Meditation: An Example Of Zen Noobery

[sun seeker]

last time I tried I got too nervous within minutes

@Saelben, there are adaptations to the usual practices that might work better. A few suggestions: one is keep it really short. A few minutes is fine. One minute several times a day is fine. It's the practice that is important (so I say, and lately have not been able to meditate at all due to extreme anxiety... but that's the idea anyway). Also, you might try focusing on something outside of yourself. Focusing on the breath or other body sensations can sometimes be too activating. And I wouldn't worry too much about your position. It is the practice of bringing your mind back to a focus point, over and over, that creates calming neural pathways (someone correct me if I'm wrong, please... this is my understanding of it). You can meditate sitting, lying down, or in just about any position you like.

Writing this is reminding me to take my own advice. :)

 

[Ronin]

... when you discover all the shiiinies you didn't even know were there, instead of meditating.

 

[ms spock]

You can meditate walking @Saelben. Five minutes walking once per day, or 1 minute walking 3 times per day to start. It is not how long or how much you do - it is the doing of it that is important.

@sun seeker I am still learning more each day, and I find your comments sound and wise. For those of us with PTSD or Complex Trauma the breath and body can be too activating - but focussing on a picture of a flower or a picture of nature that is meaningful for you can be a way to go. I had to work out very particular ways of doing things to manage my chronic pain, my body spasms, my dissociation, my depression, my ruminations, my depersonalisation and derealisation, and other outstanding issues. It has taken a lot of time. I did it mostly on my own because of my severe attachment disorder and social anxiety. It is possible to do with a lot of slowness and care.

Most of my early forays in to Mindfulness and mediation were - well um, interesting. ;)

I might run a Mindfulness Disco Dancing Challenge one day!

 

[ms spock]

When during a serious episode of Clinical Depression you start doing Mindfulness, and find out later that it is suggested that you Never do this!

 

[Ronin]

find out later that it is suggested that you Never do this!

If it works and doesn't decompensate you? Awesome.

 

[ms spock]

Not sure what you mean @Cashew? Can you develop that so I get what you are saying please?

 

[Ronin]

Just that, @Ms Spock ;) That even though some methods aren't recommended when one is in a state like depression, if they help out of it, it's good.

Basically being happy that it seems to me you found a way to employ mindfulness to further your mental health, regardless of how depressed you are at the moment, as that's quite a skill.

 

[ms spock]

Thanks for the clarification @Cashew.

Yes it was really rugged going there for a while for me. I did the 30 minute body scan x 6 times in the morning and if the panic attacks were still continuing I then decided to just get on with the day. I don't think it is the way to do it on the whole, and I wouldn't suggest it to another person with PTSD to do it - it is dangerous. But for me there was no other way. If I was going to do it I had to do it with panic attacks because that was pretty much my default mode at the time. Over time it did come down to anxiety attacks. I WAS SO PLEASED! I woke up having anxiety attacks and not panic attacks. And I didn't need to do the Body Scan 6 times - once or twice was enough. Until I hit dissociation and had to reinvent the wheel for myself again.

What I did was pretty crazy - and in "The Mindful Way Through Depression" they suggest strongly not to do it. But I had never not been depressed in my life - so there was no waiting until I was out of a Major Depressive episode for me. Through that though I came down enough to keep listening to The Mindful Way Through Depression - and you can forget the Mindfulness stuff - just the stuff about the distorted cascades of thinking - wow that was a relevantion to me. And then I read the David Burns book that anthony recommends and well my life changed.

But I did all the things the wrong way, in the wrong order at the wrong time and when you shouldn't do any of it. Yeah and crazily enough it worked for me. And I know now how to manage it all, and I can listen to the teachers and then adapt what they are saying for me. You know I did the standing mediations lying down, the sitting meditations lying down - because a deep part of me needed that at the time. I actually had a little bit of wisdom in knowing to do that - I guess it was the beginnings of me trusting myself. Wow I didn't realise that before.

Yep did it ALL wrong.