Author Topic: Mustachian Meditation  (Read 30703 times)

Serendip

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Mustachian Meditation
« on: January 24, 2019, 09:19:43 AM »
Mustachian by nature!
Meditation is low-cost exploration at it's finest  (unless you pay for supporting resources like books and retreats and support teachers--which I do recommend at a certain point!)

Thought I would start this thread as there seems to be some interest in exploring a meditation challenge. I've signed up for Sharon Salzberg's daily meditations through February--thought this thread could be a place to stay accountable, share resources and thoughts/questions if they bubble up.

After a decade of reading about mindfulness and meditation (and listening to Tara Brach's on-line talks), a few years back I took a 5-min/30 day challenge by a local yoga instructor. It was amazing how the low commitment level really helped me jump on board and how quickly I felt the benefits (I previously *liked* the idea of meditation just didn't like the discipline in actually doing it, which is where the real gold is)

One of my goals this year is to be meditating daily (minimum 20min) and so far I've been at about 75%.
Please feel free to join in and explore your inner workings a bit. It's fun, it's boring, it's occasionally enlightening. Such is life :)

I'll link some resources that have been helpful to me and add to it as I remember more --please feel free to share yours and I can add them to this resources area

Sites

https://www.sharonsalzberg.com

https://www.tarabrach.com

https://palousemindfulness.com  (free 8 week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Course)

Books

Full Catastrophe Living : Jon Kabat-Zin
Radical Acceptance : Tara Brach
Why Buddhism is True (The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment): Robert Wright
Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: Dan Harris
Real Happiness: Sharon Salzberg
Anything by Thich Nat Hanh
Anything by Pema Chodran

The Mind Illuminated: Culadasa
Atomic Habits: James Clear

Apps, etc

Insight Timer (free app) I use for timing/some guided meditations

« Last Edit: January 30, 2019, 10:14:11 AM by Serendip »

SquashingDebt

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2019, 10:15:40 AM »
I'm in!  I've been dabbling in meditation for the past year but need to change things up to get more consistency.  I think I need to start meditating in the morning, or at least not right before bed.  Excited to see how the challenge goes!

max9505672

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2019, 10:22:54 AM »
I'm in. I have to be more consistent about it. I also have to find better times than right before bed because I always feel too tired and it's very hard to keep concentrated.

I'll challenge myself to a 15 minutes/day meditation period.

use2betrix

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2019, 10:43:42 AM »
I’m in! Signed up last night!

Download Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics on audible to listen to and from work, and got Real Happiness on kindle to read at home before the 28 day challenge starts.

Another notable book is “Atomic Habits,” since trying to turn this meditation in a habit is essentially my ultimate goal!

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #4 on: January 24, 2019, 02:17:55 PM »
Great--happy to have you on board @SquashingDebt & @max9505672

I’m in! Signed up last night!

Download Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics on audible to listen to and from work, and got Real Happiness on kindle to read at home before the 28 day challenge starts.

Another notable book is “Atomic Habits,” since trying to turn this meditation in a habit is essentially my ultimate goal!

Ah cool @use2betrix --I have a hold placed on Atomic Habits from the library, should be able to read it sometime in the next month or so.

Dr Kidstache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #5 on: January 24, 2019, 02:26:08 PM »
I'm meditating daily in the morning just after waking up. I'd been a serious meditator for a while, fell off the bus (and notice the difference!), and am trying to get back on again. Love the resources that you posted. Another great one for new meditators: The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2019, 11:59:31 AM »
I'm meditating daily in the morning just after waking up. I'd been a serious meditator for a while, fell off the bus (and notice the difference!), and am trying to get back on again. Love the resources that you posted. Another great one for new meditators: The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa

Ah thanks for that recommendation @Dr Kidstache : I just found out that our library has a copy. I've bookmarked it (first I must finish the ones I have on the go!)

I also find morning is the best time, tend to be the most successful if I rouse myself before I think about it too much *and decide to stay in bed*. Once it starts brightening up in the mornings= much easier.

 I'll often return to bed after meditating to read for a while, so it's actually a pretty great way to start the day. Changed my alarm so that on days I decide to use one, it is the sound of birdsong rather than some annoying beep or chime waking me up.

katscratch

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2019, 01:32:57 PM »
I'm in!

