Difficulty Meditating?

[The Hammer]

Can’t seem to meditate? 7 joyful activities for you to try instead

Do you find meditation difficult, despite repeated attempts at it. Is your mind too active to completely shut down for a sitting session?

Try these other techniques instead. I have a hard time slowing my mind down, so an activity that includes multiple senses at once, gives me a better and more calming experience.

#3 is my personal favorite.

 

[Secret Chief]

#3 is my personal favorite.

With a group of drummers?

 

[The Hammer]

With a group of drummers?

I've done it in a group, like a drum circle. But since Covid it's been mostly alone the last couple years.

 

[Martin]

For me a daily walk by the sea is the best form of "meditation". It has the additional benefit of spotting seals, and occasionally porpoises. And of course seeing lots of birds, my favourite being cormorants.

 

[Secret Chief]

I've done it in a group, like a drum circle. But since Covid it's been mostly alone the last couple years.

That's a shame, cos there's definitely a magic when there's a group; I have loved group drumming and group chanting in the past. Maybe I need to see if I can drum up some interest...

 

[Mock Turtle]

I've done enough walking (No.6) in the past so I just recall these.

 

[Secret Chief]

For me a daily walk by the sea is the best form of "meditation". It has the additional benefit of spotting seals, and occasionally porpoises. And of course seeing lots of birds, my favourite being cormorants.

You very lucky man.

 

[The Hammer]

That's a shame, cos there's definitely a magic when there's a group; I have loved group drumming and group chanting in the past. Maybe I need to see if I can drum up some interest...

It is a shame. I quite enjoyed the group sessions.

How well does Skype/zoom pick up drum sounds?

Maybe we can get a group going on RF?

 

[Vinayaka]

Traditional meditation, in search of God within, is indeed, difficult. The first step, in my view, is to learn how to sit still.

The term, meditation' has of course morphed into all kinds of things, so it is no longer clear as to what it means. I like the choice of 'other activities'.

 

[Polymath257]

My main problem with meditation isn't my mind. It is my body. I find maintaining most positions for any length of time to be quite uncomfortable. I am not very flexible and even sitting in a chair for extended periods leads to back discomfort.

Compared to that, calming my mind is easy: in fact, I can easily get to a state where there isn't really much overt going on mentally. I don't find that state particularly relaxing, though.

I also have aphantasia, so visualization is not useful for me at all. I can't visualize like that.

I do enjoy a good walk or hike.

 

[Martin]

Traditional meditation, in search of God within, is indeed, difficult. The first step, in my view, is to learn how to sit still.

The term, meditation' has of course morphed into all kinds of things, so it is no longer clear as to what it means. I like the choice of 'other activities'.

I did a lot of sitting meditation in a Buddhist context, but eventually it became kind of boring. I moved to mindfulness practice, which is more dynamic, and through that discovered an inner stillness, which is now easily accessible.

 

[Martin]

My main problem with meditation isn't my mind. It is my body. I find maintaining most positions for any length of time to be quite uncomfortable. I am not very flexible and even sitting in a chair for extended periods leads to back discomfort.

Compared to that, calming my mind is easy: in fact, I can easily get to a state where there isn't really much overt going on mentally. I don't find that state particularly relaxing, though.

I also have aphantasia, so visualization is not useful for me at all. I can't visualize like that.

I do enjoy a good walk or hike.

Walking is good for the soul.

 

[sun rise]

Visualization is very powerful. It can bypass all the verbal defense mechanisms and can be a true meditation or a tool for psychological work.

 

[Vinayaka]

I did a lot of sitting meditation in a Buddhist context, but eventually it became kind of boring. I moved to mindfulness practice, which is more dynamic, and through that discovered an inner stillness, which is now easily accessible.

Whatever works for the individual.

 

[metis]

Try these other techniques instead. I have a hard time slowing my mind down, so an activity that includes multiple senses at once, gives me a better and more calming experience.

I can do sitting meditation only in the morning because my monkey-mind chatters too much after I'm fully awake. For the afternoon, I use walking meditation outside with at least 15 minutes sitting still outside after my walk.

In my Swedish custom, we generally try to get outside at least for one hour per day, and I find meditating outside to be easier and more fulfilling than being inside.

 

[Left Coast]

Can’t seem to meditate? 7 joyful activities for you to try instead

Do you find meditation difficult, despite repeated attempts at it. Is your mind too active to completely shut down for a sitting session?

Try these other techniques instead. I have a hard time slowing my mind down, so an activity that includes multiple senses at once, gives me a better and more calming experience.

#3 is my personal favorite.

I think many people have the misperception that meditation is about calming down the mind, and thus they struggle with it or feel like they're not doing it right when their mind isn't calm or completely empty of all thought.

Although calmness is often a byproduct of meditation, it's not really the goal. The goal is simply to be mentally present for what is. So if what's present in this moment is that you're agitated, or restless, or angry, or can't stop thinking...then that's fine. Be agitated. Be angry. Be restless. But try to be aware that's how you're feeling and observe the feeling. Does it change? Does it stay the same? Does it follow a pattern?

Meditation also doesn't have to be done seated in a certain perfectly still posture (Zen masters, please don't come for me ). I would say all the alternatives to meditation suggested in the article are not really alternatives, they are just different ways of doing the same thing - focusing the mind on our present moment experience. So by all means, do what works to stay present. I often enjoy walking meditation, especially when I'm feeling restless or have lots of energy.

 

[Martin]

Whatever works for the individual.

Absolutely. But this can involve a lot of trial and error.

 

[anna.]

For me a daily walk by the sea is the best form of "meditation". It has the additional benefit of spotting seals, and occasionally porpoises. And of course seeing lots of birds, my favourite being cormorants.

Listening to and watching the waves and breathing the salt air is one of the most therapeutic things I'm able to do.

How the Beach Benefits Your Brain, According to Science

 

[anna.]

Can’t seem to meditate? 7 joyful activities for you to try instead

Do you find meditation difficult, despite repeated attempts at it. Is your mind too active to completely shut down for a sitting session?

Try these other techniques instead. I have a hard time slowing my mind down, so an activity that includes multiple senses at once, gives me a better and more calming experience.

#3 is my personal favorite.

I like walking and cloud gazing is something I do a lot without realizing its potential benefits. I love cloud formations and the way the light comes through them sometimes, and have way too many cloud photos on my phone.

Except for nature videos where lions are chasing down gazelles or something (I avoid those ) or the extremes of nature like hurricanes, etc. the landscape of nature can be so soothing. Have you ever looked at a beautiful nature photo and your mind just went 'aaaahhhhh' and you can feel your tension ease? Like this:

 

[Martin]

Listening to and watching the waves and breathing the salt air is one of the most therapeutic things I'm able to do.

How the Beach Benefits Your Brain, According to Science

I love watching waves. I kayak in the summer, and my favourite thing is paddling out a little way and then just sitting there, and feeling the waves and currents move beneath. It's surprisingly complex, and very peaceful.

 

[The Hammer]

Have you ever looked at a beautiful nature photo and your mind just went 'aaaahhhhh' and you can feel your tension ease? Like this:

Yup. One of the main reasons I consider myself Pagan.