I was with my brother in law this weekend in State College and we were discussing just how stressful life can get. He said that the practices TM and it has significantly reduced his stress and improved his overall happiness, basically helps keep life and its challenges in perspective and balanced. I am one of those guys that is continually on edge, a bit stressed - which in many regards has served me very well in my career, but I do want to find a better balance. Thoughts?
OT: Anyone practice Transcendental Meditation
- Thread starter psu_1989
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With regard to meditation, people should be respected regardless of their dental orientation.
Every goddamn day.
I tried it many years ago when it was the in thing to do. All it did was make me sleepy. You may want to try mindfulness (there are often Teaching Company Great Courses CD sets on ebay for a few dollars) - it is similar to TM but without the cultish accretions that haunt TM.
I’ve struggled with the whole not worrying about what you can’t control. I was traveling without reading material and picked up a book at the airport called 10% Happier. It was about a tv news personality (Dan Harris) who struggled controlling the “asshole” in his head. His journey led him to mindfulness meditation. I must say that I really connected with the authors story and struggle. I have also done some other research that have led me to believe that mindfulness and specifically meditation are a great benefit to settling ones mind and being at peace with the world. I also recommend reading Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.
That being said, I haven’t been able to jump in with both feet on the meditation thing just yet. I will continue to work on trying to make this part of my routine and/or lifestyle.
That being said, I haven’t been able to jump in with both feet on the meditation thing just yet. I will continue to work on trying to make this part of my routine and/or lifestyle.
Catholics, and others, may be familiar with praying the Rosary. About 6 months ago my wife and I began watching, and praying, the Rosary each night from 9:30 to 10:00 on EWTN. We do not pray out loud, but listen, pray internally, and meditate. We didn't expect to continue with it, but we have, and it has had a very positive impact. As an example, I have always been a bit short tempered, but that has been dramatically reduced and my wife has mentioned it. We both feel a greater calm in our daily lives. For us it has made a real difference.
On the general mediation (not TM) and mindfulness theme, there is an app called the Daily Calm which is a great intro to mindfulness. I highly recommend it. It’s basically a daily 10 minute guided meditation with a positive and thoughtful daily theme and message. I don’t listen to it every day, but when I do it’s often the best 10 minutes of the day.
I also did TM when it was the cool thing to do. But, I always ended up falling asleep. So, I figured a good power nap is just as good as TM. I normally take a 10-15 minute nap whenever I get too much stress. Using something like TM, I can fall asleep quickly.
My granddad used to come home from work for lunch. He would then take a short nap after lunch. He lived to be 97.
My granddad used to come home from work for lunch. He would then take a short nap after lunch. He lived to be 97.
I'm actually considering starting it right now but I don't feel like paying $1,000 to go to a center. I hope there are some books that can get me started.
I tried TM back when I was at Penn State in the late 70’s. I have since tried mindfulness many times throughout my life, but could never stay with it as my mind races a thousand miles a minute. 8 years ago, I found brain entrainment which is basically deep meditation for dummies. You don’t need to slow your mind as the tones in your ears slow your brain. Best thing I have ever done. Has made a huge difference in my life.
I actually got into meditation at Penn State back in the early 1970s. My martial arts instructor was on the Japanese Olympic team, and his primary martial arts discipline was judo. Some of you old timers may remember him. He always told us to just call him "Joe". : ^ ).
Anyway, before class, he would always have us lay on our backs on the mats, fold our hands together on our stomachs somewhere around our belly buttons, close our eyes, and focus on an imaginary point straight ahead in the darkness of our minds. He would have us do that in complete silence for five minutes, and then we would get up and begin class.
He told us it helped him to focus on life better, control pain, remain calm in difficult situations, and actually helped him cure things like appendicitis. I originally didn't take it very seriously, especially after he threw in the appendicitis bit.
The first couple of weeks, I just layed there and used it as a quick nap before class. But then, as the weeks went on, I actually started to get into it and focus.
Over the years, I have used those classes as the foundation of how I focus today, especially during my workouts and whenever I try to block out pain. I can literally zone out during a workout to the point where I am oblivious to everything around me.
For me, it actually does work. In fact, it works so good, I've had to actually shut myself down somewhat so as to respect my age. I intentionally don't push through those invisible walls like I used to on the weights. Instead of maxing out and going crazy like I used to, I've been trying to discipline myself over the last year or so to doing slow, multiple reps at lower weights. And of course, I still make sure I get my cardio in.
Like I tell people now. At almost age 65, it ain't my biceps that are going to keep me alive. It's my heart. : ^ )
Good for you. Mindfulness meditation has the same beneficial affects as prayer, without the specific religious tie ins.
If you've ever been on this board during a game, you would never bother asking.
