When will I start enjoying meditation?

[Vision]

My meditation practice is still a means to an end, I have a vision of it eventually being an end in itself but I currently don’t really enjoy it. 

I’ve found that after about 20 minutes of meditation I start losing focus and the only thing that’s on my mind is stopping. I know that I can push it and suffer through it but that’s not the point of this post. 

When do you think I’ll start enjoying it? Do you enjoy your meditation practice? How long did it take you until you started enjoying it for its own sake?

[Grateful Dead]

I enjoy meditation since the day I started it. In the beginning I only did 20 minutes every day and then once 20 minutes were easy I did 5 minutes more and so on until I got to an hour.

What kind of practice are you doing? I experimented with different kind of techniques until I found the best for me.

Some days I also have to suffer through it for a while but most days are enjoyable and I also start to feel more and more positive effects from the practice.

I think if I wouldn't enjoy meditation I wouldn't do it, there are so many different techniques, the best would be to find something you resonate.

[Tim R]

@Vision Do you feel like your meditation is something that you must do? 

 

[AdamR95]

1 hour ago, Vision said:

My meditation practice is still a means to an end, I have a vision of it eventually being an end in itself but I currently don’t really enjoy it. 

I’ve found that after about 20 minutes of meditation I start losing focus and the only thing that’s on my mind is stopping. I know that I can push it and suffer through it but that’s not the point of this post. 

When do you think I’ll start enjoying it? Do you enjoy your meditation practice? How long did it take you until you started enjoying it for its own sake?

Try to meditate spontaneously during the day. Try to not see it as obligation but something you do just randomly without a reason. Try to meditate when you eat, walk, drive etc. I personaly stared enjoy meditation when i started do it spontaneously during the day.

And try to not push yourself everytime you meditate because you can develope aversion to it. Push yourself when you feel like to, maybe like 80% being comfortable and 20% pushing yourself.

Thats what works for me, you can try.

[Jacobsrw]

1 hour ago, Vision said:

My meditation practice is still a means to an end, I have a vision of it eventually being an end in itself but I currently don’t really enjoy it. 

I’ve found that after about 20 minutes of meditation I start losing focus and the only thing that’s on my mind is stopping. I know that I can push it and suffer through it but that’s not the point of this post. 

When do you think I’ll start enjoying it? Do you enjoy your meditation practice? How long did it take you until you started enjoying it for its own sake?

This is quite a common problem. It usually has to do with the intellect attempting to overanalyse.

A good practice is to do a fully relaxation method prior to meditating or during it, in intervals. For example, shamanic breathing, observation by staring into an object, relaxing through image visualisation, mantra meditation etc.

Find an exercise you can do to still the mind whilst entering meditation and exiting it. I find this to be most helpful when the mind is far too active.

[The0Self]

1 hour ago, Vision said:

I’ve found that after about 20 minutes of meditation I start losing focus and the only thing that’s on my mind is stopping. I know that I can push it and suffer through it but that’s not the point of this post. 

If it isn't enjoyable, do whatever you can to make it so. Simply notice when your attention is not on your object, essentially go "aha!" and thank your mind for its ability to do this, and then gently but firmly place attention back on the object, observing it, with only the intention to... [see bolded text]. This causes a positive association between mindfulness and satisfaction, eventually snowballing into a self-sustaining process. Good luck.

[vinc3nc]

@Vision "Meditation is not a means to an end. It is both the means and the end."

Meditate for one year and build it up to at least 40-50 min. Do it every day and then come back here and see if you need to ask that question again. But you probably don't want to "work" that hard. You just want quick results.

[justfortoday]

I've been hardcore meditating for the last 3 months. It has been gruesome and tiring but ultimately I reached a permanent non-dual state from it.

Smoke some weed before meditating, it really helps.

[Vision]

5 hours ago, acidgoofy said:

What kind of practice are you doing? I experimented with different kind of techniques until I found the best for me.

Do nothing, mindful labelling, focusing on breath.

 

5 hours ago, Tim R said:

@Vision Do you feel like your meditation is something that you must do? 

 

No.

4 hours ago, AdamR95 said:

Try to meditate spontaneously during the day. Try to not see it as obligation but something you do just randomly without a reason. Try to meditate when you eat, walk, drive etc. I personaly stared enjoy meditation when i started do it spontaneously during the day.

And try to not push yourself everytime you meditate because you can develope aversion to it. Push yourself when you feel like to, maybe like 80% being comfortable and 20% pushing yourself.

Thats what works for me, you can try.

I’ll try this, thanks ? 

3 hours ago, vinc3nc said:

But you probably don't want to "work" that hard. You just want quick results.

Projection? Bold of you to assume my attitude don’t ya think  

 

2 hours ago, justfortoday said:

I've been hardcore meditating for the last 3 months. It has been gruesome and tiring but ultimately I reached a permanent non-dual state from it.

Smoke some weed before meditating, it really helps.

Is this your baseline level of consciousness now? 

[Carl-Richard]

21 hours ago, justfortoday said:

Smoke some weed before meditating, it really helps.

