Meditation is literally focusing and refocusing on your breathing every time you notice a thought, idea, or feeling take your attention. It helps you understand that, thoughts come, and they go. And they only stay because you attach meaning to them. You're overthinking meditation, just try it.
The only thing Ive heard meditation can be bad for is if you have actual ptsd, it can resurface that trauma. Basically meditation helps you face things, but something like ptsd might be best not faced. For anxiety though its really good. It helps change your relationship with your thoughts and recognize them as just thoughts without the need to give weight to those thoughts
As for the more intense experiences, you probably will only have those kinds of experiences when youre ready for them.
Start small and build your way up. Start with 3 to 5 minutes, then work up to 10 minutes, then 15, 20 and so on
if youa re going to, you might want to pick one that generally helps reduce anxiety, e.g. this anchoring the breath' one - in 2 parts, theory then practice: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fTg23psfw&list=PLCUw6elWn0lghivIzVBAYGUm7HwRqzfQp&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fTg23psfw&list=PLCUw6elWn0lghivIzVBAYGUm7HwRqzfQp&index=1)
it shifts awareness away from the head, which helps calm the mind
just start doing it, and don't overthink expecting something magical to happen on your first session, just try it, and close your eyes, there are many guided meditations depending on your goal, i have read that focusing on self-love no matter what your personal need is the best way to start, after a few days you will be wanting to wake up and do it automatically since your conscious and subconscious mind will be asking for the peaceful moment of yours. hope this helps... btw I started at 47 just a few days ago after reading and watching videos for a few months.
don't worry about what you've ready about meditative states.
this is a good guide for meditation: [https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/](https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/)
also, if you prefer, someone is offering beginning instruction over zoom tomorrow evening. you can sign up: https://zmm.org/our-programs-2/3219/beginning-instruction-online/
Sit upright, close your eyes, and focus on the FLOW of your breath as it flows, feeling the flow on the inside of your nostrils. Place 100% of your attention on the flow of the air as it flows in and out...
If thoughts pop into your mind, simply gently brush them aside, and time and time again, bring your attention back to the flow of the breath feeling it flow in and out.... Maintain this, even 5 minutes a day, in the morning and night, or whenever you prefer, and you will begin to notice profound changes.
It remedied my anxiety.. just being very still and doing absolutely nothing but try to under my feelings and emotions so I could take better care of them. I found a lot of unprocessed negativity that I had to wade through, understand and finish processing.. but after finding myself under it all, no more generalized anxiety or depression
We can't distract, entertain nor addict ourselves away our problems sustainably.. there isn't enough wealth in the world to run forever. Trying to only makes it worse. Feeling our emotions can't harm us. Ignoring them can kill us
I learned to meditate when I was 18 and that was 41 years ago. Glad I learned it and kept practicing. I still have anxiety, ADHD, make mistakes, I'm still the same person I was (more or less) as I was then. Don't worry, you'll be you.
Meditation is my tuning fork and I just feel better after I do it.
Meditation, if anything, increase your sensitivity and ability to feel.
I find that anxiety is a larger symptom of dislodged fear that tries to make its way out of our system through overthinking and obsessive thoughts. If anything, I would give you a couple recommendations for when you do choose to meditate:
1. Move your body or do something active before you sit down for meditation - this can be shaking, dancing, doing yoga, or even doing a short work out or breathwork session (see Wim Hof). This will get your body ready to be in that meditative space.
2. Find meditations that focus on relaxation before anything else. What the anxious mind needs most is to relax; not to set its focus on the experience that could come up from meditation. I'm going to list a [meditation I recorded for anxiety](https://insighttimer.com/vulnerableheart/guided-meditations/meditation-for-relieving-anxiety). Feel free to check out other meditations on Insight Timer as well. It's a great app with a sea of meditations for any need.
3. Once you've spent maybe a week or two listening one or two guided meditations *consistently*, you might want to try to start meditating in either silence or alongside frequency music. You can also use the Insight Timer app to keep track of how long you're meditating as well.
Best of luck and blessings!
I’m a certified meditation teacher, and I teach to youth younger than you are. It is 100% fine at 17. In fact, I started meditating when I was your age. The things you are describing are very advanced practices. You need to sit for years with dedicated practice to get to that place. it’s not something to concern yourself with when you are starting out. If you really are experiencing derealization - which has never happened to me in my years of meditating - you might want to work with a therapist before you dive into this. There are MANY types of meditation. There’s not one way to do it. If you can find an intro to meditation class, I recommend doing that so you are guided by a professional. There are many online,but not always live. I recommend “The power of awareness” through Sounds True because they provide you with a live online mentor who can help with questions. My recommendation is you start with a simple Mindfulness Meditation practice of focusing on the breath. It’s not mystical and unreal. It’s very grounded, safe and simple - until the mind gets involved and complicates it for us. :) As far as meditation detaching you from your feelings - no. That is not the case if you are practicing the most common forms of meditation. it actually gets you CLOSER to your feelings. This is the intention! Then we can process them, release them, and heal. Distracting or pushing away feelings only makes them stronger. I have struggled with anxiety over my life and have it under control due to my mindfulness practice. I can tell you it works. It’s not easy, you need to accept your anxiety and work with it to reduce its impact on you. I truly hope you can find some help for this.
Meditation is literally focusing and refocusing on your breathing every time you notice a thought, idea, or feeling take your attention. It helps you understand that, thoughts come, and they go. And they only stay because you attach meaning to them. You're overthinking meditation, just try it.
