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Advice for longer meditations?

Discussion in 'Self Improvement' started by Deleted Account, Aug 10, 2019.

  1. I am trying to get back into meditating every day or night (hopefully both even), and I wanted to get advice on how to go for longer. I find an absolutely unreal amount of peace, tranquility, and understanding the longer I go

    My main problem with meditating is my back. I'm not even remotely close to the age where I should be having back problems (and I think back pains are common among meditators in general) but it feels like after 5 or so minutes, I get an ache around my lower back, which then spreads upwards

    I can sit and stand for long periods of time, no problem, I've done running and skating and all sorts of physical activity for hours at a time with no issue, so I think my main issue is posture. How can I fix that? Also, where should I be meditating? I usually do it without a pillow on a chair or couch (most support when I'm leaning against something :p). I want to meditate for longer but this seems like a major obstacle.

    Thanks to all replies!
     
    AAbo23 likes this.
  2. Dat95

    Dat95 Fapstronaut

    I find a cushion seat with lumbar to support my back works well.
    I have issues with sitting, and It helps me meditate for longer
     
    Abetterbrain likes this.
  3. AAbo23

    AAbo23 Fapstronaut

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    I have issues sitting in the lotus position for long periods of time. Some websites that I have looked at say that the pain in a specific area is due to an under-active chakra. I am 23 years old and have found that for me, laying down in what's called a "dead man" position (laying on your back with a pillow behind your head for comfort and your hands to your side with the palms facing up) works best for me....only thing is, I do most of my meditations at night or before bed so if I fall asleep its fine. Another tool I use is guided meditation videos from YT or burn incense while always coming back to my breathing.
     
    FX-05 likes this.
  4. Protagonist

    Protagonist Fapstronaut

    This video might be helpful


    Though i dont really have much knowledge on postures and stuff.
     
  5. Sinbad

    Sinbad Fapstronaut

    Contract your abdominal and pelvic floor muscles slightly to support your lower back.
    Alternate with this position.
     
  6. epistemology

    epistemology New Fapstronaut

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    Five minutes is too soon to be feeling any pain! Meditation requires one to be physically in very good shape. Which is why one of the reasons, Yoga (asana) is considered to be preparation for meditation. In Yoga, which is a school of thought and not just a bunch of exercises, you prepare your body to support your meditative practice. So, there is an entire lifestyle (what you eat, your daily schedule, discipline..etc) which aides you in your journey. Don't get into complex explanations of your problems. Just try getting fitter. As far as posture goes, it's nothing complicated. You need to keep your back straight. If you are not able to do that then you need to work on your core.

    Meanwhile you can also make small improvements to your meditative practice.

    When you experience pain, try to concentrate on the sensations that you find in your body, keep going as long as you can. You will slowly make progress in how long you can meditate. If other emotions crop up, say you get irritated after sometime, you try and be aware of the irritation. It's actually quite funny how things play out in your mind once you get to the level where you see their emergence and disappearance.

    Ever heard about the Buddhist Monk Thich Quang Duc?

    http://indianphilosophyblog.org/2019/07/07/the-importance-of-being-thich-quang-duc/
     
    Last edited: Aug 11, 2019
    Sinbad likes this.
  7. misterSR

    misterSR Fapstronaut

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    I believe your main issue is indeed posture. You can like most people said above, get a chair or lay on your back whatever, but that won't really fix the problem I think. The reason you have pain is because you arch your back forward. Probably because you sit behind a computer, use your phone or you don't use your "pulling" muscles a lot. Try working out, especially your back and lower back. What also helps is just standing against the wall for a few minutes everyday with good posture (that means shoulder blades and butt touches the wall, but the lower back does not)
    What helped for me was doing back bridges, or back bridge progression. This guide (part 1, part 2) is the best. You don't have to be able to do the highest progression to fix your back pain
     
  8. NitricOxide

    NitricOxide Fapstronaut

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    Try the legs up the wall exercise for 5 mins daily. Fixed my back pain pretty quickly within a week. Also, deadlifts are great. But the first exercise is a must try bcuz it's incredible how fast it works.
     
  9. Abetterbrain

    Abetterbrain Fapstronaut

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    Yep
     
  10. properWood

    properWood Fapstronaut

    Why do you need a specific posture for meditation?!? Who told you that? Sit on a chair, relax your back and just stay with your thoughts and, more important, emotions. Meditation is not about sitting in a specific way or about staying 30 minutes or 50 hours. It's not about quieting your mind either.

    Mediation is about being present in the current moment and notice what you feel inside your body, because most of us know what others want us to feel, but we don't really know what we, by ourselves, feel. Whether you relax your back on that chair or on the back of the couch, it simply doesn't matter. Don't get hung up in irrelevant details, just sit in a quiet room alone for some time; that's all there is to meditation.

    I meditate while waiting for the traffic light to turn green, while doing yoga, while sitting on a bench in the park, while queueing at the supermarket. Forget the idea that you need a specific position, that's pork.
     
    SuperPowers likes this.
  11. Awedouble

    Awedouble Fapstronaut

    You can look at it in terms of length of time, but I would also suggest looking at it in terms of depth vs. length of time even if those two dimensions are related. Just as an example though one of the deepest meditations I had facilitated in a group was less than 10 minutes, (also reflected in feedback so not just me) though I walked into the group in a different mental state already - but I wasn't formally meditating.

    You can no doubt get information on posture elsewhere, but in general the hips should be above the knees whether you're sitting cross legged or even in a chair so extra cushion for more lift may be needed. Beyond that going to a good yoga class is a good idea for tips if nothing else, just be honest about why you're going and if the women wearing spray-on yoga pants is a temptation you may want to just go to a meditation class where that isn't there, for now.

    Actually, aside from length and depth you may also look at it in terms of continuity throughout different activities rather than just formal meditation. Along the lines of the clip posted by Protagonist, not only can you give the mind a job to do you can just remember to be mindful with the different tasks it will switch to doing and have to do, including before you even sit down and afterwards when you get up. If you have to adjust your posture because there's a lot of pain, do it mindfully rather than fidgeting instinctually only. Typically it is also suggested that you take some time to find a comfortable posture in the beginning of a sit, but you also need to learn a little about how to do that.

    Just one more note about depth: Meditation can lead to that kind of experience, but you can also look at it like going deeper can lead you to meditate. Maybe it's reading something inspirational, sometimes one short quote can kind of blow your mind - when you sense that just go with it. So it works in both directions that way and it isn't like formal practice is the only thing to do. In the Buddhist context, mindfulness of the body is one of the four foundations of mindfulness. Even if you were trying to focus on working on yourself physically, say rehab for an injury, you know you're going to get better results if you are focused so it really goes beyond your mind.
     

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