@Meaningness hey, quick q: i've been trying to meditate seriously for about a week - but I can only last about 2 minutes sitting
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Replying to @bigmastertroll @Meaningness
i'm overcome by anxiety and discomfort very rapidly (this is me meditating by trying to drop thoughts once they arise)
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Replying to @bigmastertroll @HarambeM
In a Buddhist framework, the anxiety is interpreted as a natural response to “emptiness” (lack of grounding/certainty/structure)
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
So a plausible approach is to introduce some amount of form/structure/content, at least at first.
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
Then gradually increase how long you can sit, until you get up to 15+ minutes, and then gradually reduce the amount of “form.”
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
There’s a slogan “Meditation isn’t—getting used to is.” Ultimately, there isn’t anything to do, except get used to emptiness.
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
But that comes later! For now, how to reduce anxiety and discomfort…
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
Sitting with other people in a group is extremely helpful, if you can find one. Just a sense of “I’m not alone in this” helps.
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
It may be helpful to introduce “form” such as gazing at a fixed object (doesn’t really matter what, any simple thing), or >
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repeating a mantra (also doesn’t matter what 4now; you could use “Om Mani Peme Hung” which is traditional, or whatever you like)
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
The mantra crowds out random anxious thoughts, which is calming. Eventually you can let go of it and just rest in space…
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Replying to @Meaningness @HarambeM
If none of that works, you could try yoga, which has many of the same benefits as meditation (plus others!).
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