Meditation... how does it help you. I... - Anxiety and Depre...

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Meditation... how does it help you. I can see the short-term value in it for calming and relaxation but I do not get the long-term value.

Montana136 profile image
18 Replies

I know about meditation I've attempted meditation I find it can be difficult because of interruptive anxious thoughts. I can meditate for a short while. But I never seem to keep it up keep it going. I've been on a healing path for over 40 years and learned a lot of things but today I'm wondering about your belief in, benefits in meditation. For those of you that have been diligent and persistent in your meditation practice I wonder how you got to regular practice. What does it do for you? For those of you who find it beneficial and relaxing in a long-term basis can you recommend any guided meditations for night time YouTube whatever. My goal is to improve my self-esteem I think at the core feeling worthless not enforcing my own boundaries always forsaking my pain so that others don't have to . I need to find something beneficial and I'm not knowing where to start. Any recommendations encouraging stories success stories would do me good right now. I am suffering with depression and anxiety and PTSD symptoms. I feel lonely even though I know I'm not alone. Anyway any suggestions speakers meditators encouraging motivators that you know of on YouTube please name them so that I can do a search and start listening to some positive talk outside of this group and outside of my own disturbing thoughts in my head. Thank you for your time and support. I hope you have a lovely day bless you all be well. ❤️🌈✌️

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Montana136 profile image
Montana136
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18 Replies
Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14

Hi

I have been meditating for over 5 years daily. Things started out slowly of course. Over time I learned to relax and let things go. It's a great feeling to release the body and mind

I use insight timer. You can plug in anything you want to hear about. I also have ptsd and I have childhood trauma. There are so many different meditation teachers I have found along the way. I have learned so much

I think the key is to keep going. Eventually you get to a point where you can shut out the world

Best of luck

🐬

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toDolphin14

🐬 So inspirational. Thanks for sharing. Montana, thanks for asking the question. You can try searching for 10 minutes meditations and then go onto longer ones also search for specific meditation for sleep or healing or balancing chakras… etc For years I meditated with a group mindfulness class and then I slipped into a horrible time in which I couldn’t meditate but now more recently I meditate alone every day a few times a day usually and I am def learning to not be as restless and to let go and accept more often and I use my breath a lot to bring me back to a calm space. ❤️ ⭐️

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toStarrlight

It's wonderful isn't it Star:) I started with the short ones too. Sometimes I like those if I'm having a bit of anxiety that I can't get a handle on. Ten minutes is something that can re set us into the moment

Namaste my friend

❤️🐬

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toDolphin14

It is so wonderful! Namaste beautiful you

Lve2dance profile image
Lve2dance in reply toDolphin14

Great ideas 😊. I have an Amazon Fire TV and sometimes I put on Spotify meditation before work especially

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toLve2dance

Great

❤️🐬

Lve2dance profile image
Lve2dance in reply toDolphin14

💕😊

SadT-Rex3 profile image
SadT-Rex3

Montana136,

I have been meditating for about 30 years. When my thoughts get too blurred, murky and loud. I find a simple 5 to 10 minute mental exercise can help relieve the stress most of the time. I'm not always regular in my meditation habits, but more often then not I return to this life coping skill. Like any skill, it takes time and practice to find the benefits. Ultimately I find after a meditation session, my mind is at ease, calm and ready to focus. However, there are times this doesn't work for me and I have to rely on other methods for good mental health. Such as physical labor, distractions techniques or talk therapy and breathing exercises. It's good to have a mix of coping skills you use regularly. We are what we tell ourselves. So be kind, be loving and be easy on you. You are your own and best advocate. Be well.

Dolphin14 profile image
Dolphin14 in reply toSadT-Rex3

Wow! Go you !! That's awesome

Welcome to the community

🐬

Starrlight profile image
Starrlight in reply toSadT-Rex3

So great SadT-Rex!i love what you say about being kind loving and easy on you. That’s my main thing I feel I need to practice right now.

Agora1 profile image
Agora1 in reply toSadT-Rex3

Ditto :) xx

SadT-Rex3 profile image
SadT-Rex3

not always easy to do, but you should try anyway. One day it will work.

Sam Harris has an app and he says it's not just about relaxing meditation but enlightenment. Maybe give that a go. He is also a neuro scientist.

Artistfriend profile image
Artistfriend

I sit with myself every morning for a about 15 minutes and sort of meditate, its like a daily check in, where i just relax and see where my mind is at that day. I just let whatever thoughts i have be there and just focus on my breath. I think thats how it works at first just let your mind race or do what it wants, eventually youll feel more centered, it takes practice. Its definitely helped me, i think any daily self care practice is helpful overall.

I listen to the Anxiety Coaches Podcast w Gina Ryan, she always talks about the importance of meditation and thats what got me to try

Focusedmind profile image
Focusedmind

What everyone has said above, I genuinely believe. I started practicing Transcendental Meditation in college and have used it ever since. Recently I have used it with the concept of DBT and mindfulness. All you have to do is read about the studies of brain waves from Mayo Health Clinic to help you believe in the benefits.

Here are a couple of other articles you can read that might convince you:

health.harvard.edu/staying-...

meditationlifestyle.com/10-...

MaggieSylvie profile image
MaggieSylvie

It's not arriving at the destination: it's the journey that's important. We all have to calm those intrusive thoughts. It's near impossible, but trying produces rewards.😊

punkster profile image
punkster

I started meditation to help deal with my anxiety. You've heard the term "practice meditation", and that literally means to treat it like you would any other type of "training", such as athletic training. It takes consistency, like practicing every day for it to make a difference. Meditation helps me with my anxiety, but there are times when I cannot bring myself to meditate. Recently my husband had heart surgery, and I could not relax. I have started meditating again. The thing about meditation is that you are not supposed to be judging yourself, and realizing that sometimes you won't be able to ignore the intrusive thoughts, but that is ok. The focus is on the breath, and when you start to have the intrusive thoughts, you just focus on the breath. I have used apps, such as Calm and Balance to teach me the basics of meditation. I still prefer guided meditation, so I continue to use the apps. You can also find meditations on Spotify. I think that there are many different kinds of meditations, you just have to search for them. Best of luck!

designguy profile image
designguy

Like Punkster, I started meditation to help cope with anxiety. I tried some formal meditations but ended up doing my own simple version of mindfulness mediation because I wanted to keep it simple and hopefully something I would stick with. For me it is just sitting and being with my thoughts and emotions and focusing on my breath and letting whatever thoughts come and allowing them to flow in and out of my mind, just observing them and not attaching to them. If I feel my mind wandering too much I bring my focus back to my breath and continue. I try not to judge myself or the process and be kind and compassionate towards myself. It has been invaluable for learning to be able to sit and be with my thoughts and emotions and even very difficult ones and realize that I am not my thoughts and emotions and that they can come and go without affecting me unless I choose to allow them. It's been invaluable also to be able to not be triggered or believe my anxious thinking which is what perpetuates anxiety and enabled my recovery from it. It has also provided me greater peace with myself and more ability/awareness of being present in my life. The other great thing about my approach and having done it enough is that I can do it anywhere, even when driving on a highway.

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