FPIAFW - Week 1: Waking Up to the Autopilot

[Gareth]

right now I regard them as "me time" which is something I don't have a lot of.

That's exactly how you should regard it, I reckon.

[Dan]

Hi

Apologies for bumping this but it seemed like the best place.
I have just started this book and have a few questions if anyone might be able to help with.

Firstly i feel like i'm struggling a bit with the raisin and tooth brushing excercises. I just don't seem to notice much! Beyond the basic the raisin is brown and it tastes like a raisin nothing much seems to come to me. Similarly, i notice the taste and smell of the toothpaste, but nothing much else. How can i notice more?

This seems to carry over to noticing sensations in the body. I find myself registering blank after blank! I also seem to struggle not to alter my breathing when i pay attention to it?

Finally, when i do notice things it becomes a bit like a mental commentary. Should this happen or should i just "feel" the sensation.

Sorry for rambling but i really feel that this could be a massive benefit to my life but can't help feeling i'm not doing it properly!

Thanks

[Peter]

Hi Dan,

Welcome to the site!

Your experience is totally normal. Just try to notice as much as you can. You can ask yourself some questions like, can I feel the texture with my tongue, is it dry or moist, etc. and try to find the answers to those questions. For tooth brushing you could ask questions like: can I feel the brush vibrating on each tooth etc.

If you don't notice much, that is totally fine. With practice you'll be able to notice more. The practice isn't so much about how much one notices, but more about how much time one is trying to notice! Because the most important thing about the practice is to be present, and when you're trying to notice, you are.

Good luck!
Peter

[Peter]

also seem to struggle not to alter my breathing when i pay attention to it?"

This is very normal too. It has taken me a long time to just notice the breath without controlling it.
Peter

[Gareth]

I find myself registering blank after blank!

I've been practising mindfulness for mindfulness for six years, with life-changing effects, and I still have pretty much the same experience of the body scan. I do keep trying though.

[JonW]

"How can I notice more?"

Just notice as much as you notice. It's important not to force it.
The reason the raisin was chosen for that exercise is because it's so ordinary. We're being invited to take our time and bring our curiosity to a foodstuff that is usually shovelled down our throats by the handful with little regard for taste, smell etc.
Cheers,
Jon

[Dan]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply it is much appreciated.

Slightly off topic but i read some articles today about the potential negative effects of mindfulness. People suggesting they had essentially had severe panic attacks/breakdowns due to mindfulness.

One of my key reasons for beginning to practice is due to years of anxiety and depression coupled with recent increase on work stress. Should i be concerned that i may be opening the door to something that at the moment i can just about cope with?

[JonW]

"Should i be concerned that i may be opening the door to something that at the moment i can just about cope with?"

If it's a concern I'd recommend looking into doing a course with a recommended teacher. But negative effects seem to be extremely rare.
Jon

[Mindsfull]

Found this after JonW had mentioned it over here. Thanks Jon!

I started my week 1 again. I've done the FPIAFW course over a year ago and got to about week 5 over about 3 months and have tried all sorts of mindfulness practices since. So I'd say I've practiced meditation on and off for the last 18 months.
I think It's possible I rushed through the chapters the first time and didn't do the raisin meditation as I didn't think I needed to - plus I didn't like raisins.

So I've done the raisin meditation with some nuts instead. It was just as expected.

I find the brushing teeth practice quite useful and easier to focus on than most for some reason.

I have always struggled with the meditations that are based around the body sensations (unless it's the body scan one and breathing into the different parts of the body etc) I think I just always register a blank? Or begin to 'think about' the body part rather than just reading it as it is - other than blank...?

[Gareth]

I think it's important to remember that ultimately the practice should be tailored to what is best for you and what works for you.This involves getting a good grounding in the practice, and then experimenting with different techniques.

There are so many ways to meditate and to practise mindfulness.