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Reddit mentions of Mindfulness in Plain English

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We found 101 Reddit mentions of Mindfulness in Plain English. Here are the top ones.

Mindfulness in Plain English
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Found 101 comments on Mindfulness in Plain English:

u/BearJew13 · 23 pointsr/Buddhism

I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder a few years ago. Buddhism helps with my anxiety in many ways:

  • meditation: learning how to meditate is not easy for many people. I meditated on and off for a few years before I starting doing it as a consistent habit every day. All I can say here is that once you learn how to meditate (either via books, online guided meditations or visiting a meditation center/sangha), the science is very, very convincing about the plethora of health benefits meditation will bring you. In particular, I find basic breath meditation and visualization meditations once a day helps me handle my stress and anxiety better, it just gives me an overall increased sense of well being

  • combat negative thoughts with positive thoughts: whenever you catch yourself having negative, anxious thoughts, simply recognize them, then combat them with positive thoughts. This simple exercise, if done habitually, will literally rewire your brain to start thinking more positively. Many psychologists and counselors will teach you this exercise

  • It gives my life meaning. People get anxiety for different reasons, mine was usually existential: worrying that everything is pointless and meaningless, etc. Studying and practicing Buddhism has given great meaning to my life. The Buddha was interested in the happiness of all people, and he taught people from a wide variety of walks of life, and showed them how to imbue meaning into their lives, no matter where they were at spiritually. There's such a rich variety of teachings attributable to the Buddha: teachings to husbands, wives, children, employeers, employees, politicians, monks, etc. It's exciting. My goal is to one day become a Buddha: someone who has discovered the path to obtaining an unshakable liberation of heart and mind, and who shares this path with others. Definitely not an easy goal, but an interesting, meaningful one nontheless :)

  • EDIT: here are some resources: I recommend Mindfulness in Plain English for learning how to meditate and practice mindfulness; and Taking the Leap for learning how to deal with negative emotions. Then I recommend What the Buddha Taught for the best introduction to Buddhism I've found yet. This book even includes an entire chapter about how what the Buddha taught relates to the world today. The author includes several suttas that specifically teach how the dharma applies to the ordinary lay life. Highly recommend.
u/futtbucked69 · 13 pointsr/Fitness

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069

Highly, Highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. Seriously. You want to know how to meditate correctly? Read this book. I would not take peoples random advice online, as most of it is BS. (And there are different styles of meditation, but IMO - and many others-, Vipissana is the most beneficial.)

u/JohnnyShit-Shoes · 12 pointsr/Buddhism

The first two books I read were The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching and Mindfulness in Plain English. They'll get you started with the basics.

u/nearlyneutraltheory · 11 pointsr/cogsci

I've found Mindfulness in Plain English helpful for me in dealing with my ADHD-PI.

There is a free ebook of an earlier edition in PDF, ePUB, and html formats.

u/fidelityastro · 11 pointsr/Meditation

Mindfulness in Plain English is a fantastic book that answers pretty much every "how to" question about meditation. Can't recommend it enough!

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069

u/banllama · 10 pointsr/asktrp

Being a sociopath is NOT what you are looking for. Sociopathy is a disease, an inability to feel emotion. An inability to truly experience what being a human feels like. This is like saying you want to become an alcoholic so you don't remember your problems instead of dealing with them up front.

What you are looking to do is CONTROL your emotions, UNDERSTAND what you are feeling. You must learn to recognize these emotions within yourself first and foremost in order to master them.

A book I recommend is Mindfulness in Plain English which teaches you about using meditation to become more AWARE of your own emotions and desires in order to achieve mastery over them.

u/Share-Metta · 9 pointsr/streamentry

Hi,

I think this is a good opportunity for you to go back to basics in your practice. You've done an excellent job in recognizing your patterns of craving/aversion. The clarity of your words in describing your situation really speaks highly of the time you've put in to your practice, regardless of whether it's regular or not at the moment. You deserve to feel good about the progress you've made, so pat yourself on the back!

Now we can get back to basics and some age-old wisdom that you're going to find helpful. The intense aversion that you're having towards your work situation, at its core, is really a form of craving. If the understanding that craving/aversion are the same phenomenon comes to you intuitively, great! If not, spend some time thinking about it and you'll have an 'a-ha' moment.

So, what do we know about craving? Well, thanks to the Buddha's teachings we can observe for ourselves that our suffering in life is caused by craving and through mindful living we can learn to relax craving and reduce our suffering. Time spent in meditation allows us to experience this process first-hand, and it gives us an opportunity to dedicate ourselves to powerful mindfulness with few distractions. However, the reality of life for most of us is that we don't spend most of our time each day on a meditation cushion. We have jobs, obligations, and relationships that require the majority of our time and attention. For this reason it's extremely beneficial to develop daily, moment-to-moment mindfulness.

In my opinion, the term mindfulness is often poorly understood. Really it's just the process of being aware of your moment-to-moment experience. Imagine for a moment the experience of watching a movie. You're sitting in a chair, or on your couch, with the television in front of you. As you settle in to the movie, you effortlessly become absorbed in the sights and sounds on the screen. As you become more engrossed in the film, your awareness of your physical sensations and immediate surroundings fade away. Only when we hear a noise, or perhaps like always happens to me when I go to the movies and I've gotten the extra large soda and get the sudden urge to pee, only then do the entirety of our surroundings and immediate experience come into view and we see the movie for what it is: images of light projected on a screen.

Just like a good movie can sweep our attention away, our own thoughts, emotions, and reactions can have just as strong of a pull on our attention. Mindfulness is the process of learning to continually pop back out of this dream-like state and simply observe our present moment experience.

The suffering you have described is partly because you are losing mindfulness throughout the day and being pulled into an illusory world of negative thoughts and emotions that, in that moment of being pulled away, you identify with and believe to be your own. These negative thoughts and emotions color your perception of reality and shape your experience. With mindfulness you can begin to break this pattern and see that those moments are just as fabricated as the images projected onto a movie screen. Seductive, of course, but when viewed objectively the magnetic-like pull vanishes.

There are a variety of methods you can use to help develop strong mindfulness off the cushion. You can use your breathing as an anchor to the present moment, this is a very good anchor. It brings you back to your physical senses and it's a process that's always there as long as you're alive. The breath becomes a constant reminder to come back to the present moment. Another method is to use self-inquiry to check-in from moment to moment with your experience: "What is this?" "How mindful am I right now?". By getting in the habit of checking-in, we become more aware of our moment-to-moment experience and we can more quickly recognize when we are pulled away.

You asked about a guide to help you with mindfulness in daily life and there are some great books. I'm going to just recommend one right now because it's short, affordable and focused exactly on what you're working on right now:

Mindfulness in Plain English
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

Last, I'd like to just take a moment to share a few thoughts on the bi-polar discussion in this thread. I'm not a mental health professional, so it would be irresponsible of me to try and diagnose you over the internet or give you mental health advice. If looking at your own situation as objectively as possible, you think it will benefit you to seek professional guidance I would encourage you to do so. There's really no downside to a professional opinion. I would avoid coming to any conclusions on the matter until you've done that though.

I wish you all the best!

u/huldumadur · 7 pointsr/Meditation

And, if you want, you can also buy a physical copy. I definitely don't regret the purchase.

u/l8blmr · 7 pointsr/getting_over_it

It helps to know that our view of the world isn't an absolute thing. It's something we create in our mind from moment to moment based on our memories and whatever's happening now. Shifting your focus away from inaccurate memories towards present experience gives you a more realistic appraisal of your situation. That's where mindfulness meditation becomes a useful tool. You can accept that you're feeling what your're feeling and still know that the reasons are subjective; you don't have to take them seriously. That's all fancy talk for you should probably start meditating. Here's a good, easy way to begin:

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

u/huckingfoes · 7 pointsr/leaves

Just like to say that this book actually changed my life. He provides the ebook (pdf) for free, but I ended up buying a copy for myself and another for my friend on Amazon for around $10 each.

You definitely don't need a book to begin meditating, but if you're looking for an excellent guide and overview, this one worked for me.

u/cowgod42 · 7 pointsr/CBT

How about mindfulness meditation? Check out /r/meditiation, and also the excellent book Mindfulness in Plain English.

u/benlew · 6 pointsr/Infographics

Mindfulness in Plain English is, in my opinion, the best guide to mindfulness meditation available. It is very easy to read and straight forward. It is also is quite thorough and covers most everything you could possibly want to know. Also head over to /r/meditation which is a great resource in learning. Good luck!

u/Minicomputer · 6 pointsr/AskMenOver30

There's a joke about two young fish in the ocean swimming past an old fish who says to them, "How's the water, boys?" Finally the one fish turns to the other and says, "what the fuck is water?"

Be more aware of the perpetual activity of your mind. If you wish to return a sense of vitality and inquisitiveness to your life you must cultivate the necessary conditions and then it will arise naturally. Practice meditation.

Edited to add: Helping others is an effective way to gain a new perspective on our lives. And it feels good. It is a strong antidote for moderate depression or despair.

u/funkyjives · 6 pointsr/Buddhism

I recommend Mindfulness in Plain English for a basic understanding of Insight meditation.

Also, before people go off the hinges, Alan Watts (one of my personal favorite philosophers) didn't hold Buddhist views exclusively. Watts had a sort of mish-mash of Buddhism, Taoism, and Hinduism. In my opinion, his heart-mind was in the right spot, he just mixed up semantics a bit. Also, he was an alcoholic, and some people are a little too quick to point that out.

The last thing I want to mention is that one my be very studied in the Dharma, but the fruit that the Buddhadharma bears comes from a non-intellectual understanding that arises after some time spent in practice.

