meditation

[MissBlue]

I've had no thoughts or cravings since Friday, so something must be working!

Boomshanka

MH

Great to read how you are doing . There are sound tracks for meditation and relaxation on youtube which can help drown out background noises and help create the mood. I also find lighting a joss stick helps but realise that is not for everyone. Did you buy one of the small firm cushions to raise your bottom whilst sitting? I got one and it has made an improvement to my comfort. Wishing you continued success on your AF journey .

[Gerard]

MH,
Just catching up here, and wanted to say how much I enjoyed reading your journal. Thanks for sharing your experience

[Mountainhare]

Cate lovely to hear from you. Qi Gong & Tae Chi are amongst some of the courses they run at Samye Ling. I'm itching to go back up, so may have a look at booking myself on one of them. Good excuse for another weekend away

Hey Missblue I didn't get a cushion, but I did get some incense sticks, although I've been banned from burning them as my wife says they make the living room smell like someone is having a bonfire!

Gerard good to see you. I've not seen you around for a bit and I was hoping you were OK



I am reading an interesting book at the moment called "The Joy of Living" by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. It gives some good insights into how the brain works and how meditation can help bring about happiness and change our way of thinking, help us deal with stress and not react impulsively to emotions.

All very interesting stuff for me this. I see it all as part of my recovery process

[paulette]

I'm happy to see you too gerard. I was hoping you were ok. Qi gong, cate. I'm impressed. Glad you are enjoying it. I signed up for a yoga class yesterday. It was lovely, lots of emphasis on breathing and body scanning and slow stretching. I was so hyper going in and calm leaving

[Gerard]

Morning All,

Hitting very bad insomnia: spent most of the last two nights listening to continuous guided meditations due to lack of sleep.

I'll take another look at your journal MH, that sounds like quite a pure kind of practice.

Hope all are well.

[Cate]

Gerard. Sorry to hear you´re having problems sleeping. Goodness I moan if I wake up and can´t get back to sleep straight away.

Paula - It´s great isn´t it. The last teacher I had was great. I loved her classes. I really am enjoying the Qi Gong. So calming. I´ve been very lazy these last few days though. My head isn´t in the right place.

MH - I´m not sure what my husband thinks about the incense smell. He just has to put up with it. LOL It´s part of the package for me.
I´ve downloaded a sample of the book your reading to have a look at.

Everyone.

[Mountainhare]

Whilst browsing the web I came across this, which may be of interest:

http://www.dhammasukha.org/Study/Books/ ... et-1pg.pdf


Well I've managed to keep up my meditation practice everyday since my weekend away. I have increased the time to twenty minutes now. I've been doing them first thing in the morning before work, which takes some discipline, and commitment, but that is something which I have if I chose to. I am only practicing the mindfulness breathing meditation at the moment, the one where you try to still the mind, observe your thoughts without clinging to, or following them, and at the same time using the inward and outward breaths to keep your focus in the "now." Once I have mastered this, then I will move on to different meditations, but that may be a while

I have also been trying to be more "mindful" throughout the day, I mean, like being more present, more aware of the moment instead of letting my mind race away with thoughts of the future or of the past. Without judging or reacting to emotions.

As I was sat in morning rush hour traffic this week, running slightly late, I began to "still" my mind, I let myself became aware of the moment, aware of the sights and sounds around me, I tried not to "think" I just let myself become part of the moment, I became more tuned in to the cars as they passed, the squeeking of brakes, the red glare of the lights, the rain glistening on the road, the buildings and bridges, a pigeon flying, the sound of its wing beats as it flew through a gloomy winter sky. It felt at times a bit like slow motion, and for a few fleeting seconds I felt at peace and even slightly exhilarated, as I became a part of the moment If you get my drift Basically what would usually be a stressful journey; stuck in traffic, late for work, became an experience, even something enjoyable. I just gave myself to the moment and observed the situation without analysing, or judging, or blaming, without letting my mind think about being late, without grasping onto the emotion of stress or the feelings of frustration at being stuck in the traffic. I arrived at work calm and chilled out.

