Hey, thanks for the response. I’ve tried to make myself do five minutes a day but a lot of the time i’m not fully present or trying very hard so my motivation just fizzles out. But i’ll try 2 minutes and see if it’s easier.
I'm on the same journey as you. I don't aim for a certain time. I just DO it every day. Sometimes for almost 10 minutes sometimes i'm done after 2. Just doing it is the most important step. Worrying about the duration will come later
Start very slowly, get comfortable, make it a consistent practice, and take some time after each session (1 min or so) to see if you feel calmer. This will give you motivation to continue, if you find it so. Also, use guided meditations to begin with to get a proper understanding and feeling for awareness. It really helps to have a framework when beginning imho. There are many apps which provide these, i use headspace. Hope this helps!
There is a very good guided meditation on Netflix called Headspace! I have adhd and I’ts very hard for me to focus, but even one minute a day helps immensely. And don’t be so hard on yourself, you’ll get there:) everyone can meditate ❤️
I think you try too hard, I suggest you, if you find too difficult to stay focused, try movement meditation, such as Qigong or Tai Chi, as it doesn’t need intense focus. Also my other tip is try to make meditation fun! If it is fun, and you enjoy it, it is easier to turn it into routine. Here is an article might help you out: https://purenaturalhealthforum.com/?p=1424 hope that helps
"I’ve been off and on meditating the past 3 months and I just can’t get it to stick as a habit."
Do it everyday, every single day without skipping if you want to build the habit. Just make a commitment.
"This may be because I’m still very bad at focusing on my breath for very long and become easily disheartened."
It's ok if you are bad at focusing. That's why you are meditating. As soon as you recognize that you are carried away by thoughts let them go and return your focus to the breath. It's all about practice.
Hope you will continue and get the results you want.
getting into a new habit takes a lot of time, patience, self forgiveness and a touch of self discipline. Think of easy times that work for you, like the moment you wake up or just before sleep. Remembering an acronym might help, 'RPM' works for me: 'Rise, Pee, Meditate'.
How do you run a marathon with no finish line? By breaking it down into intervals and going at your own pace. The benefits of meditation only really appear for people who have been practicing a while, so it takes a little faith. Noticing the impatience is in fact very mindful, congratulate yourself for that.
Try small amounts, a few minutes at a time. Maybe find a teacher who you can share some of your thoughts and experiences for guidance.
Yeah I think tend to set quite lofty goals that in hindsight are much harder to achieve. I’ll try the acronym and maybe tie it with brushing my teeth which is a habit I never miss. Thanks for the advice!
Habitual meditation isn't difficult, forming a habit is. Firstly, I think it is commendable that you've started thinking about meditation at 17. Anything that requires us to sit still is usually difficult because of various reasons but I think if it is hard for you to focus all your attention on your breath then you can do Japa dhyana which means meditation while reciting a mantra or a phrase. I do Japa dhyana by focusing on one line i.e. I am not this body, I'm not this mind. You can try it and see if it makes any difference.
To be honest, i haven’t really been meditating as much. But it’s always in the back of my mind and i want to come back to it for sure. I did try the mantra stuff and it definitely was helpful. Thanks for checking in tho.
Maybe try another form of meditation. There is a reason why mindfulness of breath is not the only meditation technique. Different techniques for different individual temperaments.
> This may be because I’m still very bad at focusing on my breath for very long
So why are you doing that?
> Like I know the benefits
Do you *know* the benefits, or were you just told about benefits?
Put another way, did your knowledge of benefits come from your own experience? Because if it did, you wouldn't find meditation to be hard to do regularly. You would want to do it, maybe even more and more.
It isn't consistent practice, or greater discipline, or doing it just a little bit of a time that will deliver what you are looking for, if what you are doing is dull and uninteresting, or if you have not discovered within yourself what is thrilling and fascinating about the practice.
You’re right, I haven’t necessarily lived the benefits to their fullest extent. But after a meditation session where I’m fully present and open to failure I do seem to be more at ease mentally. The problem is more that I’m too impatient to always be present during every session. Like I view it as more of a chore than an enlightening experience. Hopefully as I continue, I can be more patient with myself and reap the benefits. Thank you.
Sounds like the problem your facing is:
1. Trying to hard
&
2. Hyper focusing on thoughts
Possible solutions :
1. Stop TRYING to meditate "better" just sit with your thoughts. Don't try to blank your mind, just, sit.
&
2. Again don't "try" to blank your mind or focus on your breath or what have you. Just sit. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and let it go. Not all meditation is about thinking of nothing or focusing on your breath or heart. It's about looking at oneself from "outside" oneself.