Stay steadfast and have your intentions and priorities clear.

u/bucon · 5 pointsr/Buddhism

Gil Fronsdal's Introduction to Meditation is a nice course. He is an excellent teacher, so be sure to listen to his other talks.

If you are looking for a book, Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a popular first meditation book.

u/No_Thank_You_Daddy · 5 pointsr/Buddhism

I have really appreciated Bhante Gunaratana's Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness and Mindfulness in Plain English. They are good choices if you want to go straight to how to apply Buddhism to your life.

u/Murparadox · 5 pointsr/AskMen

Hey boss. I pretty much went though the same exact thing you did a couple years ago. Dated a girl for 3 years while in college, thought I was going to marry her, ect. She broke it off for various reasons, and I literally thought I was going to die. I had no real social circle, much less any good friends. She was my entire emotional support network for so long and I had no idea what to do when she left. To make matters worse, she began sleeping with other (random) people almost immediately. Talk about soul crushing. It was a dark time in my life.

But you know what? It forced me to grow. I now have a great job, an awesome circle of friends and another great girlfriend who I live with. Here are some things I realized on my journey post-breakup.

  • Nobody is responsible for your own happiness except for YOU. That girl owes you nothing. No explanation, no sympathy, nada. And she totally has the right to see/sleep with other people. The sooner you realize that only you can control your own happiness and actions the better off you'll be.

  • Don't fall into the "Sunk cost fallacy" trap. (Look it up) Basically how this applies to relationships is thinking that you've wasted a quarter of your life on this girl, and letting it affect future decisions. DON'T THINK THAT. You were with her for a reason. You learned things from her, and will probably be a better person for it. That relationship is a sunk-cost at this point, don't let it affect your future.

  • You're going to feel alone, confused, and hurt for while. And that's ok! You just had a major loss in your life. Let yourself feel emotional for a while. But make an effort to get out and experience new things. Meet new girls, hang with buddies, ect.

  • She's probably hurting as much as you are. Don't believe for a second this guy she's with is Superman. She's only known him for a week! That's not nearly enough time to make a judgement about someone. She's still in her honeymoon phase with this dude, she had a four year relationship with you! And she might have just been saying he's so amazing to hurt you. Don't compare yourself to a guy you don't even know, you'll drive yourself nuts.

    Basically all I can say it, you're gonna be alright eventually. You're doing the right thing by breaking off contact with her. Maybe eventually you guys can be friends, but focus on YOU for now. Hit the gym, and hit on some girls. In terms of getting back into the dating scene, the book Models by Mark Manson is amazing. Its not a scummy PUA (pick-up artist) book, but really teaches you how to find self worth in dating women. For your anxiety/depression, learning to meditate really helped me. This book is good for learning how.

    Feel free to message me privately if you need any more help or clarification. I can also give some other book recommendations. Good luck!
u/thundahstruck · 5 pointsr/Buddhism

I'm writing to share some of my meditation experiences of late. I welcome feedback or any other discussion that might flow from this post.

TL;DR: Meditation can involve pain; pain originates; pain (at least to some degree) ceases; there are some ways to cease the pain.

When I started meditating regularly -- 5 or 6 weeks ago -- I sat in the half-lotus position. It was a bit difficult on my knees, but I figured they would stretch out with time. At first, the knee pain would resolve on its own between meditations. Then I started noticing pain while running. I did some research and deduced that my tight hips were causing my knees to twist, putting pressure on the meniscus. I stopped sitting in half-lotus and adopted the seiza position, with a cushion under my crotch. That has helped a lot. I would like some day to incorporate yoga into my fitness routine, which I hope will stretch out my hips for the half- and full-lotus positions. But one thing at a time.

I also have back pain while meditating. I have had related pain for about 16 years (yay college sailing!) and have only recently become serious about addressing it. My approach is two-pronged: physical and mental (see Mindfulness in Plain English, at page 94). Physically, I have strengthened my core with one-minute planks before each of my two daily sittings. And while meditating, I try to stay mindful of keeping my shoulders back and positioning my hips to counter my anterior pelvic tilt. Posture remains a distraction from breath mindfulness, but I believe that my focus on posture will pay off in the long run as I build a proper base for longer sittings. Mentally, I am mindful of the pain sensation, but I try not to conceptualize it as suffering or discomfort. That's a hard mental trick, and my approach is to keep my mind on the present moment. I tell myself that the pain sensation is now present and now bearable; the fact that the pain sensation existed at a past moment (and will likely exist in a future moment) has nothing to do with my ability to bear the current pain sensation. In other words, I try not to view pain as a cumulative phenomenon. (This approach is also helpful while running!)

To further reduce discomfort while meditating, I bought a zafu zabuton set from Dharma Crafts. The buckwheat-hull filling in the zafu provides great support. The reduction in pain let me increase my meditation time from 20 minutes to 25 minutes. If you are interested in a cushion from Dharma Crafts, I suggest getting one of their catalogs. It seemed to me that the color representations in the catalog were better than on the website.

I have referred to meditation time. I'm now up to 25 minutes for each sitting. It's not easy to sit for that long, but it's good for me so I do it. Inevitably, my mind starts to wonder (wander), "How long have I been sitting? Is this longer than 25 minutes? Should I check the timer? No, I should just wait; I bet the timer will go off -- I'd hate to check it and see that 5 minutes remain." Etc. I think these are common thoughts. Well, twice this week, that wondering got the better of me and I checked the timer; and both times I discovered that my timer had failed to start. The first time, I had been sitting for about 31 minutes. The second time (this morning), I had been sitting for over 35 minutes. I guess maybe it's time to sit for more than 25 minutes.

One last thing. I have sleeping problems and thus find myself dead tired at the end of the day. My evening meditation often does not happen until at least 10 p.m., and I struggle to stay awake. Some days, I'm able to get the meditation in early enough that drowsiness is not a problem. But lately I've tried to profit from the drowsiness by being mindful of how my brain goes from a wakeful state to a sleeping state. I have little progress to report in that regard, but I see no harm in observing how I fall asleep. (For the record, my sleep problems involve waking up too early, e.g., 3 or 4 a.m., and not being able to fall back asleep; I fall asleep just fine when I first go to bed.)

Thank you for reading.

u/LarryBills · 5 pointsr/Buddhism

Here's a couple of ideas for you to try. Please note that (as I'm sure you know) any meditation session will be unique. It is a good idea to drop expectations going in to a sit about things that you want to happen (or things you want to avoid) because we don't really have control of what arises. With that said, here's a few ideas for you:

  • Drop the chanting
  • Drop the Pranayam
  • Before sitting, do some light stretches or asanas
  • Drop the mudra. Unless you've been specifically given a mudra by a teacher, it's best to keep your hands flat (or face up) on your knees/thighs.
  • Close your eyes
  • Focus on the sensations of the in and out breath on your philtrum (the little spot under your nose) or nostrils, wherever the feeling is most clear.
  • If thoughts or bodily sensations arise, you can note 'thinking' or 'feeling' in your mind and gently return to the breath.

    You may want to check out Mindfulness in Plain English. It's an extremely well-respected and practical book.

    Web & PDF versions also available but I personally prefer physical copies of Dharma materials when available.

    *formatting/words
u/chronologicalist · 4 pointsr/IWantToLearn

I hope you haven't heard this a million times already, but if you have, you should listen because it's good advice: meditation.

There's a really great book called Mindfulness in Plain English which is essentially a very thorough breakdown of what meditation can achieve for you, which is being mindful of your feelings and observing them without acting on them.

There are tons of great resources out there for meditation, but I'm not knowledgeable enough in the area to really link you to anything. But meditation for many people is a great stress reliever and has helped me personally become a calmer, more self-observant person.

Good luck with it!

u/honestravel · 4 pointsr/Nootropics

This is a good introduction into one of the many types of meditation. I've found meditation and the clarity of mind that certain nootropics bring to be very beneficial. Just be keep in mind that it's probably not as easy as many initially think (especially if you have a very chatty brain), but the benefits come quickly. I've adopted quite the "it is what it is" attitude as of late, and that has let me enjoy and respect many uncomfortable or undesirable situations that I've found myself in. Good luck and feel free to join us over at /r/mediation :)

u/DestinedToBeDeleted · 4 pointsr/Mindfulness

Obviously, continually using MDMA to control monkey mind isn't a great long term solution. The ecstacy is heavily affecting your serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, so whether or not you're being mindful while rolling is debatable. Speaking from personal experience (almost two years sober), I wouldn't consider an MDMA experience particularly mindful; you're ultra tuned into sounds, movements, pleasurable sensations, and social interaction, but ultra tuned out of negativity.

