Post: #1

Hi all, welcome to my little corner of the 21DMC! I'm a few days late but started meditating this morning. Anyway, as an intro:

a) Why I want to cultivate meditation?
I want to develop peace and concentration in my daily life. Like most people in the modern world, I am a mixture of hopes, fears, distractions, and anger. I value love, openness, mindfulness and an appreciation of impermanence. I believe meditation will assist with this.

b) Time of my daily meditation
In the morning after exercise, likely around 6:30am daily.

c) Duration
15-20 mins initially, hopefully to extend to 30 mins.

d) Type of meditation I am going to do
Sitting meditation, eyes closed, no music. But I'm open to all forms!

e) What I wish to get out of my 21-day meditation journey
A sustained practice that is simple yet effective.

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Day 1
Sitting meditation for 15 mins in usual spot against wall in spare room. Cross legged with hands folded, in silence. Initially I focus on breath just to settle in and 'ground' myself. Then strive to sit with mind actively resting in moment; no engagement with myriad of thoughts, but not zoned out or brain dead either. Overall I was pleased with result, and felt great peace in the act. However could not help but to be distracted by stream of thoughts. Looking forward to tomorrow morning for day 2!

Post: #2

Day 2
25 mins meditation in spare room after hour run. Felt great going into it but for whatever reason was very distracted and scattered; my mind refused to rest or focus. I tried to focus on the breath, on maintaining an active yet unengaged mind, even counting to ten; all with little result. On reflection I suspect I tried to get into the meditation too quickly and as a result ended in being shallow. I also feel that I lack the foundation of the basics of meditation, and therefore will do some research before day 3.

Post: #3

(10-13-2011 03:55 PM)toowacka Wrote:  Day 2
25 mins meditation in spare room after hour run. Felt great going into it but for whatever reason was very distracted and scattered; my mind refused to rest or focus. I tried to focus on the breath, on maintaining an active yet unengaged mind, even counting to ten; all with little result. On reflection I suspect I tried to get into the meditation too quickly and as a result ended in being shallow. I also feel that I lack the foundation of the basics of meditation, and therefore will do some research before day 3.

I find that a really good way to start when your mind is wandering is to do guided meditations. For me I find they engage you in such a way that you don't need as much discipline as breathing meditations. It's easier to concentrate on someone's voice and instructions than on breaths. Meditation Oasis is quite good for guided meditations. Give it a go and let me know how you go!

DFTBA!

Post: #4

Thanks Leah for refering the site. I'll try one of those tomorrow!

Post: #5

Wow, a long delay in updating due to internet connection and baby issues but anyway, here we go:

Day 3 - 0 minutes
Sat down to meditate but felt very distracted for a minute or two before being interrupted by my wife & daughter! Was all a bit rushed, so won't include this one.

Day 4 - 10 minutes
Really enjoyed this one. For whatever reason the phrase "Be engaged / This moment" came into my mind, which I would reflect on inhale and exhale. It seemed to work, and I had a deep meditation that felt extremely peaceful.

Day 5 - 18 minutes
Started for 6 minutes in the morning before being interrupted by wife (have to try to squeeze these meditations in around 8 month old so interruptions are common!). Went for another 12 minutes before bed, slowly feeling as though as the 'gaps' in deliberate consciousness are increasing.

Day 6 - 12 minutes
Best meditation yet. Felt very comfortable just to sit and engage in the moment. End with very peaceful feeling.

Day 7 - 11 minutes
Go into deep meditation early before my imagination kicked in. Whatever technique I used from then on I would visual movement and actions throughout it. In a way I was relieved when interrupted by wife after 11 minutes, because it was very intense to continually focus a wandering mind.

Day 8 - about to start now!! Good luck to everyone, I hope you are finding this journey rewarding!

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(10-14-2011 11:53 AM)Leah Wrote:  I find that a really good way to start when your mind is wandering is to do guided meditations. For me I find they engage you in such a way that you don't need as much discipline as breathing meditations. It's easier to concentrate on someone's voice and instructions than on breaths. Meditation Oasis is quite good for guided meditations. Give it a go and let me know how you go!