I had been doing a quick morning meditation and then a longer guided meditation at night to fall asleep to, but fell out of the habit a month or so ago. A few things in my life recently have upped the general emotional malaise/disquiet, especially when I'm home in a quiet house, so I'm motivated to get back into practice. I've read a few articles lately that recommend meditation directly after the workday so I'm toying with the idea of resuming morning meditation with a more purposeful meditation time immediately after I get home. And feed the cat. Or I'll get good really quickly at ignoring external stimulus in the shapes of loud purrs and claws in my skin.

I really liked the app Simple Habit but found out the concept and structure were entirely ripped off from another app, so I've switched to Insight Timer. I'm still playing with finding the voices that resonate best with me, and in general just navigating the different options, but I think it will work for me for a long time and I really respect their business model.

I've had the best success when writing daily as well. Sometimes just a list of to-do items to check off, sometimes a specific intention, sometimes free flowing journaling type of emotional processing. I find it very difficult this time of year to maintain as a habit with the weather being so cold and wanting to sleep a lot more than I do once it warms up a little.

Thanks for starting this thread, Serendip! I just signed up for Sharon Salzberg's challenge - I really loved the format last year (my first) and feel like I'll learn a lot more this time around.

alleykat

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #8 on: January 25, 2019, 04:00:07 PM »
I signed up with Sharon as well. I was signed up last year but totally forgot about it so I am going to make myself a note. I really would like to challenge myself to a month straight.  I usually can’t sit thru it everyday.

Dr Kidstache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #9 on: January 26, 2019, 09:51:35 AM »
The Mind Illuminated by Culadasa is a manual for learning to meditate - from complete beginner to advanced. It's not a book that has to be read in one go. It defines stages and what to focus on as your meditation practice develops. Probably the best single book on how to meditate ever written.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #10 on: January 26, 2019, 10:29:46 AM »

I really liked the app Simple Habit but found out the concept and structure were entirely ripped off from another app, so I've switched to Insight Timer. I'm still playing with finding the voices that resonate best with me, and in general just navigating the different options, but I think it will work for me for a long time and I really respect their business model.

Thanks for starting this thread, Serendip! I just signed up for Sharon Salzberg's challenge - I really loved the format last year (my first) and feel like I'll learn a lot more this time around.

Great that you are here @katscratch --I love Jen Piercy on Insight Timer, she mostly focuses on Yoga Nidra which is a real delight to do immediately before sleep. I veer away from a lot of the guided because it IS hard to find voices you connect with, but occasionally I find one or two I like and bookmark them :)

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #11 on: January 26, 2019, 10:31:54 AM »
I signed up with Sharon as well. I was signed up last year but totally forgot about it so I am going to make myself a note. I really would like to challenge myself to a month straight.  I usually can’t sit thru it everyday.

The good thing about Sharon is she often talks about different approaches to meditation, perhaps listening to them while you are walking or stretching would help to start? The settling down/combating restlessness is something I understand very well :)
« Last Edit: January 28, 2019, 02:22:15 PM by Serendip »

alcon835

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #12 on: January 27, 2019, 05:01:19 PM »
Adding myself to this thread as I begin adding mediation into my mornings and possibly evenings!

mushroom

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #13 on: January 27, 2019, 05:55:28 PM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

Dr Kidstache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #14 on: January 28, 2019, 01:00:09 PM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

+1
I've done this course and it's a great option if there's no MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) course available near you.

Rosy

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #15 on: January 29, 2019, 01:13:01 PM »
Thanks for all the recommendations.
I recently started a 12 week long Qui Gong course - part exercise, part meditation. Who knew breathing could be so different.
I am surprised at how such "mild" exercises are effecting my muscle tone and my body. Those are some killer exercises.

The meditation part is difficult for me, so I think I'll give the app and the fidgety book a go - maybe they'll help.

MaybeBabyMustache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #16 on: January 29, 2019, 01:32:13 PM »
I use the Headspace app for guided meditation. (My workplace offers the yearly subscription at a ridiculously low price as part of our health benefits.) I'm super new to this, and have been meditating semi frequently for a few months. My goal 5 days a week/10 minutes a day to start. I notice a huge difference, but as with all habits, it takes a lot of effort to both build & maintain.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #17 on: January 30, 2019, 10:21:06 AM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

Thanks for the recommendation--I added the link to the resources and will do this course perhaps later in the spring!