If you want to learn to quiet the monkey mind, there's one really good way that you're probably already aware of: meditation. There's many types of meditation, but I'd recommend insight meditation for dealing with that overreactive brain. Mindfulness In Plain English is an easy to read introduction to insight/vipasanna.

u/VonEsquire · 3 pointsr/Meditation

Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition
http://amzn.com/0861719069

u/palwhan · 3 pointsr/NoFap

You should definitely check out Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369080789&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain+english

I had the same questions, as to where exactly to start, but this book introduces you to one of the main schools of meditation in a very simple jargon-free and PRACTICAL way, as opposed to theory.

u/grt5786 · 3 pointsr/HealthAnxiety

I have been struggling with health anxiety on my blood pressure for almost a decade now, and I can relate to everyone here also. It has been a really long journey that has taken me to the ER multiple times, multiple visits to cardiologists, etc. I've seen numerous doctors and tried every BP medication (which didn't help me). I've discovered some interesting things in my case:

  • My anxiety plays a HUGE role in my blood pressure. When my arm first goes into the cuff, it doesn't matter how I feel, my first couple of readings are always off the charts (my highest so far was about 200/110)
  • My high readings can be really scary, it's not uncommon for my top number to be in the range of 160-180. Of course, when this happens at the Dr they are alarmed and that makes me alarmed so my anxiety goes up, and everything just gets worse
  • Blood pressure is a terrible anxiety target because it causes a feedback loop. You get anxiety, so your BP goes up, and then you can either feel the effects or you get a high reading, which causes more anxiety, and the loop repeats.
  • What I found helpful in my case was to force myself to sit down several times during the day and take many readings. In my case sometimes I'd have to sit and do readings one after another for 20-30m straight and write down each one. I don't do this all the time now (probably not good for you), but it was useful for a while because I learned something important: my first few readings are always sky-high, and then they eventually go down and begin to stabilize as my anxiety wears off. Sometimes it takes a LONG time for this stabilization to occur, because each time the BP cuff tightens, my anxiety goes back up, but over time I found that the anxiety does start to go down as you become desensitized to the process
  • For me, I've discovered that while my BP is still not great, it's not nearly as bad as it seems. My numbers usually tend to stabilize to an average of around 145 in the morning (still high, but not ER-level high), and when I'm feeling calm or I take readings after exercising, they're even lower (stabilize around 130's, or high 120's)
  • The biggest things that have helped me personally (everyone is different) is doing the following: - Regular exercise / cardio - Forcing myself to take lots of readings at home to slightly desensitize myself (it is also just useful information, because chances are you'll find that eventually your numbers do start to go down over time) - and of course, NOT WORRYING about it.

    About the "not worrying" part... this is one of the hardest things. I had to really go thermonuclear on my anxiety and tackle it from every angle. I did the following:

  • Began writing lists of every quote, technique, or anti-anxiety trick I could find, and keeping track of what would help and what didn't. I basically started curating my own health anxiety "cheat sheet"
  • Began exercising (jogging) almost every day. This is huge, if you can do it. I can almost guarantee it will help.
  • Yoga, and stretching, at least once a day
  • Diaphragmatic breathing techniques. These are legit (you can google it, it's really simple, sometimes called 'belly breathing') and can sometimes have a very noticeable effect on my health anxiety and other issues (palpitations etc.).
  • Tried to work regular mindfulness / meditation into my schedule (tough to do but it also has been hugely helpful). My highest recommendation for meditation books is 'Mindfulness in Plain English' by Bhante Gunaratana (https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/)
  • Read books on anxiety. Some that have helped me are 'The Worry Cure' by Robert Leahy and 'Badass Ways to End Anxiety' by Geert Verschaeve. When you read them, treat it like homework. Keep a pen handy and underline passages that you find insightful. Then come back and re-visit those when your anxiety or panic attacks are bad.

    Beyond not worrying, or tackling your anxiety directly, the most obvious way to reduce health anxiety about blood pressure is to eliminate the problem to begin with. For me I've never been able to get my BP numbers normal, but as I mentioned above I started exercising more and taking regular readings at home (sometimes many in a row). I'd keep a log book actually, of the day/time, and a series of sometimes 20 or more readings in a row. This was useful because it provided concrete information on the reality of my situation* I was no longer just speculating or worrying, I could see, clear as day, on paper, that while my BP is high (or at least elevated, at best), it was not so high on average that it was going to cause my imminent death.

    Another thing to remember: a lot of people have high blood pressure. ALOT. Like 1/3 of the country. And another 1/3 are pre-hypertensive. And that was before they adjusted the numbers some time ago to lower the 'ideal' range even lower. Why is this important? Because people are not dropping dead left and right from high BP, even though 2 out of 3 people you see every day are outside the normal range. Yes, it's not a great condition and you want to address it if you can, but chances are it is not going to kill you any time soon.

    Also, your BP numbers during the day don't even matter that much. Numerous studies have found that the numbers taken at home or at the Dr. actually aren't nearly as important as your systolic while you are sleeping. This is of course nearly impossible to measure at home, but chances are while you are sleeping you BP is probably MUCH lower than when you are awake and experiencing anxiety.

    Just wanted to share some of the things I've found / learned in dealing with this myself. Of course, everyone is different but you're definitely not alone. Good luck and hang in there
u/elitistprick1 · 3 pointsr/circlejerk

Op should really start to meditate.

You should read this
http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069

u/ExitAscend · 3 pointsr/TheRedPill

Mindfulness in Plain English In a lot of ways this was like my Red Pill before the Red Pill. To quote:
> “There you are, and you suddenly realize that you are spending your life barely getting by. You keep up a good front. You manage to make ends meet somehow and look okay from the outside. But those periods of desperation, those times when you feel everything caving in on you – you keep those to yourself. Meanwhile, way down under all of that, you just know there has to be a better way to live. A better way to look at the world, a way to touch life more fully. You click into it by chance now and then: you get a good job. You fall in love. You win the game. For a while, things are different. Life takes on a richness and clarity that makes all the bad times and humdrum fade away. The whole texture of your experience changes and you say to yourself. “Okay, now I’ve made it; now I will be happy.” You are left with just a memory – that, and the vague awareness that something is wrong.
You fell that there really is a whole other realm of depth and sensitivity available in life; somehow you are just not seeing it. You wind up feeling cut off. You feel insulated from the sweetness of experience by some sort of sensory cotton. You are not really touching life. You are not “making it” again. Then even the vague awareness fades away, and you are back to the same old reality. The world looks like the usual foul place. It is an emotional roller coaster, and you spend a lot of your time down at the bottom of the ramp yearning for the heights”

u/Lightning14 · 3 pointsr/AskReddit

Mindfulness in Plain English is also a very good book on meditation instruction. This is the book I learned from. As be_mindful says, you just need to have patience to practice and get better over weeks of repetition.

u/Disintiorde · 3 pointsr/Meditation

The best advice I can give you is to read "Mindfulness in Plain English"

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370860739&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain

The meditation that this book teaches of is primarily to improve focus, concentration, and attention. I have ADD and thought for sure that I wasn't made for meditating because my mind was way too scattered and I couldn't sit still. After reading this book, I have only been meditating for 20 minutes every day for 7 days, and my concentration and attention span has improved significantly. I no longer get impatient. You can get these results too. This won't come without dedication though, that's for sure. May the force be with you on this journey brother.

u/allthehobbies · 2 pointsr/getdisciplined

> I don't have many places around that could teach me mindfulness meditation formally, but what would you recommend to anyone who is now willing to take on the practice in a more critical fashion?

Often there are teachers that are hard to find. If there are yoga or similar practices held nearby, you might go to these and ask some of the people there, they may know someone who teaches a modern mindfulness variant, or a traditional Buddhist practice like Vipassana.

If you truly can't find a teacher, then you need to simply practice, watch videos, read books and take online courses.

If you are willing to endure a little bit of "woo" talk, I recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069

As other than a little woo talk, the book makes the overall techniques very clear.

If you want something absolutely secular, then there are other books I can recommend. I myself am a secular practitioner, but I read a variety of texts, including the traditional Buddhist religious texts as these are the sources of the core practice in scientifically backed methodologies now used such as MBSR, MBCT, etc.

> I admit that my daily sits have gotten longer but they don't take place in a daily and consistent fashion.

This is probably the most difficult aspect of starting and sticking with any new skill to develop it to a useful point. Many friends who have tried meditation are unable to develop the habit, or do it so infrequently that their meditations become "rote" and non-critical. That is, they sit consumed with feelings of trying to do something and end up frustrated in the end.

Trying to learn anything on a highly infrequent basis is really difficult. Imagine trying to learn to play guitar by playing for ten minutes every few days?

Most people that learn to play guitar (or any skill) well practice a little every day, and at least every week they spend a significant chunk of time 1 or more hours in long sessions of practice on top of their daily practice.

It helps to remind yourself that with your meditation you are attempting to unlearn other bad mental habits that you are reinforcing for possibly 8-16 hours of the day, so at some point, ten minutes here and there just doesn't cut it.

I wrote a long post on establishing a daily meditation habit in /r/meditation

http://www.reddit.com/r/Meditation/comments/2w302c/establishing_a_meditation_habit_my_experience_and/

If you want links to courses, texts, books, videos, etc just ask me.

Here is a very short video from a Tibetan teacher that I feel explains mindfulness meditation in simple terms without over-complicating it. There are a lot of misconceptions I see thrown around in pop media that create bad expectations for meditation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLjelIPg3ys

The most important part is that you practice every day, more and more, and then begin practicing even outside of dedicated sitting time. That is, while you are eating, driving, doing dishes, walking, working, etc.

u/theale · 2 pointsr/MyLittleSupportGroup

sigh It really disappoints me that a solution that might actually help you is becoming unattractive to you because of the way these therapists are shoving it down your throat.

As someone who has studied and attempted meditation (with various degrees of success) for much of my life, I can say that you're not wrong to be frustrated with both meditation as a solution, and your therapists for not being helpful. Eastern meditation is becoming something of a fad in psychological circles, which I actually support, but it's fairly useless to just tell people to do it without any other useful guidance... Meditation can help with a variety of mental problems, but it requires continuous practice to really benefit, and a teacher or guide who really has experience with it is also really important.

Your own insight is actually something I'd recommend you do:

> If those things worked for me I could do them with youtube videos and books and I wouldn't need a real life therapist.

Well, why not look into YouTube videos and books? And yes, as much as I harp on people getting professional help for mental health issues, like any doctor, therapists can vary in quality.

