How often do you meditate??

[QuakerOats]

I've been meditating for probably 4 months or so, if not longer, and its been an everyday thing, maybe with a few exceptions, but lately ive slowed down, mostly because i've felt very fatigued and tired lately, a couple times out of the last few i've meditated i fell asleep once and another time i just couldn't sit there....

Does meditation have to be an everyday thing? I do realize after slowing down that it seems to be more powerful after taking a day or two off, like any other pleasure that you abstain from, but as of right now, i could be meditating, but i don't feel like it, should i force myself to meditate or wait for those moments when it feels right to do so?

I know i can't get facts, there's no rules for mediation really, but i would appreciate opinions....

[Anagogy]

Why do you meditate?

[QuakerOats]

That's not important, i know why i meditate but that has nothing to do with what i'm asking or why i'm asking it and i don't want to de-rail....

I just want to know how often other people meditate, and if they're strict about it, like exercise, exercise isn't always something you want to do but you force yourself to reek in the benefits of it, but meditation to me doesn't seem like something that should be forced....

does anybody here make it a point to meditate every single day despite however they feel?

[BillyTheAdult]

I think why you meditate is an important factor in answering this question. It makes a difference in how often it would be advisable.

That being said it is variable for me, I usually do it everyday, but I have gone months without it in the past. You should only do it as much as you feel like you want to, but if you have some specific end in mind then maybe you should do it more. Just like exercise if your trying to get hot body it might be advisable to exercise more rather than less.

Also it is normal that sometimes it doesn't takes as well as others and you might get bored or fall asleep. Often when I feel too distracted to meditate is when I need it most.

[raykilleen]

Originally Posted by Anagogy

Why do you meditate?

Seemed like a pertinent inquiry to me

[Andrew Brunelle]

I don't do it as often as I would like to, but is dozing off in a computer chair akin to meditating? I find it very hard to get very deep in meditation, and binaural beats give me a terrible headache, even at very low volumes. Probably has something to do with the giant brain surgery i had 8 years ago, so I'm not blaming the beats themselves. I just cannot get into doing it on a regular basis, as it feels like a waste of time. It feels like I could be reading something, or watching something, or doing something that actually will benefit me more than meditation. Maybe someday I'll understand why I just can't seem to get into the depths of my mind while meditating, but for now I'll just do it when I feel the need to and otherwise go about my life.

The main time when I do meditate is when I'm in bed and I wake up earlier than planned. Or sometimes before I go to bed. Otherwise, I don't really do it often. But maybe eventually I will. I don't know.

[bodi]

Like with my exercise program, I go through phases. In an 'on' phase, I meditate everyday, whether I want to or not. During an 'off' phase, it's only if I feel like it.

[Horizons]

Originally Posted by BillyTheAdult

You should only do it as much as you feel like you want to.

I do disagree with this statement. Only meditating when you feel like you want to will only take you so far. Discipline is important on a spiritual / transformational path. But yes, as a poster suggested, it depends on your goals. i.e. If your meditating for some stress release and to temporarily calm you down then discipline and daily practice is less important than if you are seeking the more transformational possibilities of meditation.

[QuakerOats]

i would say more for the transformational possibilities....sorry, i just didnt want to focus on why i meditate and have people give me advice i wasn't looking for like that i was meditating wrong or for the wrong reasons...

[bodi]

Originally Posted by QuakerOats

i would say more for the transformational possibilities....

I would say a minimum of 5 thirty minute sessions a week, then. In this case, more is better. Keep in mind, though, that the quality of your meditation is as important as the quantity.

[BillyTheAdult]

I don't think there is a quantifiable amount that can be said to give the exact benefits you are looking for. I personally think the intention for transformation is going to as important as actually meditating, and I mean that in a way that has as little to do with LoA as possible.

I used to find every other day was a good amount when I was more casual about it. I would say approaching the 40 minute mark is good length, but these are all just personal opinions. You will have to decide for yourself. I like to just sit, and I i kind of just know when I'm done. It could be a minute or an hour, it varies, I just know when I've hit that point.