@Rosy -I love that you are enjoying it! For a long while, I started my day with this simple video "7 minutes of magic" --seemed cheesy to me at the start, being a hiker/skier/big-movement lover, but I really grew to appreciate the subtlety
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-jSBBwr8Ko

@MaybeBabyMustache --that's a great perk. I've heard about Headspace but haven't looked into it personally. I started with 5 minutes a day as well--sometimes now still five and sometimes it's forty :)

Rosy

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #18 on: January 30, 2019, 03:25:05 PM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

Thanks for the recommendation--I added the link to the resources and will do this course perhaps later in the spring!

@Rosy -I love that you are enjoying it! For a long while, I started my day with this simple video "7 minutes of magic" --seemed cheesy to me at the start, being a hiker/skier/big-movement lover, but I really grew to appreciate the subtlety
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-jSBBwr8Ko

@MaybeBabyMustache --that's a great perk. I've heard about Headspace but haven't looked into it personally. I started with 5 minutes a day as well--sometimes now still five and sometimes it's forty :)

Thanks so much, @Serendip - very cool. His sequence did not include one single movement that our teacher is teaching us. So now I have even more movements to practice and without paying a dime too.
I can see why at the time it would have seemed "cheesy" to you - I was the same. It takes time and age to appreciate it fully. When we're young we're hooked on speed and power, we haven't experienced pain and ill health or stiffness and daily aches that just refuse to leave.
My next step is Pilates, but so far I just haven't found the wherewithal to integrate it into my schedule.
Thanks again since it also led me to some other interesting youtube videos.

My one accomplishment this month was reverting to drinking my coffee black instead of adding copious amounts of delicious ice cream every morning. I do miss the ice cream, but I don't miss the nebulous, tired feeling I get from the sugar and the lactose - I'm actually allergic to cow milk, but love ice cream.
Europe has more fruit ice cream mostly without milk so it was easier there. I can tolerate a small amount of ice cream but not too much and certainly not on a daily basis - European portions of ice cream are about a third or less than what is served in the US.

Anyway - I am truly ecstatic that I kicked the habit! It was not easy - I kept backsliding - tried over a year already. Now I am over it - hallelujah!



Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2019, 08:51:13 AM »
Glad you liked it @Rosy --always nice to have variation.
 And I agree, I found qi gong after a severe back injury (induced by too much snowboarding AND yoga, go figure!).
The gentleness of it really helped slow my pace and recover.

Today is day 1 of the Sharon Salzberg True Happiness meditation challenge.

 I think there are a few of us participating..
 I finished it and did a few more minutes afterwards, enjoying her casual approach.


Bayou Dweller

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #20 on: February 01, 2019, 09:03:10 AM »
I'm in!

I started mindfulness meditations after reading the book, aptly named, Mindfulness. Then I was on and off with it for maybe a year or so. I started doing it again last month and have really enjoyed it a lot.

I'm about to read the book by Sam Harris, Waking Up (from the library). His app is great, but it is paid, so I switched to just free material (mustachian, of course!). I am a huge fan of his podcast, which was just renamed to The Making Sense Podcast.

I am a huge fan of stoicism and have recently gotten quite intrigued by Buddhism. Some aspects of it at least, mostly the meditation.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #21 on: February 03, 2019, 09:53:53 AM »

I'm about to read the book by Sam Harris, Waking Up (from the library). His app is great, but it is paid, so I switched to just free material (mustachian, of course!). I am a huge fan of his podcast, which was just renamed to The Making Sense Podcast.

I am a huge fan of stoicism and have recently gotten quite intrigued by Buddhism. Some aspects of it at least, mostly the meditation.

The Sam Harris podcast with Robert Wright (the author of Why Buddhism is True) is a good one, have you heard it yet?
 You can tell they have this fractured history and it's quite something to listen to the two of them navigate the conversation.