I might recommend this book to you, it's a very good meditation guide for beginners:

Mindfulness in Plain English

Just remember that feeling frustrated with meditation and feeling like it isn't doing you any good is a common experience, you're not alone. You need to understand why meditation helps, and how to do it properly and with what attitude - a therapist simply insisting that you do it is not good enough.

Would you be a good piano player if someone just told you play the piano repeatedly? No. The same is true of meditation. It's an art, a skill that needs proper technique and regular practice to be effective.

u/amk2707 · 2 pointsr/Meditation

Honestly, just focusing on the breathe, and noticing when the mind wanders and re-focusing on the breathe is really it. As you continue to meditate, over time, years even, your perception of how to do that will change. You will notice how to catch your mind wandering quicker. You will also see what causes your mind to wander. You just start to get a better idea of how your mind works, and that can be pretty eye opening. Basically, it sounds simple, however, it is anything but, as your practice is always evolving. You also have to deal with the different "distractions" your mind and body throw at you.

I suppose the point of meditation could be to calm the mind. I don't know, I don't really think of it in those terms. That said, if you "try to calm the mind", I doubt you will be able to. Your mind is always working, wandering, planning ect. Meditation gives you a bit more awareness of this, and at times, though meditation, you will be able to calm it quite a bit. Don't think of it in black and white, IMO. It'll probably never be calmer, but you may fine when meditating, or after, that your mind is calmer. I wouldn't make that a goal though. There's a lot of benefits from meditating, and there's a lot of ways of thinking about it, so just try to keep an open mind about what could happen.

In terms of how is any of this going to help, well, there are a few different trains of thought. The most convincing is that doing this actually does change your brain chemistry. I don't know the specifics off hand, but you can google this and find answers pretty easily. The other trains of thought are more meta-physical or spiritual. I've definitely had some of those, but that's something you just have to experience yourself, as it'll be different for everyone.

If you really want to get into the nitty gritty of how to do it, check out this book: https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LQX224INT59Q&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain+english+bhante+gunaratana&qid=1555219056&s=books&sprefix=mindfulness+in%2Cstripbooks%2C141&sr=1-1

I have it, didn't finish it, but it had a lot of good info.

u/C0unt_Z3r0 · 2 pointsr/latterdaysaints

A few of mine:

  • Mindfulness in Plain English, Bhante Gunaratana - This book is what got me thinking about the idea that meditation is a way that we can train ourselves to "listen" for revelation from the Spirit in addition to the common methods we use to "seek" revelation from the Spirit.

  • Meditations, Marcus Aurelius - Because the Stoics spouted so much truth it's not even funny. Cicero is pretty good too...

  • Human Action and Theory and History, Ludwig von Mises - because I learned that truth can be found even in economic and political writings...

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen R. Covey - The way he discusses the practicalities of agency is second to none in my book...


u/elphabaloves · 2 pointsr/Meditation

I'm not sure what you're asking with "how did you learn to just meditate?" Do you mean, who taught me or what instructions do I follow?

I was first taught to meditate over 20 years ago with 1-on-1 instruction, and over the past two decades I've been on several retreats and received additional instructions.

Having said that, some people aren't able to find 1-on-1 instruction from a qualified teacher or go on a retreat, but there are several good resources out there you can use. First, I recommend the free guide I link to in this comment - it's easy to follow, and thorough. Next, I recommend "Mindfulness in Plain English" - it's a classic that is often discussed on the forum. Finally, I recommend Sam Harris' "Waking Up" - not so much for meditation instructions, but for a better understanding of your compulsive mind (which will help when trying to meditate).

u/archmichael · 2 pointsr/IWantToLearn

I have heard good feedback on "Mindfulnes in Plain English". You can try /r/meditation as well but with a caution that you don't get too attached to the minutiae of doing it correctly.

I would say that in Buddhism, there is no such thing as violent rejection. You are meditating and your mind is a calm as a mirror lake, and a unwanted thought bubbles up to the surface. You don't play whack-a-mole. Because the force of smacking that bubble creates more disturbance that the bubble would. You note it an go back to meditating, and that bubble will pop on it's own and dissipate.

So "Not living in the past" is not the same as "I am going to deny/forget the past". The difference is just taking the lesson learned, and letting the painful mistake that lead up to it go. Consciously choosing not to dwell in the past.

And the same applies for the future. Imagine going on a road trip. You know where you are going. You don't need to check a map every 5 minutes. Or have you ever gone on a trip with a friend who believes that if you don't have a detailed itinerary, you can't have fun?

This wisdom has come down to us in many forms. "It's the journey, not the destination." And if you think about it the odd thing is that the guy who just wants to get better at art ends up becoming more successful, than the guy who sets out specifically to be "a famous artist".

u/FiveFourThreeNoseOne · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Have you ever tried or considered meditation or mindfulness? It can do wonders as a mood stabilizing tool. Formal meditation is certainly a longer term thing, but some mindfulness techniques can be put into practice and show results fairly quickly. It's clinically tested and proven stuff. There are some great books to look into, like Full Catastrophe Living or Mindfulness in Plain English.

u/7xcelle · 2 pointsr/TrollAnxiety

The westernized version of mindfulness does sound really kitschy. I found it helpful putting it back into the culture from which it has been adopted/bastardized and understanding it from there gives it context and adds depth. One book I really liked is Mindfulness in Plain English
It's written by a Buddhist monk for non-Buddhists. It's very direct with really basic and interesting exercises that aren't very Eat Pray Lovey.

u/garoththorp · 2 pointsr/shrooms

Thanks, it really made my day, knowing that you got some value out of my comment :-)

I think that mindfulness meditation, first and foremost, is what will bring you the most peace. Mindfulness meditation gives you several major superpowers that you can use anytime. Their value cannot be overstated:

  • The ability to be an "impartial observer" to your own mind, at all times. One of the big problems with the "loops" I described in my post above is that most people don't realize it's happening. They focus on the experience and the panic and trying to escape, but they don't see how. Mindfulness teaches you to see what's going on "under the hood". (This "mindful attitude" generally leaks into other areas of your life as well. You gain superpowers of observation.)
  • The ability to terminate thoughts at will. For a skilled meditator, the answer to "I don't want to feel this way" is simply to stop. You gain control over which thoughts are allowed to run. You also learn to simply blank your mind completely. At first, a person can only do this for 30 seconds at a time or so. Over time, they can learn to do it indefinitely -- and just sink into the beauty of "now".
  • The ability to concentrate fully on one specific thing. Hyper-focus. Since you can control which thoughts enter and exist in your mind, you will be able to accomplish more tasks with less stress.

    Over time these abilities shape you into a peaceful, calm, intelligent, compassionate, and successful person.

    My favourite book on meditation is Mindfulness in Plain English. I think this book is very good because it explains meditation + mindfulness + concentration + the relationship with Buddhism in a clear and non-religious way. Really lays it down logically why it's worth doing and why it works.

    https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1/157-6380024-4325012

    P.S. with regards to trying some low doses -- I understand there are also "guided audio wellness meditations" aimed specifically for trips. This isn't really the same sort of thing as the mindfulness meditation that I advocated for above, but guided meditations are pretty enjoyable and useful. Anyway, I haven't tried 'em, but some friends report great results. I think that it might be nice, since the audio helps keep your trip "on the rails".
u/Penguin_Party12345 · 2 pointsr/agnostic

Mindfulness in Plain English. It is a buddhist book about how to think objectively and clearly. It is very insightful and I know people are recommending atheist books so here is your religious book recommendation. Even though it focuses more on how to think properly and objectively more than anything else. I accidentally ordered an extra copy and would be willing to ship it to you, under the stipulation that you have to ship it or recommend to someone else on /r/agnosticism to read it, that is if you like it.

Edit: You gave me a topic idea! Thank you!

u/ThisTimeIsNotWasted · 2 pointsr/Meditation

A more achievable goal is mindfulness! If you focus on enlightenment as the goal you might find it distracting. I found this book on the subject to be quite helpful:https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

u/podophyllum · 2 pointsr/Meditation

Personally, I'm not on board with the "meditation is whatever feels good to you" school. In the more than two thousand year history of meditation just about every possible permutation has been tried and the less efficient methods have been cast aside (edit: but many survive on r/Meditation).
Yes, you can lay down but it is generally not recommended unless you have some medical issue that prevents you from sitting. As u/AltcoinsBattle noted laying down tends to lead to at least some measure of dullness or sleepiness for most people. There is a good guide to meditation postures here.
Having a window open is fine as long as you don't find it too distracting. Beginners are often very easily distracted so you may find that you initially prefer or require as much quiet as possible but ultimately you'll need to learn to deal with the distractions of daily life and less protected environments.
Twenty minutes a day is excellent for a beginner but the main thing is to practice every day. If setting a goal of 20 minutes becomes a barrier that inhibits regular daily practice then shorter sessions are fine but eventually you'll want to aim for 20 minutes or longer.
I recommend Bhante Gunaratana's Mindfulness in Plain English as one of the very best introductory guides to meditation.
(edit: I strongly urge you to find a teacher or a practice group. You'll probably make your progress much more efficient.)

u/Razr_Leaf · 2 pointsr/atheism

> Can you unpack that a little? I think I know what you're getting at but not 100% sure.

Sure. My mother (evangelical Christian, though I believe it to be fading with time) has described to me the same experience of temporarily "losing" her sense of self and existing in a state of raw awareness that my Buddhist ex-roommate strives for, only she calls it god and believes it's Yahweh communicating with her, and he thinks it's a deeper level of himself that he has connected with empirically through mediation. It's the same experience that my new-age fiends have while frying on acid that they call cosmic consciousness; the same one I've had during an NDE, on mushrooms, and one time when I was close to sober (I'd had two fingers of scotch an hour prior) and an atheist.