This is very individual. For me it made me unsharp and unable to focus. My first breakthrough experience was actually partially due to me being 1 week in heavy weed withdrawal.

 

On 6.3.2021 at 9:48 PM, Vision said:

When do you think I’ll start enjoying it? Do you enjoy your meditation practice? How long did it take you until you started enjoying it for its own sake?

"I don't enjoy this" is a thought. Every time you meditate and this thought arises, use it as an anchor for your attention, or as an alarm bell that tells you "oh I'm lost in thought - return to practice". That way you'll turn the thought into something positive. It will start to drive your practice instead of sabotaging it. You can actually rewire your brain to get motivated by a demotivating thought - you just need to have the intention. Infact, any thought cannot be inherently motivating or demotivating. It's just a thought. It's your reaction to the thought.

That is one of the ways I got out of weed addiction. Every time my mind went "it's painful that you're not smoking right now", I used that as a sign of progress, which gave me a little boost of feeling good. What happens is that the thought which has an initial low emotional tone is gradually establishing an association with a thought that has a higher emotional tone, simply through repetition. You're teaching your brain to connect a negative thought with something positive. The negative side doesn't disappear, but it leaves you with something positive.

The real trick if you want to enjoy meditation would be not to limit yourself to just one thought, but let every thought be a source of motivation. 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Carl-Richard

[Vision]

6 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

This is very individual. For me it made me unsharp and unable to focus. My first breakthrough experience was actually partially due to me being 1 week in heavy weed withdrawal.

 

"I don't enjoy this" is a thought. Every time you meditate and this thought arises, use it as an anchor for your attention, or as an alarm bell that tells you "oh I'm lost in thought - return to practice". That way you'll turn the thought into something positive. It will start to drive your practice instead of sabotaging it. You can actually rewire your brain to get motivated by a demotivating thought - you just need to have the intention.

That is one of the ways I got out of weed addiction. Every time my mind went "it's painful that you're not smoking right now", I used that as a sign of progress, which gave me a little boost of feeling good. What happens is that the thought which has an initial low emotional tone is gradually establishing an association with a thought that has a higher emotional tone, simply through repetition. You're teaching your brain to connect a negative thought with something positive. The negative side doesn't disappear, but it leaves you with something positive.

The real trick if you want to enjoy meditation would be not to limit yourself to just one thought, but let every thought be a source of motivation.

You're on to something here - but isn't enjoyment a feeling? I don't feel good. 

How could I apply this to food addiction? I'm addicted to bananas and I have like 6 a day. The only other thing I eat throughout the day is a few pieces of chicken and/or steak. 

[Loving Radiance]

15 hours ago, Vision said:

Do you enjoy your meditation practice?

I started to enjoy it when I laid my focus on the resting part. It feels like resting awareness on the most comfy blanket held up by the most gentle hand. Just letting go and resting, doing nothing. Mind doesn't have to work anymore. It's just giving yourself to this moment, surrendering all that is.

49 minutes ago, Vision said:

Quote

"I don't enjoy this" is a thought. Every time you meditate and this thought arises, use it as an anchor for your attention, or as an alarm bell that tells you "oh I'm lost in thought - return to practice". That way you'll turn the thought into something positive. It will start to drive your practice instead of sabotaging it. You can actually rewire your brain to get motivated by a demotivating thought - you just need to have the intention.

That is one of the ways I got out of weed addiction. Every time my mind went "it's painful that you're not smoking right now", I used that as a sign of progress, which gave me a little boost of feeling good. What happens is that the thought which has an initial low emotional tone is gradually establishing an association with a thought that has a higher emotional tone, simply through repetition. You're teaching your brain to connect a negative thought with something positive. The negative side doesn't disappear, but it leaves you with something positive.

How could I apply this to food addiction? I'm addicted to bananas and I have like 6 a day. The only other thing I eat throughout the day is a few pieces of chicken and/or steak. 

"it's painful that you're not eating bananas right now" --> sign of progress --> feeling good because progress is linked to a higher emotional thought

Imagine any habit forming. How long does it take for you to form? That's how long it will take you to make it automatic to shift from craving thoughts to thoughts of winning life or feeling good in general.

[vinc3nc]

14 hours ago, Vision said:

Projection? Bold of you to assume my attitude don’t ya think  

You showed your attitude through your words. You can take my advice and improve yourself, or you can take offense at what I wrote. Your choice.

Don't expect meditation to be easy. If it was easy, everyone would meditate 5 hours every day. It's similar to working out. You don't really enjoy working out - because it's hard, you'll suffer a bit - but the rewards are worth it in the end.

Expecting meditation to be enjoyable is just silly. It won't be enjoyable on most days, especially at the start when your mind is untrained. That's why you have to start small and build it up slowly and gradually. Start with 3 min, or maybe 5 min at max. And then take a lot of time to build it up. Don't rush anywhere. Motivation is not enough. It's about self-discipline. And there are no shortcuts.

 

[Grateful Dead]

15 hours ago, Vision said:

Do nothing, mindful labelling, focusing on breath.

Maybe for now focus on only one technique to get the hang of it.

