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Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 1:41 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:07 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 5:59 pm
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:40 am
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:13 pm
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I can say from a Buddhist point of view that the point of meditation is not to empty your mind or escape from every day life. It's the exact opposite. It is sitting still and letting thoughts come and go without hooking yourself on them and making judgments on them. For example, if you start worrying about your friends and deciding how they should've handled the situation that happened the other day, and then start imagining what you should've said, and imagining what you will say next time you see them- suddenly you realize 15 minutes have passed and you weren't there. Meditation is about being present, noticing your thoughts, and letting them pass by without getting hooked.
That's not to say that meditation is a bad time to think about something traumatic happening in your life. If your loved grandparent has just died, you could use meditation to sit with that feeling of grief and just experience it. Meditation in this way is also a tool for being present in reality and experiencing joy or grief, without escaping reality or hiding from your fears.
Besides the benefit of being rested and relaxed, you'll also become aware of some of your habitual thinking. I noticed when I used to meditate that when I talk to people that sometimes what I say is based on my emotional reactions, and was able to stop myself before I said something that I logically did not really believe.
My advice would be to sit in a quiet place where you won't be disturbed, preferably on a pillow on the ground or a chair if you have back problems. Sit up straight, but not so rigid that you're focusing all your attention on your posture. Simply listen to yourself breath, and notice the feeling of your breath entering and leaving your nostrils. When a thought arises, label it "thought" and let it drift away. This is to be a peaceful gesture, not one in which as soon as you find yourself thinking you push it out. Just let them drift away. Do this 5 minutes a day, and slowly increase it to whatever time you feel comfortable with.
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:17 pm
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Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2008 11:21 pm
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Posted: Sun Mar 23, 2008 4:26 pm
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