develop a meditation habit

Meditate daily

I can`t decide what form this meditation should have. Ok – so I`m walking. Daily. But what should be happening in my head during those walks? Should I just let all my thoughts move freely through my head (which means being trapped with my biggest problem – overthinking everything that is) or should I focus on something and leave all my problems behind for those few minutes. None of those options solves my situation. It seems like I`m at the same point before AND after meditation – it doesn`t change a thing in my head (except getting more oxygen)

It`s hard to figgure out my own `style` of meditating. Nothing seems to work for me..

Usually my head is full of…everything actually. I have this bad habit of overthinking every decision and can`t get rid of thoughts even after making up my mind. Which means my mind is constantly cluttered, working and analyzing. Being stuck in a lotus position doesn`t really work for me so I`ve decided to find some other ways to find inner peace. And so here I am – walking every day, taking longer way home from work, filling my lungs with fresh air and trying to enjoy moments without any strange thoughts. I`ve realized that counting my steps helps to clear my mind. Hopefuly it`s not the beginning of any mental disease;)

I`ve also realized that going for a walks is the most unversal activity for me… it covers `learn to relax`, `develop a meditation habit` and `exercise regularly` goals;P

So I’m a good habit of praying first thing in the morning (you know, when I actually start THINKING).
And always before I go to bed.
And sometimes during the day.

Downloadable 1-minute meditation chat/music mp3s, here: www.just-a-minute.org

Just listening to the introduction one – them talking about the website! – made me feel calmer!

Cheers, Abs! :)

So during my fast (fasting pop…soda…chips, cookies, and fast food), I’ve been praying a lot more. I’ve been praying better at night, too. I’m trying to remember to pray before I eat, too. I thought it was a little silly to do it then. But when Jesus and his diciples fed 5,000 on fish and bread, they prayed. And isn’t the whole point to better yourself and try to live the jesus way?

The buddists had it right when they were meditating. It also increses grey matter in your frontal lobe or something. Idk, but it helps prevent alhemizers, I know that for sure. And praying and meditation are kind of the same thing, and I need to pray more. I’ve really been slacking.

An interesting article from Psychology Today.

Living in the moment is, I suspect, what I’m trying to do with this goal, rather than the deeper aspects of full-on meditation.

It also occurs to me that perhaps this is why I spend ‘waste’ so much time, online or playing games or vegged in front of the tv: it turns my brain off. I stop thinking about then and whenever, and 20 billion other things, and just drift along with whatever. If I could change the drift to more of a focus, and yet still retain that calm one-thing-at-a-time mindstate… yes :)

I’ve skipped 3 days of the past 10 – and while 70% isn’t too bad, the ‘off’ days have all been in the past 5. I’m slipping, in other words! Largely, I suspect, ‘cos I’ve been getting home tired, and falling into bed at night.

Well, who said it had to be a night time thing, or even at home?

This morning, then, I found myself waiting impatiently for a bus. Girl – get those shoulders out of your ears! Stop looking for the bus coming round the corner. Breath. Look at the trees. The clouds… oh, that did it! Okay, so not perfect ‘meditation’, but definitely a calming session, watching the white/grey fluff drift across the sky :)

Okay, again with the disclaimer that I know I’m not doing it ‘properly’ to begin with.

After much hoo-haaing over setting this up as a ‘Happiness Habit’, yesterday I wrote that it WAS day 1, meaning I’d better live up to it! I had a relatively quiet day, which helped, and there were several occassions when I almost moved to a quiet spot to close my eyes and breath for a while. Of course, I ended up leaving it to before bedtime, but wasn’t so shattered I fell asleep instead!

I always moisturise (feet, elbows, hands) before bed, so I started with that, adding in a self-shoulder rub and an attempt at a bit of scalp massage, just to put myself in that relaxed frame of mind. Then I just closed my eyes and tried to quiet my thoughts, focusing on my breathing. I only managed 5 minutes, but hey – good start! :)

Intrigued to see how things might be different at the end of the three week ‘habit-forming’ period.