*meditation*-- has anyone with autism found meditation to be of benefit

Personally I find meditation highlights all of the problems which I would usually seek to avoid. I therefore cannot recommend it as a means to lessen anxiety and depression, at least in the short term. However, it is claimed that it will eventually lead one to the 'true self' and this is in part the basis on which I continue to meditate. It often involves sitting for long periods with uncomfortable feelings and sensations. It remains to be seen whether it will bear fruit. I think we are all on a great journey of self discovery. I have come to the opinion that what does not kill me makes me stronger. Good luck!

i'm happy your meditation is helping you -- I'm self taught from video online then from books I have bought. Did someone teach you, or are you self taught? I do a sitting meditation every day but if i am busy, like today, i do it lying down when i go to bed --- i just go to sleep somewhere in it :). I also do a walking meditation which also gives me a bit of exercise every other day / get stuff from supermarket. 

yea sometimes my meditation does go wrong but from what i read this is to be expected and shows progress.

i do following breath, and counting breath, sinilar to you I watch any thoughts that appear but I dont engage or run with them I let them fade, if i have difficulties i repeat a made up mantra. The walking one never fails.

listening to music i do every so often as well. I have always liked Alan Watts idea that meditation should be enjoyable so listening to music is a spot on..

I have a really odd one myself I love sharping tools on a stone, back and forth I count the strokes. I just sharpen, nothing else matters for those 30 minutes.

keep doing, what your doing, the way your doing it. .

thanks for the reply it was really interesting.

I had an intense period of life when I practised meditation and it was helpful.

I would practice it on the bus on my way to work.

The process of letting thoughts flow without aiming to engage with them was useful as it helped to:

1. identify which thoughts/feelings were at the front of my mind - these would come through during the first minute or so of meditation
2. and helped bring 'important' things to think about/remember from the back of my mind - these would come through after about a minute or so of meditation

Part 2 was very helpful because I can be quite scatterbrained and important tasks I need to do can get lost in the 'back of my mind' because I'm often overthinking much of the time. Quite often, I had 'oh wow' moments as something pretty vital to do came into consciousness.

Part 1 was helpful in a different way as it gave me practice in letting thoughts go without engagement. Over a bit of time, it helped me more easily have confidence that times and long-term situations also pass and that patience and waiting can help to ease stress and tension during times in which I have little control over them.

Also, in the first minute of meditation, often the first few thoughts/images I would have would be people close to me. I'd think of my grandma or my mum or my partner and the images/feeling surrounding them were often calm. That would be nice and reassuring. It helped with a sense of gratitude.

Sometimes meditation would bring thoughts of anxiety and this is perhaps why it wasn't an every day thing for me. Then again, I think facing up to anxiety is good if one is in a confident feeling to do so. So, anxiety coming up isn't necessarily a bad thing.

This said, I think most of the feelings that came up for me were generally positive ones.

My meditation these days is to sit or lie somewhere comfortable and listen to a song/songs without any visual distraction. This can create the same environment in which my mind can wander without overly-engaging with the thoughts that come and go.

I'm not an every day meditation person, however, maybe it could be helpful if I were. I look forward to seeing other people's replies here.