Don't Just Meditate

[Shin]

http://www.consciouslifestylemag.com/mindfulness-powerful-exercises-peace-of-mind/
 

Read the entire article.

 

Quote

 

Mindfulness is not just meditation
Mindfulness is actually a much broader concept than merely meditation, which can in turn take many different forms as well, beyond mindfulness. Instead, mindfulness can best be viewed as increasing our attention and awareness in the present moment.

Mindfulness is not wiping your mind clear of thoughts
On the contrary, mindfulness is about becoming aware of your thoughts, but without judgment or attempting to push them away. Our brains will always produce thoughts – that’s a fact of life. Rather than trying to suppress our thoughts, mindfulness shows us a path towards developing a more symphonic relationship with our thoughts and feelings.

Mindfulness is not relaxation
You may at times feel relaxed as a byproduct of your mindfulness practice, and over time it can certainly help us become more relaxed and calm. But the overarching practice of mindfulness is not aimed at becoming more relaxed.

 

 

Edited May 12, 2017 by Shin

[Sevi]

@Shin thank you Shin! Very valuable article! 

*but I don't like raisins reading how to eat that freaking raisin was tough on me

[Shin]

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Many judge themselves for not being in the here and now enough. They judge themselves for being too occupied with past and future; too distracted. They punish themselves internally for perhaps not meditating enough, for not being present enough.

Well, if you really desire freedom, there is an easier solution than to beat yourself up about your mind’s daily distractions, while hoping that “someday you will start practicing being here and now, like a real Buddha.”

There is a way around this need for the endless practice of being present.

There is a short-cut…

Early on in my practice of recognizing Existence, thoughts became very transparent to me. This simply means I realized that thoughts, too, appear in—and as part of—the Now-Energy I was searching for.

I, too, had believed there were distractions or obstacles to becoming enlightened. I believed my thoughts were the main obstacle or distraction, and that I had to somehow put in effort to bring my mind to a complete stop, all the time.

The belief that my thoughts were distractions on my way to enlightenment caused tons of internal struggle and self-criticism for me every day. This self-imposed stress and judgment went away, or was at least softened by 90% right away, and then later for good, when I saw clearly that thoughts did not actually distract from the present moment; they simply confirmed it!

So, whether or not labels, thoughts, words, ideas, etc. are presented to me in my mind-space today, these appearances don’t fool me into believing I’m not yet Now, not yet perfect, not yet awake, enlightened, or present enough.

All they do is show me more of how present I am to perceive them, and how present they are to be able to present themselves. I am not “being present” all day long—in fact I couldn’t care less whether I am present or not. I simply stopped doubting that my beingness could potentially not be perfect already.

In other words: I don’t force myself to have a silent mind or try to eliminate distracting thoughts except on rare occasions when I simply resonate with being in such a space.

https://www.trinfinityacademy.com/courses/enlightenment-1-part-2-person-wakes-up-to-presence/lesson-10-there-is-only-now/

[Shin]

 

[Shin]

The first 5 minutes are enough.