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

Currently I am reading Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana--it is toted as a classic and is an easy, informative and entertaining read.
« Last Edit: February 03, 2019, 09:56:06 AM by Serendip »

Dr Kidstache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #22 on: February 04, 2019, 08:47:42 AM »
The Sam Harris podcast with Robert Wright (the author of Why Buddhism is True) is a good one, have you heard it yet?
 You can tell they have this fractured history and it's quite something to listen to the two of them navigate the conversation.

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

I love Robert Wright. I haven't read Why Buddhism is True yet, but he has a free course on Coursera that he developed around his research and preparation while writing the book. It's called Buddhism and Modern Psychology and I highly recommend it.

Bayou Dweller

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #23 on: February 04, 2019, 01:16:24 PM »

I'm about to read the book by Sam Harris, Waking Up (from the library). His app is great, but it is paid, so I switched to just free material (mustachian, of course!). I am a huge fan of his podcast, which was just renamed to The Making Sense Podcast.

I am a huge fan of stoicism and have recently gotten quite intrigued by Buddhism. Some aspects of it at least, mostly the meditation.

The Sam Harris podcast with Robert Wright (the author of Why Buddhism is True) is a good one, have you heard it yet?
 You can tell they have this fractured history and it's quite something to listen to the two of them navigate the conversation.

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

Currently I am reading Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana--it is toted as a classic and is an easy, informative and entertaining read.

Yeah, that was a really good podcast. All of Sam's are that I've heard.

I'm about half way through the book and, wow, it's been quite eye-opening. I highly recommend it if you're serious about meditation. It changed the way I viewed meditation and consciousness so far, and I'm not even done yet (I just started the actual chapter on meditation, ha!).

Mostly the "mind blowing" part for me was the part about the Self being an illusion. I'm going to have to sit with that and work through that longer, because I still don't fully grasp it. I was under the impression that mindfulness meditation was just to help you stay level headed, or in my case, be more stoic (in the actual stoic-philosophy sense, not just emotionless). However, it seems that mindfulness meditation that we do in the west is really, at the core, just a concentration practice. And once you master that then you can begin to explore deeper and deeper.

katscratch

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #24 on: February 05, 2019, 08:43:35 AM »
Ah yes, that who I am is merely the stories I tell myself about me :)

CanuckExpat

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #25 on: February 06, 2019, 11:47:23 PM »
Thanks for starting this thread. I've been curious and interested in meditation for a bit, but only recently started putting it in practice. Good timing finding this thread.

The resources I've found most helpful have been local. A chance glance at the events section in the local newspaper led me to finding out there is a Buddhist monastery and that they have meditation sessions open to the public. They stress that it is open to non Buddhists, and I found it very welcoming and helpful.
I also found a weekly series of meditation nights at the local library. For a variety of reasons, I liked the experience better at the monastery, but it is nice to have the experience with both.

I've found some of the guided meditations (and other resources) from this site pretty useful: https://www.excelatlife.com/downloads/meditation/audios.htm

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

I really liked the book why Buddhism is true. I would not call it easy reading at all (at least for me), but I don't have a background in buddhist ideas. It's a compelling read, he really digs in deep. It was fun at least. There was an NPR interview with the author that I found quite good. It's what first got me more interested in meditation.


Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #26 on: February 08, 2019, 11:07:01 AM »

Mostly the "mind blowing" part for me was the part about the Self being an illusion. I'm going to have to sit with that and work through that longer, because I still don't fully grasp it. I was under the impression that mindfulness meditation was just to help you stay level headed, or in my case, be more stoic (in the actual stoic-philosophy sense, not just emotionless). However, it seems that mindfulness meditation that we do in the west is really, at the core, just a concentration practice. And once you master that then you can begin to explore deeper and deeper.

I think fully grasping it is the work of a lifetime!  That's one of the things I am loving about meditation, for me the initial purpose to look into it years ago was to develop a tool to skillfully work with anxiety--but the compelling research that is now out there, personal practice and all the reading I've done have convinced me that it runs so much deeper. It's exciting.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #27 on: February 08, 2019, 11:09:53 AM »
The Sam Harris podcast with Robert Wright (the author of Why Buddhism is True) is a good one, have you heard it yet?
 You can tell they have this fractured history and it's quite something to listen to the two of them navigate the conversation.

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

I love Robert Wright. I haven't read Why Buddhism is True yet, but he has a free course on Coursera that he developed around his research and preparation while writing the book. It's called Buddhism and Modern Psychology and I highly recommend it.

