Today has been rather enjoyable for me. I did not have very much homework this evening, so I started training for the CFA (Candidate Fitness Assessment) and conditioning for track in the weight room after school. In addition, I had time to socialize leisurely with several friends via text messages and phone calls. Before I sat down on the floor in my bedroom to meditate, I considered two things: what Mr. Dean had told us in class today, and what Mr. Russell said in his comment on my 1/29 blog post. I decided to focus on experiencing and observing the presence, using the perspective given by Mr. Russell on how to deal with a noisy household. Additionally, I decided not to use a timer, but rather stop when I felt the time was right.
I sat down on the floor in my bedroom, assuming the lotus position in my dark room. I closed my eyes at 9:25PM, starting upright and observing how I felt physically. Because I had worked out a few hours before, I considered this observation of my physical well-being to be important. In addition to focusing on how I felt (temperature, blood, muscles, etc), I also considered how my body perceived different senses. It was difficult for me to avoid passing judgement and simply observe what my body sensed, but for the most part I found some success. Then, my mind began to wonder. Again, I tried to only observe the thoughts, nothing more. However, I found it difficult to do so. Perhaps I was mentally stimulated prior to meditating because I really wanted to direct my thoughts and pass judgement on the ones that appeared in my mind. When I felt myself attempting to control the experience, I did as Mr. Dean said and went back to a previous step, observing my body and how it felt. Then, I would allow myself to advance back to the next step. I went back and forth between steps for a while, achieving intervals of observing the experience, interrupted by moments when my mind tried to take control. During this time, I decided to lean forward because I felt my back begin to ache a bit. In addition, my foot went numb because I was accidentally blocking blood flow to it. I moved my foot to a different position in order to allow blood flow. At the beginning, I opened my eyes for several seconds to test how meditating with my eyes open would be. However, I determined that I would have a better experience with my eyes closed. 15 minutes into the meditation, while I was emerging from a deeper meditative state, I looked at the clock to check the time. I then felt a draw back to my meditative state and decided to continue meditating. The overall experience lasted about 25 minutes. I believe that I may have forced myself to stop meditating at an earlier time than I would have liked, but I believe that I still had a beneficial experience. While my meditative state fluctuated from shallow to deep, I believe I experienced a decent amount of deep meditation.
This meditative experience was much better than my most recent ones. I think that Mr. Russell's and Mr. Dean's advice really helped me be more successful in meditating. I did a rough measure of my heart rate before and after the experience and noticed a slight decrease in heart rate. However, I would like to actually find my heart's BPM before and after the experience so I have solid empirical evidence of the effects of MBSR. I hope that next time I will be able to go even deeper into my meditative state and spend more time in deeper meditation.
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
1/29
I approached my meditation with a bit of stress and distraction. I have a lot of work I need to complete today and I'm likely going to be working later than I would like in order to complete it. Naturally, working late produces a stressful reaction, so I decided that I could focus on reducing this feeling.
I meditated for 17.5 minutes a bit before 10PM. I sat in the lotus position on the ground in my bedroom. I relaxed for some of the time, but for most of it I had good posture. I decided to first focus on my breathing and then I shifted that focus to my posture. From good posture, I moved my body around, swaying from side to side and moving my upper body in circles. I paid attention to the muscles that allowed me to sway: both the ones causing the swaying and the ones facilitating my balance. I chose to do this rather than attempt to let my mind wander due to the distractions present. Essentially, there was a lot of noise from various sources and I determined that I would have the most success if I was engaging in something physical to keep my attention away from my ears. If I was a very experienced meditator, I would have went forward with my plan to simply observe my thoughts as they came to me. However, I knew that the distractions would have minimized my experience today with mindfulness meditation, so I decided to devote my energy into being mindful of my physical movement. While I felt my initial reaction of irritation to the distractions, I decided to filter these reactions. I decided that it was not worth being irritated with these distractions and that I should simply let my irritation go. I decided that allowing such trivial things would not be conducive to my health, and that my goal of greater control over myself could be advanced through this practice.
