Published on 12, July, 2020
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
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.