Could people integrate meditation into their lives and what effects would it have on them?
Is it sustainable?
Hello again! Last time I tested to see if meditation could be learned by anyone. From that testing I think that it pretty successful for only doing 3 activities. Now I will be trying to keep what I have learned going by meditating on a regular basis. I am going to meditate for a week and see if I can keep it up. I’ll also log how the meditation is affecting me.
Other people who have tried meditating on a regular basis:
My first example of someone who tried to meditate regularly is Larrisa Kosmos who attempted to meditate every day for a month. She found meditation really beneficial, even saying “It’s as if I’d been drinking only juice my entire life, and now I’ve been led to my first glass of cool spring water.” She found it difficult at first but learned many lessons like being present, managing her thoughts, and having more patience. (1)
Another example is Kristine from Los Angeles. She tried to meditate for a month as well. When she first started meditating, she thought of meditation as a chore, but as she progressed, she found that it was actually the opposite. (2)
My Attempt :
“Meditation 4: Become Conscious of Your Mind”
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Sit comfortably with your back upright.
-Turn your attention to your thoughts (just watch what arises)
-Let the thoughts come and go
-Don’t judge the thoughts
-Do this for at least 5 minutes (3)
The Reflection:
This is day one done! With these reflections I’m going to start logging the affect meditating has had on me as well as how this activity went. So, I did this meditation right when I woke up today and I think that really helped because my mind was clear of anxious thoughts and I could do exactly what the mediation wanted me to do; let my thoughts come and go. It made me feel more grounded and made my problems feel small because I wasn’t allowed to give attention to them. On the learning scale, I’m at an 8 out of 10. As for the first day of consistently meditating’s effect on me, it feels like a good start. I don’t think that I feel calmer or more focused yet probably because it’s the first day, but I will get there.
Meditation 5: Become Conscious of Your Emotions
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Sit comfortably and turn your attention to how you feel.
-Bring to mind a situation that brought you anger, fear, frustration, embarrassment or another problematic emotion.
-Try to identify where the emotion is in the body
-Become familiar with the sensation
-Now gently let it go
-If the thought that brought the feeling up is still there, don’t push it away; observe it as if it doesn’t belong to you. (3)
My Reflection:
This is day two! I really had to force myself to do this meditation because I have no time at all. I just got back from work and it’s 8:00pm. I haven’t started my homework, but I know that this is going to help me in the long run, so I’ll stop complaining. With this meditation I felt many things. I first identified how I felt which was a bit irritated. Then, I thought about a situation where I was angry/uneasy/scared. Thinking about the situation brought back all my feelings from that day. Next, I identified where in the body m emotions were. It was sort at the top of my chest; the centre of my collarbones. Lastly, to put the feelings to bed I took a deep breath and shifted my thinking. On the learning scale I’m probably at an 8 still. I feel like I’m grasping the concepts, but I still need to work on my focus.
Meditation 6: Become Conscious of Yourself
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Sit comfortably with your back straight.
-Allow your awareness to run through your body.
-Become conscious of yourself as a presence (no judgements or praise; simply be aware that you are alive and therefore of value)
-Be aware of yourself as someone with a life-history. (do not try and recall your history. Instead have a sense of your present self as being built upon your past self.
-Now be aware of yourself with a future, a future you into which you are still growing
-Recognize that self has no boundaries and is limited by neither past nor future. (3)
My Reflection:
This is day three! Today I had a lot of my tests, so I don’t feel terrible right now. I have a lot more time, so I didn’t struggle to get myself to meditate today. This meditation wasn’t my favourite because I felt like it was harder because the goal for the lesson is very limited. It was an interesting concept, but I don’t completely agree with it. For example, saying that self has no boundaries and is limited by neither past nor future is not true. It is more of a hope. My past self could definitely affect my future self. On the learning scale with this activity I’m at a 6.
Meditation 7: Deal with Distractions
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-First, allow the distraction to register on your mind.
-Remain an observer rather than a participant in the distraction.