Just signed up for the Coursera session--thanks for the recommendation @Dr Kidstache
Even the recommended reading and resources for the course are amazing. I will have to put it mostly on hold as I'm going away for two weeks but I think it'll be a good brain workout for when the soppy spring weather shows up.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #28 on: February 08, 2019, 11:12:26 AM »
Thanks for starting this thread. I've been curious and interested in meditation for a bit, but only recently started putting it in practice. Good timing finding this thread.

The resources I've found most helpful have been local. A chance glance at the events section in the local newspaper led me to finding out there is a Buddhist monastery and that they have meditation sessions open to the public. They stress that it is open to non Buddhists, and I found it very welcoming and helpful.
I also found a weekly series of meditation nights at the local library. For a variety of reasons, I liked the experience better at the monastery, but it is nice to have the experience with both.

I've found some of the guided meditations (and other resources) from this site pretty useful: https://www.excelatlife.com/downloads/meditation/audios.htm

I haven't read his book yet but would like to if I can source it (our library doesn't carry it currently)--pls let me know what you think of it once you read it!

I really liked the book why Buddhism is true. I would not call it easy reading at all (at least for me), but I don't have a background in buddhist ideas. It's a compelling read, he really digs in deep. It was fun at least. There was an NPR interview with the author that I found quite good. It's what first got me more interested in meditation.

I read Buddhism is True last year and really enjoyed it..figured I'd like to read again, it's seemed like there was so  information in there. I have to remind myself to allocate half the time to reading and the other half to actually meditating :)

use2betrix

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #29 on: February 11, 2019, 08:09:07 PM »
Checking in!

Doing great so far, was out of town on business and visiting friends/family the last four days so I fell slightly out of the 28 day challenge groove (listening to the daily meditations) so I have 3 to catch up to. That being said, on the 3 hr flights each way I mediated at least half hr each way and more than made up for it.

I’ve finished Dan Harris’ Audible about meditation for fidgety skeptics. I’m working on Sharon Salzbergs mindfulness book on Kindle.

I listened to a podcast by Sam Harris on Tim Ferris’ channel (it was basically all Sam Harris guides, Tom Ferris only took part in the introduction) and it was very interesting. I’m in search for my next audible, been diving so deep into the meditation learning I might need to mix it up a tad before going deeper.

As a whole, I genuinely feel calmer and less anxious. I did have to speak very briefly at a conference and still felt like my heart was going to break out of my chest. Still a work in progress there but many other benefits in other areas still.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 08:11:08 PM by use2betrix »

smoghat

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #30 on: February 17, 2019, 08:39:40 PM »
I got a late start this month and never found the signup on the Sharon Salzburg site, but I’ve committed to doing daily meditations for at least a month started last week. Listening to Sarah Blondin’s amazing Coming Home to Yourself course on Insight Timer. Her ideas and delivery are incredible and she has (developed?) the perfect voice for a meditation guide. I was in tears during the both of the first two.

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #31 on: February 18, 2019, 07:01:10 AM »
I listened to a podcast by Sam Harris on Tim Ferris’ channel (it was basically all Sam Harris guides, Tom Ferris only took part in the introduction) and it was very interesting. I’m in search for my next audible, been diving so deep into the meditation learning I might need to mix it up a tad before going deeper.

I heard this podcast too and have after that listen to a couple of Sam Harris' own podcasts, starting with the beginning. The Tim Ferris show I listened to when walking to work. I have listened to Sam Harris while hiking in the forest including some climbing. It is a bit distracting to have to listen carefully to your breath while you are exercising. At home I can't really find the time to sit down and listen to such a podcast, especially on a normal weekday. So I haven't been good a following up after 3-4 episodes.

The other thing is that I often expect meditation to be more than just focussing on your breath.  But maybe that is what the whole thing is about, blocking out all other thoughts (by listening to your breath) and becoming relaxed.

max9505672

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #32 on: February 22, 2019, 01:40:00 PM »
I've been meditating for the last month for about 20 minutes/day, eyes closed. For the first couple of days, I really felt into it and felt some kind of progression being able to concentrate more and more on my breathing while being able to note when my mind was wandering and come back to it.

