Hi, I am new

[ShanghaiEternal]

Hello everyone,

I have just started meditating and I have been practicing since March 1st of this year. I started small with just two minute sessions but I have quickly extended the time so that now I am doing 20 minutes every morning.

I have not found this a strain and I enjoy it. My mind fills with all kinds of thoughts but I just try and concentrate on breathing to focus my mind.

I am hoping to gain more mental focus and motivation to write via meditation. I hope that meditation can help me to have clarity of thought when writing.

I do meditation with music in the morning, but I have started doing guided meditations in the evening.

Can I hope to become more focused and have more motivation for my writing projects by using meditation?

Many thanks.

[JonW]

Hi ShanghaiEternal,
Welcome to the forum.
In time, meditation will almost certainly help you gain more mental focus and motivation to write. But bear in mind that mindfulness is not a goal-oriented practice. We don't meditate to attain a particular state in the future. Mindfulness is about being with your own experience as it arises in the moment. It's not about getting anywhere. It's about being here, right now.
It's also useful to bear in mind that mindfulness is as much about body awareness as awareness of thoughts. So maybe have a think about folding regular body scans into your practice.
A structured approach is always best.
All best wishes,
Jon

[amandadounis]

Hi there I’m new too
I’m starting to appreciate the amazing world of meditation. I realize as a beginner it feels strange but when when I’ve listened to some body scans I realize how nice it is to be present.
I find body scans easier to do than mindful eating !
Either way I’m loving learning the benefits of it
Amanda

[JonW]

Hi Amanda,
Welcome to the forum.
Please feel free to make yourself at home here and ask any questions that arise for you.
All good things,
Jon

[amandadounis]

I’m happy to be in this forum.
Nice to share nice words and kindness with others and to learn from each other. I’ve just completed a wonderful 8 week program on mindfulness. I shared all my new learnings with a whole bunch of child care staff so that we can all improve ourselves and see how we can deliver mindfulness to the children in our care. We all created simple activities and have “slowed our pace” right down and be in the moment. Teaching kids to feel their emotions and notice their bodies I believe leads to way to coping and dealing with challenges.

Amanda

[JonW]

'Teaching kids to feel their emotions and notice their bodies I believe leads to way to coping and dealing with challenges.'

Absolutely. If I have any regret in life it's that I waited until I was 50 years old before discovering mindfulness. The practice has transformed my life in so many ways.
Jon

[Gareth]

Welcome to you both!

[amandadounis]

Thank you.

I’ve been doing some anxiety workshops for school aged kids and in it I include a meditation audio. It’s about 5 or so min. The kids love it. One boy today said he doesn’t like meditations. I asked him to give it a go and then let me know if he still felt the same. Afterwards he said he felt like a different person.
Such a reassuring response

[JonW]

'One boy today said he doesn’t like meditations. I asked him to give it a go and then let me know if he still felt the same. Afterwards he said he felt like a different person.
Such a reassuring response.'

Beautiful!

[ShanghaiEternal]

I have now been practicing meditation for just over two months. A very short time. I stopped for three days - because life getting in the way - and I really noticed it. I started again and it felt very easy to get back into it, like my mind and body needed it, wanted it.

Funny enough during the time that I didn't meditate for three days my sleeping pattern was terrible, waking up in the middle of the night and not sleeping for two hours, then sleeping again.

I really want to continue practicing meditation in the mornings as part of my daily routine. Hopefully, later start evening meditation too.

I have not really seen any glaringly obvious improvements in my life yet, apart from the sleeping of course, but meditating just feels right. It feels important.