Struggling with a meditation routine

[Crazy_Monkey_Brain]

Sometimes I just don’t feel like meditating, I have tried to make it a daily habit however I only last 5 days max, any tips on how to keep it going? I want to be like Leo and do it everyday 

[Kisame]

I used to not feel like meditating either, and then when I'd actually do it, I'd struggle with being extremely bored, and when I wasn't bored, I'd get incredibly sleepy. I remember sessions where I spent half an hour literally nodding off every 30 seconds. It was straight torture. 

Then I realized that the struggle is the meditation. If you have a perfect session where you're just sitting there blissed out until the timer beeps, and it was completely effortless, of what use is that? It's good to have such sessions once in a while for morale, but the real growth occurs when you're forced to be mindful of the restless energy and yammering thoughts that arise in boredom, and consciously experience and dissect all the threads of physical discomfort from long sits, and bring your attention back again and again from the brink of sleep. 

It's like lifting weights. There's no progress if there's no difficulty. As the saying goes, "The obstacle becomes the Path." 

Anyway, in the beginning, there's nothing you can do except carve out a time, be consistent, and just do it. When you don't feel like doing it, tell yourself to stop being a little bitch and just do it. And keep doing it. Keep it up for a month or so, and the habit will be established. Soon afterwards, you'll be surprised to find that you look forward to it.

These days, I barely watch movies, anime, tv shows, or hang out with acquaintances who don't qualify as real friends, because I'd honestly rather sit there and stare at a wall in my spare time. It's actually pretty funny. 

[gleb]

@Crazy_Monkey_Brain Just do it - it's the only way. Start with shorter times and work your way up over months. 

Try downloading HabitShare and marking everyday that you do it with an accountability partner. It helps. 

Good luck my dude!

[Rilles]

You need incentive to do it. Read up on the benefits of it. And set a daily alarm, and when you feel resistance then dont make a big deal out of it, think about it this way... all you have to do is SIT. CLOSE YOUR EYES. BE AWARE. sooo simple! good luck!

[Prabhaker]

8 hours ago, Crazy_Monkey_Brain said:

Sometimes I just don’t feel like meditating

What exactly is meditation? Facing boredom is meditation. What does a meditator go on doing? Sitting silently, looking at his own navel, or watching his breathing, do you think he is being entertained by these things? He is utterly bored! If you go on looking into boredom without escaping the explosion comes. One day, suddenly, looking deep into boredom, you penetrate your own nothingness. If you don't escape from boredom, if you start living with it, if you start accepting it, welcoming it.... That's what meditation is all about: welcoming boredom, going into it on one's own; not waiting for it to come but searching for it.

[Aimblack]

When I really don't feel like meditating I do guided meditations I'm pretty sure that guided meditation are pretty useless but they feel profound so that keeps me coming back tomorrow to do it again alone.

[Crazy_Monkey_Brain]

Thank you everyone for your support it's been really useful 

 

[Crazy_Monkey_Brain]

@Kisame thanks you for your comment it's really helpful

[Faceless]

I fear routine and consistency?

lolol?

Edited March 22, 2018 by Faceless

[Crazy_Monkey_Brain]

@Aimblack guided meditation Vs none guided, I wonder which is better I find none guided harder 

[pluto]

There are many other ways of meditation and you must find what works for you. Personally my unorthodox favorites are to swim or walk in a forest or gardening. I become completely present with what i am doing thus gain the same benefits as sitting silently.

[Jamie Universe]

18 hours ago, Rilles said:

You need incentive to do it. Read up on the benefits of it. And set a daily alarm, and when you feel resistance then dont make a big deal out of it, think about it this way... all you have to do is SIT. CLOSE YOUR EYES. BE AWARE. sooo simple! good luck!

I agree, I contemplated why I was resisting meditation. And I came to a realization that you procrastinate when something gives a bad impression on you, reasons may be, its physically exhausting, the math assignment is to hard and challenging, or meditation is to boring (or whatever reason you have.) Or you could make whatever excuse about it.

But once you realize that something is really important you can contemplate your reasons for procrastination and forcefully make meditation have a good impression on you.

And by having incentives or good reasons to meditate your mind will associate meditation as good, and 25 minutes to me is easy.

 

 

But forget everything I said and contemplate your problem from ground zero (without using any knowledge I told you), or else it won't work. I was literally sitting on my bed contemplating why I hated meditation so much, and it just 'clicked' for me and from that moment on its been smooth sailing.