However, for the last few days, I'm having a hard time finding this concentration I had before and it feels to me like the position of my eyes while meditating have a big influence on my practice. When I completely release my muscles, my eyes kind of start pointing down and that leads to day-dreaming and eventually to a sleep state. When I notice it, I have to move my eyes in a different position to start concentrating on the breath again. Maybe I'm just too tired, but I try to meditate first thing in the morning to make sure I don't feel too tired and sleepy.

Has anyone noticed something similar?

Dr Kidstache

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #33 on: February 25, 2019, 06:55:48 PM »
However, for the last few days, I'm having a hard time finding this concentration I had before and it feels to me like the position of my eyes while meditating have a big influence on my practice. When I completely release my muscles, my eyes kind of start pointing down and that leads to day-dreaming and eventually to a sleep state. When I notice it, I have to move my eyes in a different position to start concentrating on the breath again. Maybe I'm just too tired, but I try to meditate first thing in the morning to make sure I don't feel too tired and sleepy.

Has anyone noticed something similar?

Really common experience! Check out "The Mind Illuminated" by Culadasa (aka John Yates PhD). He explains about the different types of dullness (of which drowsiness is one) and how to maintain alertness. It's a terrific meditation manual.

Raenia

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #34 on: February 26, 2019, 05:57:55 AM »
Does anyone have advice for dealing with yawning?  I'm not feeling sleepy or tired while meditating, or even distracted really, but I can't seem to stop the yawn reflex after 3-4 minutes.

Raenia

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #35 on: February 26, 2019, 10:41:10 AM »
Does anyone have advice for dealing with yawning?  I'm not feeling sleepy or tired while meditating, or even distracted really, but I can't seem to stop the yawn reflex after 3-4 minutes.

Do you think that you might be breathing too shallowly? If you’re not getting enough air in, your body might need the big breath of a yawn.

I don't think so, I've been trying to focus on good deep breaths from the diaphragm - this tends to run me into my other big problem, noticing myself judging the way I'm breathing!  But maybe I can try different postures to see if it improves my breathing.

katscratch

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #36 on: February 27, 2019, 09:42:01 AM »
I think just practice. I'm still very new to meditation alone as opposed to meditation as a part of a movement practice so this happens to me all the time.

For me I try to be aware of where I'm hyperfocusing and then will tell myself verbally "it's ok" and then "it's ok to let this go" and focus a different direction for a moment, like on how my body feels against the ground, or picturing my breath filling my fingers and toes.

One of my favorite guided meditations is one I did on the commuter train a few weeks ago (and can't find again but if I do I'll share it) -- it alternated focus on different things. Started with drawing attention to the breath, then to the sounds around me, then back to breath, then smell, then breath, then physical warmth/coolness, etc. It was really really good practice at not getting too "into" any one part of the process, and just learning how to "notice" and be mindful without obsessing in one direction (still a big problem for me when my thoughts go rampant, ha).

max9505672

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #37 on: February 28, 2019, 08:49:32 AM »
However, for the last few days, I'm having a hard time finding this concentration I had before and it feels to me like the position of my eyes while meditating have a big influence on my practice. When I completely release my muscles, my eyes kind of start pointing down and that leads to day-dreaming and eventually to a sleep state. When I notice it, I have to move my eyes in a different position to start concentrating on the breath again. Maybe I'm just too tired, but I try to meditate first thing in the morning to make sure I don't feel too tired and sleepy.

Has anyone noticed something similar?

Really common experience! Check out "The Mind Illuminated" by Culadasa (aka John Yates PhD). He explains about the different types of dullness (of which drowsiness is one) and how to maintain alertness. It's a terrific meditation manual.
I actually started the book a few ago. My progression is a little slow, but that'll encourage me to accelerate a little. Thanks, good to know this is covered in the book!

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #38 on: March 01, 2019, 06:47:00 PM »
Nice to read the recent notes and catch up on how everyone is doing.

Noticing the breath without altering seemed difficult at first for me also @Sun Hat but with practice it started to feel more normal.
In fact, now I don't really like guided meditations where altering the breath is recommended :)

I was travelling for the last two weeks and while I didn't have time/space to have my longer sessions, I tried to utilize downtime for mindfulness and meditation (on the train, waiting time, etc) but was generally always around people and/or sharing a room so it wasn't as conducive.
Am excited to get back to my dedicated morning sessions.