Basically it's a moment when you experience something bigger than your self (read: self in the psychological sense). The filters of your perception are gone, you are no longer the product of your past for a few minutes. During this time the mind is incredibly open to suggestion. Most people hallucinate. Many see religious icons or places, others see aliens, some just see geometry or something.

Virtually every religion includes something along these lines, even if it only originates from "heretical" sources. It's very easy for me to see how people immediately take this to be a supernatural communication. If I had not seen norse religious imagery during my NDE (I really liked reading about vikings for a while), but the Christian imagery I was indoctrinated with, I may have taken it as divine revelation myself. I did take it to be divine revelation from mushrooms prior to that NDE, for about 4 years.

> Well if those statistics were anything like true then I'd agree with you. Of course this comes down to one's subjective experience of the religious, but the religious people in my life don't subscribe to the latter in any way, shape or form.

It's probably not a legit number, but the real objective numbers are not encouraging. Something like 45% of Americans don't believe in evolution. They think the world is 6000 years old and that humans were created in their present form by god. Huge percentages of Muslims (including many groups we consider moderate) believe that gays should be stoned to death, that apostates should be killed, that sexes should be segregated. This is an epidemic. The value that a minority of religious believers and theologians derive from these teachings are not worth the cost to society that is incurred.

> ...in the UK, your average Church-goer potters around with a little cup of tea and believes vaguely in something that wants them to be nice to other people. Is that really so bad, and are those sorts of religious people really so tiny in number?

There is no reason to believe they would not find the same quality of life without religion. To the contrary, the evidence suggests that the irreligious are more compassionate and charitable. It is far better to know why you are going to be good to people than to have a vague impression of something wanting you to.

The cost of that innocent church-goer's delusion is the societal consensus that it's totally fine to hear and follow voices in your head and operate under the assumption that this is the infallible will of a deity that will harm you if you don't obey. That translates to millions of murders, millions of mutilated genitals, the punishment of rape victims, and a hundred other types of atrocities that are carried out each and every year, justified and made into tradition all because of this one little delusion.

> Equally, remember all these people should be allowed their own spiritual journey, and just may not quite have got to the "transcending the ego" part.

I agree with that, but I do not believe that we should start them out on their spiritual journey with books that include, "torture and kill those people of there or I will do worse to you for all of eternity."

> But if they're in a religion, while it may be deeply imperfect (as you're saying), at least they're on a path that can get them there. What chance do they have without it?

The assumption that people would be incapable of learning about these subjective "truths" or gems that religion offers without the bronze-age barbarism and threats of damnation added in is not one I think is justified. Secular humanism offers a much better path without all the bullshit.

> For me you don't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater though.

When people are throwing rocks at their own goddamn children until they die because of the baby, you have to ask how many lives that baby is worth.

> religion is really the best option we've got, indeed probably the only one (in terms of getting those "gems").

I couldn't disagree more. Religion led me far away from those gems when I was in it. Ingesting psychedelic drugs was a much quicker and more rewarding route, and so was reading Mindfulness in Plain English. I believe that we would be hard pressed to come up with a worse option than Abrahamic religion.

> But there are perfectly coherent theodicies that entirely reject the killing, the bigotry, the hatred, the enslavement.

Perfectly coherent? Which ones? From my readings I found all of them to be densely circular in reasoning and not worth the time it took to jump through the mental gymnastics course that they required.

> Why are you so convinced that theology can't move on and develop, as it already has over the centuries?

Because the texts that it is based on do not move on and develop.

Any time there is uncertainty or conflict, it will be an option for the politician to quote the parts that we usually ignore and apologize for, and rile up the moderate believers into extremism. Compare Afghanistan in the 1970s to today and you'll see what I mean. Religion only progresses in spite of its texts, and because those come from the fucking bronze age, when it regresses the shit hits the fan extra hard.

> And why do you ignore the peaceful billions for whom religion isn't an automatic source of division?

I don't ignore them, I blame them for perpetuating the immoral power structure that provides a haven for the not-so peaceful. The opportunity cost of their fantasy is too great to be calculated. Even if it's not a source of division for them, it is definitely automatically a source of delusion, and that's just too harmful to be given a pass IMO.

u/brant_1 · 2 pointsr/NoFap

For meditation, I would read Mindfulness in Plain English and try a guided meditation like the one Sam Harris has on his site (his podcast is also great if you've never checked it out) and maybe think about something like headspace (there are also free online guided meditation services but I am not aware of any to recommend).

===

Also definitely stay away from porn, it will do nothing except to damage you. Can't emphasize how crucial this is if you want to see the true benefits of nofap and regain/maintain a natural perspective on sex and women. Something that may help is to tell yourself "okay, I will watch porn, but only after I do x", where x is a cold shower or workout or something else productive (I think change of environment is essential to it being as effective as possible). Once you have finished, you probably will not want to watch porn. I would also look at your diet (it really helps): try to minimize processed foods and high fat items, and replace them with fresh fruit and veggies. Frozen wild blueberries are great for your health and I make a smoothie with them every day.

u/evergreen35 · 2 pointsr/raisedbynarcissists

Learning and practicing meditation really helped me get thru some dark times. This Book is especially good. Buddhist philosophy (not religion) has also been a great refuge for me. Happiness comes from within, but it takes a lot of work to get there. Hope this helps.

u/TransfoCrent · 2 pointsr/socialanxiety

This book has been an immense help to me. The author is really good at explaining what mindfulness meditation is and I always feel soothed and reassured just from reading from it. I've got a very noisy and unfocused brain too (I'm sure that goes for most people on this sub lol) but mindfulness is an excellent tool to overcome that. Good luck dude :)

u/thag_you_very_buch · 2 pointsr/conspiracy

If you would like to read more, here are some personal book recommendations.

These are NOT referral links

Stalking the Wild Pendulum: On the Mechanics of Consciousness by Itzhak Bentov

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
Note: Please preview the audiobook of this one before purchasing. The narrator sounds very pretentious and personally it was distracting.

u/omaround · 2 pointsr/india

I also wonder about my life and frequently get caught into the web of past and where I am going into the future. I can relate to some of your problems and its really difficult to beat the mind going through such a thought process especially when one feel he is all alone in this world. Slowly I have come to realize that doing nothing is the greatest problem because our mind want to give ourself and identity, and for that it does by reflecting on the past bad events and regrets.

The most important thing in the process is to identify any one person with whom you can share your feelings. Believe me you will feel better. Find out one person who will listen to you about what you think. Sometimes we hide things from even ourselves which comes out right infront of us when we find someone you is considerate and ready to listen to us.
If there is no such person then you need to find out one thing you are really passionate about, it can be teaching, may be fishing, photography and just go do it. As you have said you don't care about anyone and nobody cares about you, then that there is a great opportunity to redefine yourself. Restart your life the way you want it without anyone judging and anybody suggesting something. May be go to Dharmshala and live there for few months or something. Some of the seniors in my college has tried that and they have spent even a full year there.

You have to start believing that there are people who care about you. Sitting around and wondering the about past friends would not do it. Go out to tourist places, find out how people get along on their day to day life to provide their family, to just be able to support them for one more day. It will definitely change your thought process. If you are not able to meet the people you already know, go out and talk to strangers. Keep learning keep trying.

Start meditation. I will not be able comprehend the full benefits it provide. Try one of these books http://www.amazon.in/Mindfulness-Plain-English-Anniversary-Edition/dp/0861719069, http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Eight-Week-Finding-Peace-Frantic-ebook/dp/B005NJ2T1G.

Go out get lost and rediscover yourself.

u/BassOfTheSea · 2 pointsr/Meditation

Here is a link to a good beginners meditation book. Costs about $11, but would probably be very helpful to someone like you.

  • Mindfulness in Plain English - Book

    This is a very straightforward, no bullshit meditation that I really enjoy. There is a short version and a long version. This is the shorter version.

  • Sam Harris - Meditation

    This is more of a general discussion of meditation, Buddhism, and philosophy by Alan Watts. The track is old and some of his advice is outdated (like making a gong out of the bottom of an oxygen tank, haha), but his general points are great.

  • Alan Watts - Meditation

    There are many guided meditations on youtube, just try some out and see what you think.

    If you have a smartphone, I recommend the Insight Timer app. It has some useful timer features and a bunch of guided meditations. You are going to find a lot of mumbo jumbo ones, but that can be part of the fun too. Good luck!
u/jkingme · 2 pointsr/DAE

Hey, man. Although I can't personally relate to your experience, it sounds like a horrible situation. If therapy/pills/whatever hasn't worked, I have a book to suggest to you. It has helped me put my mind right in a lot of messed up areas of my life. Mindfulness in Plain English teaches you to observe the mind's habits, and to look for and address their causes. Although it is written from a Buddhist standpoint, you certainly don't have to affiliate with any belief to get a lot out of it. I hope you find happiness.

u/napjerks · 2 pointsr/Meditation

That's the exact practice. You're already doing it right. Sitting down, seeing a thought, trying not to get involved in it.

You can label it if you wish, especially if the same thought comes back a lot. Say, "That's having an expectation." Take a moment to remember, "It's just a thought." Go back to what you are meditating on. That's it. That is the exercise.

There are different ways to meditate. I am assuming we are talking about Buddhist meditation, for example on an object like the breath, a mantra or something you are looking at or visualizing.

So we are practicing staying with the object. Thoughts come up, back to the object. That's it. Anything else is a distraction. But we want to remain calm, be kind and patient with ourselves. That is also the practice. Having compassion for ourselves while doing the exercise. That's also a core part of it.