Overall, I felt like I made progress today. The distractions actually proved to contribute to my goals. I felt like focusing solely on the practice of control over my mind was a healthy exercise, and I would like to expand on it in further meditation exercises. In addition, I found the focus on my posture to be interesting. I enjoyed the increased mindfulness of my body. However, I would like to research further into the benefits of this before I substitute mindfulness practices over this. I'm glad that this session helped me with my goals, and I hope each following experience does, as well.
I meditated for 17.5 minutes a bit before 10PM. I sat in the lotus position on the ground in my bedroom. I relaxed for some of the time, but for most of it I had good posture. I decided to first focus on my breathing and then I shifted that focus to my posture. From good posture, I moved my body around, swaying from side to side and moving my upper body in circles. I paid attention to the muscles that allowed me to sway: both the ones causing the swaying and the ones facilitating my balance. I chose to do this rather than attempt to let my mind wander due to the distractions present. Essentially, there was a lot of noise from various sources and I determined that I would have the most success if I was engaging in something physical to keep my attention away from my ears. If I was a very experienced meditator, I would have went forward with my plan to simply observe my thoughts as they came to me. However, I knew that the distractions would have minimized my experience today with mindfulness meditation, so I decided to devote my energy into being mindful of my physical movement. While I felt my initial reaction of irritation to the distractions, I decided to filter these reactions. I decided that it was not worth being irritated with these distractions and that I should simply let my irritation go. I decided that allowing such trivial things would not be conducive to my health, and that my goal of greater control over myself could be advanced through this practice.
Overall, I felt like I made progress today. The distractions actually proved to contribute to my goals. I felt like focusing solely on the practice of control over my mind was a healthy exercise, and I would like to expand on it in further meditation exercises. In addition, I found the focus on my posture to be interesting. I enjoyed the increased mindfulness of my body. However, I would like to research further into the benefits of this before I substitute mindfulness practices over this. I'm glad that this session helped me with my goals, and I hope each following experience does, as well.
1/28
Before the meditation, I had a very exciting evening with my scout troop. Essentially, we created a kick-a** leadership group and I got the job I wanted. So when I arrived at my house, my mind was scattered, trying to reflect on the events of the night with mixed emotions about the future: I was both excited and anxious to see what the next 6 months would bring. I went up to my room and approached my whiteboard, erasing the neat columned lists of things I had to do. Now they seemed unimportant compared to my new task. I wrote down ideas and nebulous goals for my term, until I realized that I had the right ideas in my brain, just not a comprehensible organization. I thought for a moment until I decided that my aims might be better achieved through meditation.
I sat down on my bedroom floor; it was late in the evening, so there was very little light. I turned on my computer and searched YouTube until I found an audio meditation that I believed would be helpful in my meditation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DsjaXRbrMc). I plugged in my ear buds and then closed my eyes and assumed the lotus position, lowering myself into a comfortable position with my hands together, arms resting lightly on my legs with my back leaned forward and rather straight. I held this position, focusing on the audio. I sat there for some time, hoping my focus on the audio would aid me in reaching my meditative state. However, the more I focused on the audio, the more I realized that I felt as if my focus on the audio was keeping me from reaching a meditative state. It was like an anchor keeping holding me in a state of haphazard thoughts. I sat for as long as I could until I decided that I was doing it wrong. Rather than calming my thoughts, the audio seemed to be agitating them. Was the audio the problem, or was I? I opened my eyes, attempting to make sense of what went wrong. I then turned to my clock and was shocked to realized that I had spent only 5 minutes trying to meditate. This perplexed me because I felt as if it had been around 10 minutes. This made me wonder: had my meditation really worked? Well, considering all that I had experienced, I came to the conclusion that it had not worked, and that I should try again. However, I was tired, and decided that lying down in bed would be the best way to meditate. Of course, one might consider this to be a bad idea. Wouldn't I fall asleep? The answer is yes, I would. I suspect that I had a good idea that this would happen, and that it may have been my plan. Just minutes after putting my head down, I spiraled into deep sleep.
