Question About Mindfulness Meditation

[Whoami3]

For the last year I was meditating using mostly 'do nothing' technique. I skipped maybe 10 days here and there during that time. I started very motivated and meditated 60min a day for the first month. Then time dropped to 20-30 a day but I was gradually rising that to 40-50 min. Recently my motivation really dropped because of lack of results and I had very short meditation sessions or not meditated at all. 

I decided to change technique and try out something more rigorous. I've heard good opinions about mindfulness meditation so am trying this out now. 

I have some doubts about this technique: Many people when demonstrating this technique (including Shinzen Young) very rapidly change source of focus (every second). In Leo's video he says to do one cycle for about 10 seconds. Does it mean that during that 10 second I should focus only on that one experience? Let's say I visually noticed lamp - label it: see out, I focus on it. Immediately I hear some noise. Should I forget about that noise and keep focusing on lamp or label new experience 'hear out' and focus on it.

So is mindfulness meditation more like: choose some experience, label it, focus on it for some time, choose another one and so on... or: observe what is happening and label some experiences (sounds, noises, body feelings and internal analogs) whenever they become most dominant?

[RossE]

@Whoami3 This technique involves momentarily getting a taste of the item in a state of high concentration. You need to focus on what you've labelled for a good 5-7 seconds, and if your mind wanders during that, bring it back. 

You could intentionally not focus on each object and just label everything, but I'm not sure that would grow your concentration very much.

 

[Space]

What results are you actually hoping for? Some dramatic behavioural changes? Realise that most of what you expect to happen as a result of your efforts is just your own ideas.

Meditation deals mostly with the subconscious. Most of the changes that occur will go unnoticed, atleast in the beginning. But if you're doing the technique right, then spiritual purification will be happening on some level. Just trust in the process. 

With regards to Noting, there are quite a few different approaches to the technique. There's no reason why you can't note much faster than once every 10 seconds and still 'soak' into the experience. The speed of noting is pretty much up to you. Shinzen himself has said that the soaking in process may only last half a second or so, but he has been meditating for 50 years or something. It also depends on how easy you find the technique and what you feel most comfortable doing. Some other teachers don't bother with the soaking in aspect at all, and just recommend noting as quickly as possible. It's all about experimenting and trying different things out, but just remember to stick with one focused technique per sitting. 

Just some advice about the labels, personally I don't use the 'out' or 'in', and just stick with 'Feel', 'Hear', 'See'. But it's totally up to you. When you're saying a lot of labels, removing one word makes a big difference. It also requires less effort, and keeps your attention on the experience rather than trying to figure out what label to use.
 

[Whoami3]

Thanks for your advice!

2 hours ago, Space said:

What results are you actually hoping for? Some dramatic behavioural changes? Realise that most of what you expect to happen as a result of your efforts is just your own ideas.

I expected to be able to better control my emotions to be less shy so it will be easier to take action and improve my social life, do pick up. I don't have motivation to pursue my career. I hoped that meditation somehow will solve this problem too. I guess I had bad expectation that meditation will be magic pill to solve all my problems. I don't know... I am lost...

[AstralProjection]

1 hour ago, Whoami3 said:

Thanks for your advice!

I expected to be able to better control my emotions to be less shy so it will be easier to take action and improve my social life, do pick up. I don't have motivation to pursue my career. I hoped that meditation somehow will solve this problem too. I guess I had bad expectation that meditation will be magic pill to solve all my problems. I don't know... I am lost...

@Whoami3 Sounds like you need to buy Leo's life purpose course. https://www.actualized.org/life-purpose-course

Yeah there are much more effective ways at boosting motivation other than meditation. Meditation is more useful to relieve stress associated with motivation than to actually increase motivation itself. Then again having some stress is needed to help you push through College level course material. Go to college part time instead. Going to college full time can be too much for some people like myself. So if you have to do it part time. Here 6-11credit hours is part time for spring and fall semester. Good luck.

[Whoami3]

@AstralProjection I already finished university. I studied computer science. I lost my last job as software developer because I was doing tasks too slowly. Now I am looking for another job but I'm afraid of not being good enough again. I was thinking about Leo's life purpose course. Maybe I'll give it a try.

[Space]

3 hours ago, Whoami3 said:

Thanks for your advice!

I expected to be able to better control my emotions to be less shy so it will be easier to take action and improve my social life, do pick up. I don't have motivation to pursue my career. I hoped that meditation somehow will solve this problem too. I guess I had bad expectation that meditation will be magic pill to solve all my problems. I don't know... I am lost...

Emotional intelligence is certainly something that improves with meditation. But it doesn't improve your ability to control emotions, it teaches you to let go of control and let emotions be as they are without any resistance. It's about becoming more mindful and aware of emotions and thoughts, so that you don't get lost in them when they arise. This is what meditation is about, for me anyway. 

Suffering = Pain x Resistance. 

Taste of Purification = Pain x Equanimity 

I can't really give any advice about your shyness, other than becoming more mindful of your thoughts and emotions, and then just intentionally putting yourself in difficult social situations.