Also, just again took out the Robert Wright book that I read last year to reinspire me about the benefits.


SotI

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #39 on: March 02, 2019, 12:38:30 PM »
One of my goals for 2019 is to increase my meditation routine to "daily" again, as I have been slacking for the past 3-4 months.

My guide book is Ajahn Brahm's "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond". He also posts guided meditation session on YT. He can be quite talkative, though, so he may not appeal to everyone.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #40 on: March 11, 2019, 07:39:56 PM »
Just heard from a friend of mine about a 100 days of meditation challenge which she just completed. She is a meditation teacher but still tries to challenge herself with new goals to keep things interesting. It wasn't anything organized but her own personal intention to not miss a day for a 100 days..

It has inspired me (as I've fallen off of my daily practice due to the last month of travel and strange life schedules)!
We just arrived back home today and I am recommiting to morning sitting practice of at least 20 minutes..hopefully increasing duration as consistency increases.


use2betrix

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #41 on: March 12, 2019, 09:09:03 AM »
I’m not sure if related or not, but I feel like my routine nightmares had subsided some in February when I did the 28 day meditation challenge. Since I eased up on the discipline fo meditating, they seem to have come back worse.. I’m going to try again to remember and do around 10 minutes over my lunch break.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #42 on: March 21, 2019, 12:22:13 PM »
I’m not sure if related or not, but I feel like my routine nightmares had subsided some in February when I did the 28 day meditation challenge. Since I eased up on the discipline fo meditating, they seem to have come back worse.. I’m going to try again to remember and do around 10 minutes over my lunch break.

That's an interesting observation @use2betrix, have you seen any further changes? Hope the nightmares have minimized!

I have had a bit of an odd few months..as someone who craves adventure but thrives with stability, all the movement of travel, trips, socializing and visitors has really tossed my emotional wellbeing into a bit of whirlwind. Not bad, just not great. My meditation space has been a guest room and although I love connecting with people, I have not created enough space for my introvert self to fill-up in between activities.
Thankfully the next month does not require any travel so I am planning on un-busying myself.
Goals: Daily morning sits of minimum 10 minutes (for the time-being, I am releasing my desire to increase duration in order to gain some consistency again) and not over-planning social activities

How is everyone else doing?

use2betrix

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #43 on: March 21, 2019, 08:33:19 PM »
I’m not sure if related or not, but I feel like my routine nightmares had subsided some in February when I did the 28 day meditation challenge. Since I eased up on the discipline fo meditating, they seem to have come back worse.. I’m going to try again to remember and do around 10 minutes over my lunch break.

That's an interesting observation @use2betrix, have you seen any further changes? Hope the nightmares have minimized!

I have had a bit of an odd few months..as someone who craves adventure but thrives with stability, all the movement of travel, trips, socializing and visitors has really tossed my emotional wellbeing into a bit of whirlwind. Not bad, just not great. My meditation space has been a guest room and although I love connecting with people, I have not created enough space for my introvert self to fill-up in between activities.
Thankfully the next month does not require any travel so I am planning on un-busying myself.
Goals: Daily morning sits of minimum 10 minutes (for the time-being, I am releasing my desire to increase duration in order to gain some consistency again) and not over-planning social activities

How is everyone else doing?

Since I made that post I’ve been making more of an effort to meditate, and since, my dreams have been better. I’ve been plagued with nightmares, many recurring, my whole life. I can still remember some of the worst ones from childhood 20+ years ago. I’ve tried countless things over the years to get rid of them.

I’m not fully prepared to say that there may be a direct cause and effect from mindfulness meditation and clearing my dreams, but I am certainly intrigued enough to continue exploring. On some days for various reasons I don’t fit it in, but will continue to make more and more of an effort. It will definitely take some time, but so far I’m feeling there are positive benefits I’m noticing.

letsdoit

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #44 on: April 17, 2019, 09:14:58 AM »
i try to take the TnH challenge and pay attention to every in breath and out breath, even when washing the dishes or walking or driving

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #45 on: May 22, 2019, 09:57:41 AM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

Thanks for recommending this course @mushroom --I just watched this and have started the 8 week course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBSO41ZimNs&index=1&list=PLbiVpU59JkVaWH5kKrkSCIkg0vKLr1p9f

A recent dive into some newly anxious behaviour helped me remember the benefits of consistency of meditation vs. the spotty 'here and there' I was attempting.

