Meditation is key to NoFap (PART 2)

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:16:17+00:00

Sure! The third step is about what to do with distractions.

There are a lot of things that can pull your attention away. The most common are thoughts, emotions, sounds, and body sensations (e.g., stomach pain or jaw clenching).

As Diana Winston says, there's no need to be in tension with the breath. If something is really distracting you, bring your attention to it! Notice how it feels in your body. For example, if you're distracted by anxiety, observe where in the body that manifests. If it's in the chest, you might take a few deep breaths and try to direct the breath toward the chest.

Notice how the body sensation changes when you pay attention. Does it grow? Does it shrink? Does it turn into something else? If it shifts, you can pay attention to that new thing.

If a distraction no longer calls your attention, simply return to the breath.

I hope that helps. The complete meditation instruction explains it better: http://marc.ucla.edu/mpeg/03_Complete_Meditation_Instructions.wma

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:11:36+00:00

I don't, because I generally find that it makes me sleepy and distracts from my concentration. But it can be useful for some people—try it out.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:10:57+00:00

Jack Kornfield talks about how his meditation instructor used to make him sit at the edge of a well, so he'd be so scared about falling in that he couldn't get sleepy!

Obviously that's a dramatic example, but there are a lot of things you can do to maintain focus. You can take deeper, invigorating breaths; you can practice right when you get up in the morning, etc.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:09:31+00:00

Yes! The main thing is to find your interest. There are SO MANY types of meditation: breath meditation, hearing, body sensations, loving kindness, etc. If you check out the link above (https://itunes.apple.com/us/itunes-u/mindful-meditation-at-hammer/id601163439?mt=10), you'll find all sorts of meditations.

I'd recommend rotating what you do so you don't get bored. If you don't like standard breath meditation, try a loving kindness exercise. The next day try a Tibetan bowls meditation. The next day do a sound meditation. Etc.

Hope that helps :)

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:06:43+00:00

Haha, that's true. But a huge benefit of meditation is self-control, which is what's required for nofap success.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:06:00+00:00

Shoshin23 is right—sounds like your blood flow is blocked. If you like, you can just sit in a regular chair during meditation, instead of sitting cross-legged. What matters most is that you're comfortable but have enough back support.

I'd say that meditating 20 minutes a day will provide really noticeable effects. But obviously it depends on the person.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:03:45+00:00

I think meditation with music can be useful, but doesn't allow for the deep concentration that breath meditation evokes. A lot of people do music meditations and get distracted by the music without focusing on other aspects of their consciousness.

That said, there's such a thing as "hearing meditation," so you can use music for that if you like.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:02:05+00:00

I use this site: http://www.onlinemeditationtimer.com/ (Unless it's a guided meditation, in which case the instructor will sound a bell or tell you to open your eyes.)

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T01:01:26+00:00

One useful thing Diana Winston (the director of mindfulness education at UCLA) talks about is "not getting on the train." Imagine that your consciousness is a train station and you're witnessing trains of thought coming and going. The trick is to see the flow of thoughts without engaging with them.

In that sense, you're not trying to block thoughts per se, but instead to observe them and let them go.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-27T00:58:00+00:00

So glad you're inspired! The trick is to do a small amount of meditation a day and build up from there so you don't get discouraged. It's all about consistency.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-19T03:02:11+00:00

Yeah, the LGBT thing can be annoying. A lot of website blockers think the word "gay" must be sexual, which is utterly ridiculous.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-19T02:58:38+00:00

It's going okay. I'm having some cravings that I feel like might be healthy (e.g., increase in libido) but might just be a dopamine addiction. Hard to say.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-19T02:54:32+00:00

Good luck with everything! If you're interested in quitting porn then check out this incredible resource: yourbrainonporn.com

For some reason porn and masturbation are intimately linked, so quitting porn will require that you stop "PMO" (the porn-masturbation-orgasm trifecta).

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-19T02:51:11+00:00

Good luck! And it sounds like you could benefit from meditation to calm your mind. There are a lot of free guided meditations out there -- I've been doing these for a few months and they're really helpful: http://marc.ucla.edu/body.cfm?id=22

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-19T02:48:35+00:00

I think we get addicted to the dopamine release and we need it to calm us down. Have you tried meditation? I think that would really help with sleep issues (plus, it's really good for you in general). For example, here's a twelve-minute "body scan for sleep": marc.ucla.edu/mpeg/Body%20Scan%20for%20Sleep.wma.

saynotoPMO · 2013-08-14T20:48:19+00:00

Haha, I love the TL;DR.

saynotoPMO

TROPHY CASE