Tim Parks
  
• THE ART OF EFFORTLESS LIVING - Ingrid Bacci
  
• THE POWER OF NOW - Eckhart Tolle
  
• AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI - Paramahansa Yogananda
• PEACE OF MIND: HOW YOU CAN LEARN TO MEDITATE AND USE THE POWER OF YOUR MIND -Ian Gawler
  
• MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING - Victor Frankl
  
• BREATHE WELL, BE WELL - Robert Fried
  
• MEDITATIONS TO HEAL YOUR LIFE - Louise Hay
  
• MINDFULNESS MEDITATION IN EVERYDAY LIFE - John Kabat-Zinn
  

I will leave you with a quote from a great Tibetan Master, Sogyal Rinpoche:

When people begin to meditate they often say that their thoughts are running riot and have become wilder than ever before. But I reassure them and say that this is a good sign.

Far from meaning that your thoughts have become wilder it shows that you have become quieter and are finally aware of just how noisy your thoughts have always been.

Don't be disheartened or give up.

Whatever arises, just keep being present, keep returning to the breath, even in the midst of all the confusion.

[channelorange]

In.

[Impermanence]

Hope you brahs can join the enlightenment with me.

[ImOnOne]

In on a very important thread. Still haven't started, but the idea has been planted, perhaps this thread will help me cultivate and grow this seed into a realty.

[camelphucker86]

op, if i read this and it doesnt deliver im going to be angry

[Impermanence]

In on a very important thread. Still haven't started, but the idea has been planted, perhaps this thread will help me cultivate and grow this seed into a realty.

Good to hear brah. It is very important; I believe it is the key to living the best life you can live. Hope this thread will help you!

[butwhowasfeel]

good thread.

in

[Impermanence]

op, if i read this and it doesnt deliver im going to be angry

I believe meditation can help everybody. However I can only lead the FAers to the lake. I cannot make them drink the water. Nomsayin?

[Hollisio]

Been on the path a while now, many benefits will come..for example knowing your true self, confidence, calm, brain working in different ( better? ) ways etc.

OBE's are currently what im experimenting with, really really interesting and very strange! Good luck to all who start, remember to ground and shield your self ( imagine roots growing into your feet for grounding and a white/gold egg of light around you to protect your self ) and make sure to close your self down afterwards. Think of your self as a lighthouse thing's will be attracted to you.

Most important thing you can do is dispel fear and just be calm and open to any experiences you may encounter, accept them and learn from them!

[butwhowasfeel]

Been on the path a while now, many benefits will come..for example knowing your true self, confidence, calm, brain working in different ( better? ) ways etc.

OBE's are currently what im experimenting with, really really interesting and very strange! Good luck to all who start, remember to ground and shield your self ( imagine roots growing into your feet for grounding and a white/gold egg of light around you to protect your self ) and make sure to close your self down afterwards. Think of your self as a lighthouse thing's will be attracted to you.

Most important thing you can do is dispel fear and just be calm and open to any experiences you may encounter, accept them and learn from them!

have you been astral projecting?

[5erious]

yooo

[Merauder]

'sup?

[polkster84]

subbed.

[Highland3r]

qualitiy thread, thanks op! measly repped

[SitchNoHomo]

Stopped reading at (ALPHA) in title.

[Mattash2g]

Stopped reading at (ALPHA) in title.

well that's your own misfortune then brah, because it's actually a decent read.

[jones137]

Good stuff. I've been meditating (no hippie) for a couple months and its helped me with anger management and stress. Also helps me maintain focus longer and block out distractions.....helped me a lot in golf.

[funnymoney]

Did you write and format all that? or did you find it somewhere

just wondering

good thread either way

[RInferno]

Innnn

[juniorbrah]

1rd page, excited op, been wanting to make it a daily thing, i like the timeline

do you just focus on your breathing and the moment when meditating?

[Impermanence]

Did you write and format all that? or did you find it somewhere

just wondering

good thread either way

Wrote it up today brah. Thanks

[Impermanence]

1rd page, excited op, been wanting to make it a daily thing, i like the timeline

do you just focus on your breathing and the moment when meditating?

That's how I start at the moment brah. I also do a bunch of other things like affirmations and so on. But you should do whatever you find success with.

[juniorzx]

good read

[atressler]

Good read. Loads of great material that I could have used in the beginning. Been meditating for 26 days now and used ajn's thread to help me start. I highly recommend reading his thread as well (through it's entirety) as there is LOADS of great info on all kinds of meditation techniques, and lots of help from fellow mediators giving info to those in need.

I just started using the Brain Evolution System 4 days ago, and will post updates on my progress as time passes. I would also like to recommend www.calmdownmind.com. There's a lot of great reading material on awareness/mindfulness.

Repped

[RMHSLB]

just read nvm in