Clearly, this was not my best meditative experience. I was very unsuccessful, so I decided to come up with reasons that this could have been. In order from least likely to most likely, they are as follows:
I sat down on my bedroom floor; it was late in the evening, so there was very little light. I turned on my computer and searched YouTube until I found an audio meditation that I believed would be helpful in my meditation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DsjaXRbrMc). I plugged in my ear buds and then closed my eyes and assumed the lotus position, lowering myself into a comfortable position with my hands together, arms resting lightly on my legs with my back leaned forward and rather straight. I held this position, focusing on the audio. I sat there for some time, hoping my focus on the audio would aid me in reaching my meditative state. However, the more I focused on the audio, the more I realized that I felt as if my focus on the audio was keeping me from reaching a meditative state. It was like an anchor keeping holding me in a state of haphazard thoughts. I sat for as long as I could until I decided that I was doing it wrong. Rather than calming my thoughts, the audio seemed to be agitating them. Was the audio the problem, or was I? I opened my eyes, attempting to make sense of what went wrong. I then turned to my clock and was shocked to realized that I had spent only 5 minutes trying to meditate. This perplexed me because I felt as if it had been around 10 minutes. This made me wonder: had my meditation really worked? Well, considering all that I had experienced, I came to the conclusion that it had not worked, and that I should try again. However, I was tired, and decided that lying down in bed would be the best way to meditate. Of course, one might consider this to be a bad idea. Wouldn't I fall asleep? The answer is yes, I would. I suspect that I had a good idea that this would happen, and that it may have been my plan. Just minutes after putting my head down, I spiraled into deep sleep.
Clearly, this was not my best meditative experience. I was very unsuccessful, so I decided to come up with reasons that this could have been. In order from least likely to most likely, they are as follows:
- The audio aid was the problem
- I approached meditation with an audio aid in a way that would not support a successful meditative experience
- The excitement from the scout meeting made my mind restless to the point that my level of mental discipline would not settle it down
- I was tired and just wanted to sleep, which was supported by my body's need for sleep and the lack of sunlight stimulating my pineal gland
From an honest perspective, I would say that the last three bullet points all contributed to some extent to the failed experience. Meditation is a state that is experienced solely inside oneself, so the first place to put blame is on the meditator himself. I will review my goals and approach to mindfulness meditation before my next attempt.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
A brief reflection on my meditation experience so far
After several days of participating in meditation, it is evident that it has some positive effects on the mentality of people, particularly teenagers participating in the International Baccalaureate program. I say this because I have experienced greater mindfulness, relaxation, and focus. However, I must also state that this may also be caused by my prior decision to improve these experiences. Before meditation, I increased my attention to controlling my actions and thoughts and attempting to be healthier mentally. This prior effort to achieve much of what I would like to achieve through meditation may affect the observed effectiveness of my meditation. However, I do believe that meditation has played a significant role in improving my mindfulness and relaxation.
I would like to point out that, while I believe meditating has helped my mindfulness, it cannot make me achieve mindfulness. What I mean by that is that mindfulness is something that must be actively pursued. One cannot simply meditate and expect that that is a ll he must do to be more mindful of his thoughts, actions and reactions. Mindfulness can be made easier by meditation, but by no means do I believe that meditation will improve mindfulness on its own. Bottom line: mindfulness, along with many other mental functions affected by meditation, are not produced by meditation, but rather made easier by it.
I am intrigued by the potential experiences of the meditation practices which I am participating in, but I feel like I am falling into a mindless practice. It is beginning to feel like an experience which I am used to. However, I would prefer to experience something new and creative every time. It is my belief that diverse experiences will provide more interesting and effective meditation experiences than mindlessly repetitive practices. It is for this reason that I decided that I will experiment with different types of meditation. I want to experience the maximum effects and therefore I will diversify my meditation practices. Additionally, I feel much better when I am experiencing new things rather than repeating the same old things over and over again; it keeps me sharp. I enjoy change, so I will begin to experiment with different meditative practices. Hoping this goes well.
I would like to point out that, while I believe meditating has helped my mindfulness, it cannot make me achieve mindfulness. What I mean by that is that mindfulness is something that must be actively pursued. One cannot simply meditate and expect that that is a ll he must do to be more mindful of his thoughts, actions and reactions. Mindfulness can be made easier by meditation, but by no means do I believe that meditation will improve mindfulness on its own. Bottom line: mindfulness, along with many other mental functions affected by meditation, are not produced by meditation, but rather made easier by it.
