I don’t have a regular meditation schedule, but I do it frequently in the form of breathing, body scan, and chakra meditation. I find the chakra meditation very helpful with releasing core tension and bringing me back to myself when things get hectic. I started meditating about 10 years ago and it has been very helpful.

I don’t meditate, per se.

I do enjoy sitting or laying in bed in as quiet of an environment as possible. Awake. But idle. Not doing anything special with my thoughts or breathing. It’s nice.

Sometimes works on a plane, if noise-cancelling headphones are handy, and you don’t have a kid or adult for that matter kicking the back of your seat.

Nico Adie wrote: Tue Apr 23, 2024 5:12 pm I’ve only purposely meditated a few times, but I came to a realisation that fishing scratches the same itch in the sense of being a peaceful but intensely singular focus on something to the extent that nothing else exists. Any sort of river/shore/rock fishing does this for me, probably slightly more so if float fishing. In some ways catching fish and the associated admin afterwards actually ruins this aspect of it for me, and as such I genuinely never mind if I don’t catch anything worth eating.

Driving long distances has this effect on me. I almost never play music and I stop as little as possible if I'm on my own.

It’s interesting because many of claimed benefits of mindfulness often exist in any activity that fixes concentration on an “object”.

Anything from crochet to miniature painting, just something that you focus on and get into a flow state.

I’ve noticed when I’m painting my little Warhammer men or mucking around on my guitar tens of minutes can go by without noticing I’m “in the zone”

Gramsci wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2024 2:14 pm It’s interesting because many of claimed benefits of mindfulness often exist in any activity that fixes concentration on an “object”.

Very true. By the same token, you can get shut of whatever system you use in very little time, once you've fully clicked into gear with it.

offal wrote: Mon Apr 22, 2024 4:11 pm I start about 5 out of 7 mornings with some form of meditation. It started as a coping mechanism for anxiety and depression, often before bed, but is more general now.

Same here, except that I do it on the subway while going to work most days (easier than you think, once you get the technique down.) Made a huge difference in lots of aspects of my life. I refer to the person who I learned from as "Meditation Boyfriend" because it amuses me.

Gramsci wrote: Sat Apr 27, 2024 2:14 pm It’s interesting because many of claimed benefits of mindfulness often exist in any activity that fixes concentration on an “object”.

Anything from crochet to miniature painting, just something that you focus on and get into a flow state.

I’ve noticed when I’m painting my little Warhammer men or mucking around on my guitar tens of minutes can go by without noticing I’m “in the zone”

That sounds like a mental state I already spend a good portion of my life in. But for me I suppose the closest I get to meditation has been through playing music, particularly hypnotic, repetitive rhythmic stuff, the kind of music I imagine people have been making for tens of thousands of years for exactly such purpose.

I'm talking about getting into that state of mind where you are no longer conscious of your hands or movements or your individual contribution but are observing from some place of total detachment and the music seems to be playing on a radio. Ever get like that? Or your eyes go unseeing, and you're just staring into an empty bit of wall or the corner of an amp for ten minutes as your brain diverts power away from visual processing. If you're really in the zone.

Or in less extreme form, just the business of locking in with somebody and keeping time feels like a meditative act. I don't want to invoke hippie drum circles, which always involve far too many people rattling away on djimbes, but they seem to have the right idea if not always the most tasteful orchestration.

I theorise that music emerged from forms of rhythmic group meditation, and deep focus is generally regarded as essential to a great performance I think.

A good friend going through body scan meditation with me was a real 'a-ha!' moment. I don't do it regularly but when I remember it's a rewarding grounding experience - I have to get it to be a habit. Every morning I do light tough-guy yoga and breathing - it helps me drive to work without being angry for no reason.