Questions tagged [meditation-mindfulness]

Questions about mindfulness practice as part of meditation. This includes but is not limited to mindfulness on body, breath and thoughts and intentions.

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Strange feelings after meditation and mindfulness practice?

I started to meditate half a year ago with my first Vipassana retreat in Bodhgaya. I'm trying to meditate every day since then. Around two months ago I started to practice mindfulness and try to bring ...
asolodoff's user avatar
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13 votes
4 answers
3k views

How to be mindful while studying?

I am a science student at an university and I practise mindfulness in the Mahasi tradition. My question is, how can I be mindful while studying? This is a very important question for me since most of ...
Samma-Sati's user avatar
12 votes
5 answers
575 views

How can I know that I am clear of thoughts while I am meditating?

While meditating, one might try to be aware of their surroundings, to be present in the moment. But how can we become aware of it without thinking that we are aware? Another example is when one can ...
raukodraug's user avatar
11 votes
5 answers
906 views

What are the scientifically proven benefits of mindfulness meditation?

Has anyone got a good idea which benefits of mindfulness meditation have got decent scientific evidence supporting them. It would be great it someone could point to good publicly available research or ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
942 views

mindfulness thinking about future and past?

Is there such thing as mindfulness thinking about the future or past? I have a job that requires a lot of "going" into the future and past (projecting forward and assessing the past). I was wondering ...
jason's user avatar
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10 votes
5 answers
7k views

What is the difference between Satipatthana and Vipassana?

In short, if i practice Vipassana meditation does it means i practice Satipatthana?
Blaze Tama's user avatar
10 votes
8 answers
4k views

Mindfulness is leading to anxiety and depersonalisation

So I was doing breath meditation each day for 30 mins or so for around 2 years. Then over the past year I have found that it is causing me to feel strange and anxious when doing everyday tasks. When I ...
Daniel Wyatt's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
1k views

What are we supposed to do while meditating?

Yes I have meditated and I have searched the Internet this question before landing here, what I describe below is a mixture of what I have read of what one should do during meditation and what ...
Arnav Das's user avatar
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9 votes
3 answers
4k views

Is it useful to meditate upon hunger?

I have read that even hunger - a physical sensation in the body - is useful for an object of meditation. Given the fact that I am often hungry and am quite aware of this sensation in my body...and ...
Jeff Wright's user avatar
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8 votes
8 answers
2k views

Is there any benefit in abstaining from listening songs?

All the songs which I have been listening since childhood are constantly popping up in my mind even the songs which I listened in the childhood. Shall I now stop listening any song altogether ...
user avatar
7 votes
7 answers
600 views

What is Direct Seeing?

Am I wrong or is "beginner's mind" a Zen term that means "seeing the experience you are aware of, moment by moment, as if you have never experienced concepts before... Like you have just been born ...
Lowbrow's user avatar
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7 votes
3 answers
355 views

A question about sitting, movement and mindfulness

I have had bad posture for most of my life. I find that if I do not sit quite straight during sitting meditation, my body leans forward putting weight on my legs which becomes quite painful. However, ...
A Spiritual Seeker's user avatar
6 votes
12 answers
3k views

Unpleasant side effects of meditation

I am 45 years old. I’ve come to realize that I have been more or less unhappy in my life. So I met a clinical psychologist and I do show some childhood codependency issues and we could no CBT and ...
Wsb's user avatar
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6 votes
6 answers
307 views

Drop your opinions at work?

When I am supposed to simply observe my thoughts and any opinions that arise from them, and not cling to them, how am I supposed to work? I have a job, and as such you cannot not have opinions. It ...
esh's user avatar
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5 votes
4 answers
1k views

Is practising mindfulness ever a bad idea?

Are there ever situations where practicing mindfulness is not recommended during Buddhist practice. Could it ever have undesirable side effects or cause hindrances on the path. Or is it always the ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
5 votes
5 answers
412 views

What meditation is best to learn to "control" your mind?

I want to learn to in a sense control my mind. By this i mean focus on the thoughts and mindsets that are beneficial. And not focus on the harmful, negative thoughts. I always believe that we are who ...
DeusIIXII's user avatar
  • 974
5 votes
4 answers
715 views

In visualisation meditations, I don’t know “where” to look

When I first started meditating, the body scan phase confused me. For a long time, I imagined the shape of a body in front of me in the distance, and scanned down through it. More recently I’ve ...
yellow-saint's user avatar
5 votes
4 answers
359 views

Is it possible for active people to truly live practice "mindfulness"?

