Meditation is such a broad topic that I feel to overwhelmed

[pluto8]

3 hours ago, Artaemis said:

Sounds like you're trying to make meditation a kind of work. Meditation is really fun and playful. You're just seeing everything as perfect already, complete, with no need for labels but you can put any label you want on it. You want a thought to be real? DONE. You want your favorite person to be in the room with you? DONE. Focus on the 'things' as perfection, completion and beyond label and its all done. 

Artaemis,

May you just talk some more lol? What you said was interesting....

Can elaborate on what you said above or not, idc. Maybe what you said above is best left how it is now.

mmmmk, well you get the point, it's all up to you right?

TY,

pluto8

 

-o, can meditation be viewed as work while still getting significant gains? or is it beyond that, more than that? like, is the purpose beyond getting gains? lol...

 

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by pluto8

[PsiloPutty]

You come back to the breath because that's the object of your attention in breath-focused meditation. In a mantra-based meditation, your mantra is the object. Another term for object is "anchor." This is your homebase; the default point of focus. It holds Center Stage in your mind. When something else temporarily steals Center Stage from the breath, like a loud noise, a compelling memory, gas pain, thinking about the laundry you need to do or whatever, you greet (but don't engage or judge) that stimulus and then, when it starts to fade and loses its intrigue, you come back to your breath, your homebase, your anchor.

How long to stay with a thought before coming back to your breath isn't so clear cut. Some folks say to grab that sucker as soon as it starts to coalesce. Some folks say to see where the thought wants to go, and advise you to stay with it but don't influence it any. I was confused about this at the start too, so I just gave each thought 3 or 4 seconds of focus and acknowledgment before going back to my breath, and that has become fairly automatic now. This is stuff that you'll answer for yourself after a few weeks of daily meditating. Prepare yourself to be mentally frustrated with the whole process for the first few weeks. You'll feel like you're doing everything wrong......but nope, you're not.

[pluto8]

@PsiloPutty

About the first paragraph. Is that all something that should(or can) be applied during daily life? Like, bringing attention to the breath whenever possible?

Obviously it be more suitable for the breath practice....rather than a mantra lol.

Maybe you should not try so hard when out of meditation though because it may not trigger your mind as much when you actually decide to meditate. Ya know?

We don't need to get into the difference between focusing on breath and mantra here, I can look that all up. Well, imagine, and, try for myself too lol.

mk.....

TY for the reply.

TY for the replies everone.