[AdamR95]

2 hours ago, vinc3nc said:

Expecting meditation to be enjoyable is just silly.

Its not silly at all. Hard things can be enjoyable too. You can make it enjoyable even when you start its all about mindset.

Edited March 7, 2021 by AdamR95

[Hen Zuhe]

@Vision Each person is diferent. To avoid the stopping thinking you have to free you mind about time, not to be thinking, about anything, be quiet, relax, be patience, your heart need to be calmed by your brething, "white mind, soft mind, cotton mind" i say JEJE.

You can start with a meditative time around 10 minuts, for a week, then 15 and then 30.

You have to take patience about this process. Learn to be patience.

NAMASTE.

[Hen Zuhe]

It was some inconfortable state when i was starting the meditation practicing. Many years ago. Sometime I feel inconfortable it is because my mind have a lot of thinkings that need to be out of the head. I think to liberate this from me and.. it feeling disappear.

With some months of practice in this situations we can apply it easily.

NAMASTE

 

[Vision]

15 hours ago, Loving Radiance said:

"it's painful that you're not eating bananas right now" --> sign of progress --> feeling good because progress is linked to a higher emotional thought

Imagine any habit forming. How long does it take for you to form? That's how long it will take you to make it automatic to shift from craving thoughts to thoughts of winning life or feeling good in general.

I’ll try this, thanks.

10 hours ago, vinc3nc said:

You showed your attitude through your words. You can take my advice and improve yourself, or you can take offense at what I wrote. Your choice.

Don't expect meditation to be easy. If it was easy, everyone would meditate 5 hours every day. It's similar to working out. You don't really enjoy working out - because it's hard, you'll suffer a bit - but the rewards are worth it in the end.

Expecting meditation to be enjoyable is just silly. It won't be enjoyable on most days, especially at the start when your mind is untrained. That's why you have to start small and build it up slowly and gradually. Start with 3 min, or maybe 5 min at max. And then take a lot of time to build it up. Don't rush anywhere. Motivation is not enough. It's about self-discipline. And there are no shortcuts.

Asking for anecdotes on how long it took people to start enjoying their meditation practice is not a sign of me being lazy, nor expecting things to be easy, nor wanting to rush things. 

Consider the possibility that you only assumed that.

Your example of working out doesn’t have to be true - Unenjoyable things can become enjoyable. At first I didn’t enjoy working out but overtime I started enjoying it. You don’t think the same can happen with meditation? Look at Leo, monks, etc. 

Meditation must be done rigorously too, not mechanically. 

7 hours ago, Hen Zuhe said:

It was some inconfortable state when i was starting the meditation practicing. Many years ago. Sometime I feel inconfortable it is because my mind have a lot of thinkings that need to be out of the head. I think to liberate this from me and.. it feeling disappear.

With some months of practice in this situations we can apply it easily.

NAMASTE

 

Thanks. What techniques do you use? 

[Carl-Richard]

18 hours ago, Vision said:

You're on to something here - but isn't enjoyment a feeling? I don't feel good. 

You have been talking about a thought arising and a feeling arising. The thought doesn't have to be linked to the feeling. Infact, a thought cannot be inherently motivating or demotivating. It's just a thought. The feeling is more like a reaction to the thought. That doesn't mean you should try to repress the feeling, but just start to notice the difference between thought and feeling.

I gave you a way of dealing with the thought, but you can also deal with the feeling directly. Every time the feeling arises, really investigate what it is. In my experience, anything "bad" associated with a feeling comes from not letting yourself express it properly. It comes from shielding yourself from feeling it, from not letting it come up. This is also why the thought keeps popping up, because you don't want to see what it's trying to show you.

Meditation is just as much about learning to express your emotions as being aware of the illusiory nature of thought (they go together). If you notice a feeling of frustration, let yourself feel vulnerable, don't try to push it away. Just notice that it's arising and see what it can do. Challenge the feeling to step up and show itself in its fullest form. Accept, surrender and don't expect anything else than what is currently happening.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Carl-Richard

[vinc3nc]

7 hours ago, Vision said:

Your example of working out doesn’t have to be true - Unenjoyable things can become enjoyable. At first I didn’t enjoy working out but overtime I started enjoying it. You don’t think the same can happen with meditation? Look at Leo, monks, etc. 

Meditation must be done rigorously too, not mechanically. 

Thanks. What techniques do you use? 

Depends on what you mean by "enjoyable". It's "enjoyable" after the workout because your body releases endorphins etc. If the workout itself is (too) enjoyable, then you probably don't train hard enough.

Meditation can be enjoyable but not in the way that most people think. "Enjoyable" is probably the wrong word to begin with.

The point is that I think meditation should be taken seriously. If you want results, you have to meditate every day and eventually make it a habit. Most people can't do it. They don't have the discipline.

And I'm not even talking about people who meditate like 20-30min a day. That's relatively easy. I've noticed I need at least 30 min to calm down my mind (get in a deeper state), so that's when the real meditation starts so to say. Less than 1 hour of meditation a day, after a couple of years of meditation, doesn't even make sense to me anymore.