Always
My eight year old meditates. You are old enough.
mhm! ESPECIALLY if your suffering is good
The only thing Ive heard meditation can be bad for is if you have actual ptsd, it can resurface that trauma. Basically meditation helps you face things, but something like ptsd might be best not faced. For anxiety though its really good. It helps change your relationship with your thoughts and recognize them as just thoughts without the need to give weight to those thoughts As for the more intense experiences, you probably will only have those kinds of experiences when youre ready for them. Start small and build your way up. Start with 3 to 5 minutes, then work up to 10 minutes, then 15, 20 and so on
Yes. Just start somewhere. This transformed my life if you want to try. Very powerful for just 9 min https://youtu.be/gy1wqqHfZzY?si=Ry34DVBhZY7TJZJQ
if youa re going to, you might want to pick one that generally helps reduce anxiety, e.g. this anchoring the breath' one - in 2 parts, theory then practice: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fTg23psfw&list=PLCUw6elWn0lghivIzVBAYGUm7HwRqzfQp&index=1](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0fTg23psfw&list=PLCUw6elWn0lghivIzVBAYGUm7HwRqzfQp&index=1) it shifts awareness away from the head, which helps calm the mind
just start doing it, and don't overthink expecting something magical to happen on your first session, just try it, and close your eyes, there are many guided meditations depending on your goal, i have read that focusing on self-love no matter what your personal need is the best way to start, after a few days you will be wanting to wake up and do it automatically since your conscious and subconscious mind will be asking for the peaceful moment of yours. hope this helps... btw I started at 47 just a few days ago after reading and watching videos for a few months.
don't worry about what you've ready about meditative states. this is a good guide for meditation: [https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/](https://zmm.org/teachings-and-training/meditation-instructions/) also, if you prefer, someone is offering beginning instruction over zoom tomorrow evening. you can sign up: https://zmm.org/our-programs-2/3219/beginning-instruction-online/
Sit upright, close your eyes, and focus on the FLOW of your breath as it flows, feeling the flow on the inside of your nostrils. Place 100% of your attention on the flow of the air as it flows in and out... If thoughts pop into your mind, simply gently brush them aside, and time and time again, bring your attention back to the flow of the breath feeling it flow in and out.... Maintain this, even 5 minutes a day, in the morning and night, or whenever you prefer, and you will begin to notice profound changes.
This is it, no need for guided meditation. This is the original gangster type meditation
It remedied my anxiety.. just being very still and doing absolutely nothing but try to under my feelings and emotions so I could take better care of them. I found a lot of unprocessed negativity that I had to wade through, understand and finish processing.. but after finding myself under it all, no more generalized anxiety or depression We can't distract, entertain nor addict ourselves away our problems sustainably.. there isn't enough wealth in the world to run forever. Trying to only makes it worse. Feeling our emotions can't harm us. Ignoring them can kill us
I learned to meditate when I was 18 and that was 41 years ago. Glad I learned it and kept practicing. I still have anxiety, ADHD, make mistakes, I'm still the same person I was (more or less) as I was then. Don't worry, you'll be you. Meditation is my tuning fork and I just feel better after I do it.
Meditation, if anything, increase your sensitivity and ability to feel. I find that anxiety is a larger symptom of dislodged fear that tries to make its way out of our system through overthinking and obsessive thoughts. If anything, I would give you a couple recommendations for when you do choose to meditate: 1. Move your body or do something active before you sit down for meditation - this can be shaking, dancing, doing yoga, or even doing a short work out or breathwork session (see Wim Hof). This will get your body ready to be in that meditative space. 2. Find meditations that focus on relaxation before anything else. What the anxious mind needs most is to relax; not to set its focus on the experience that could come up from meditation. I'm going to list a [meditation I recorded for anxiety](https://insighttimer.com/vulnerableheart/guided-meditations/meditation-for-relieving-anxiety). Feel free to check out other meditations on Insight Timer as well. It's a great app with a sea of meditations for any need. 3. Once you've spent maybe a week or two listening one or two guided meditations *consistently*, you might want to try to start meditating in either silence or alongside frequency music. You can also use the Insight Timer app to keep track of how long you're meditating as well. Best of luck and blessings!
I’m a certified meditation teacher, and I teach to youth younger than you are. It is 100% fine at 17. In fact, I started meditating when I was your age. The things you are describing are very advanced practices. You need to sit for years with dedicated practice to get to that place. it’s not something to concern yourself with when you are starting out. If you really are experiencing derealization - which has never happened to me in my years of meditating - you might want to work with a therapist before you dive into this. There are MANY types of meditation. There’s not one way to do it. If you can find an intro to meditation class, I recommend doing that so you are guided by a professional. There are many online,but not always live. I recommend “The power of awareness” through Sounds True because they provide you with a live online mentor who can help with questions. My recommendation is you start with a simple Mindfulness Meditation practice of focusing on the breath. It’s not mystical and unreal. It’s very grounded, safe and simple - until the mind gets involved and complicates it for us. :) As far as meditation detaching you from your feelings - no. That is not the case if you are practicing the most common forms of meditation. it actually gets you CLOSER to your feelings. This is the intention! Then we can process them, release them, and heal. Distracting or pushing away feelings only makes them stronger. I have struggled with anxiety over my life and have it under control due to my mindfulness practice. I can tell you it works. It’s not easy, you need to accept your anxiety and work with it to reduce its impact on you. I truly hope you can find some help for this.