A book like Mindfulness in Plain English helps. It also helps to visit a meditation group for a few months until you get the hang of it so you can ask questions in person.

u/Praelior · 2 pointsr/Anxiety

I am still working on it. I also wasn't trying to imply "I had things worse", since everyone handles things differently. I thought it would just help put things into context.

Things are getting slowly better compared to 1 month ago, 2 weeks ago etc. The things I listed off have definitely helped me. I'm glad I communicated to my bosses. It really depends upon your relationship with them however, but mine prefer having very frank conversations. So I flat out told them, I dread driving in everyday, and I'm overwhelmed. I pretty much made an assessment that I'm not looking to be king of the business world any more (I've been working for 7 years). I ideally want a job that I can go in, work hard at, and go home after 9 hours. (save for some sporadic busy periods)

This book on Mindfulness also helped me:
Mindfulness in Plain English

I think the biggest thing for me was seeing a professional. Even if I don't extract to much from a session, I feel better for going. Everyone is different however. I decided to just take all of the things people suggest to reduce stress/anxiety, and diligently apply all of them.

Although work has been stressful for a while, I kind of ignored it early. I had some pretty severe things going on in my life, and anything that happened at work seemed incredibly insignificant. The other stressful things let me just shut off work like a faucet.

However, I do recognize that although my work is indeed stressful right now, my response to it is over the top.

u/asstasticbum · 2 pointsr/cigars

Oh yes, Mindfullness and breathing exercises are done multiple times daily.

An amazing book for absolutely anyone wanting to catch their breath and stay more "in the now" as opposed the past and future. Mindfulness in Plain English.

u/mindful_island · 2 pointsr/Mindfulness

Always glad to discuss!

I learn a lot as I try to articulate my understanding and experience. That is one of the reasons I started teaching mindfulness practice.

I've listened to a lot of Alan Watts. I love that he described himself as a "spiritual entertainer" and a "philosophical entertainer". I could listen to him talk for hours. :D

I've also listened to many videos of Tolle, he is a great guy. I haven't read books from either of them.

I've read a little about Huang Po back when I hung out in /r/zen a little. I've since moved on from that place. BTW if you ever go there, maybe you already have, take them all with a grain of salt. I think there is more to learn from the zen texts and meditation than the toxic people in that forum.

'Taking the Path of Zen' by Robert Aiken is really good.
https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Path-Zen-Robert-Aitken/dp/0865470804

'Mindfulness in Plain English' may be the best intro to mindfulness I've read.
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

'Focused and Fearless' is a very direct and simple guide to Jhana practice, or absorption concentration meditation. It describes very specifically how to reach and identify every level of Jhana.
https://www.amazon.com/Focused-Fearless-Meditators-States-Clarity/dp/0861715608

'The Posture of Meditation' is a great guide to the role your body plays in meditation. It is the most in depth guide on posture, but it can be an intro to meditation in itself. The author teaches that you can read deep mindful states with only correct posture.
https://www.amazon.com/Posture-Meditation-Will-Johnson/dp/1570622329


Most of those talk about actual practice, which I think is the most important.

For philosophy and understanding what is going on I highly recommend this course:

https://www.coursera.org/learn/science-of-meditation

It is a serious and lengthy course for which you will need patience to sit through lectures. An evolutionary psychologist from Princeton - Robert Wright evaluates Buddhism through the lens of modern psychology.

That was a defining course for me and gave me a lot of motivation to practice whole heartedly.

u/soutioirsim · 2 pointsr/Mindfulness

1

As you meditate more, you may come to realise that it's the identification of yourself with an emotion which causes a significant amount of suffering (not the emotion itself). For example, I suffered from quite bad anxiety when around large numbers of people (lectures, meetings, etc). Pre-mindfulness, I would become anxious which leads to a freight train of thoughts such as: "what if this gets worse?", "what if I have a full-blown panic attack in front of all these people?", "I can't cope with this". Notice how all these thoughts have an I in them; it's all self-referential and believing that this emotion is you. I found depression is similar but the thoughts are more like: "why do I feel like this?", "I'm more depressed than everyone else", "I'm not normal; I'm going to be like this forever".

The aim of mindfulness is to accept our emotions, but probably more importantly is to also change how we relate to our emotions and this is the aspect which takes time, patience and persistance. So please, please, please, keep on meditating!

> I almost don't want to accept my sad emotions

I understand this and is extremely difficult. To completely give in to your emotions is almost an art. Try it as a sort of "experiment" if sadness comes up in meditation; try to completely let the sadness in. See how it feels in your body, if it creates any tension, where it sits, if there's a change in breathing, if there's a change in temperature etc.

2

This probably will happen to a certain extent, but I would argue that this brings a freedom that the majority of the population is unaware from.

The next time you're on a train/bus or at a party, have a look at the people around you. A lot of people going to work are grasping for that next step up the career ladder or that pay rise, hoping it will be them happiness when they are at the top or can afford those new, more expensive shoes they've always wanted. People are driven by thought processes which ultimately won't make them happy. Again with people at a party; how many people look at ease? You have people desperately trying to fit in, which is fueled by feelings of anxiety and fear of failure. You have people desperately trying to be "cool", to fulfill this story/narrative that they are cool and popular. If not, their identity crumbles and they are miserable.

Mindfulness helps us step out of our own narrative and truly live. Instead of focusing on money, status, intellectualism, athleticism, etc, you can simply be here now. This will generally make you more compassionate as well.

I would argue that the less we identify with the self, the more freedom we have. I had a similar crisis of identity when I started meditating. I was a keen athlete and was always striving for better and faster. After meditating for a while though, I realised that this was primarily driven by anxiety and feel of failure. All of a sudden I had zero motivation to train and compete! What was the point? To me it didn't matter anymore. This was problematic as exercise really helped my mental health. The solution I found was to carry on training/exercising, but this time the aim was to simply enjoy the process. Be present in my training sessions. Explore how my body reacts during training and racing. Fully give in to the process of competing, while trying not to identify which the outcome/results too much (I'm still not great at this last bit, as I still place a lot of my self-worth in how I perform. I'm slowly getting better though).

What I'm trying to say is that you can carry on doing the hobbies/activities you enjoy, but approach them with a different outlook.

3

I've experiences space distortion (e.g. the floor underneath me falling away which was very weird and intense) but never hallucination so I can't really help you there. However, if you want to systematically and carefully explore meditation further step-by-step, then I cannot recommend enough The Mind Illuminated by Dr John Yates (which is completely free of religion and jargon which is refreshing). In my opinion, Eckharte Tolle's book is a waste of space and there are better books on being mindful:

  • Wherever You Go, There You Are
  • Mindfulness In Plain English

  • Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World

    The first two books are more about the essence of mindfulness and the third is more of a step-by-step guide to mindfulness written by a brilliant researcher here in Oxford. Russ Harris' books on ACT are fantastic :)

    Edit: One last thing I wanted to say about the negative effects of mindfulness is that my motivation to work towards my PhD also took a hit when I started meditating. Again, a lot of my motivation for my PhD was anxiety and fear or failure, and once I identified with these emotions less and less, the less I worried about working hard. This again is slow progress but I'm trying to switch emphasis in my work from achieve, achieve, achieve, to enjoying and savouring the process. It's difficult though with periods of high-pressure and deadlines!
u/blissdancefly · 2 pointsr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

Happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day!

Jokes on you

I feel too bad about pulling pranks to do it often. The outcome is never as funny as desired, at least for me. Maybe that's because I'm not very good at coming up with prank ideas and stuff like that. When I was younger though, I thought I was very clever. When I was around 8, I spent the whole week before April Fool's building up that I thought there was a fairy loose in the house and I had to catch it. I built "fairy traps" all over the house. April first, my parents woke up to glitter everywhere and all of my horrible traps "deployed". I ran around yelling, "I told you there was a fairy, I told you!!" Yup, I'm clever. I also had to spend hours cleaning up that damn glitter. I hate glitter.

u/root_z · 2 pointsr/Meditation

Mindfulness In Plain English. I think everyone beginning a mindfulness practice should read this book.

Another author and teacher I would recommend would be Jon Kabat-Zinn

u/tippytoetulips · 2 pointsr/exmormon

Mindfulness in Plain English by Ven. Henepola Gunaratana

Good book, more about the meditation side, less about the religion side. I found a free copy floating on the internet.

u/EmperorXenu · 2 pointsr/OpiatesRecovery

Right, I don't do the whole nomenclature thing, but labels are sometimes useful for describing exactly what "system" someone is using. Living in the now, so to speak, and not identifying with the mind are definitely great skills to cultivate. If you don't already utilize some form of cognitive behavioral therapy, like REBT, you should look into that because the two complement each other very well.

I'm waiting on:

Mindfulness in Plain English

Focused and Fearless: A Meditator's Guide to States of Deep Joy, Calm, and Clarity

Mindfulness, Bliss, and Beyond: A Meditator's Handbook

They were from the /r/meditation book recommendation thread, and I've been trying to develop mindfulness skills more.

u/BBBalls · 2 pointsr/Buddhism

I had kind of a hard time thinking about a response I felt good about. Below are resources roughly sequenced as "stages". All the resources are within or related to the Theravada tradition. I tried to keep everything free. When a preferred resource is not free, I include a free alternative. Buddhism is very much a practice, so when instructions are given put them into practice the best you can. There is also a need to understand why you are practicing, so there is a need to understand Buddhist theory. Some of these resources might not be seem immediately applicable to you, which is fine, just think of it as being similar to reviewing a map before going on the hike. This small collection of selected resources may seem overwhelming, but learning the dhamma is a long process, so there is no hurry to read or listen to everything. It is like walking through mist, you don't necessarily notice getting wet. I just want to reiterate that practicing is very important. Buddhism is about doing, and to lesser degree about acquiring book knowledge. One caution, I put several different meditation styles below; go a head and experiment with them, but figure out which one fits you best and stick with it for a while. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer skillfully. Remember that persistence will bring rewards. Good luck.