[Merrick1]

Originally Posted by QuakerOats

Does meditation have to be an everyday thing? I do realize after slowing down that it seems to be more powerful after taking a day or two off, like any other pleasure that you abstain from, but as of right now, i could be meditating, but i don't feel like it, should i force myself to meditate or wait for those moments when it feels right to do so?

I know i can't get facts, there's no rules for mediation really, but i would appreciate opinions....

Anything that is done gradually creates a powerful momentum. So, every day, at the same time, for the same period of time definitely has its great benefits. But of course, the mind is always inventing new and new tricks and arguments to deter us from meditating. It is like a little monkey. So, yes, I believe it should be tamed. Gently and patiently. Don't give it its way if you are able to do it. Yes, it's hard. Very hard.

I myself strive to be in meditation all the time, no matter what I do. But devoting some time to a deep, quiet meditation is indispensable to me.

Merrick

[bodi]

Originally Posted by Merrick1

Anything that is done gradually creates a powerful momentum. So, every day, at the same time, for the same period of time definitely has its great benefits. But of course, the mind is always inventing new and new tricks and arguments to deter us from meditating. It is like a little monkey. So, yes, I believe it should be tamed. Gently and patiently. Don't give it its way if you are able to do it. Yes, it's hard. Very hard.

I myself strive to be in meditation all the time, no matter what I do. But devoting some time to a deep, quiet meditation is indispensable to me.

Merrick

good advice

[evolutionarypathways]

Originally Posted by Merrick1

Anything that is done gradually creates a powerful momentum. So, every day, at the same time, for the same period of time definitely has its great benefits. But of course, the mind is always inventing new and new tricks and arguments to deter us from meditating. It is like a little monkey. So, yes, I believe it should be tamed. Gently and patiently. Don't give it its way if you are able to do it. Yes, it's hard. Very hard.

I myself strive to be in meditation all the time, no matter what I do. But devoting some time to a deep, quiet meditation is indispensable to me.

Merrick

Excellent advice Merrick.

[Hexavibrongal]

I meditate for 1-3 hours daily, and I typically do it in 15-30 minute chunks. It took years to get to where I could meditate every day without it sometimes feeling like a chore and making it hard to keep in the habit, but now it's just automatic. I've always found for me that it's good to do it daily if you can, even if it's short. And I've also found that I have to do more than 10 minutes at a time because it takes about 10 minutes for me to really get my mind steady.

If you're feeling fatigue, trying doing a walking meditation, or try some other form of exercise while you meditate. I do walking meditation almost exclusively, partly because I'm a programmer and I'm already sitting way too much.

[evolutionarypathways]

Originally Posted by QuakerOats

i would say more for the transformational possibilities....sorry, i just didnt want to focus on why i meditate and have people give me advice i wasn't looking for like that i was meditating wrong or for the wrong reasons...

If you are really after the transformational possibilities of meditation then it needs to be more than a source of pleasure to you.

When it comes to transformation and meditation (or any practice for that matter) there are two ways you can approach it. One way is to look at what you are getting out of it. Meditation can be pleasurable at times, but this is only a side-effect. If you are looking to the side-effects then you aren't really engaging in it for transformation.

The other approach might be called 'limitless practice'. In this approach you use the practice to transform yourself. But if you are engaging in it for transformation you can't put your own limits/conditions on it. You can't do it just when you feel like doing it, because then you aren't expanding beyond your limits.

The way I see it, either the practice transforms you; or you end up transforming the practice. Either the practice shapes you; or you end up shaping the practice.

This is one of the reasons why having a teacher can be of such great benefit; because the teacher will take you beyond yourself. The teacher won't let you conform the practice to yourself. The teacher will insist that you conform yourself to the practice. Hence the transformation.

Now I know you have only been at it for 4 months, so please take all of the above in a flexible way. If you force yourself too much at the beginning; you may lose your motivation to practice. So do listen to yourself. If you find that during the day you feel drawn to sit/meditate then do it, even if for a short while. If you set yourself the aim of sitting everyday, then do it, until you decide you want to give it a break. Take a week or a few weeks off...this will give you a chance to see the difference in how you feel with or without the meditation. This can actually be very good for your practice and motivation.

Hope this helps.