Whoahhh.... Mountainhare that was a bit deep Yeah I know! but I just thought I would share my thoughts.


I've felt much more calm this week and I have had no cravings since last Friday, I haven't even thought about drinking since last Friday, even last night, which is usually for me the most wobbly night of the week!



Hope your sleeping patterns have improved Gerard.


Big Up and positive vibes to everyone.

MH

[london bloke]

Fantastic MH - sounds like your retreat is really helping you build a better, mindful life.

[grendeldave]

Well MH I don't know if that was deep or not but I really relate to it. I call it living in the now. I haven't ever really got into meditation except in my teen years when I tried out a few Raja Yoga exercises and tbh they have sort of stuck now and again. I find there is something peaceful about just immersing myself in the moment. I did a lot of that back in June/July when I spent a lot of time digging and landscaping my garden. At first my brain raced with thoughts. The sounds of distant traffic, birds twittering away, the laughter of the children down the road. Notice, notice, notice. I stopped thinking about what I was going to do later, worry this, worry that. Then sometimes the noticing stopped and .... I just was. Me in a total world of ...... aagh. No words! Just being in it. No thoughts, just ... aagh again! Oneness. The perfect moment. When it happens it is something to be treasured.

[Gerard]

MH,

Thanks for the booklet link. I especially like the part about smiling inwardly and outwardly during meditation.

It sounds like you're reaping real rewards from the retreat, and your comments about being mindful during the day reflect what's covered in the Mark Williams book. I'm now going to formally follow the 8-week programme in the book, rather than delve into all sorts of different things. Mind you, I'll probably continue to delve but with a steadier underpinning of daily practice at regular times, and proper reference to the book

There are some free guided meditations from the book on the companion website, here …

http://franticworld.com/free-meditation ... ndfulness/

Are you off for your snowy hillwalk today MH?

Hope everyone's keeping warm and well

[Mountainhare]

Hey LB that's the plan to build a better, more mindful AF life

Dave I believe what you were doing, inadvertently was a kind of meditation! You don't just have to be sat in the lotus position to meditate, you can build it into other activities such as becoming engrossed in gardening. Yoga sounds good, might explore that sometime.

Yes Gerard I had a nice walk out in the snowy Peak District, my wife even came which is a very infrequent event! We were out a couple of hours and finished the walk by taking in a small glade on the way back. There were loads of rabbit tracks in the snow. Tomorrow I'm going back up into the peaks, but this time with two mates, so we will be going a bit higher and more remote. The mountain hares will be very well camouflaged with there white winter coats now the snow is down.

It's good to get out

[grendeldave]

Yes MH, my point actually but I did not put it across at all well. What I do is meditation. Oneness. Because I am a God botherer it has a religious connotation for me but I do not believe that is an essential. It is there for everybody, faith or not. It gives our brains a rest and .... well it feels good! That's enough for me.

[Jarvis Jones]

Just passing through here briefly, and wanted to say I loved that post, Dave, about landscaping and leaving "noticing" behind. Great stuff

I hope you had a great time in the Peaks with your mates, MH

This is a thread I should read more thoroughly, more often. There's some nice (and very interesting) stuff being said

[Mountainhare]

It must be nice to have "faith" Dave, and I would imagine it brings a different dimension to your meditation.
I wish I had faith, but I haven't. I think it is a wonderful thing to have faith in God and a religeon. I have read the bible a number of times, but there are things I have issues with, likewise with Christianity in general. I won't start a discussion on God or Christianity here, I know there is the spirituality thread for that and I do read in there on occasion.

I have however, after some contemplation on whether to book a six week meditation course, or a six week, level 1 intro to Buddhism course, which incorporates the same meditation lessons as the meditation course, booked the latter.

Since I did the intro to meditation course at the wonderful Samye Ling Buddhist centre, I have found the meditations which I have been practicing to be of great bennifit. I have also been reading and researching a great deal about meditation and Buddhism and the latest book which I have just finished "The Joy of Living" is the best book I have read to date on meditation and buddhism and how the practice of it in daily life can help to build our confidence, create in us happiness, peace of mind and empathy and compassion for others. I guess having faith in God can do this too, but for me I like the scientific approach which Buddhism offers. I feel I can relate to it and understand it.