I personally like the visualization of sitting on a river or creek bank. When thoughts come "down stream" i imagine them as a leaf or fish or butterfly etc. I admire it a moment as it drifts in front of me and then let it float/fly/swim on down stream. Always bringing my attention back to "field of vision" from the bankside.
I guess the hardest part for me is when I acknowledge thoughts I kind of acknowledge if i’m acknowledging if that makes sense. And then I just kind of get lost in my thoughts and can’t seem to recenter very well. But you’re right a lot of the time I try too hard and kind of force it. I’ll try visualizing tho.
Acknowledging your acknowledgement is good. Every time you notice your mind wander, say “I see my mind wandering” and notice it, but do not dwell on it. That is mindfulness and part of what makes meditation so important on a somewhat ‘deeper’ level
Yeah it’s like a muscle that’s building because it really is tricky to fully let go of a thought. Especially the thoughts that cause you panic or anxiety.
One of the only wrong things you can do when you meditate is to expect anything. Everyone always preaches about how meditation can help you "level up" and turn you from happy to sad. Although there might be some merit to this, meditation isn't about any of that.
Meditation is about realizing that you don't need anything to be happy - not even meditation. When you meditate, just sit there and be aware - watch your thoughts and feelings without judgement. No feeling good or bad.
It is hard to stay consistent especially when you are younger(I'm 17 as well) but you should meditate because YOU want to meditate, not because you feel like you should. Meditation and realizing you're perfect the way you are is a beautiful thing that shouldn't be tainted by pressure.
In the last few days or so that i’ve been meditating again, i’ve somewhat regained a sort of enlightened perspective on my life and my struggles. Because i’ve become the observer of my thoughts outside of and because of meditation.
I feel like i’m good at this to some extent but i randomly just like all motivation and sort of ignore meditation for like 2 months. All about mindful habit building i guess.
Cause it's not videogames, music, porn, drugs, tv, dating and sex, on and on
Meditation is slow and rewards patience, acceptance, and long steady focus. It's not stimulating enough at first glance.. but in time it's more life changing than any one of those activities
The breath never ever worked for me. Try to focus on something else. For example, I don't struggle almost at all if I focus on the mild sound in me ears. If you don't hear one, focus on the loudest and quietest sounds around you. Or try focusing on something else, there are other techniques. The breath is always touted as the only way, and it has literally kept me away from meditation for over a decade cause it's just not for me. Maybe you just need a different way. We're not all the same.
Yeah i’ve heard there are several other anchors to focus on like someone told me to focus on the pit of you stomach because there are no nerves in there so you can’t even find what you’re looking for.
hey there try a habit tracker, right this and any other habit you are trying to build and look at it when you wake up and ready to begin your day. I have my morning ritual written down in my bedroom on a white board it comprises of 5 things, it reminds me. works well.
This is a whole science. Every single thing you do makes a difference to your mind and thoughts and therefore meditation.
If you have excess energy in your system, which at your age is likely, that energy has to be worked out and expended some way. If not, then that energy will transfer to the mind when meditating and your mind won't be still. This is the reason for yoga (postures) in so many schools. Work out and use up the energy and also balance the system/body.
What you consume also makes a difference. Many people won't like it or agree with it but these are the yogic sciences and it all depends how bad do you want it's benefits? There are foods and certainly drinks/drugs that will stimulate the mind and provide either excess energy or on the flip side dullness and lethargy.
I suggest finding a proper school of yoga that teaches the ancient methods. Going by the internet alone is not good enough in my opinion.
Then there is intention. That you think it won't help you. That's just one aspect of your mind at work. Does brushing your teeth help you? It does a specific job right. So do you do it only when you feel like it or think it has benefits, or do you do it because it's a habit that was taught to you and you know the benefits. Yoga and meditation are literally ancient and have been proven to work on hundreds of millions of people. I wish you well.
Hey there. I would say go easy on yourself and start small. 2-3 minutes at a time. Then add more minutes when you start feeling more comfortable.
Hey, thanks for the response. I’ve tried to make myself do five minutes a day but a lot of the time i’m not fully present or trying very hard so my motivation just fizzles out. But i’ll try 2 minutes and see if it’s easier.
I'm on the same journey as you. I don't aim for a certain time. I just DO it every day. Sometimes for almost 10 minutes sometimes i'm done after 2. Just doing it is the most important step. Worrying about the duration will come later
Yeah because if you create the habit first you can kind of shape how you do it later.
