Underestimating Meditation

I've been on this forum for a few years now and, so many of the conversations about meltdowns / shutdowns I've been involved with seem to include chat about trying meditation once or twice as a solution / remedy and 'it not working for me'. So I thought I dedicate a thread specifically to it.

I write this because it has taken me to do the same, try, lose interest, and consider it not right for me, for the past 12-15 years.

It was only after about 6/7 years I realised that I just needed to include it in my daily routine, everyday, even days when I feel so hyped up I don't see any immediate benefit in it, that it has had a knock on effect.

Emotions become something I now observe arriving, I question my compulsions before I react. It has retrained my natural tendancy to react in physical ways, be it behavioural or physiological. It has put my IBD into remission for years, much to the Dr's disbelief.

It has done something to me I can't explain, but it took committing to it 100% to reach that point.

So, in short, I recommend it to all of you. Even those of you reading this saying 'oh no, it definitely doesn't work for me'. I said the same, I was wrong

Pray

  • I've been meditating daily for 2+ years now, and it has totally changed my life as well.

    I highly recommend the Headspace app. This gives you a very easy and friendly introduction to the practice, and you can make use of the free Basics course for as long as you want. I started by doing the Basics course 3 times in a row, increasing the meditation time each round.

    At the end of a month, I had a daily 10 minute meditation routine in place that I've kept going and increased over time. 

    At first it is awkward, boring, and frustrating - just stick with it.


    Meditation has given me the ability to escape my overbearing mind. The more you do it, and the more it becomes a part of your life, the less power your mind/thoughts have over you. 

    Please try it - good luck!

  • Definitely.

    Just wished more people here would realise, that they ('yes you, reading this now') are no different from me.

    I struggled for over 10-15 years to commit to a daily meditation practice, but, I did, I have, and it has helped a lot!

    It can help anyone, no matter how distractible your mind is.

    I have ASD, and ADHD, my mind is a battle ground often with constant ideas, data absorption, sensory overload and anxious concerns.

    But meditation does something deep within my mind, that helps. A lot.

    Hope it helps you too Slight smile

  • Autistic people tend to retreat to their mind in a unhealthy way (suffer or dwell way too long on difficult things even if not actually suffering).  Meditation, or variations of it, are healthier way to use your mind, and if done daily then you will start to notice the benefits of that.  It is mind and mindset changing first really, and kind of life changing perhaps because of that.

  • Ah so glad to read this, I really feel like (very quietly, and without much effort beyond just committing to it being part of my daily routine) it has fully changed my life.

    Sounds dramatic but is for sure true

  • Well done on bringing this topic to the forum.  It’s fantastic to be reminded of such a powerful tool.

  • I too decided that daily practice was the only solution for me. I use a guided visualisation meditation CD every evening before going to sleep. I have 7 to choose from and sometimes I get bored of them and do a different one each night and at other times I use the same one every evening for days. I have also started doing CBT ACT which is a way of observing your emotions in an objective way. This helps me to unhook from thoughts and helps me have a clearer head. For me it is much harder to keep mentally fit than physically fit so I work on it in the same way as some people go to the gym.

  • I find active meditations to be really great as well and especially if you have a lot of energy(like me). Dynamic Meditation has been really great for my wellbeing ALTHOUGH it can be a lot at first. And it looks a little crazy. It’s very logical though and it really pays off once you start getting the hang of it.

  • Yes, its hard work to refocus early on as you can just chase thoughts or be swamped and forget about the meditating, but as you keep doing it then you are getting a break from these thoughts that might affect you, so you can feel a bit better and at peace, and that is like a drug to the brain to keep doing it, and do it more.  Calm brains don't generate so many difficult thoughts, so its worth working towards that.   

  • I do find my mind less racing when I engage in regular meditation. Like if I go on a walk i can be more present. I find the whole point of meditation is that it gets interrupted with thoughts. This way you bring it back to the breath. This very act is mindfulness in action. So the more thoughts you have, the more of a workout you give your brain.

    We all have to find what works for ourselves.

  • Mediation is a practice, you have to find the time each day and make sure its not interrupt with thoughts that don't help, and that can be challenge.  I found mindfulness more useful, though that took a while too, I found focussing to music worked much better than any other version I tried, focussing on each layer for a second or so, then the next layer, and so on, and focus on the patterns as well.  I don't need it as much now, as my mind is not swamped like it was, 

    Rather than a meditation routine, as I would struggle to remember each day, I kind of go in my mind just when I need to, explore things/ideas,  or remember good places and memories, and recommend that.  Autistic people can be stuck in their minds a lot for negative reasons, or dwell on thoughts, but your mind can be good place to go as well.

    Long periods stuck with anxiety, or swamped by thoughts, or being overwhelmed, are not good, it can make a big difference to put a break in each day, even if just 10 minutes to start with, and mindfulness or mediation is the best method we know of to have a break or think of better things, explore what you want to.   

  • Exactly. There is no better or worse, there is only time. You are either racing throug life, or pausing to breath, that's it.

    Ok hand

  • I think you can't really do it wrong either. What matters is the intention to set that time aside. Sometimes the time has passed and I've only brought it back to the breath a few times cos my mind is racing so much. 

  • So easily done. But each day is another opportunity so, no stress, it's just there to help if you want to Thumbsup

  • I just needed to include it in my daily routine, everyday,

    I suppose I forget about that, and on average it happens maybe once a week