Moonlight,
I am very encouraged that you are studying medicine. I rarely see doctors due to their dismissive and stringent attitudes. However I am pleased to say that I am now seeing a positive shift in such attitudes with many medical practitioners (
as well as my own perceptions) now becoming more accepting of alternative methods.
What can I recommend?
I'm no MD but I don't mind sharing, as doing so also helps myself. Make sure you are getting professional advise with easing off the meds. Especially after being on them for a long period of time. (also learn new copping mechanisms to help deal with the stresses the medicine was helping you with for so long) ... I will share some of what helped me.
“
Vortex” – makes an excellent point ( “To get in a state of inner awareness you have to quieten the mind...”) and breaks it down really well! I would love to hear more from you Vortex when you have time … please : ) I also agree with “
Gem”. At times I get a little hung up on the different styles of meditation which create more conflict in my head. Whilst this keeps my mind open, thus learning more, it also complicates the fundamental aspects of meditation. Having only had a few years experience in meditation … I am still
very much new to it and need to keep focused on building on the foundations, before venturing into unknown territory. The meaning and Use of meditation will change over time as you become more aware ... This has been the case for me ... I am a slow learner, but in many ways, that and my persistence is helping me, and something I hope you will strive for or appreciate.
If I may “Gem” I keep re-reading what Gem has said and everything is spot on! Allow me to quote this little section of that post. “
...The practice is directed at retaining stillness of mind... and although many will suggest imagining this or that thing... more benefit is gained from suspending the thought processes and slowly allowing yourself to become silently observant...”
Whilst many people require assistance with visual and audio queues … Me being one of them! … I am beginning to understand just how crucial it is, to meditate in silence in order to become the observer. Getting to that state is such a Fantastic Feeling, BUT peacefully so … for me it is the closest I can get to being attached and unattached at the same time … its not an “ARRRR I see all now!” feeling … It's just a nice peace FULL existence in a quiet mind that is SO relieving. (it is in such states that both the mind and body can heal!)
Edit ... Lately, I have really been connecting with becoming the observer ... this has taken me quite some to really understand ... to start thinking about the voice that commentates during my meditations, to really connect with that voice ... it's completely opposite to the negative banter ... this voice brings about an understanding and a peace about the things I don't understand ... it also feels really reverent in some ways ... whatever it is ... I like the feeling it brings me. I don't get to that state by switching it off or on ... it's comparable to some of my long distance runs when I experience "runners high" ... in as much as the reason why so many runners keep chasing that feeling. It is something I strive to connect with as it really grounds me for quite sometime after the event.
I reach such states when doing solo trips into the woods, sitting by a creek bed and recovering after a treacherous hike. The more often I do such activities, the more I can handle life in general; which is why routine is so important. To dedicate yourself to a routine you have question your intent to keep motivated. In the beginning it will be hard, but gets easier as time goes by. Just like exercising, the hard yards put many off.
John32241's reply to yourself, about the conflicts meditation brings to you [Quote “...
Then I suggest that you bring peace to those conflicts...” is one of the strongest mind sets we can adopt to combat negative emotions! When faced with
Anger turn to
Compassion, when faced with
Jealously build on
self esteem, when faced with
loneness turn to
hope and so on … This may involve additional activities other than meditation, but addressing such issues will help to clear out the negative banter that creates so much static to begin with.
Only then, can you begin to appreciate what meditation can bring to your life and how working on awareness will eventually carry on over and enhance our many other activities, designed to make us better beings. Edit ... perhaps the conflict that arises for you, may not be appear obvious as these kinds of emotions; however the frustration that commonly evolves from such conflicting thoughts eventually lead into negative emotions of some sort ... so it is that I raise this aspect of dealing with and taking steps to becoming aware of such feelings.
I learned this technique from
Dr Judith Orloff listening to her Audio Book “
Emotional Freedom”
Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life". I listened to it several times and even typed out a few chapters most relevant to me.
Edit ... Learning my "emotional type" [empath] really helped me understand how I operate and also helped me to choose the right steps in learning to overcome my weakness and build on my strengths. This has also helped me to protect my sensitivity from others. (something my type is susceptible when energy levels are low) Off topic - sorry - Basically becoming emotionally aware is a huge step in Awareness full stop - Some of the biggest developments of late, is the discovery of how Thoughts effect our Emotions and the impact that has on our Health. If you can identify with your emotional type and the corresponding feelings Positive and Negative, you will be able to learn how to control them like a doctor prescribing chemicals to balance the levels to match someones Brain Type.
THOUGHTS! Arghhhhhh … To think or not to think?, Tis the question. Try not to get to hung up on this aspect within meditating. I say this because it was my biggest hangup. Not just because my head has been chemically imbalanced for so many years, but like you … my perfectionism would have me “wanting” to be a Zen Monk after only several attempts. This is where visual aids and audio queues can be of immense help to those of us needing guidance. To catch a thought and suspend it with an invisible beam that does not exist will come in our Zen years … in the mean time enjoy what peace comes from the attempts, early on and build on that.
If a thought comes … accept it and let it go … don't accept it by analyzing it, just accept that it came to be and just let it float on by as though it has no meaning at all. This is what I think someone just starting out should expect “after” first practicing with breathing and focusing on the other fundamental aspects which have been talked about.
Forgive my long mindedness (lol @ auto correct, I mean windedness) moonlight.
You've got great advice given by all and I see you've given gratitude already. I think you will make a great student at whatever you do.
Please excuse me as my mind is starting to race a bit now...
before I go … some of what I started this post with earlier - but have left till now:
Best advice that helped me in the beginning ...
"TO" QUIET my mind, was to first
deal with all the **** in order that I could even begin to
Hear and See.. I learned to
deal with my emotions as I
gave up a lot of the poisons I was using to nullify the all to often consequences of
my negative manifestations (out bursts). As I started working in these areas of my life, motivation soon sparked into a burning desire. I worked on my diet and also learned the importance of keeping active and so on. During these early years, I still struggled with my Highs and Lows (Bi-Polar tenancies - whatever ...) and now doing my best to find balance by using meditation to help my mind and body recover from the ongoing "effortS" that are required in order for me to live a reasonably stable and healthy life, both physically and mentally.
As mentioned, I found some excellent tools to do this with
Dr Judith Orloff's book “emotional freedom” Links Provided. Learn as much as you can about how our thoughts trigger emotions and in turn how they manifest and make us feel! Learn about it on a chemical level which will make you a great doctor and perhaps take in the teachings on intuition and become an even greater one :)
Being the perfectionist that I still am … ( positively so!) … I only wish I could of presented this in a much more digestible manner. Try your best to turn all that negative chatter in your head around by identifying those thoughts, emotions and manifestations … face them and beat them with positive action steps by practicing confidence,compassion and forgiveness in all areas of your life.
The fact is … until I started practicing doing just that, I too was unable to quiet my mind to begin with. Wishing you the very best. I'll still be on the side...best go do the dishes.
Take Care
Dave … (Seriously I don't know, but thanks for listening ;) )
I still make a LOT of mistakes, but getting back up is getting easier!
Dr Judith Orloff Energy Psychiatrist
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Orloff
“Emotional Freedom”Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life.
http://www.drjudithorloff.com/Emotio...escription.htm
Linear Mode