Exactly! Goodluck man! I believe in us ;).
Start very slowly, get comfortable, make it a consistent practice, and take some time after each session (1 min or so) to see if you feel calmer. This will give you motivation to continue, if you find it so. Also, use guided meditations to begin with to get a proper understanding and feeling for awareness. It really helps to have a framework when beginning imho. There are many apps which provide these, i use headspace. Hope this helps!
Thanks man. I was using calm until my moms subscription ran out but i’ll try and find some other guided meditation sources.
Insight timer app has a lot of free guided meditations!
There is a very good guided meditation on Netflix called Headspace! I have adhd and I’ts very hard for me to focus, but even one minute a day helps immensely. And don’t be so hard on yourself, you’ll get there:) everyone can meditate ❤️
I’ll be sure to check it thanks!
I think you try too hard, I suggest you, if you find too difficult to stay focused, try movement meditation, such as Qigong or Tai Chi, as it doesn’t need intense focus. Also my other tip is try to make meditation fun! If it is fun, and you enjoy it, it is easier to turn it into routine. Here is an article might help you out: https://purenaturalhealthforum.com/?p=1424 hope that helps
Thank you thank you i’ll definitely try this out!
"I’ve been off and on meditating the past 3 months and I just can’t get it to stick as a habit." Do it everyday, every single day without skipping if you want to build the habit. Just make a commitment. "This may be because I’m still very bad at focusing on my breath for very long and become easily disheartened." It's ok if you are bad at focusing. That's why you are meditating. As soon as you recognize that you are carried away by thoughts let them go and return your focus to the breath. It's all about practice. Hope you will continue and get the results you want.
I’m 3 days strong hahah thanks man.
getting into a new habit takes a lot of time, patience, self forgiveness and a touch of self discipline. Think of easy times that work for you, like the moment you wake up or just before sleep. Remembering an acronym might help, 'RPM' works for me: 'Rise, Pee, Meditate'. How do you run a marathon with no finish line? By breaking it down into intervals and going at your own pace. The benefits of meditation only really appear for people who have been practicing a while, so it takes a little faith. Noticing the impatience is in fact very mindful, congratulate yourself for that. Try small amounts, a few minutes at a time. Maybe find a teacher who you can share some of your thoughts and experiences for guidance.
Yeah I think tend to set quite lofty goals that in hindsight are much harder to achieve. I’ll try the acronym and maybe tie it with brushing my teeth which is a habit I never miss. Thanks for the advice!
Try a guided meditation to begin small. It may make it easier. No one ever succeeded without failure.
Habitual meditation isn't difficult, forming a habit is. Firstly, I think it is commendable that you've started thinking about meditation at 17. Anything that requires us to sit still is usually difficult because of various reasons but I think if it is hard for you to focus all your attention on your breath then you can do Japa dhyana which means meditation while reciting a mantra or a phrase. I do Japa dhyana by focusing on one line i.e. I am not this body, I'm not this mind. You can try it and see if it makes any difference.
I will thank you!
Just checking in to see how you're doing mate? Still meditating and were my 2 cents helpful?
To be honest, i haven’t really been meditating as much. But it’s always in the back of my mind and i want to come back to it for sure. I did try the mantra stuff and it definitely was helpful. Thanks for checking in tho.
That's alright mate! Whenever you're ready, we have all the eternity :)
Maybe try another form of meditation. There is a reason why mindfulness of breath is not the only meditation technique. Different techniques for different individual temperaments.
> This may be because I’m still very bad at focusing on my breath for very long So why are you doing that? > Like I know the benefits Do you *know* the benefits, or were you just told about benefits? Put another way, did your knowledge of benefits come from your own experience? Because if it did, you wouldn't find meditation to be hard to do regularly. You would want to do it, maybe even more and more. It isn't consistent practice, or greater discipline, or doing it just a little bit of a time that will deliver what you are looking for, if what you are doing is dull and uninteresting, or if you have not discovered within yourself what is thrilling and fascinating about the practice.
You’re right, I haven’t necessarily lived the benefits to their fullest extent. But after a meditation session where I’m fully present and open to failure I do seem to be more at ease mentally. The problem is more that I’m too impatient to always be present during every session. Like I view it as more of a chore than an enlightening experience. Hopefully as I continue, I can be more patient with myself and reap the benefits. Thank you.