I am intrigued by the potential experiences of the meditation practices which I am participating in, but I feel like I am falling into a mindless practice. It is beginning to feel like an experience which I am used to. However, I would prefer to experience something new and creative every time. It is my belief that diverse experiences will provide more interesting and effective meditation experiences than mindlessly repetitive practices. It is for this reason that I decided that I will experiment with different types of meditation. I want to experience the maximum effects and therefore I will diversify my meditation practices. Additionally, I feel much better when I am experiencing new things rather than repeating the same old things over and over again; it keeps me sharp. I enjoy change, so I will begin to experiment with different meditative practices. Hoping this goes well.
1-26-14
Before
I just returned from the Boy Scout ski camp out. I am tired, but I feel good. A lot has been happening with my Boy Scout career that has been jumbling my brain, but it is not a necessarily bad thing.
During
The meditation occurred from 5:19 to 5:34 PM. I sat on my bedroom floor in an upright lotus position. However, as the meditation progressed, I relaxed my position so that I was not sitting up straight, but instead partially supported by my hands/forearms resting on my legs. It was very relaxing. I chose to participate in mindfulness meditation, allowing my thoughts to pop into my head on their own. I eventually was not having concrete thoughts, but instead abstract, unimpressive thoughts. I did not try to control breathing. I had many moments when I stopped noticing my senses. I remember actually realizing that I no longer noticed what my hands felt (they were clasped together). However, after I realized this, I soon felt them clasped together again. This taught me that it is important to simply let the meditation happen and that even small thoughts can interrupt the experience. Additionally, I almost fell backward or forward several time. I enjoyed leaving my senses. An interesting part of my meditation is when I come to my senses again; this time, much like my meditation on 1-24-14, I came to my senses right around when the 15 minutes were up. This time I opened my eyes to stop meditating about 2 to 5 seconds before the timer went off. Now that this great timing has happened twice, I think I should start varying the amount of time I devote to meditating at one time. That way, my mind will not become used to the practice and I will continue to experience meditation in a new way each time.
After
While the experience was "enjoyable", I do not believe it achieved what I was aiming for. I wanted a constructive meditation that would improve my mental functioning and open my mind to new experiences. However, this meditation felt lazy, like I was simply going through a motion. It offered little more than the feeling that I had received some rest. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I am not impressed, nor am I satisfied with the experience.
I just returned from the Boy Scout ski camp out. I am tired, but I feel good. A lot has been happening with my Boy Scout career that has been jumbling my brain, but it is not a necessarily bad thing.
During
The meditation occurred from 5:19 to 5:34 PM. I sat on my bedroom floor in an upright lotus position. However, as the meditation progressed, I relaxed my position so that I was not sitting up straight, but instead partially supported by my hands/forearms resting on my legs. It was very relaxing. I chose to participate in mindfulness meditation, allowing my thoughts to pop into my head on their own. I eventually was not having concrete thoughts, but instead abstract, unimpressive thoughts. I did not try to control breathing. I had many moments when I stopped noticing my senses. I remember actually realizing that I no longer noticed what my hands felt (they were clasped together). However, after I realized this, I soon felt them clasped together again. This taught me that it is important to simply let the meditation happen and that even small thoughts can interrupt the experience. Additionally, I almost fell backward or forward several time. I enjoyed leaving my senses. An interesting part of my meditation is when I come to my senses again; this time, much like my meditation on 1-24-14, I came to my senses right around when the 15 minutes were up. This time I opened my eyes to stop meditating about 2 to 5 seconds before the timer went off. Now that this great timing has happened twice, I think I should start varying the amount of time I devote to meditating at one time. That way, my mind will not become used to the practice and I will continue to experience meditation in a new way each time.
After
While the experience was "enjoyable", I do not believe it achieved what I was aiming for. I wanted a constructive meditation that would improve my mental functioning and open my mind to new experiences. However, this meditation felt lazy, like I was simply going through a motion. It offered little more than the feeling that I had received some rest. Overall, I enjoyed the experience, but I am not impressed, nor am I satisfied with the experience.
1-25-14
I was unable to truly meditate on this day because I was at a boy scout ski camp out and was therefore confined to a rather noisy cabin. However, I did have the chance to borrow a friend's noise-cancelling headphones and lay down in bed for some time to listen to music. I would say I spent about a half hour doing this during the time at which my cabin was at its rowdiest. I decided that truly focusing on the music was the closest I would be able to get to meditation, so I decided that I would try to really feel the music.