-Don’t try and identify the distraction (for example, you hear a random noise from the street, rather than trying to decide whether it’s a lawn mower or power tool.)
-Don’t respond emotionally to the distraction. (don’t judge it) (3)
The Reflection:
This is day four! Today I had a pretty average day. I have work to do but it’s not going to take me the whole night so it’s easier to want to meditate. This meditation is supposed to help people learn to embrace distractions while meditating. My distraction was my headache. So, I registered that it was there, and I left it that way. I found that focusing on my breathing helped me in not giving in to the distraction. On the learning scale I’m at a 9 after this activity. I think this is the case because I actually used past lessons to make my meditation easier. I was also successful in not giving in to my distraction.
Meditation 8: Become Conscious of Memory Lapses
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Think back to childhood. How many memories can you recall?
-Now try to recall everything you did on this day a week ago. (3)
The Reflection:
This is day five! Today I have to study for a big math test, so in order to meditate, I’m going to stay up tonight. I was really tired while doing this meditation. I don’t think I put as much effort into it as I would if I wasn’t really tired. Although, thinking back to my childhood was a good short-term distraction from studying for my math test. It reminded me of times when I went to sleep when I was tired and not when I was done studying. Trying to remember everything I did last Thursday was so hard. I thought about it for five minutes and still couldn’t remember much. All I could recall was that I was very busy. This mediation is showing me how I don’t reflect on the past enough. I live life as a to do list. This is sort of essential for me as a student though because I am constantly working on something, meaning I don’t have time to reflect on the past. So far meditation in general is teaching me new things and helping me put my actions in perspective, but it also feels like a miniscule priority when I think about my schoolwork and things I have to do at home. On the learning scale I’m at a 7 after this activity because I haven’t figured out how to enjoy meditation when I am tired and out of time.
Meditation 9: Become Conscious of the Passing of Time
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Place your left hand on your abdomen.
-Feel it rise and fall as you breathe.
-Be aware of this constant coming and going.
-Every breath, when exhaled, is as irrecoverable as the first moment of creation. (3)
The Reflection:
This is day six! It is a Friday, so school isn’t an issue today, but I do have to paint at my studio today, so I don’t have all the time in the world. I didn’t spend too much time on this meditation. This is mainly because there wasn’t much to do in the activity. I spent around three minutes total on the exercise. I understand the concept though. When I was doing the breathing and thinking about the last instruction, I found that I took more time for each breath. This may be because I want life to seem like it’s fleeting at a slower rate. The meditation tries to get the person to understand that each moment is precious and constant. I interpreted this as a message to not waste my time. I’ve learned that different types of meditation teach me different things. Some of them were lesson based and others were focused on my well-being. I don’t enjoy the lessons as much because I understand the concept before I do the activity. Because of that I think on the learning scale I’m at a seven.
Meditation 10: Become Conscious of Relaxation
Here is a summary of the instructions:
-Lie flat on the floor.
-Tense and relax each group of muscles in turn.
-Start with the muscles of the calves and thighs.
-Work upwards then back down the arms to the hands.
-Hold each tension for a moment before letting go. (3)
The Reflection:
This is day seven! This was the perfect meditation for a Saturday. I could just lay on the floor and meditate without thinking of time. This meditation was weirdly relaxing. Somehow laying on the floor helps me clear my mind more than laying in my bed does. This meditation went really well. I think it was a 10/10. As for how meditation is going in general, 8/10. This is because I’ve been able to do most of them and get the desired result. I’ve been pretty focused and calm throughout the activities I also feel like meditating every night has given me a period of order in a day of chaos. I know that even though my day has been tough, there is time for me to reflect and relax at the end.
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/g19964250/meditation-every-day/ (1)
https://lifegoalsmag.com/tried-meditation-30-days-happened/ (2)
Fontana, David. Meditation Week by Week: 52 Meditations to Help You Grow in Peace and Awareness. Duncan Baird Pub, 2007. (3)