I've read Dan Harris' 10% Happier book and I've also read Sam Harris' Waking Up book (after which he named his popular podcast, which if you're kind of an egghead intellectual is a very good podcast to listen to). Those are about regular meditation rather than TM. As I understand it there are many strains of meditation and the ones those books talk about it called vipassna, which is basically just sitting and paying attention to your breath going in or out, or just paying attention in general, and then when your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, notice that it has wandered and then go back to paying attention to your breath.
I've done some meditation and it is amazing how much your mind wanders and races and you don't even notice until you start to try to pay attention to it. Although doing meditation may help you to get your mind wandering less the point isn't to never have your mind wander, which is impossible, but rather to cultivate the habit being aware (or mindful) of it.
I have Dan Harris' 10% Happier app, which I think is about $60 a year, although lately when I meditate I just do it without the app. I basically just bought the app to help motivate myself to actually do it. There are others. I think one is Headspace and another is Calm. And Sam Harris is going to come out with one too.
Meditation isn't easy to do because we're so used to our minds just going and going and it's a shock to sit and do nothing try not to think of anything. Twenty minutes can seem like an eternity.
As an experiment, try it for two minutes. Get a timer and set it for two minutes. Start the timer and sit with your eyes closed and just try to notice your breath going in and out. You'll find your mind constantly going of into another direction. Then you'll become aware of it and say to yourself, okay, back to noticing my breathing, my mind isn't going to wander this time, then you'll breath for a few seconds and your mind will wander off again. You just can't stop it.
I've never done TM. As I understand it, in addition to regular meditation it has some woo aspects like people think they can levitate and whatnot but I don't really know for sure.
I've done some meditation and it is amazing how much your mind wanders and races and you don't even notice until you start to try to pay attention to it. Although doing meditation may help you to get your mind wandering less the point isn't to never have your mind wander, which is impossible, but rather to cultivate the habit being aware (or mindful) of it.
I have Dan Harris' 10% Happier app, which I think is about $60 a year, although lately when I meditate I just do it without the app. I basically just bought the app to help motivate myself to actually do it. There are others. I think one is Headspace and another is Calm. And Sam Harris is going to come out with one too.
Meditation isn't easy to do because we're so used to our minds just going and going and it's a shock to sit and do nothing try not to think of anything. Twenty minutes can seem like an eternity.
As an experiment, try it for two minutes. Get a timer and set it for two minutes. Start the timer and sit with your eyes closed and just try to notice your breath going in and out. You'll find your mind constantly going of into another direction. Then you'll become aware of it and say to yourself, okay, back to noticing my breathing, my mind isn't going to wander this time, then you'll breath for a few seconds and your mind will wander off again. You just can't stop it.
I've never done TM. As I understand it, in addition to regular meditation it has some woo aspects like people think they can levitate and whatnot but I don't really know for sure.
I like Tai Chi...well, the concept of it. I haven't done it yet but feel like it is a good thing, especially for those that are older.
When I was in Vietnam, you could go down by the local river/lake/monument at 6am and see an army of people practicing Chi. I like the light physicality and balance aspects. Just talked about taking a class but haven't done it yet.
When I was in Vietnam, you could go down by the local river/lake/monument at 6am and see an army of people practicing Chi. I like the light physicality and balance aspects. Just talked about taking a class but haven't done it yet.
I wholeheartedly recommend it.I like Tai Chi...well, the concept of it. I haven't done it yet but feel like it is a good thing, especially for those that are older.
When I was in Vietnam, you could go down by the local river/lake/monument at 6am and see an army of people practicing Chi. I like the light physicality and balance aspects. Just talked about taking a class but haven't done it yet.
That made me laugh out loud for a couple of reasons. I was being sincere though. My experience with the Yang Family Medium Frame Long Form was a revelation for me and others who I practiced with at that time. We had a marvelous teacher. One of his dictums was "perfection is death." He wanted us to experience the process of learning and not get hung up on near term results or obsess over "mistakes.". Great teacher. Best teacher I've ever had.or this:
At work they wanted us to take time management classes. I told them, "I don't have time for time management classes!"
Then also wanted us to take stress management classes. I told them, "Like I don't have enough to worry about now."
Then also wanted us to take stress management classes. I told them, "Like I don't have enough to worry about now."
I like Tai Chi...well, the concept of it. I haven't done it yet but feel like it is a good thing, especially for those that are older.
When I was in Vietnam, you could go down by the local river/lake/monument at 6am and see an army of people practicing Chi. I like the light physicality and balance aspects. Just talked about taking a class but haven't done it yet.
Hopefully your form of Tai Chi isn't like this:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=5f_MzPVuBq0&usg=AOvVaw0GeMrUINOaSUtPEDcpWHqq