DFTBA!

Thanks Leah, I really appreciate that! I will give the guided meditation a go tomorrow; a sense of direction might really help.

And awesome that there are some Nerdfighters on TPEB!! What else should I expect!!

Post: #6

Meditated 20 mins today, with two guided meditations from Oasis (at recommendation of Leah). I was a little tired but found them relaxing. I did feel like I was cheating a little, as a guided meditation feels passive in comparison to the solo meditations I'm used to. Sometimes meditation can be a bit of a battle, so this was a nice change.

Some admin stuff - I started 21DMC four days after everyone else, and have tracked meditations from the start. However as I sometimes got locked out of days, from now on I'll just post in the current day so I can continue with the group. Overall times:

Day 5 (my day 1): 15 mins
Day 6: 25 mins
Day 7: 0 mins
Day 8: 10 mins
Day 9: 18 mins
Day 10: 12 mins
Day 11: 11 mins
Day 12: 0 mins
Day 13: 20 mins

Post: #7

Day 14 - 20 mins
Guided meditation focusing on the breath. Felt great peace and emptiness at the start, as though I could rest in that space forever. For whatever reason the image of someone running came into my mind, bringing a sense of freedom and openness. I did get a little sleepy and sluggish towards the end of the meditation.

Post: #8

Day 15 - 20 mins
Did another guided meditation before bed, based on awareness, plus a few minutes with calming music at the end. Again started off in a nice place; I've really come to enjoy the peace and nowness of the daily meditation. However I again got a bit foggy and sleepy towards the end. I think I should get back into meditating in the morning, if my daughter will let me!!

Post: #9

Day 16 - 25 minutes
Guided meditation on peacefulness in usual location in spare room. I'm sinking into a calm, present state much quicker in the past few days. I enjoyed this calm space while guided through recognising the peace in every moment. A little distracted at the end, but overall a very relaxed and enjoyable meditation.

Post: #10

Day 17 – 20 minutes
A guided meditation this morning after walk and chores, with focus on discovering love in each moment. I felt myself fall deep into meditation almost immediately, however this time I stayed in this separate layer of consciousness throughout the meditation. It still felt active, but was a deeper perception (sense of time and surroundings seemed to disappear). Thoughts came and went almost by themselves, while I rested with feelings of love and openness.

After the meditation I felt incredibly relaxed and peaceful. Both my thoughts and breath were deliberate and slow. The most enjoyable meditation yet, and a beautiful way to start the day.

Post: #11

Day 18 - 20 minutes
Guided meditation on effortlessness in evening before bed. My awareness wasn't as sharp as I'd like, but due to topic of meditation I am to let this go and accept experience as perfect!!

Many visualisations come spontaneously now, particularly one where I see a small ball on the end of a stick which I visual right in the middle of my head. This has come to represent my awareness, and is something I can concentrate on in meditation.

I also notice that my posture can be poor and my head lower throughout meditation. This is something I'd like to work on over coming weeks.

Post: #12

Day 19 – 20 minutes
A guided meditation on the heart, in sitting position in usual spot in spare room after morning walk. Meditation deep but at times distracted and striving for particular results. I find there is a stubborn need within me to evaluate the meditation, to focus on the results and improvement rather than on the experience in the moment. I feel I’m intuitively learning to overcome this, but as always a work in progress.

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Day 20 - 0 minutes
Had a very busy day with a lot of travel, and was planning to meditate in the evening. However by the time I got to bed it was very late, and I was desperate for a sleep, so no meditation today!!

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Day 21 – 20 minutes
Managed to find time for guided meditation on groundedness late in afternoon before going out. I felt very sluggish going into it, but persisted. A huge rainstorm came in just as I closed my eyes, making it difficult to hear the dialogue. My mind skipped between distractions, and I did not feel particularly settled throughout. Strangely the rainstorm ended just I as was finishing the meditation, so when I opened my eyes everything out the window was covered in raindrops. As always I feel a lovely sense of peace and aliveness after finishing the meditation.