Starting and continuing a meditation practice

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited February 2015

    Special K--good thoughts to you for MRI!

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited February 2015
    Ditto, SK.
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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2015

    Thanks guys - I just want to get it over with - this was ordered by my MO in late December, but first I got the flu - aside from the pesky breast cancer I have not been sick in 10 years, then tried to do the DEXA (which is walk-in in a military hospital, and twice I found the hospital was closed in the middle of the day after my hour drive to get there, ugh!) so finally got that done in late Jan. with nothing alarming showing from a density standpoint, and I dropped off the orders for the scans, since you can't call for an appointment.  Played phone tag for a week, and this was the first block of time long enough for all three MRIs to be done, so it has been a wait.

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  • bobogirl
    bobogirl Member Posts: 2,777
    edited February 2015

    SK, in the bag! And looking forward to our lunch on Friday -- 10 a.m.! I have two whole hours and fifteen minutes for our coffee and lunch!

    Sending you hugs.

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  • SpecialK
    SpecialK Member Posts: 16,486
    edited February 2015

    bobo - it will be the highlight of my week!

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited February 2015

    Was getting my roots done yesterday when i checked my phone and saw that Leonard Nimoy had passed. I said out loud, "Oh, Leonard Nimoy died!" and my hairdresser said, "Who is that?"

    I guess I am old.

    Saw this as one of his last tweets last week and thought it was profound:

    "A life is like a garden," he wrote. "Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP." (Live Long And Prosper)

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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited February 2015


    that is profound,,, thank you for sharing that.

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited March 2015

    Yesterday I REALLY did not want to meditate. I wanted to look at bs on the internet. But I did it anyway. I decided to make doing it anyway, if nothing else, an accomplishment. Like going to the gym when you don't want to.

    Today I didn't face the same resistance. I started wondering if maybe my mind had slowed down a bit, like 10% less thoughts and 10% more focus. Then I realized I was thinking!!

    Happy Sunday to all.


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  • bobogirl
    bobogirl Member Posts: 2,777
    edited March 2015

    Excellent report, Fourminor!

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  • DivineMrsM
    DivineMrsM Member Posts: 9,620
    edited March 2015

    interesting you should mention 10%, because a few months ago, I read a book by Dan Harris, one of the news anchors on ABC on Nightline and the weekend morning show, called " 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story".

    It was an interesting book, a bit autobiographical, and basically he says meditation didn't necessarily transform his life completely but did it has made a difference, he practices it 35 minutes a day and feels more calm and focused

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015
    Sounds interesting, Mrs. M. Our library only has it as an ebook (not my favorite format) so I'll have to see if I can figure out how to download it - or possibly find it at a used book store. Thanks for the suggestion.
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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited March 2015


    Sounds like a good book!  Will have to look for it.  I got in some meditation at yoga today. Everytime my mind drifted to all the things I needed to do later,,, i kept gently bringing it back to focus on my mantra or the color blue.  (throat chakra today)  It's not easy,,, but will keep trying. I think chanting really helps to keep you focused.

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited March 2015

    Skipped my usual practice today to watch and follow this free sample video on Loving Kindness meditation from the Daily Dharma Gathering hosted by Susan Piver. If you have half an hour to watch and follow I found it to be a lovely change from following the breath. Also liked her suggestion that the body be a vehicle for your liberation aka my breast cancer.

    http://susanpiver.com/daily-dharma-gathering-sampl...


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  • labelle
    labelle Member Posts: 721
    edited March 2015

    I have trouble with unguided meditation so I went to youtube and found several guided meditation videos that I like and use. Of course, I had to sift thru plenty that I did not find helpful, but now have 4-5 I really like. Those having trouble with their meditation practice might want to take a look-it's free after all.

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  • Karz72
    Karz72 Member Posts: 160
    edited March 2015

    Great topic - I've become a fan of meditation in the past few years & am actively using it as part of my personal treatment plan since dx. I use simple meditation for calming & focusing as well as visualisations targeting my tumour & mets sites.

    Glennie19 I use FragrantHeart.com mostly: http://www.fragrantheart.com/cms/free-audio-medita...


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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015
    Thanks for all the good suggestions for guided meditations. It would not have occurred to me to sort through You Tube for them.
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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited March 2015


    Karz:  thanks for the recommendation!!

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  • PeggySull
    PeggySull Member Posts: 686
    edited March 2015

    I've read many of the posts here and got a lot of valuable information. I am in the process of getting our house ready to sell so we can move to NC for retirement. Iam antsy and have so much to accomplish I can't sit still for long. So I think that right now my goal will be mindfulness as I carry out my day. That is challenge enough for me.

