This was suggested by Jack.
We've talked about meditation to some extent during class, but did you know how much it can help you as college students? Meditation can do this through several ways. Brain development, increasing creativity, relaxing everything from its muscles to blood vessels (reducing stress), decreasing depression, and increasing IQ / classroom performance are just a few examples.
There are several free, online resources that will guide you through the process. Notably, http://www.tm.org/ is a great source. It explains exactly what TM is, its benefits, and a course description. Even if you don't choose to pay for their services, you can use this as a guide when looking for a free alternative.
Another resource could be http://www.how-to-meditate.org/. This site explains why you should learn to meditate, various forms of meditation, and even explains the link between Buddhism and mediation and their process for meditation. In addition, it lists books that can be used for further learning.
If you would like to comment on this blog, please take the time to go through this process at least once and blog about your experience. What did you think about it? Was it your first time meditating? Did you feel better, tired, different, etc. afterwards?
-Nile
I wanted to try meditation for the benefits that we mentioned in class, but upon exploring transcendental meditation I think I found the one type of mediation for me. Previously, I have had difficulties mediating because I have back problems and sitting straight up on the floor usually makes me so uncomfortable I can’t bring my mind to focus, especially in a dorm room. The first thing that interested me about this type of mediation was that it can be practiced somewhere “comfortable”, keyword COMFORTABLE! I found this much more accommodating to be able to sit on a couch, although I also found it tougher to stay awake. The next thing I found intriguing about transcendental mediation was that it stresses that it is not a religion. It is simply an activity to improve your life, such as exercise and eating right. I found this statement releases stigmas held with religion and meditation. Finally, the third thing I found that made me want to try transcendental mediation was the benefits that are associated with it. It is said to improve the brain, health, focus, creativity, equanimity (inner calm), happiness, relationships, and peace. These benefits hit home with me, because I feel they are all very important to a well-rounded life. Finally, research by many institutions back up this form of meditation, institutions such as American Psychological Association, National Institutes of Health, and American Medical Association.
I decided to try this new form of meditation to see if I could get hooked on it, since “normal” meditating didn’t seem to stick. I tried 20 minutes twice a day, the recommended length. The goal of this meditation is to let the mind go towards natural bliss, which is where it always wants to go. To actually learn proper techniques you must attend classes with trained teachers that can be expensive. There are a few tutorials on the internet, but the thing you miss by not going to a class is your personalized mantra. Teachers give each student a unique sound, mantra, which they focus on in order to take their mind towards bliss. By saying the mantra, you transcend thoughts that cloud your mind and take it in different directions. I had no teacher, so I simply used the mantra Om.
At first, I felt awkward and out of place when attempting to meditate, especially in a dorm room, but eventually I reached a state in which 4 minutes passed without realizing it. I felt this was a small victory and if I could keep lengthening the time that passed without realizing I could eventually bring my mind into this blissful state for 20 minutes. After my first trial, I actually felt a little groggy, but also rested. That night I attempted it again. It was harder for me this time possibly because my body was telling me to go into a sleep state not a conscious one or possibly because I was now trying to get back into that state. At the end of my day, I felt that it may have left me more peaceful, but also a little anxious since I was using my precious time to “do nothing.” I think if I could continue reaching the blissful feeling for longer periods of time it would be worthwhile. Also, I would want to participate in actual training with a teacher to learn better techniques.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbX5eNAbpeo
http://www.tm.org/
Is it legal to work out and meditate at the same time? That is what I have been doing for the past few weeks. I enjoy running; crazy, I know. One day I forgot my ipod. I figured it was going to just be an extremely boring run. About half way through my run I realized I was thinking about absolutely nothing, and it was very relaxing. This reminded me that we had talked in class about how when you meditate how you think about nothing. For the rest of my run I consciously thought about nothing. I had no idea if this was a type of meditation, but I tried it. When I exercise in the mornings, I always feel more alert and awake during the day; but now, I have found myself more able to focus in my morning classes, and having better quality sleep at night.
So I did some research on if exercise was a viable way to meditate, or if I was just making all this up. Turns out it really is. Meditative running was pioneered by Tibetan spiritual seekers. It was originally called Lun Gom running. Zenhabits.net actually says that running while meditating is a good way for beginners to experience mediation. Because strenuous activity forces you to focus on your body, you don’t have much room for anything else. It is very easy to focus on the beat of your feet on the pavement or your breathing.
Traditional Lun Gom running is done in groups of 5- 50 lead by an instructor who poses contemplation questions and exercises in thought throughout the duration of the two hour run. This is not meant to be used as training for a marathon. It is a very slow, long run. Other than the benefits of clearing one’s mind, this is used to help students gain control over their bodies. We have all seen the Ripley’s special where monks walk on coals and get run over by cars claiming to have complete control of their bodies’ functions. These runs are meant to help control the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Because the runners feed off each other’s energy, it is suggested that all participants master the art of meditation first.
I want be a part of one of these runs! It sounds so interesting. I wonder if you could make like a side group of the Panther Pacers running club to be a Lun Gom group. Interesting…
http://www.religiousbook.net/Books/Online_books/Pr/Practices_44.html
http://zenhabits.net/the-zen-of-running-and-10-ways-to-make-it-work-for-you/
in the half year i've taken an interest in meditation but have yet to put this interets to any real use besides just researching it. what draws me to it is the idea of just taking some time out of every day to relax and unwind and grow mentally/spiritually. i've always been able to "zone out" while listening to music, or been able to find a "happy spot" mentally and let the music envelope my mind. this isn't exactly meditation, but i figure that it is pretty close. for this activity, i used the how-to-meditate.org guide. at first i tried the breathing meditation for 7 or 8 minutes. i never felt a change in consciousness exactly, but i did feel much more relaxed and refreshed. next i tried the transforming meditation, or focusing on a single idea or thought during the meditation process. i was unable to concentrate for more than a minute or so on any one thing without having tons of other ideas streaming into my head. however, things definately progressed as i continued trying. in reflection, i feel like meditation would be extremely benifitial, and is something i should definately think about making into a routine. it relaxed me without making me sleepy, and overall just put me in a better mood. i think that with enough practice it could turn into something that would help me expand as a person