Several buddhist/meditation books recommend me to practice "Mindfulness" or living in the present moment alone. I am a married man with a 4 yr old son and wife.I am currently working in one of the ...
Varun's user avatar
  • 305
4 votes
6 answers
434 views

Can meditation strengthen the sense of self?

When I practice mindfulness meditation I can sometimes become acutely aware of my sense of self. It seems to go from a dull background awareness of self to a feeling that the sense of self is very ...
Crab Bucket's user avatar
4 votes
5 answers
273 views

Mindfulness, conciousness and directing attention

Often as part of mindfulness meditation (at least the Westernized form with which I am familiar) we can practice awareness of breath, parts of the breath, arising thoughts etc. However, if the aim of ...
james6848's user avatar
  • 307
4 votes
3 answers
269 views

What am I doing wrong?

I was introduced to meditation many years ago through a short course and a book. Essentially I tried the mindful breathing meditation. I kept at it for a couple of years after which different ...
Confused's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
295 views

How to practice mindfulness

How to practice mindfulness during the day? I have been know known to be absent minded and forgetful but perhaps it's due to my Karma. The problem is so bad that is someone else makes the mistake due ...
Glowie's user avatar
  • 225
4 votes
5 answers
3k views

Meditation and being aware in your sleep while dreaming

I noticed a reply Andrei made on a post on the results of meditating, that you become aware in your sleep while dreaming, so that your mind knows it's a dream: Mindfulness during sleep Do Arhats ...
Anlaf's user avatar
  • 41
4 votes
1 answer
127 views

What is the proper mindfulness anchor for a stream-winner?

If a practitioner of mindfulness has experienced cessation/fruition should they use the memory of that as their anchor or should they continue to use the perception of the arising and passing away of ...
user70's user avatar
  • 1,805
4 votes
1 answer
173 views

Tips to improve mindfulness in daily life

Does anyone know any new beginners ways to improve mindfulness in daily life?
Theravada's user avatar
  • 3,953
3 votes
3 answers
866 views

Is there a harmful side to mindfulness as it is practiced in Western materialistic/capitalistic cultures?

Is there a harmful side to mindfulness as it is practiced in Western materialistic/capitalistic cultures? Clearly the modern mindfulness movement has been very successful, but I'm wondering if that's ...
Joseph Weissman's user avatar
3 votes
6 answers
217 views

How much should i try while meditating?

I have just started meditating and was wondering how much effort should I put into not getting distracted ? As I have noticed while practicing there are varying degrees of trying I can use the more I ...
KFkf's user avatar
  • 209
3 votes
1 answer
136 views

Moving from absorption to self-awareness

Practice : Mindfulness I'm taking a concrete example to get the right help. Reading a book , Reading without being absorbed , mind keeps wondering but still able to read words Reading with being ...
nish1013's user avatar
  • 1,207
3 votes
3 answers
489 views

What is the best of Jhanas and breathing meditation?

I have heard two ways off approaching mindfulness of breathing: Breath in a inhale-pause-exhale-pause pattern, focusing on the sensations of the breath at the nostrils and the silences at the pauses ...
thom's user avatar
  • 31
3 votes
2 answers
315 views

Is really that "Breath Stops when Thought Stops"

Is Body - Breath - Mind are connected to each other, and Thinking process really need oxygen to operate. When I sit for meditation i feel my breath is stop (Gap) and thought slows down, but for very ...
Jyo Soudagar - Ajay's user avatar
3 votes
4 answers
146 views

Is mindfulness for quick enlightenment being exaggerated in the Sutta MN10?

I was reading about mindfulness here. At the end I found this paragraph Let alone seven years, anyone who develops these four kinds of mindfulness meditation in this way for six years … five ...
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3 votes
1 answer
204 views

If you Consolidate the Satipatthana Instruction from the Tripitaka what would the additions and variation in Comparison to Maha Satipatthana Sutta

If you consolidate the instructions from the Tripitaka and other sources what would be the variations and additions to the instructions given in the Maha Satipatthana Sutta?
Suminda Sirinath S. Dharmasena's user avatar
2 votes
5 answers
132 views

Should I meditate on one thing or just any sensation that arise?