I am not saying that I am going to "take refuge" and become a full blown Buddhist, although I wouldn't rule that out completely, but I thought it would do no harm to find out a little more about the teachings of Buddah, while learning some more meditation technics.



Hi Jarvis had a great walk thanks Do pop in more it would be good to read any contribution from you.


Hope everyone is well.


MH

[Jarvis Jones]

Thanks, MH - I'll definitely start reading here more regularly.

I'm glad you had a good walk

[Mountainhare]

Well since 11th January I have meditated every morning for a minimum of twenty minutes. I believe it has helped to keep me more emotionally stable, which in turn keeps the cravings at bay too, because stress is probably my biggest trigger.

Focusing on practicing mindfulness throughout the day has helped to anchor me in the present and made me appreciate my life and live my life more in the moment, rather than letting my mind race with thoughts of the future, and past.

My meditations have consisted of little more than just resting the mind, letting my thoughts come and pass through, without either following them or grasping onto them. My books say to just watch your thoughts, as a bystander would watch a parade without jumping on every float! Watch thoughts as you would clouds blowing through the sky.

I have got to the stage where sometimes I can just sit in meditation with my mind still. I have also tried to bring some informal meditation into my working day, by informal meditation, I mean by not letting the mind race away with millions of thoughts, I have tried to watch my thoughts, let them pass through and rest my mind. I consciously do not grasp on to thoughts of "I'm late" or "this may happen or that may happen"

All in all I am feeling much calmer, I've had practically no cravings for drink or feelings of irritability or deprivation because I can't drink to ease stress. I have been able to deal with stressful situations in a much more reasoned and non reactive way, basically by not giving a fek about anything anymore I feel calmer, more confident and happier.

I plan on taking my meditating a step further now and have been reading a few books on meditation, mindfulness based cognitive theropy, and Buddhism and I have booked a six week course at my local Buddhist centre to start on the 5th March, where I hope to learn more about meditation and Buddhist philosophy.

I have four days left to go in the two month thread. I have never got out of this thread. Before I started this meditation program and before I started to incorporate mindfulness (living in the moment) into my days I was struggling with cravings, I had a wobble that lasted a week! So in conclusion I think something is working. I think by dealing rationally with emotional factors such as stress and dealing with situations which would normally cause me anger or frustration in a less reactive way, I have been able to not only reduce my cravings for alcohol, but I also feel much calmer and happier in my sobriety than if I wasn't doing meditation at all.

So happy days I say

Hope everyone is good.

Take care

MH

[Hereagain]

Wonderfully inspiring post MH

I have also started to meditate and have downloaded some podcasts which I have been listening to before I go to sleep (don t have time in the mornings with a teenage son to get to school before I head off to work ). I am definitely more relaxed and mindful due to them.

I, like you, have also changed my mindset and consciously pull myself up when my mind starts racing over past perceived failures and 'what if s' of the future. It takes practise, as you say but it is very liberating to live in the present. After all, it really is all any of us have whatever we trick ourselves in to believing. I ve posted on here before about several things happening in my life at the moment including losing a friend to a brain haemorrhage just before Christmas, a family member being diagnosed with motor neurone disease and my lovely Dad coping with terminal cancer. All these things happening so close together have really given me the wake up call that life is to be lived now and whatever I have believed in the past there are many, many things that happen in life which we have no control over. I do believe that in a strange way dealing with these things happening has given me the strength to know I want an AF life and that is definitely one aspect of my life that I do have control over.

Would be really interested to hear how you find the course as Buddhism is something I am finding more and more of interest after reading a few books on the subject. To me, it makes a lot of sense.

Happy days to you too

[Gerard]

Great post MH, and I'm really pleased to hear you're doing so well. No looking back for you

[George]

Good on you, MH. You sound really positive, just the business,eh

[Cate]

Inspirational post MH.

I keep trying to follow your example. Now things are calming down in my family maybe I´ll get round to it.

Dave - yep " the perfect moment when it happens is something to treasure " for sure.

Hope to be around here more.

to all