Post: #1

Hey folks! I started on this forum about... early August. Just in time when I was going through a personal crisis. It has helped me volumes so I hope to grow more with this journal...and meet all you folks!

So...

1. Time Duration: I will keep it between 10 to 30 minutes depending on the craziness of my day. Most likely, I'll find a median where I will work.
2. Music: Surprisingly, I've been using this loop of Bruce Lee's "water" quote and the song "Soul of Heart" by Kaito. A relaxing tune which makes me feel... well like water -shapeless for the day to do its bidding on me.
3. Purpose: I live and breath the K.I.S.S. method: keep it simple, stupid. Hence, I really want to make this a habit. It will keep invading thoughts from deterring me during the day. Not too much to it.
   

So... I'll try and keep you guys posted on my progress at least once during the day. Hope to hear about all your ventures!

Post: #2

Hi, K. It seems like listening to music during meditation is very popular among many forum members. I'll have to find some myself.

Post: #3

Day 1

So today I needed to keep it brief. My absence in general from the forum was because of my fam moving out and into an apt. Today is moving day, so I gave myself the slightest bit of space to get back to my normal schedule.

Starting off
For this, and previous sessions, I took Celes advice about seeing all of your thoughts without engaging but in a visual sense. I used an old method that a counselor once taught me of picturing yourself in some tranquil place (for me, its deep space amongst stars and cosmic who-knows-what) and have those thoughts appear in some tangible form. In this case, it was stars! The imagery always works well and keeps my mind busy from the clutter that I saw. I'll be doing this from now on.

The Meditation
Today was a good experience and I learned a lot from it.

1. First, I noticed that in my imagery, there were TONS of thoughts, but only the ones that are prevalent right now stick out.
2. Second, I notice that out of the prevalent ones (which are a few), the ones that are bothering me right now (or carrying a sense of negativity) I tend to engage in.
3. From those negative ones, I start feeling waves of emotions - emotions that suck, mind you. Emotions, more importantly, of inferiority.
4. As I engaged with these emotions, I started thinking about my schedule in general. My rush, my impatience comes from trying to find an answer to these negative emotions, but its not organized. Its rushing to plug the holes.
5. Finally, I disengage. Literally. Well not literally. My imagery just pictures myself pushing the issue away and observing it all from a distance. Once focused here, the cycle repeated.
   

I was on the verge of beating myself up once I woke up, but I realized that there was some good insight in this session. I'm well aware of my clutter, but in a space where I am just using my mind (meditation) I can see how my mind works - I even notice the negatives and positives of what I do. This same capacity is carried into everyday life; thinking, of course, things that are irrelevant to where Im at. Celes said it best in her article on meditation.

I'm def. glad with this. I can see the clutter and the issues I bring with it. Its a bit of a puzzle, but I figure with more and more experience, I'll find a solution.

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(10-07-2011 10:50 AM)Matt Wrote:  Hi, K. It seems like listening to music during meditation is very popular among many forum members. I'll have to find some myself.

For sure! Its def. a great mental mechanism that says "I hear my meditation music, lets meditate." Also, it cuts out the disturbances around you: people talking to you, cell phone ringing, traffic outside. Hopefully you can find some and I'm more than willing to help if need be!

Post: #4

Excluding the past two days (where I pretty much am deadbeat tired after training), I got back to my meditating ways today!

Day 4

Today was rather simple, same method used as before. I did notice I was more distracted than usual, probably because work is on my mind heavily today, but overall the issues that reoccurred my first session did not pop up as much as before. I'm not sure if its because I have been meditating ahead of this challenge, if enough time has passed since these events have occurred, or I am simply over it on the spot, but I have engaged less with those thoughts today which is a plus in my book.

Post: #5

Day 5

Today was a DOOZY. I had to finish a paper so I spent the night pretty much awake. Sadly, meditation did not go as planned... it knocked me out sitting up today. Lesson learned today though: don't meditate if you have only slept an hour.

Post: #6

Day 8 - 10

Right back into my meditation after a crazy couple days.

I'm starting to notice that the clutter that normally occupied my mind is not as bad as normal, but I'm also finding myself more forgiving of events that happen.

Often time, like when a commitment I am obligated to falls through, I blame myself. Having a cluttered mind just exacerbates the issue. Instead, I'm looking more towards calming myself, moving on from the situation, and finding a solution to the problem. Just a random thought.

But, today I have done 10 minutes and tomorrow, looking to do 10 more.