Meditation and Mindfulness

candygirl

Deleted_User wrote: »

Not yet I'm afraid. I will try to find out ASAP. I'm guessing it might be expensive, based on the fees for courses in the USA. I think probably £200 for two days. :eek:

omg nooooooooooooooooo!!!!:(:(

[Deleted User]

candygirl wrote: »

omg nooooooooooooooooo!!!!:(:(

Don't quote me on it! It might be cheaper but I think JKZ could easily demand £200 per ticket and still have a full house. Hopefully I'm wrong. I saw one in the USA that was £120 per day for 2 days which is what I'm basing it on, but there were a couple of other speakers so it might be different...

cnoelj

It is really good that so many people are discovering meditation. I have been practising for a few years ago. I would encourage folk not to worry about the length of time they meditate. Just good to to have a daily practise if only for a few minutes a day rather than try and do too much and then give it up. Jon Kabat-Zinn points out that life is a meditation. Just watching your thoughts and feelings in as many moments during your day as you can remember is great, remembering we have thoughts and feelings but we are not those thoughts or feelings. Go easy on your self.

There are several other practices I have adopted which help me to come back to myself and to become grounded.

Firstly I practice Gratitude. I acknowledge the good things in my life and the lessons I am learning as a basis of making room to attract more of the good.

Also I recognise awe and wonder. Reflecting on how wonderful nature is and that we have been given the opportunity to be part of this wonder.

Thirdly I practice presence. We only have this present moment. Over attention to the guilt and regrets of the past or the false expectations and fears of the future take us away from the joy and magic of now.

Best wishes everyone and hope that you find the practices that suit you.

[Deleted User]

cnoelj wrote: »

It is really good that so many people are discovering meditation. I have been practising for a few years ago. I would encourage folk not to worry about the length of time they meditate. Just good to to have a daily practise if only for a few minutes a day rather than try and do too much and then give it up. Jon Kabat-Zinn points out that life is a meditation. Just watching your thoughts and feelings in as many moments during your day as you can remember is great, remembering we have thoughts and feelings but we are not those thoughts or feelings. Go easy on your self.

There are several other practices I have adopted which help me to come back to myself and to become grounded.

Firstly I practice Gratitude. I acknowledge the good things in my life and the lessons I am learning as a basis of making room to attract more of the good.

Also I recognise awe and wonder. Reflecting on how wonderful nature is and that we have been given the opportunity to be part of this wonder.

Thirdly I practice presence. We only have this present moment. Over attention to the guilt and regrets of the past or the false expectations and fears of the future take us away from the joy and magic of now.

Best wishes everyone and hope that you find the practices that suit you.

Welcome cnoelj! Good to have you on board. I very much agree with the fact that 'life is a meditation'. Sometimes just stopping and recognising something of beauty can take you out of your head and ground you in the present moment. I am looking out of my window at the moment over the trees and hills and I'm in awe at how beautiful nature is. I think your practiceof gratitude is commendable. All to often we get wrapped up in 'want, want, want' and what we desire, rather than being thankful for what we do have.

Staying present is a real challenge for me. I have the sort of imagination that builds a hypothetical situation and imagines the worst possible scenario until I am in full-blown anxiety mode, all because of something I made up in my head which I ended up believing in. I think my mind unconsciously thinks that worrying in this way is somehow preventative and so when I don't worry, and focus on the present, I worry that I'm not worrying enough! I don't feel alert to the bad things that could potentially happen and so remaining in the present somehow feels like I'm taking my eye off the ball. When I meditate, this is easier to do, and I feel less guilty for not worrying. It's a slow process though.

cnoelj

Yeah I agree with that goldilockz. We start to believe a story we tell ourselves. This is seldom true. Lets just watch the story. There will be times we are able to laugh at it and the times we do will increase as we continue on the journey. Have you read the book 'Loving What is' by Byron Katie. She has a wonderful model of inquiry into what we believe about ourselves, others and the world and then asking 4 questions about every statements we make

1. Is it true
2. Can I absolutely know it is true
3 How do I react when I think about that thought
4. Who would I be without that thought?

Then there is a process she calls the turnaround that will make your statement just as true or more true for you.

