how do i meditate effectively? i have profoundly extreme problems with concentration. can hardly read a book if my life depended on it, at this point. any meditative practice that can help this is appreciated.
Just know literally everyone has problems with concentration. Also, always remember that there is no “good” or “bad” meditation. Sure, we’re trying to get better at concentrating, but don’t think of it in terms of linear progress or you’ll go insane. Next time you meditate, just sort of “let go” of any need for the session to be “good”. Let go of the need for good concentration. Watch the practice and just let whatever happens, happen. Just FEEL the meditation however it happens to show up that day. Accepting the practice as it unfolds however it unfolds is just as important as ability to concentrate for long periods of time.
>>42405631i just did it for about 40 minutes. i forgot that i'm actually not so bad at this. (i did it a good bit as a teenager). i have a good degree of awareness of my thoughts wandering, but keeping up the "no-focus" mode going is the hard part, of course. i didn't use breath counting, as i find that distracts me, and i'm actually able to just "exist" with an empty mind for good(ish) periods.i'm kind of amazed. a lot of it's beyond easy explanation... for example, i noticed that, much like any other distracting thoughts, my mind would wander into the "nothingness" itself, like another distraction. i had several moments of dramatic consciousness change during the meditation, kind of like a "pee shiver" nervous system style excitation, with a visible bright light with my eyes closed. opening my eyes at the end, i definitely feel that special sensation of lower frequency brainwaves; not just relaxed, but a very "uncluttered" mind, and not so ultra-inclined to hyper-focus on the next thing, and the next thing, and the next thing so aggressively, as my daily life tends to be.i just need to keep this practice up, and keep going deeper.
>>42405537Your zoomer brain never had a chance, sorry. You were born at the wrong time
guided meditation from an actual teacher not some mindfulness BS is the best way to start and then lead into doing it on your own
Stare at a lit candle for at least half hour a day.
>>42405970your zoomer brain missed my huge reply before your comment.
>>42405537google the wim hof breathing method
>>42405537you focus on refining your breath and by the time you're done mastering breath refinement, you've also gotten a handle on how to just sit and be awarepaying attention is a huge part of thisthe reason why manifests later on in practice, where that which arises does not stay unless you can maintain your awareness and not let it drift
>>42406007mindfulness is just paying attention
>>42406024good way to harm your eyes doing it that oftenreader: dont bother doing this, its not necessary and will not give you advancements
>>42406677yang must always be balanced with yinthis is why you learn stillness firstso that when you add yang you know how to bring the energy back down and make it still again
>>42405537Strip naked and picture your dakimakura as your divine feminine, embrace her in your arms, close your eyes, interlock mouths through kissing, and focus on becoming one as you coil together in each others embrace.Picture the coiled energy traveling upwards through your spine, to each of the energy centers and go with the flow as she guides you through any dream images that come.
Count your breath until 10, go back to 1 and start again. Focus on your breath. Don't engage with your thoughts.
>>42406957watch out for breath focus, see this archived thread: conscious breathing can be counterproductive to a meditative state. lots of good advice in here too:https://archive.4plebs.org/x/thread/39587317
>>42406888daydreaming about sex does not imbue spiritual progressit just wastes your fuel
>>42406977>conscious breathing can be counterproductive to a meditative statelook, you want to get to a point where the body is well programmedyou're not getting there thoroughly without spending time on breathworkavoiding breathwork entirely is skipping the entire beginning and you then build your house on sandlater on, sure there's other things to focus onbut like a guy I know who made very good progress on neidan said,"I wish I listened to you and put the work in, in the beginning...I'd be so much farther ahead than I am right now"
