Just completed my first 60m meditation

[Hero of Time]

Taking Leo’s advice to make meditation a priority, I have completed four days in a row of 20 minute meditation.

Today, I found myself suicidal and caught in binging on my addictions, so I did one hour.

There was only one distraction of water in my ears from my shower that I put off clearing out for probably about thirty minutes.

Other than that, I remained still.

I found it hard to keep my eyes open at times, so I sometimes closed them, sometimes kept them open.

Thoughts were labeled as often as I could remember to.

It was disappointing that I didn’t reach a genuinely peaceful, thoughtless state as I had once before. Leo said that I should expect to suck at this for my first year, so I’m not too concerned.

But hey, one hour! It’s a start!

 

[Salvijus]

You meditate with eyes open?

[starsofclay]

That's awesome... I love your screen name btw! ?

[Hero of Time]

47 minutes ago, Salvijus said:

You meditate with eyes open?

Yes, in one of the videos Leo encourages staring at a particular point for a period of time and then losing focus on it.

Honestly, I think I would like to close my eyes more. Next time, that’s what I’ll do. ?

[Nahm]

Great share man. Keep it up. ❤️

[Ether]

@Nahm I have low thought activity, do you think one straight hour of meditation could help me have a still mind? Even if it only lasts 1 hour?

[lmfao]

@Hero of Time good shit my dude. Don't feel too disappointed. For the first 50 minutes of me meditating today I had complete monkey mind, so I meditated for 30 minutes longer to reach the state I was looking for. If you fail at reaching the thoughtless state, just keep trying to reach it. "Trying" is probably not the right word here lol. To reach deep with meditation you have to resolve the paradox of forcing yourself to be unforceful. 

[Sahil Pandit]

@Hero of Time Double down my guy, keep up the good work and set yourself up for a snowball of momentum! 

Throw some SDS in there  

[Santhiphap]

@Hero of Time 

I like to see meditation as a practice that allows me to be generous to myself.

Every single thought is allowed to come up. But also allowing myself not to clinge on the thoughts means: "Every single thought is allowed to come up, BUT NOT NEEDED RIGHT NOW."

That sentence is part of my mental dialogue during meditation.

If I am allowing every thought but not needing a single thought, the quieting of my mind comes automatically without any effort and that creates a deep peacefull state. Acceptance is key.

Edited June 24, 2018 by Santhiphap

[Dodo]

12 minutes ago, Santhiphap said:

@Hero of Time 

I like to see meditation as a practice that allows me to be generous to myself.

Every single thought is allowed to come up. But also allowing myself not to clinge on the thoughts means: "Every single thought is allowed to come up, BUT NOT NEEDED RIGHT NOW."

That sentence is part of my mental dialogue during meditation.

If I am allowing every thought but not needing a single thought, the quieting of my mind comes automatically without any effort and that creates a deep peacefull state. Acceptance is key.

my inner dialogue is "Not me, not me"  

[Charlotte]

6 hours ago, lmfao said:

I meditated for 30 minutes longer to reach the state I was looking for

Are you meditating with expectations? 

[pluto]

You can also do something you love that puts you in the complete present moment, by doing that activity, in the moment and enjoying it, there are minimal thoughts occurring, this is also meditation as just as effective. You must find your personal meditation and do what works best for you.

 

[Ether]

4 minutes ago, pluto said:

You can also do something you love that puts you in the complete present moment, by doing that activity, in the moment and enjoying it, there are minimal thoughts occurring, this is also meditation as just as effective. You must find your personal meditation and do what works best for you.

 

Mine is music

Also videogames

Edited June 24, 2018 by Ether
a

[lmfao]

@Charlotte @Charlotte  (mobile won't let me delete the second "@Charlotte")

I had monkey mind for ages when meditating so I just quickly extended the timer on my phone. I dont know if I'm meditating with expectations. When most people make decide to meditate, its because they are trying to reach something they feel they don't already have. And it's the same for me. But whilst I'm meditating I, for the most part, "forget" what my expectations are as I focus my awareness on the present moment. 

[Hero of Time]

Thank you, all, for your encouraging replies. I’ve been watching Leo’s YouTube videos for nearly a year now and have decided that I need to be involved with the forum community, and I have not been disappointed with the way each one of you has welcomed and encouraged me.

I’m going to start a journal.

@starsofclay I like your avatar.

@lmfao

11 hours ago, lmfao said:

To reach deep with meditation you have to resolve the paradox of forcing yourself to be unforceful.

Yes. It’s easy to try to repeat a past good experience in a present action instead of letting the present moment be exactly what it is.

@Sahil Pandit You've gotta hit me up on what you mean my “SDS.”

[blazed]

18 hours ago, Hero of Time said:

It was disappointing that I didn’t reach a genuinely peaceful, thoughtless state as I had once before. Leo said that I should expect to suck at this for my first year, so I’m not too concerned.

But hey, one hour! It’s a start!

 

It takes time when I first started all I had was mental noises and ranting.

These days I can actually get into blissfulness and shut off the mind quite easily whilst meditating.

Of course if someonthing bad happens during the day and you're extremely unhappy about it then you will just get mental noises so try to keep your days peaceful as much as you can, e.g. try not to argue with anyone or get into fights etc.

 

[Charlotte]

5 hours ago, lmfao said:

its because they are trying to reach something they feel they don't already have.

They do already possess it though. They already have it, everybody does. 

I learnt something huge this year and I do hope to help others realise the same. Drop any expectations you have about meditation, drop any "states" you wish to reach. 

5 hours ago, lmfao said:

But whilst I'm meditating I, for the most part, "forget" what my expectations are as I focus my awareness on the present moment. 

Unconsciously maybe you still have expectations? Doesn't this say that you do?...

(Ignore my tag, stupid website)

8 hours ago, Charlotte said:

"I meditated for 30 minutes longer to reach the state I was looking for"

Please don't take this as criticism because it certainly isn't, just trying to help you see ♥️

5 hours ago, lmfao said:

 

[lmfao]

@Charlotte

3 hours ago, Charlotte said:

I learnt something huge this year and I do hope to help others realise the same. Drop any expectations you have about meditation, drop any "states" you wish to reach. 

Unconsciously maybe you still have expectations? Doesn't this say that you do?...

Indeed you are right.

[Hero of Time]

I am reminding my boys when I take them for a walk to be prepared to notice anything we might find, to not grow attached to seeing certain things.

By taking a walk, they are exposing themselves to whatever they’re supposed to see. In this way, they can be open to to anything.

I am going to approach meditation in this way as well.

[Sahil Pandit]

@Hero of Time Strong Determination Sitting,

Aka sitting as still as possible without moving a muscle!