I listened to music primarily in Spanish and Hebrew. This is because I have very powerful emotions associated with both of these languages, making the words alone a beautiful sound to my ears. Also, it should be noted that much of those emotions are stimulated from the sound of the language; I don't understand very much Hebrew, but I could distinguish it from any other language. On the other hand, I understand most of the words said in the Spanish music I listen to. But I repeat, it is more of the sound of the language, not the so much the words, that stimulates an emotional response from me.
While listening to the music, I tried to focus on the emotions that it stirred in my mind. I was not focused on understanding those emotions, I just wanted to feel them. It was like reliving a number of great memories by experiencing the emotional footprints that they left behind. It was not meditation for my mind, but rather meditation for my soul. I enjoyed it, as it made me feel jubilant. Additionally, it helped me separate myself from the haphazardness of the cabin and created a focused feeling of joy in my heart.
I tried to devote a stretch of time to this "musical meditation" but I was consistently interrupted by tasks or people calling out my name. However, when interrupted, I realized that, rather than react and be irritated, I was Sean Covey's definition of proactive. I remained in good spirit throughout every interruption and felt an enhanced sense of wholeness, as if I was doing what I was meant to do. It was a good feeling, and I hope I will experience it more often.
1-24-14
Note: This post was made 2 days after the meditation occurred. This post is majorly copied from a journal entry made directly before and after the meditation with minimal editing.
Before
I felt slightly restless, fuzzy in my mind, well-rested and overall rather relaxed.
During
I decided to do mindfulness meditation. At first, I was in an upright lotus position, but I decided to rest my forearms on my thighs after a while. I spent some time in a separation from sensory perception as I observed my thoughts occurring. At first, I was controlling my thoughts, trying to determine what I wanted to do cognitively during the meditation. However, I eventually decided to simply let my thoughts occur with minimum conscious interference. I began to come to my senses around the end of the meditation. I was about to end the meditation and open my eyes when my timer went off, telling me that 15 minutes had passed and that it was time to stop meditating. What intrigues me is what brought me back to my senses. I was observing abstract thoughts when the image of my floor, hands and legs suddenly firmly rooted itself into my mind. I was confused for a moment: I did not remember opening my eyes, and yet here this image was before me, the same one I would have seen if my eyes had been open while in my meditative position. It was strange because I could see this clear image and yet I could still feel myself away from my senses, deep inside my meditating brain. The image was very still, calming in its concrete permanence. But then, a wave came and disintegrated the image as I realized that it did not really exist, it was only a projection of my mind. After the wave erased the image from my mind, I emerged from the depths of my mind, back into my senses. It should be noted that the wave and my emerging from my mind were not images like my floor, hands and legs were: they were feelings, a separate form of existence from the images. The state I was in was like sleep: entering the state was not a moment, but rather a process. Exiting the state, however, can be defined as a single moment. I have interpreted this image, please feel free to do the same.
After
I feel relaxed and enlightened. My breathing feels deeper and I feel like I am in greater control of my thoughts. My mind is clear, similar to how it is after a deep sleep. I'm surprised that such a short experience could have such great benefits. Additionally, let it be noted that while I am more focused and relaxed, my responsiveness is not impaired. While writing this, my house phone rang and I immediately went to pick up the phone. I actually believe that I responded faster than usual, despite my focus on writing this journal and my being in a relaxed state. It's almost as if I expected the phone to ring...
Before
I felt slightly restless, fuzzy in my mind, well-rested and overall rather relaxed.