One of Katie's favourite sayings is
'There is onlyone problem ever:
Your uninvestigated story in the moment'

[Deleted User]

cnoelj wrote: »

Yeah I agree with that goldilockz. We start to believe a story we tell ourselves. This is seldom true. Lets just watch the story. There will be times we are able to laugh at it and the times we do will increase as we continue on the journey. Have you read the book 'Loving What is' by Byron Katie. She has a wonderful model of inquiry into what we believe about ourselves, others and the world and then asking 4 questions about every statements we make

1. Is it true
2. Can I absolutely know it is true
3 How do I react when I think about that thought
4. Who would I be without that thought?

Then there is a process she calls the turnaround that will make your statement just as true or more true for you.

One of Katie's favourite sayings is
'There is onlyone problem ever:
Your uninvestigated story in the moment'

I haven't read Loving What Is but I have a CD of Byron Katie's talks and have read another of her books. I find her techniques very enlightening but also very difficult to put into practice. Often, I am completely engaged in a 'story' before I notice it. Just now, as I was having a shower, I was wrapped up in a fearful story in the future, and when I eventually noticed what was going on, my stomach was already in knots and my heart was palpitating so it was difficult to 'break free' from that. My mind very often is not satisfied with simply being in the moment. When I manage to quieten the mind, it throws a tantrum and insists I pay attention to it in the most destructive way.

cnoelj

Deleted_User wrote: »

I haven't read Loving What Is but I have a CD of Byron Katie's talks and have read another of her books. I find her techniques very enlightening but also very difficult to put into practice. Often, I am completely engaged in a 'story' before I notice it. Just now, as I was having a shower, I was wrapped up in a fearful story in the future, and when I eventually noticed what was going on, my stomach was already in knots and my heart was palpitating so it was difficult to 'break free' from that. My mind very often is not satisfied with simply being in the moment. When I manage to quieten the mind, it throws a tantrum and insists I pay attention to it in the most destructive way.

Yeah the ego will use every trick in the book to veer you away. Of course it wants to keep you safe and within your comfort zone so although the principles are simple, they are not necessarily easy, that is why it takes practice and the support of others.

candygirl

cnoelj wrote: »

It is really good that so many people are discovering meditation. I have been practising for a few years ago. I would encourage folk not to worry about the length of time they meditate. Just good to to have a daily practise if only for a few minutes a day rather than try and do too much and then give it up. Jon Kabat-Zinn points out that life is a meditation. Just watching your thoughts and feelings in as many moments during your day as you can remember is great, remembering we have thoughts and feelings but we are not those thoughts or feelings. Go easy on your self.

There are several other practices I have adopted which help me to come back to myself and to become grounded.

Firstly I practice Gratitude. I acknowledge the good things in my life and the lessons I am learning as a basis of making room to attract more of the good.

Also I recognise awe and wonder. Reflecting on how wonderful nature is and that we have been given the opportunity to be part of this wonder.

Thirdly I practice presence. We only have this present moment. Over attention to the guilt and regrets of the past or the false expectations and fears of the future take us away from the joy and magic of now.

Best wishes everyone and hope that you find the practices that suit you.

Welcome to the thread chuck, and i'm with you on the JKZ idea of presence:DIt's the only thing that's getting me through stuff at the moment:D

candygirl

Deleted_User wrote: »

I haven't read Loving What Is but I have a CD of Byron Katie's talks and have read another of her books. I find her techniques very enlightening but also very difficult to put into practice. Often, I am completely engaged in a 'story' before I notice it. Just now, as I was having a shower, I was wrapped up in a fearful story in the future, and when I eventually noticed what was going on, my stomach was already in knots and my heart was palpitating so it was difficult to 'break free' from that. My mind very often is not satisfied with simply being in the moment. When I manage to quieten the mind, it throws a tantrum and insists I pay attention to it in the most destructive way.

That souns just like me hun, and I even have imaginary rows in my head with peeps who are bugging me:(:(Plus the panic and palpitations too:(:(I have been doing the mindfulnes body scans at the mo, and have found them to have helped with the panic, but had a major crying do last night, and OH was fab:o:o

cnoelj

candygirl wrote: »

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Welcome to the thread chuck, and i'm with you on the JKZ idea of presence:DIt's the only thing that's getting me through stuff at the moment:D

I know that you will find peace, presence and purpose Candy. I admire your resolve to find your truth.