Books:

"Stage 1"

With Each & Every Breath: A Guide to Meditation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana [not free] (Free older version)

Noble Strategy by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

The Buddha’s Teachings: An Introduction by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

"Stage 2"

In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon edited by Bhikkhu Bodhi [not free] (A free "clone" can be found at www.suttacentral.net. It has all of the introductions Bhikkhu Bodhi wrote, but uses free translations of the suttas)

The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations translated by Gil Fronsdal [not free] (A free and reliable translation of the Dhammapada by Anandajoti Bhikkhu)

"Stage 3"

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya translated by Bhikkhu Nanamoli & Bhikkhu Bodhi [not free] (Free translations of all of the Majjhima Nikaya suttas can be found at www.suttacentral.net. Thanissaro Bhikkhu has translated a free anthology of the Majjhima Nikaya called Handful of Leaves, Volume II: an Anthology from the Majjhima Nikaya)

The Wings to Awakening: An Anthology from the Pali Canon by Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Talks:

"Stage 1"

Introduction to Meditation is an audio course by Gil Fronsdal.

Basics is collection of talks by Thanissaro Bhikkhu.

The Buddha's Teaching As It Is: An Introductory Course is a series of talks by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Eightfold Path Program is a series of talks by Gil Fronsdal.

Four Noble Truths is a series by Gil Fronsdal and Andrea Fella.

"Stage 2"

Don't eat your fingers. Seriously though, just listen to talks and get a better feel for the dharma.

"Stage 3"

Seven Factors of Awakening is a series of talks by Gil Fronsdal.

A Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikaya by Bhikkhu Bodhi

Resources:(There are a huge number of great resource. Below are the ones I frequent or have frequented)

Texts: www.suttacentral.net, www.accesstoinsight.org, www.buddhanet.net, www.dhammatalks.org, www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net

Talks: www.dharmaseed.org (huge variety of teachers have talks here), www.dhammatalks.org (Thanissaro Bhikkhu has a huge catalog of talks. He has a straight forward style.), www.audiodharma.org (Gil Fronsdal has very accessible teaching style. He presents the dharma in an almost secular way, but doesn't doesn't diminish it in the process.)

Video: Buddhist Society of Western Australia (Ajahn Brahm is a much loved and accessible teacher), Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu (Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu has a very calm demeanor, and does live Q&A regularly, StudentofthePath (Bhikkhu Jayasara is a recently ordained monk and is an active redditor, u/Bhikkhu_Jayasara), Dhammanet (Bhikkhu Sujato has "loose" and friendly teaching style, but is a serious scholar.)

u/dereksurfing · 1 pointr/Meditation

Read the book, "Mindfulness in Plain English" Amazon link

This book is what gave me a practical perspective on how to actually meditate. It will help regardless of your intentions or goal. It helped jumpstart my practice.

You will become more compassionate and connected by default through meditation.

u/Frigzy · 1 pointr/asktrp

Waking up by Sam Harris is a very interesting read on this subject. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1451636016/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1451636016&linkCode=as2&tag=wireli08-20&linkId=CSLQO2UCBZ5KBF6U

For meditation, I recommend starting by reading this book and to take it from there. Meditation in essence is a technique to help you break through conditioning so don't expect miracles from the start. Master the technique and see from there. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0861719069/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0861719069&linkCode=as2&tag=wireli08-20&linkId=PCE4EPUARK5PAQPB

Other than the two resources mentioned above, I would recommend to practice love and compassion towards yourself whenever you're in need of guidance by thinking of the person you love the most. Use visualization to picture that person in your very situation and from there, think of how you would advise that person to act in their best interest. The next step would be to visualize yourself in their position and ask how you would advise yourself (being the person you love the most) to act in your own best interest.

The exercise might seem a bit awkward at first, but it's a way of channeling your deepest sensation of love and using it for your own benefit. Often it makes the right decisions because it keeps your strengths, weaknesses and preferences in mind like no other.

By using meditation to break through conditioning, and combining that with the practice of self love, you're well on your way to reach your true self without actually giving up on real life and join a monastry.

I'm definitely not there yet myself, but at the very least I can say I'm heading in the general direction, which on itself already feels deeply fulfilling. Never hesitate to look deeper!

u/im14 · 1 pointr/Meditation

Thanks, that is correct. The earlier edition is available for free online as e-book while latest edition can be purchased as e-book or physical copy.

u/Citta_Viveka · 1 pointr/Buddhism

>In other words: 'don't worry about it, worry about it'

What do you think about the sentence after what you quoted?

>Whatever there is that arises in the mind, just watch it.

If that didn't resonate with you, here is another example, in a slightly different context but maybe more thorough — from 'Mindfulness in Plain English' page 115:

>When you first sit down to concentrate on the breath, you will be struck by how incredibly busy the mind actually is. It jumps and jibbers. It veers and bucks. It chases itself around in constant circles. It chatters. It thinks. It fantasizes and daydreams. Don't be upset about that. It's natural. When your mind wanders from the subject of meditation, just observe the distraction mindfully.


>[...]

>Make the distraction a temporary object of meditation. Please note the word temporary. It's quite important. We are not advising that you switch horses in midstream. We do not expect you to adopt a whole new object of meditation every three seconds... What is it? How strong is it? and, how long does it last? As soon as you have wordlessly answered these questions, you are through with your examination of that distraction, and you return...

u/[deleted] · 1 pointr/books

Non-fiction book, but it saved my life:

Mindfulness in Plain English

u/FriedBizkit · 1 pointr/conspiracy

Reading "Mindfulness in Plain English". It can be read for free or downloaded.

u/MolecularGenetics · 1 pointr/books

The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran

This book is my favorite translation of the Dhammapada. The introduction has the best story about the life of the Buddha. It provides the historical context of the day through which Buddhism grew from. This introduction provided a perspective I've never heard before, and it opens my eyes into what the Buddha discovered and how he got there. I would buy it alone for the introduction.


Meditation in Plain English

For a more practical book, Meditation in Plain English is just what the title says. It teaches you how to meditate and provides the reasons why you should meditate with going into technical terms of Buddhism.

If you have any questions, pm me. Good luck.

u/g10tto · 1 pointr/GetMotivated

I don't know if this is what terzog was going to link, but I suspect it is. I HIGHLY reccommend Mindfulness in Plain English which is available for free because monks are awesome, but you can also check it out on Amazon where it's a best-seller.

u/twinsonian · 1 pointr/StopGaming

http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

Fantastic book for learning how to get started with meditation. You can start with just minutes a day to see improvement. I would also suggest getting in some nature. I know you said you are disabled and I wasnt sure if that meant physically at all -- if not just get outside and find things that you can tolerate.

u/tagrav · 1 pointr/TrueOffMyChest

i aint trying to give advice or anything but life is just a sucky scenario all around. and i'm not being cynical im being positive.

You've probably heard this before but you need to be happy with yourself before you attempt a relationship.

looks are what get you the date. they don't get you the lasting loving relationship. A relationship founded by looks or started on that notion is a cold as the bed you're currently sleeping in.

A loving relationship comes from within yourself.

you gotta get happy on your own by yourself with yourself.

maybe you don't even have to be happy maybe that's too strong of a word.

but you have to just be content in a lot of ways.


If anything the best advice I could give you is to try and reach some sort of internal peace. Life fucking sucks. people will die, you will watch life wither away. you'll watch your looks and weight fade. you'll find yourself wondering why the fuck anything is anything in the first place.

You're human, that's about all it is. you are cursed by being human. you're always going to be unhappy. and whatever happiness comes will surely fade away.

if you can become at peace with yourself somehow then you'll be able to weather those storms life throws at you. relationships are AWESOME they are loving and they are amazing. they can be lasting and meaningful and perfect and STILL SUCK.

Check out this book on Meditation. the first paragraph or so will likely ring very true to feelings you have or have had about your life.
http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1450109510&sr=8-5&keywords=mindfulness

u/strangedotmachine · 1 pointr/aspergers

Definitely do that if you feel compelled. I recently actually saw a therapist for a period of time and it helped me get through a crisis. I'm taking a break right now, but if serious issues return I will go back.

One other thing that has been huge for me is my meditation practice. This is what got me going on it:

Mindfulness in Plain English
https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

and:

http://hivelogic.com/articles/an-introduction-to-mindfulness-meditation/

u/bunsonh · 1 pointr/explainlikeimfive

I have trawled many many of the beginner resources over the years, and there is none better than Gil Fronsdal's Introduction to Meditation course. Second best is the book Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana.

Good luck!

u/giggleshmack · 1 pointr/NoFap

I recommend buying a book on meditation, reading it daily, and meditating right afterwards. Your meditation routine will change and improve as you read the book. I started with "Mindfulness in Plain English" by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana (http://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-20th-Anniversary/dp/0861719069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418423257&sr=8-1&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain+english) and I'm on my third meditation book now. :)

u/ivebeentohellandback · 1 pointr/Meditation

Probably the best book for beginners is "Mindfullness in Plain English". Give it a read.

u/fishpuddle · 1 pointr/Meditation

Mindfulness definitely helped me to feel more again. I don't know if it was because of it alleviating my depression or using it to break out of the depressive thought spirals and refocus on the present, or both. Being able to detach yourself from the stream of depression, even for a moment, is really powerful. It can be as simple as redirecting your attention to the texture of a piece of fabric, or the way the sun feels on your skin without attaching a meaning or expecting anything other than just observing it with neutral curiosity.