During
I decided to do mindfulness meditation. At first, I was in an upright lotus position, but I decided to rest my forearms on my thighs after a while. I spent some time in a separation from sensory perception as I observed my thoughts occurring. At first, I was controlling my thoughts, trying to determine what I wanted to do cognitively during the meditation. However, I eventually decided to simply let my thoughts occur with minimum conscious interference. I began to come to my senses around the end of the meditation. I was about to end the meditation and open my eyes when my timer went off, telling me that 15 minutes had passed and that it was time to stop meditating. What intrigues me is what brought me back to my senses. I was observing abstract thoughts when the image of my floor, hands and legs suddenly firmly rooted itself into my mind. I was confused for a moment: I did not remember opening my eyes, and yet here this image was before me, the same one I would have seen if my eyes had been open while in my meditative position. It was strange because I could see this clear image and yet I could still feel myself away from my senses, deep inside my meditating brain. The image was very still, calming in its concrete permanence. But then, a wave came and disintegrated the image as I realized that it did not really exist, it was only a projection of my mind. After the wave erased the image from my mind, I emerged from the depths of my mind, back into my senses. It should be noted that the wave and my emerging from my mind were not images like my floor, hands and legs were: they were feelings, a separate form of existence from the images. The state I was in was like sleep: entering the state was not a moment, but rather a process. Exiting the state, however, can be defined as a single moment. I have interpreted this image, please feel free to do the same.
After
I feel relaxed and enlightened. My breathing feels deeper and I feel like I am in greater control of my thoughts. My mind is clear, similar to how it is after a deep sleep. I'm surprised that such a short experience could have such great benefits. Additionally, let it be noted that while I am more focused and relaxed, my responsiveness is not impaired. While writing this, my house phone rang and I immediately went to pick up the phone. I actually believe that I responded faster than usual, despite my focus on writing this journal and my being in a relaxed state. It's almost as if I expected the phone to ring...
1-23-14
Note: This post was made 3 days after the meditation occurred. This post is majorly copied from a journal entry made directly before and after the meditation with minimal editing.
Before
Started out somewhat relaxed, looking forward to meditating. It should be noted that I was tired all day. Physically I am fine, but mentally I feel worn down, possibly from school.
During
I started off cross-legged on my floor. I had earbuds in and a meditation video playing (I only listened to the video) (the video I used can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQR0hMFbsk). I experimented with positions until I decided to lay on my stomach. I then moved from my floor to my bed (lying down on my back now) to finish the video. After the video, I remained in that position for about 20 minutes or more. At first, I was very distracted, especially when adjusting positions. However, when sitting cross-legged (with good posture), lying on my stomach, and lying on my back in bed, I experienced moments of calming detachment from my physical senses, entering a state that is similar to being half asleep. It was a comfortable, relaxing experience.
After
At first, I did not recognize the effects after the meditation. But soon, I realized that I had heightened self-control and understanding of occurrences and order, and a more relaxed, self-aware outlook on life. I am now unconsciously breathing slowly and feel relaxed throughout my whole body and slightly rejuvenated in my brain.
Before
Started out somewhat relaxed, looking forward to meditating. It should be noted that I was tired all day. Physically I am fine, but mentally I feel worn down, possibly from school.
During
I started off cross-legged on my floor. I had earbuds in and a meditation video playing (I only listened to the video) (the video I used can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EQR0hMFbsk). I experimented with positions until I decided to lay on my stomach. I then moved from my floor to my bed (lying down on my back now) to finish the video. After the video, I remained in that position for about 20 minutes or more. At first, I was very distracted, especially when adjusting positions. However, when sitting cross-legged (with good posture), lying on my stomach, and lying on my back in bed, I experienced moments of calming detachment from my physical senses, entering a state that is similar to being half asleep. It was a comfortable, relaxing experience.
After
At first, I did not recognize the effects after the meditation. But soon, I realized that I had heightened self-control and understanding of occurrences and order, and a more relaxed, self-aware outlook on life. I am now unconsciously breathing slowly and feel relaxed throughout my whole body and slightly rejuvenated in my brain.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Meditation in the Military
The United States Marine Corps started using meditative exercises. Something to note about the military: when they develop equipment, training or exercises, they generally work. Their massive budget along with the fact that much of what they use will be relied on to save the lives of Americans makes it so that almost everything they use works great. It is to the extent that if you are into outdoor activities, buying military grade/ issue equipment (such as carabiners, boots, cold weather gear) is the best way to ensure that the equipment is quality. The marines found that meditation can help with PTSD, making decisions in combat, and even possibly reducing military suicide rates. NBC News published an article on it a little over a year ago. Check it out:
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/meditating-marines-military-tries-mindfulness-lower-stress-1B8050993
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/meditating-marines-military-tries-mindfulness-lower-stress-1B8050993
Meditation in Judaism - How a Lubavitcher Incorporates Meditation into Judaism
Interesting perspective on meditation as it pertains to Judaism. I found this on website devoted to the Chabad movement of Hasidic Judaism. I'm a Reform Jew, but I have come to value the teachings of Chabad and have developed an interest in the movement. It's a more intense devotion to Judaism than what I practice and it has intrigued me. It is written in a way that gentiles should be able to understand, so feel free to check it out.
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1442811/jewish/On-Mindfulness-and-Jewish-Meditation-Part-I.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1442811/jewish/On-Mindfulness-and-Jewish-Meditation-Part-I.htm
1-22-14
The following was copied and edited from a meditation journal kept at the time of the meditation. This is being posted two days after most of it was written.
Duration: 15 minutes, 8:45 to 9:00PM
Position: lotus
Environment: bedroom floor, white noise from humidifier in the hallway, minimal distractions.
Before
Hyper, short breaths, dstracted, slight stress, slightly mentally and physically tired.
During
Started with awareness of surroundings, slowly lost that awareness as I fell into my own thought. I let my thoughts pop into my head and I consciously kept them moving. I chose to stop on certain thoughts to think more about them. It was similar to scrolling through pictures on an iPhone. I eventually was aware of breathing and posture as if I was somewhere far away, deep inside my mind. At times, I completely lost awareness of my body, only to receive subtle, distant reminders every so often. It was very relaxing and enjoyable. I used logical reasoning to consider different aspects of my life.
After
I feel much calmer and even more aware of myself. My surroundings are now hardly drawing my attention. My mind feels like it went through a detox: it is clearer and more relaxed, similar to how it feels after a really relaxing sleep. I feel more like I am a part of myself now then a part of the surroundings, anchored to my mind. I feel more focused and relaxed. I should do this more often.
Goals
Before starting the meditation experience, I had a number of goals that I wanted to achieve. I was unsure if meditation would help me reach those goals, but given the number of accounts of the benefits of meditation, I was not too worried. My goals were(are) as follows:
- Enhance self-awareness. Being aware of myself physically, mentally and emotionally can have a number of great benefits. To me, understanding myself is one of the most important abilities that I can have. I believe that true understanding of myself will allow me to make better decisions and even be a better person.
- Enhanced self-control. In my life, one of the abilities that I value the most in myself is my ability to control myself. Self-control has many benefits and, in my opinion, shows a great amount of maturity. Any 5-year-old can react to events in his life; it takes a mature person to take a step back and decide what is the best way to act. Therefore, I decided that I want my meditation to be an exercise for my self-control.
- Relax. In the IB program, I am constantly looking at my schedule and wondering how I'm going to meet deadlines and maintain grades that meet my standard. I am often stressed because there is so much to do, and so little time. I plan on using meditation to take a step back from my surroundings and organize my thoughts. As I progress through each week, my thoughts become a tangled mess; meditation will be the means by which I untangle my thoughts and restore a sense of control and understanding to my life.
- Improve focus. Given the demands of school and extracurricular activities, it is important to be efficient while doing work. With an enhanced focus, I can be more efficient while doing work and thus get more done with my time. This is an ability that I can see having great effects on me in the future.
- Improve overall mood. Through meditation, I want to improve my overall mood. At times, life can be dull or upsetting; through meditation, I want to improve my dictation over my mind in order to maximize the time I spend in a good mood. Enhanced control over my mind and focus will allow me to rationalize life and minimize the impact of negative occurrences.
I recognize that these goals are not necessarily measurable, but I believe that I will be able to tell if I am achieving them. Will I achieve these goals in two weeks of meditation?I have no idea. But I believe that through regular practice of meditation, I will be able to achieve these goals to some capacity. In addition, while I list those as my goals for meditation, I also must include one last goal: Enhanced understanding of MBSR. The other goals are what I plan on achieving through meditation AT SOME POINT. I have no idea when, but I believe that I will achieve them at some undisclosed time. For the two week assignment itself, I primarily want to improve my understanding of MBSR. Like Mr. Russell said, it's a widely researched topic with millennia of practice; when a practice has had such a large following throughout history, there must be something interesting to consider.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)