 Also, I installed the Moment app on my phone which tracks time spent online as well as "pick-ups"..The first two days I had between 17-20 pickups in the day and around 40-50 minutes, yesterday I had over a 100 pickups even though still only 'an hour of usage' spread over the day due to obsessive micro checking of time and messages.  Using mindfulness to examine this compulsive behaviour is my current goal with revisiting this challenge.

Linea_Norway

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #46 on: May 23, 2019, 03:59:34 AM »
There's a great 8-week free meditation course at palousemindfulness.com

Thanks for recommending this course @mushroom --I just watched this and have started the 8 week course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBSO41ZimNs&index=1&list=PLbiVpU59JkVaWH5kKrkSCIkg0vKLr1p9f

A recent dive into some newly anxious behaviour helped me remember the benefits of consistency of meditation vs. the spotty 'here and there' I was attempting.

 Also, I installed the Moment app on my phone which tracks time spent online as well as "pick-ups"..The first two days I had between 17-20 pickups in the day and around 40-50 minutes, yesterday I had over a 100 pickups even though still only 'an hour of usage' spread over the day due to obsessive micro checking of time and messages.  Using mindfulness to examine this compulsive behaviour is my current goal with revisiting this challenge.

Thanks for this posting. I have started now as well. I just read all the text stuff to get started. I need to wait until Monday evening to watch the videos as I will spend this afternoon until Monday morning on a place without wifi and I only have limited mobile data. Next week I am also 4 days away from home/wifi.
My plan is:
Read up on getting started, FAQ, prepare a logbook and request fb access = done.
Read up on the text files for week 1 on Friday on mobile phone.
Practice the exercise each day this weekend at our cabin, if I can understand the exercise from the text files.
Watch the first batch of videos (week 1 basic) on Monday evening. And if there is time left, also the next batch (week 1 additional).
Do other things on tuesday. If still time, do exercise before bed time, otherwise skip.
Practice exercise the whole week, also during our canoeing trip next weekend.
Watch next batch of videos (week 1 additional) on Monday evening the week after, or on tuesday. If I have already seen them, then start on videos for week 2.

Annoying that youtube doesn't let you download videos (for free) Yes, there is a one month free trial, but too expensive per month if I forget to stop it. Also, there are sites where you can run a video to download something, but I don't know how secure that is. Don't trust it.

Serendip

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #47 on: May 23, 2019, 09:42:41 AM »
It's fantastic to have someone doing the course at the same time @Linea_Norway

I have also been reading through the material and watching the videos.
I also started some of the supplemental reading, a book called The Mindfulness-Based Eating Solution (good for me since one aspect of anxiety I express is comfort snacking!)

Enjoy your time at your cabin and canoeing!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #48 on: June 03, 2019, 02:48:54 AM »
@Serendip How are you doing with your meditation course?

I have been away for 2 long weekends. It is surprising how little time I can find for myself to meditate on a camping/canoeing trip. Once I was pretty far progressed into a bodyscan meditation and got disturbed by DH looking frantically for mosquito repellent in the bags beside my head. I have done a number of sessions, but some not the full length, because of external factors. I hope they have a positive effect nonetheless.

This morning, before going to the dentist, I was home alone and did a breathing meditation. I managed to focus pretty well on my breathing. I got a little distracted by the fridge that started making noises, and once my thoughts swirled to something I had seen on TV, that said that swan longues have a different entrance and exit, in contrary to our longues who have only one.  But at least, the distraction was breathing related and I could get back to focussing on breathing quite fast.

brunetteUK

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Re: Mustachian Meditation
« Reply #49 on: June 05, 2019, 08:46:00 AM »
Hello!

I'm posting to hold myself accountable, I'm suffering a lot from my mental health state and one of the things I'm for the next 33 days is to meditate, minimum 5 minutes everyday. The other things are journaling and starting therapy.

Will let you know how I'm progressing soon!