I've struggled with depression for over half my life, have been on so many different antidepressants for the past 15 years, have done therapy, been to many different psychiatrists and none of that has helped as much as mindfulness has. I would strongly suggest reading the book I recommended. Some books don't seem to grasp depression very well, but this one does. It comes with a CD with guided meditations that are very helpful, as well.

Part of the emotional numbing is definitely from depression, but it's also important to remember that it's also a side-effect of antidepressants (though, I'm not telling you to stop taking them.)

P.S. If you read this book and want to dive deeper into mindfulness, I would suggest Mindfulness in Plain English (https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069). Both have audiobooks available, which are nice if depression is keeping you from focusing on reading.

u/JamieRmusic · 1 pointr/StopGaming

Old post, but I felt that this has to come to the surface.

Video games didn't hold you at gun point. It didn't force you to play. Yes, they are designed to abuse your reward systems in the brain, and yes at such a young age it can be difficult to recognize these patterns, but it is up to the user to take control. Clearly you have made a good decision early on, as many can go 20 years before they finally snap out of the daze.

What I'm about to share, is nothing new. You will have heard about it, maybe even tried it one or twice. For most people it doesn't stick, because it seem too challenging and demanding. The thing which is neglected, is how it will develop a keen way of getting profound insight into your own life, habits, thought and behaviour-patterns.

Keep with me for a moment, because what I'm trying to get to here is quite important. Meditation is, and should be, a tool taught to everyone, especially at a young age. It will give the person distance from emotions and immediate reactions, which in return will make it possible to have an objective view. It also clears away the endless chatter in the head, allowing you to have serious discussions with yourself, and also has the potential to give profound clarity in life. The kind of clarity where the world becomes brighter, you notice details in your life that weren't there before. Because you are always fully present, in the moment. Like a new born. vipassana is the style of meditation which is the easiest to begin with, with only one goal in mind. To build concentration and awareness, as they are essentially bound together, and one cannot exist without the other.

I highly suggest checking out this book, even if all you read is the first 20 pages... It might just change your life, allow you to play games as a reward, rather than as a clutch. https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

It may seem boring, and really difficult, but once you do some research you will realize that most "successful" people in this world actually meditate, it becomes a silent clue that it has some real weight behind it. It hasn't been practiced for hundreds of centuries for no reason. It is the best way for (and probably the only way for the former) total enlightenment and liberation, of our desires, anger, our jealousy, greed and hate. (ps. Lifeflow 2 is a great tool to learn meditation )

Start working out. Get healthy, great foods into the body. It'll make ur weight stabilize. Get out of the house and do stuff. Go for walks. Read books. It really doesn't matter. Just get going and it will snowball once you see positive changes in your life.

Lastly, externalizing "I would be happy if x y z" factor is only a setup by your mind, your ego. It doesn't work like that. TRUE happiness comes from within. No amount of external stimuli can ever give you that. You have to CHOOSE to be happy. It'll come with age, if you pursue it, relentlessly. You can't predict how your life would be different, because it could have gone in any direction. The only important thing is what you decide to do now, then stop blaming the past, stop looking back, move forward, find mentors, find idols, find people to emulate, and give it your everything.

Best of luck.

u/luluon · 1 pointr/NoFap

I follow the instructions in this book: https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

That is based on the Buddhist tradition, as simple as it gets there.

They have taken the elements from Buddhist meditation and stripped it down a bit. Here is an example of an simple instruction:

http://i.imgur.com/2GehUR4.jpg


The absolute basics:

Sit still, spine erect without back support, focus on the breathing, when you get distracted by a thought or sensation, go back to the breath, repeat. Do it a couple of minutes every day and see where it take you.

u/goobenheim · 1 pointr/Meditation

I appreciated Mindfulness in Plain English by Henepola Gunaratana

I would also recommend diving into Pema Chodron a bit. This book has a nice collection of much of her work.

u/FrozenVision · 1 pointr/Meditation

Just another person who's new to meditation/mindfulness, but after researching about it for a while I'm really interested in learning more about being the master of my own thoughts and actions.

Are there any books worth reading that are suited towards beginners?

​

EDIT: Found these two books - Mindfulness in Plain English and The Mind Illuminated. Has anyone happened to have read these and can recommend which one is great to start of with?

u/scattered_data_point · 1 pointr/occult

Please be extremely careful with the "addictive pills:" if they are prescribed for anxiety most likely they are benzodiazapines, i.e. xanax/alprazolam, clonapin/clonazapam, valium/diazapam, or ativan/lorazepam, to name the most common ones. These drugs are HIGHLY addictive, and come with a whole host of nasty side effects, the most deleterious of which is rebound anxiety: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebound_effect
In effect, once the dosage wears off the anxiety comes back immediately, often worse than before.

In addition, benzodiazapines have an aggressive tolerance effect, meaning that within a very short time (we are talking days here) a physical tolerance develops, requiring you to take ever increasing dosages to achieve the same calming effect. This rapidly leads to physical and psychological dependence, meaning that any attempt to reduce or discontinue the drug will lead to withdrawal symptoms. Benzodiazapine withdrawal is extremely unpleasant (to put it mildly) and without proper medical supervision can even lead to seizures and death.

I don't bring these points up to scare you, I am merely providing information I wish would have been provided to me. I wasted a year of my life trying to manage my anxiety through benzos and ended up with a raging habit. The withdrawal (both acute and non-acute) experience was not something I would wish on my worst enemy, and lasted several months. The anxiety I experienced during-after the withdrawal made the original anxiety look like a cakewalk.

I share this not to be preachy or pendantic, but because I sincerely wish that someone had properly warned me before I headed down that path.
In terms of managing severe anxiety, I have found several non-pharmaceutical strategies to be extremely helpful:

  1. as many people have mentioned, meditation. However, I would like to add that the anti-anxiety properties of a meditation practice do take weeks/months of practice to truly experience, so that's more of a long-term strategy, but it is extremely powerful once you begin to reap the rewards. Here is probably one of the best instruction books on mindfulness meditation, as recommended to me by my teacher:
    https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

  2. Eliminate coffee/caffine from your diet--> It will make a huge impact once you get past the sluggishness

  3. DO not skip meals, no matter how terrible you feel. Soup, yogurt, whatever it takes to make sure you are getting nutrients. The emotional dysregulation caused by skipping meals and the resultant blood sugar issues cannot be understated. Also avoid sugar.

  4. EXERCISE. Hard exercise, like swiming, running, or lifting weights. This will get you grounded in your body and out of your head, and most importantly will tire you out so that sleep may come more easily.

  5. Find safe, mindless activities to keep yourself occupied. The simple act of washing dishes, gardening, or reading a trashy sci-fi/fantasy novel has got me through many an internal freak out. Your activity list might not look like mine, but make sure you develop one.

  6. Find a grounding exercise that you like and do it every day. Do it whenever you feel a wave of anxiety come over you, and do it before you go to sleep at night.

  7. Finally, this may be cheesy as hell but I am not ashamed to say that in moments of real panic I have utilized the "Litany Against Fear" from Dune to great effect:

    I must not fear.
    Fear is the mind-killer.
    Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
    I will face my fear.
    I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
    And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
    Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

    Breath deep and slow, say it aloud or in your head, and repeat.

    Good luck, and remember self-compassion goes a long way.
u/juchanaut · 1 pointr/TheRedPill

Mindfulness in Plain English.

Start here for an understanding. The rest you can do in your own mind.

u/Ludakrit · 1 pointr/MGTOW

Happiness is the absence of suffering. If you seriously want to be happy check out this book and make meditation a real priority in your life; https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

u/nordr · 1 pointr/Buddhism

Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness has become my new “intro” book that I recommend to newcomers.

Mindfulness in Plain English is an equally lucid and clear guide to meditation by the same author.

u/MeleeLaijin · 1 pointr/BlackPeopleTwitter

Like I said, no faith required. You won't get magical salmon from the sky lol and nor should you. You can see what I am talking about for yourself. There are multiple ways to get there but the most common is through meditation. Please check out this book. It's my favorite book on the topic and it's helped me out a lot. This book will teach you how to meditate without all the usual religious context involved. Through consistent meditation, you'll see for yourself the freedom I am talking about :)

You can find a free copy of it here online:
Mindfulness In Plain English

Or if you prefer it physically, you can find it on amazon:Mindfulness In Plain English(Amazon)

Even without all this talk of freedom, the practice of mindfulness itself a very useful life skill. If you haven't heard of it, I highly recommend reading more on the subject.

You can find TED talks on the subject of mindfulness too if that's an easy way to digest the information for you.

u/bough_jangles · 1 pointr/booksuggestions

Similar in concept but not specifically for busines, I found this to be a helpful book in personal life and dealings in business (stress, anxiety.....) I read The Power of Habit and thought it was great.

This book was very easy to read and is similar in terms of habits. It does not have the data and documentation (Stories and stuff) like the power of habit had

Minfulness in plain english - bhante henepola gunaratana

https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-English-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/0861719069

u/jbrs_ · -4 pointsr/2meirl4meirl

I think porn and masturbation are just one facet of the monster of instant gratification people are consumed by. If the beginning sounded good to you, maybe there's something to it then. Don't dismiss it out of hand-- you would only be doing yourself a disservice.

Some books that may be interesting to you:

Waking Up by Sam Harris (especially if you are more of a skeptic)

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Mindfulness in Plain English

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill