The meditation thread

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

So we all know that meditation is a relaxing thing that relieves stress and is quite enjoyable, though it doesn't seem, at least to me, that a lot of people are doing it. If you meditate, what do you like to use it for? What do you listen to to meditate? I like to listen to Marconi Union - Weightless. It's known to be the world's most relaxing tune.

[4april 374]

I meditate sometimes. It helps me relax thought I don't listen to music when doing it.

[Dark Horse 12,961]

I tend to meditate whenever I'm feeling overly stressed or anxious about something, I like to keep a clear head and maintain focus whenever I can. I usually open up spotify and start up the Meditation playlists they have on there whenever I need it, they really help in letting your mind drift and empty itself of thoughts. Hard to describe, but it's like floating in a sea of many colours.

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

I'm a Buddhist pony believe it or not

Mediation is a large part of my day, and is often misunderstood or practiced incorrectly in the western world.

Some times I will have mantra chants playing in the background, but more often than not I will meditate to the sound of the world going on around me, with my eyes open.

[4april 374]

 

 

I'm a Buddhist pony believe it or not

 

Oh! I am a Hindu, so I too meditate frequently.

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

but more often than not I will meditate to the sound of the world going on around me, with my eyes open.

Cool. I have my eyes closed and I don't hum.

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

 

 

Cool. I have my eyes closed and I don't hum.

Meditation is something that should be done with your eyes open, when you get used to it

The golden rules are let the eye see, and let the ear hear.

You are not trying to shut out the world when meditating, you are trying to understand it

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

Meditation is something that should be done with your eyes open, when you get used to it

The golden rules are let the eye see, and let the ear hear.

You are not trying to shut out the world when meditating, you are trying to understand it

Oh, really? I thought you would do it with your eyes closed. Is meditation done differently throughout the world? Because from what my teacher said, I thought that meditation involved close eyes.

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

That is one of the most common misconceptions about mediation.

At first it is OK to meditate with your eyes closed. It helps to remove distractions a bit and allows you to focus a little.

But as you become more used to becoming mindful, you should open your eyes and look about 3m in front of you at the floor.

As your mood changes during the session, you can raze or lower you gaze to keep your mind level. If you start to feel down a little, you move your gaze up, and down if you start to feel to elated.

Another thing people often do wrong is to think that they have to do a 20 min session. This is not true. it is better to do several short  sessions of a few minutes, allowing yourself to relax between them, but still holding the mindfulness.

You can even meditate while making a cup of tea. It's just getting used to being mindful of yourself and your actions.

Try it the next time you make a cup of tea. Be aware of every last little movement you are making. Let thoughts run into your mind and out again, don't hold on to them.

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

At first it is OK to meditate with your eyes closed. It helps to remove distractions a bit and allows you to focus a little.

Ok, I should have mentioned earlier that I recently got into meditation and felt it deserves a thread.

[Bogrick Grey Mane 2,594]

Ok, I should have mentioned earlier that I recently got into meditation and felt it deserves a thread.

That's OK If you ever need any help with it, or just want to talk about it I'm always around the forum somewhere

[Winterbass 763]

I used to meditate from time to time but not as often anymore. The biggest meditative state I used to be in was when I practiced martial arts techniques, just feeling every moving part in my body and letting my mind flow with thoughts was extremely relaxing.

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

I used to meditate from time to time but not as often anymore. The biggest meditative state I used to be in was when I practiced martial arts techniques, just feeling every moving part in my body and letting my mind flow with thoughts was extremely relaxing.

Martial arts? I thought that those were fighting moves. What are they actually?

[LeonShi500 155]

Martial arts? I thought that those were fighting moves. What are they actually?

Meditation is basically synonymous with focus+control in this case. This is why Yoga and meditation are often paired together and can be considered one and the same sometimes. The sense of oneness, for a lack of a better term, one feels when practicing martial arts as a type of meditation is a wonderful experience. It's like your body is on autopilot, but you know you have full control over everything. It can be quite invigorating. 

 

And be careful when you decide to listen to music while meditating. Music can often be counter intuitive, distracting you from entering a full meditative state, or at least slowing the process. I suppose it can be useful for people who just need something to sooth their mind from the very beginning, but it's generally not encouraged among traditional meditators. Biannual beats is a weird exception to all of this that supposedly directly targets the Pineal gland in order to decalcify it, which basically means to put it too its full usage.

Edited December 27, 2015 by LeonShi500

[Paianis 489]

One of those topics I can't say anything meaningful about, because it has different meanings depending on the context. It also has a bit of an 'eastern spirituality' stigma that I'd prefer not to associate myself with, no matter how useful meditation or yoga are.

[LILDOOP 13]

I meditate sometimes. Its relaxing.

Edited December 29, 2015 by LILDOOP

[LeonShi500 155]

One of those topics I can't say anything meaningful about, because it has different meanings depending on the context. It also has a bit of an 'eastern spirituality' stigma that I'd prefer not to associate myself with, no matter how useful meditation or yoga are.

Meditation can be used either to enhance your spirituality or simply as a means of relaxation. The 'eastern spirituality' shouldn't put you off just because meditation was more commonly done in the eastern parts of the world. Spirituality is still spirituality regardless of their location, and meditation can be useful for everyone. Meditation isn't trademarked to eastern spirituality.

 

For example, Zazen meditation at its simplest just requires you to sit down and place full concentration on your breathing. Just because the idea came from the east doesn't mean it should be a turnoff. It wouldn't matter if Zazen originated in Japan, Germany, Brazil, etc, because the meditation can be practiced completely neutrally. You can even connect meditation to whichever religion you wish to do so if you'd like, but that's completely optional.

Edited December 29, 2015 by LeonShi500

[Sabrinie 392]

I try to meditate at least every other day; I usually meditate in order to connect with my gods and goddesses and to help me ground myself and cut back on stress/depression. Meditation is really important to me and I find it to be one of the most beneficial things for my health and well being. 

[JeyWiz 1,097]

I'm not a Hindu or Bhuddist or anything like that but this Sanskrit chant always makes me want to relax and meditate in my room.

 

Edited December 29, 2015 by Ravelicious

[gamecubeguy214 2,512]

I try to meditate at least every other day; I usually meditate in order to connect with my gods and goddesses and to help me ground myself and cut back on stress/depression. Meditation is really important to me and I find it to be one of the most beneficial things for my health and well being. 

I don't think you should force yourself to meditate, because if you meditate and you really don't want to, then that seems to ruin the point of it.

[Blackshirt Brony 415]

I am a Thelemite, and meditation is necessary for my nightly rituals. I usually stand up straight (contrary to most practices) although a comfortable chair is nice if I'm having trouble relaxing. Deep breaths are a must; I think most people take breaths that are really too shallow, especially if they are already anxious. I typically wouldn't use music, but sometimes I might use this:

 

 

[EpicEnergy 23,218]

I don't practice meditation that much so I don't have anything that I listen to when I meditate.

[CheeryFox 23,821]

I do it once or twice a day. Sometimes with sound - but usually not.

[Splashee 28,564]

Meditation doesn't work for me. It is one of those things, like martial arts, that just seem like a thing some people are able to do, and others will never understand.

[Ixrec 86]

On 12/24/2015 at 5:38 PM, gamecubeguy214 said:

So we all know that meditation is a relaxing thing that relieves stress and is quite enjoyable, though it doesn't seem, at least to me, that a lot of people are doing it.

This is probably fairly unique to me, but I haven’t done much meditation simply because unstressed, relaxed, unburdened with worldly concerns or whatever is kind of my default mental state. My ex once said I was the most Buddhist-like non-Buddhist she knew.

Which is a double-edged sword: I would never get around to petty worldly concerns like taking out the trash or exercising if I didn’t make a conscious effort (until it becomes a habit). Or non-petty ones like seeking out actual friends instead of simply rewatching FiM again.

The one time I did seriously attempt meditation was to try and get control of my sleep cycle. But nowadays it’s pretty clear that my sleep cycle is actually very consistent, and when it does get thrown off it’s always because I did something silly like staying up until 2 am reading ponyfics. 

Edited July 2, 2020 by Ixrec