Meditation question: does it matter how?

I have always avoided meditation all my life because I found it boring to focus on feeling my breath. I never had a problem to stay still and enjoy the sound of leaves moving in the wind, watching waves, listening to bird song or at least imagine I am slowly canoeing trough a calm lake or other soothing image.
Is there a difference in the result to focus on one’s breathing ( or other body) sensation versus breathing calmly and enjoying imagining the sea or birds or whatever?
I have discovered I really urgently need to teach my brain how to feel safe as it has rarely felt safe ever. Looks like the mindful exercices are key.
Is there a difference about focusing on a nice visualisation or sound and noticing when other thoughts come and just go back to calm thing we visualize
Versus
Focusing ( but not too intensely) on our breathing?

thank you

 

I don't know. I presume it doesn't matter. Just try both methods and see. Choose the one that works better to calm you down.

Take care.

 

Hi Zuz,

i’m the same way when it comes to meditation. That’s why I like the progressive muscle relaxation. It’s active and passive while focusing on breathing.

 

Yes I have also been doing the active muscle relaxation, thank you. But I think I do it with waaaay too much intent - like pressure of performance to relax a muscle- so does not feel relaxing to my mind. Working on it!

 

Have you ever tried Qi Gong? It's a light form of exercise, gentle. The breathing and movements are great for relaxation. It can be like a meditation if you move slowly and breath in and out slowly and without thinking too much. You can start with this and then continue after a few months with other forms of meditation. I think it will help you to start gradually by doing QiGong for now. See if you like it.

Take care.

 

I don't know if you've seen Alan Gordon's program Pain Recovery Program | TMS Forum (The Mindbody Syndrome) (tmswiki.org).

But I think it would be very important to to include some somatic tracking a part of a meditative practice. He discusses somatic tracking on Days 9 & 10 of the above program.

 

Yes i did. That’s what got me thinking that perhaps dome of the meditation should include practicing feeling yourself ...
Thank you

 

I use the Curable app to meditate and it can focus on the breath but the guides often say you don’t have to focus on that. I like to vary things. Sometimes breath location (say, nostrils),sometimes I use a pelvic meditation mixed with diaphragm breathing which guides you through mental visualizations. I’m starting some Somatic Tacking..I don’t do so well with body scans per se but guided somatic tracking seems ok. I do not do well with progressive muscle relaxation.
Personally I think for me, I concentrate on “getting it right” or “feeling it right” especially when my anxiety is high. Whatever you do, the point is to soften that focus of concentration AS thoughts drift in and out and right on by (and soften the getting it right!).
I prefer guided meditations, many do not. My key is to do them at least 2x per day right now no matter how “successful” I felt.

 

Yes i noticed I needed to stop trying to get it right. It’s better now!

 

I tried to follow various meditation styles, poses and techniques, until I realized that following anything or anybody made me even more anxious because I could never do it perfectly. So, I stopped following the rules and just sat there and let my mind be.

The only rule that I have is to sit past the moment when anxiety rises, always about 15-20 minutes into it. Once I get past the increase in anxiety, I enter my equilibrium of mind and can meditate for another hour easily.

 

Remember mindfulness is a form of meditation.

So whatever you do, whether it’s driving or walking or cooking, focus on the task at hand. When your mind wanders, bring it back to what you are doing. That’s an easy way to develop a new mindfulness habit.

 

I would state is differently: meditation is an exercise in mindfulness. Mindfulness means being aware of our surroundings, our place in those surroundings and the state of our mind and being at the moment. Meditation happens when we disconnect from any other activities and focus on our mindfulness. I agree with you that mindfulness can and should be practiced at any time, and meditation can be very short, when we take a pause in the middle of a busy day. After I learned how to meditate, I often take just 3-5 minutes to bring myself into the state of mental balance after a stresssful event. So the key is to develop a technique and know how and when to use it.