As I research I am hearing people say pick a single point and focus on that. Then I hear other say you should just focus on the sensation that arise in your body. Personal one point focusing is much ...
LostPecti's user avatar
  • 165
2 votes
4 answers
1k views

third eye experience of mindful breathing

I am practising mindful breathing and after a while it takes my concentration directly to my forehead. I tried to be in thoughtless state and just keep watching my forehead. After this practice for 2 ...
SGN's user avatar
  • 181
2 votes
3 answers
149 views

What to do when a thought comes up while meditating

From the meditation podcasts I have heard when a thought comes up acknowledge it by saying "thinking" and then try to gently return back to your breath. There is something else I tried ...
KFkf's user avatar
  • 209
2 votes
5 answers
188 views

What is a "thought?" (Particularly in reference to thoughts that arise during meditation)

I've been reading/studying E F Shumacher's A Guide for the Perplexed, a philosophical book about the nature of knowledge and our capacity for understanding the world, especially in relation to "higher"...
Josh's user avatar
  • 123
2 votes
4 answers
198 views

Level of Focus in Anapanasati

I've been practising meditation with the breath as an object. While meditating, I am mindful of whatever arises. I feel that such awareness gives insight into the mind. However, I am wondering ...
user avatar
2 votes
8 answers
394 views

Watching a stream of thoughts from the mind?

Watching bodily sensations is simple ,there is always a sensation to recognize in the present moment .Same with breathing ,hearing and seeing.Always a reception exists realtime. For example:- ...
Omar Boshra's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
75 views

How does one practice mindfulness during thinking? (for example, thinking about how to solve a problem) [duplicate]

This question is in context of practicing mindfulness in one's day-to-day activities (e.g. walking, talking, washing dishes etc.), where one is supposed to be "aware of" / "observe"...
Carlos's user avatar
  • 21
1 vote
3 answers
467 views

Can be the mind separated from the body?

As e.g. if somebody harms you, you don't feel because you know that the people is only harming this body, that is just a pile of cells, and the people is incapable to harm your mind. If yes, do have ...
Guilherme's user avatar
  • 157
1 vote
3 answers
74 views

How do i Focusing on the breath and letting thought go

Now this may sound silly but I'm new to mediating and I hear that when you have a thought you just let it go. But if I'm focusing on the breath do I go off it, accept that I'm thinking then go back to ...
LostPecti's user avatar
  • 165
1 vote
2 answers
97 views

Techniques for sluggish mind and restless mind

The sutta quote below talks about using different awakening factors when the mind is sluggish as opposed to when the mind is restless. What are the meditation or mindfulness techniques to be used for ...
ruben2020's user avatar
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1 vote
3 answers
163 views

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

I read the question/answers on mindfulness of feelings and emotions. When I am meditating on the breath unpleasant body feelings arise and they are noted. (Example: A wave of fear permeating the body. ...
Griffin's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
3 answers
139 views

Should we "ignore" feelings while being mindful and aware of the present moment?

When I am not judging any moments of life and taking it all in, should I give importance to feeling anything at all? I tend to get very rational and "accepting" about things. A feeling of letting go ...
esh's user avatar
  • 2,234
1 vote
2 answers
66 views

Attending Mindfully Versus Without Mindfulness

In this answer by ven. Yuttadhammo, it is said that depending on the level of concentration and mindfulness of a person, attending to certain states can result in either wakefulness or tiredness. ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
47 views

Body scan guided meditation that covers only the upper body?

I'm not certain if this is the right place to ask this question so let me know if I need to try a different forum. Does anyone know of a guided body scan that only covers the upper body? My partner is ...
kmk's user avatar
  • 13
1 vote
3 answers
83 views

Correct Perspective for Mindfulness

I am wondering whether anyone can give me information on the correct way to practice non-judgmental mindfulness. The way I understand it, different attitudes towards experience can imply: Attachment: ...
user avatar
0 votes
6 answers
241 views

How to practice Mindfulness Meditation?

I have been researching this lately and thought it was amazing. I just don't know where to begin or know any techniques. Can someone list some?
LostPecti's user avatar
  • 165
0 votes
3 answers
84 views

Can/should we actively use thoughts as part of mindful awareness?

I've been reading Thich Nhat Hanh's 'The Miracle of Mindfulness'. It's a wonderful, short book that I wish I had found years ago. There's one very basic thing I still struggle with. This is a quote ...
james6848's user avatar
  • 307
0 votes
4 answers
144 views

How can watching be non-doing?

In Vipassana meditation ,it is emphasized that one should not force the mind to concentrate on certain object or force anything to happen in particular.Its kind of letting things unfold and just ...
Omar Boshra's user avatar