    Anyone in a similar situation when a formal meditation practice just doesn't feel possible at this time?

    Thanks,

    Peggy

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited March 2015

    Today I cut it short at 7 1/2 minutes. Giving myself credit for sitting.

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  • DivineMrsM
    DivineMrsM Member Posts: 9,620
    edited March 2015

    Peggy, yes, good point! This week my son is home on spring break. My husband normally works day turn but is on afternoon shift this week so is home all morning till two thirty pm. This disrupts and interrupts my regular routine. I don't mind at all, and I don't stress that I haven't made any quiet time to meditate or even think about being mindful. It's possible that sometimes life goes along well enough that we don't have to be shackled by one more'obligation' we've imposed on ourselves. When my house quiets down in a week or so, I may decide to be more contemplative for a half hour or so each day again. Right now, I'm gonna go with the flow and I think that's just fine

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015

    Hi, Peggy! Good luck with your packing and planning. At a time like that, you simply cannot have too much mindfulness! Focus on the task at hand and let that be your meditation. To do otherwise risks losses, chaos and breakage. This is the voice of experience speaking :)

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited March 2015

    As I feared, going back to work has already started to challenge my morning meditation practice, and now the ridiculously early start to daylight savings time (Thanks GWB!) is hammering it. I'm barely awake and its too late already. Also started getting sick yesterday. I heard the person who covered me while I was out was coughing all over my desk and my staff wiped everything down, but I"m afraid it wasn't enough.


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  • cookiegal
    cookiegal Member Posts: 3,296
    edited March 2015

    great thread, can't wait to catch up and contribute, I am a work in progress on this, but trying

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015
    Good to have you here, Cookie!
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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited March 2015

    Well, the Daylight Savings Time has completely interrupted my one month solid of daily meditation. I don't know why they moved it up from April. The extra light at night is not that useful as its still cold out. Instead I wake up in a daze and am already running late every day. This is completely on George Bush. I will vote for whomever will move it back to where it used to be, after the spring solstice.

    I've also been sick the all week, and work has been busier than ever. Basically, i have concluded that I really don't want to be doing this for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, it pays the bills, and I am the only one working right now.

    On another note did anyone see in the news that the Dalai Lama said he may not incarnate again and the Chinese government is freaking out because they wanted to pick the next Dalai Lama themselves so they could control the Tibetan people?? They said its not up to him whether he incarnates again, its up to THEM!! Too funny how their entire facade falls apart! Dalai Lama just is constant thorn in their side. Can't make that up!

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/09/china-dal...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/12/world/asia/china...



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  • glennie19
    glennie19 Member Posts: 6,398
    edited March 2015

    WOW,,,, And the Chinese govt are supposed to be atheists,, not Buddists,,,, so WHY do they care?  Cuz they want to control Tibet,, that's the only reason.   I did not realize that he had been in exile since 1959,, that's the year Castrol also came to control Cuba (he was mentioned in the one article about his picking the next Pope!)  and the year I was born! So the Dalai Lama has been in exile my entire life. that is so sad.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited March 2015

    Yes, I find the whole business with the Chinese gov't. vis-a-vis the Dalai Lama to be pretty surreal. Frankly, I have no use for them (the gov't) and find it appalling that we rely so heavily on China for so much. Don't even get me started....

    Totally agree with you on DST - it starts too early and ends too late. I'd love to see a national referendum on the issue but I'm not holding my breath!

    I'm missing yoga today due to a horrid cold - and I miss it already. I really didn't want to expose anyone else to this, however, on top of the practical challenges of trying to participate when I can barely breathe...

    Here's hoping we can all find our way back to our best path quickly.

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  • amieclemens5
    amieclemens5 Member Posts: 28
    edited March 2015

    this is all very helpful. Thanks so much :-)

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  • Fourminor
    Fourminor Member Posts: 354
    edited April 2015

    Well, as I suspected, returning to work and daylight savings meant my meditation hit a roadblock. If I got to sit once during the week and once during the weekend, that's been it. My problem is it has to be mornings or it doesn't happen and if i'm dragging, those 15 minutes are suddenly gone. But I am proposing to myself that I cut down the time to 10 minutes (was doing 15), to see if that helps me get back into it.

    But i do notice that when I mange to get it in, I feel like I've treated myself in some way for the day.

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  • Hopeful82014
    Hopeful82014 Member Posts: 3,480
    edited April 2015
    That's a good idea, FM, to cut it back to a more manageable length of time. Maybe on weekends you can add in a few more minutes as a treat?
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