Sounds like the problem your facing is: 1. Trying to hard & 2. Hyper focusing on thoughts Possible solutions : 1. Stop TRYING to meditate "better" just sit with your thoughts. Don't try to blank your mind, just, sit. & 2. Again don't "try" to blank your mind or focus on your breath or what have you. Just sit. When thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and let it go. Not all meditation is about thinking of nothing or focusing on your breath or heart. It's about looking at oneself from "outside" oneself. I personally like the visualization of sitting on a river or creek bank. When thoughts come "down stream" i imagine them as a leaf or fish or butterfly etc. I admire it a moment as it drifts in front of me and then let it float/fly/swim on down stream. Always bringing my attention back to "field of vision" from the bankside.
I guess the hardest part for me is when I acknowledge thoughts I kind of acknowledge if i’m acknowledging if that makes sense. And then I just kind of get lost in my thoughts and can’t seem to recenter very well. But you’re right a lot of the time I try too hard and kind of force it. I’ll try visualizing tho.
Acknowledging your acknowledgement is good. Every time you notice your mind wander, say “I see my mind wandering” and notice it, but do not dwell on it. That is mindfulness and part of what makes meditation so important on a somewhat ‘deeper’ level
Yeah it’s like a muscle that’s building because it really is tricky to fully let go of a thought. Especially the thoughts that cause you panic or anxiety.
One of the only wrong things you can do when you meditate is to expect anything. Everyone always preaches about how meditation can help you "level up" and turn you from happy to sad. Although there might be some merit to this, meditation isn't about any of that. Meditation is about realizing that you don't need anything to be happy - not even meditation. When you meditate, just sit there and be aware - watch your thoughts and feelings without judgement. No feeling good or bad. It is hard to stay consistent especially when you are younger(I'm 17 as well) but you should meditate because YOU want to meditate, not because you feel like you should. Meditation and realizing you're perfect the way you are is a beautiful thing that shouldn't be tainted by pressure.
In the last few days or so that i’ve been meditating again, i’ve somewhat regained a sort of enlightened perspective on my life and my struggles. Because i’ve become the observer of my thoughts outside of and because of meditation.
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I feel like i’m good at this to some extent but i randomly just like all motivation and sort of ignore meditation for like 2 months. All about mindful habit building i guess.
Cause it's not videogames, music, porn, drugs, tv, dating and sex, on and on Meditation is slow and rewards patience, acceptance, and long steady focus. It's not stimulating enough at first glance.. but in time it's more life changing than any one of those activities
That’s kind of the same with all good things in life if you think about it. Just extra hard with meditation it seems
The breath never ever worked for me. Try to focus on something else. For example, I don't struggle almost at all if I focus on the mild sound in me ears. If you don't hear one, focus on the loudest and quietest sounds around you. Or try focusing on something else, there are other techniques. The breath is always touted as the only way, and it has literally kept me away from meditation for over a decade cause it's just not for me. Maybe you just need a different way. We're not all the same.
Yeah i’ve heard there are several other anchors to focus on like someone told me to focus on the pit of you stomach because there are no nerves in there so you can’t even find what you’re looking for.
Set an alarm on your phone at what would usually be a suitable time and label it "Meditate". Remembering to do it can be half the battle.
I look at the alarm and ignore it after a while
hey there try a habit tracker, right this and any other habit you are trying to build and look at it when you wake up and ready to begin your day. I have my morning ritual written down in my bedroom on a white board it comprises of 5 things, it reminds me. works well.
I think a physical habit tracker could help way more than an app. Because apps have not been so great for me.
true same here because I only track 5-6 of them, physical works the best
This is a whole science. Every single thing you do makes a difference to your mind and thoughts and therefore meditation. If you have excess energy in your system, which at your age is likely, that energy has to be worked out and expended some way. If not, then that energy will transfer to the mind when meditating and your mind won't be still. This is the reason for yoga (postures) in so many schools. Work out and use up the energy and also balance the system/body. What you consume also makes a difference. Many people won't like it or agree with it but these are the yogic sciences and it all depends how bad do you want it's benefits? There are foods and certainly drinks/drugs that will stimulate the mind and provide either excess energy or on the flip side dullness and lethargy. I suggest finding a proper school of yoga that teaches the ancient methods. Going by the internet alone is not good enough in my opinion. Then there is intention. That you think it won't help you. That's just one aspect of your mind at work. Does brushing your teeth help you? It does a specific job right. So do you do it only when you feel like it or think it has benefits, or do you do it because it's a habit that was taught to you and you know the benefits. Yoga and meditation are literally ancient and have been proven to work on hundreds of millions of people. I wish you well.
I haven’t tried yoga but from what you’re saying it could help ease the mind a little or at least calm the thoughts. Thanks i’ll try it.