Benefits You've Noticed So Far

[JCMember]

Hello All!

Just curious to hear about some of the benefits that you’ve noticed over the time you’ve been practicing meditation and mindfulness in daily life. I think it will be inspirational for many to hear of the potential positive impacts to our lives!

Some of mine have been:

1. A generally reduced sense of stress and anxiety
2. Catching myself before I say something that I’d quickly regret
3. Being more present
4. Realizing more and more that I’m not the author of my thoughts and feelings
5. Progressively greater understanding that I’m able to be happy right now, without any other conditions

Would love to hear from you all!

[Becky CMember]

JC, great question, got me thinking. It is actually somewhat hard for me to answer, other than mediation and mindfulness make everything real and satisfying. I realized awhile back I would rather have a mundane day of mindfulness than a day packed with all my favorite things to do, but done without mindfulness.

In the beginning mindfulness gave me the ability to witness my emotions and not react automatically like you said. It gave me peace, I learned how to relax. It helped me interpersonally to assess and be more skillful. It really made the world alive and interesting, because I was taking a break from running my story in my head. I like myself and people, I was friendly and the world was friendlier too!

It has been really fascinating this last six weeks learning Culadasas methods, I almost done reading the book. I first learned that what I experienced thirty years ago in mediation that made me stop, was normal. I have been scared to do much at all since then itch mediation. I had the electric feeling, tons of energy, felt connected to everything, scared the heck out of me! I had no one to run it by. Now I see it was no big deal ?

So this time what mindfulness and mediation are providing is the chance to see clearly. I am kind blown away by the clarity that came very quickly. I think I have been preparing for quite awhile and Culadasas method provide enough structure and saftey for me relax and let things be:) For example I can see i want to do everything I can to make things right with my sister. Listening to my story has made me ignorant of her needs. I am waiting though, learning mindful review, more time in this, people to run it by before I approach her. That is just one example. It makes life interesting and fulfilling!

[JCMember]

Thanks for sharing Becky! When you start to gain some momentum, it certainly is addicting. But yes, without guidance, one can quickly become freaked out by these novel experiences and call it quits. Happy to hear that you decided to have another crack at it!

[maryhillMember]

Benefits I’ve received so far:

I agree with the five benefits posted above.
I’ve noticed them, and so have my family and closest friend. And my mind’s eye 🙂

In addition, I’ve had three experiences now, lasting more than 24 hours, when my mind simply went quiet. And I experienced life as a set of processes, having an experience.

And in the past few days, I’ve had the experience of feeling fully alive, which is difficult to explain. My mind can perceive the qi or subtle life forces equally distributed in all parts of my body. My visual, sensate and taste sensations are turned up. I’m calm. Ratonal. Still participating fully in daily life, and meditating longer each day.

I’ve been practicing since December 2014, with a facilitator, and been in teacher training since September 2017.

What I find is most important in progressing in the practice is following the preparation for meditation on p. 45 before every sit or walking meditation. And especially, in setting the intention, during the “goal” portion.

The 4 step transition on p. 48 in each session.

And the last paragraph on p. 92, which discusses consistently focusing on the positive aspects of the practice.

Blessings on your path.
Mary Hill

[Becky CMember]

Mary Hill, it is really reassuring to hear that the 6 point prep and 4 step transition are essential to your practice, i am almost to where they feel natural? page numbers are awesome, thank you, just reviewed that i was on right track ?

JC, i like having questions to ponder thanks for pisting. Upon thinking about the results of mindfulness in the past and now i believe it is the intention that is changing what is coming out of it. In the past i did it for peace primarily and that was the result. I just finished a 12 week course with sravasti abby tibetian buddhism where a altruistic motivation is taught for liberation. I do believe changing my motivation is changing the results, pretty cool!

[JamieMember]

Something that I noticed even before I discovered TMI, when I had only meditated sporadically, was that I could overcome hiccups by being mindful of the sensations in my chest and diaphragm.

Works much better for me than drinking a glass of water upside down etc.! Feels a little bit like a super power 🙂

Slightly out of left field but there you go ?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by  Jamie.

[Blake BartonKeymaster]

Hi Jamie,

Thanks for sharing, I will give that I try the next time I get the hiccups. I have noticed a similar situation with muscle spasms or cramps.

Blake – DT Teacher

[B ArnoldMember]

In addition to those already mentioned (except the hiccups – that’s new to me but it has me curious now), I also feel that I notice more about the world around me, or more specifically, I feel somehow more positively impacted by the world around me in subtle ways that I can’t quite put my finger on.

I will, for example, drive down a road and pass a tree that I have driven by innumerable times before, but suddenly just then notice how beautiful it is. There is also often this “freshness” aspect to seeing familiar places – and people, as if somehow seeing them for the first time. I notice this “fresh perspective” particularly with people I am close to – my family. It feels as if I’m noticing something positive about them that I’d either forgotten or never seen before. It sounds odd to describe it, but this sense of having a new way of looking at the world, a way of looking that feels filled with vibrancy and goodness, is often noticeable. I notice it is particularly vivid after a sit, which is why I’m apt to associate it closely with my practice.

Bobby – DT Teacher in Training

• This reply was modified 5 years, 11 months ago by  B Arnold.

[Alex KMember]

Agree with you 5 points JC.

Another thing which Ive noticed is that I seem have better intuitive understanding how ‘minds’ work in general.

This has been helpful in training our dog as well as my mind 😉

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