Why aren't you meditating yet, robots?
There is ample medical and scientific evidence about the benefits to both the brain and the body of meditation; it makes you smarter, fitter, and healthier, even leaving aside the more intangible benefits of being more mindful. But even more than that, meditation has also been shown to be effective at treating depression.
One thing you won't find in the medical literature, however, is what I call "Stupid Buddhist Tricks." Zen meditation makes you intensely aware of your body and nerve impulses, and as a result of biofeedback you will gain control over processes which are normally autonomic. So, for example, I can move my eyes independently of one another, wiggle my ears, and speed up and slow down my heartbeat at will. And I also have some minor control over my thermoregulation, meaning I can turn my body's thermostat up and down so that I can be comfortable in both hot and cold weather. There are people who focus specifically on mastering thermoregulation through meditation, a discipline called "tummo," who can sit naked in the snow and be perfectly comfortable (see pic).
So why aren't you meditating yet, robots? If you need help, most major cities have a meditation centre to help, and they won't turn anyone away. If finances are a problem, most roshis (teaching masters) will accept a respect offering (like a bowl of oranges) as an alternative to money.
>>25333364
Wim Hof, my brother from another mother
>>25333364
>So why aren't you meditating yet, robots?
I don't know where to start.
And I live in a shitty small town so no "meditation centres" mate.
>>25333364
>So, for example, I can move my eyes independently of one another, wiggle my ears, and speed up and slow down my heartbeat at will.
If 'meditation' becomes the subject of bait both as elaborate and as intentionally transparent as this, not all is lost.
>>25333379
Well, the first thing you need to do before you can even begin meditating is master "stillness." And stillness is simple to practice, but very hard. Go into an empty room with no watch, clock, phone, TV, radio, etc. Then close the doors and windows and just sit. Allow yourself to be bored. That's it. That's all you do. You allow yourself to be bored as long as you can stand it. At first you'll find it hard to last even a couple of minutes, but if you keep practicing, you'll find that the length of time will increase. After many years, I can do stillness for eight hours or more. Meditation masters can be still for *days*.
Even if you can't get help with meditation, you can do stillness entirely on your own and reap many of the same benefits as meditation.
>>25333429
Thanks, I'll try today.
I know all about its benefits I can attest to them myself I even directly experienced them when I was meditating with some regularity
The problem is keeping it a daily thing, I seem to struggle with that, even if I try to start off with 10 minutes once a day thing I cant keep the habit for even a week.
Right now I'm at the point where I have gone longer without meditating than I have between all the times I was meditating on and off 2 years before and my health has gone for the worst, and my stress, anxiety and nervousness are through the roof.
I even can't sit still and easily slip into a good meditation as easily as I could before.
But the benefits that have been scientifically proven and I have experienced for myself are too positive to just give up.
But yeah if more people meditated on mindfulness meditation regularly and actually meditated correctly with the idea of not silencing the mind but instead not judging your thoughts and not reacting to them instinctually and without awareness, then all of /r9k/ would be suffering less I think, and so would I because I have daily chronic pain and shit.
Too many 4channers especially dismiss meditation because of its spiritual and religious baggage which is not necessary for it, and otherwise for doing secular meditation wrong, that is trying to silence the mind and thoughts forcefully which will just end up in frustration.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2015/05/26/harvard-neuroscientist-meditation-not-only-reduces-stress-it-literally-changes-your-brain/
>>25333364
Discipline, patience and calm attention aren't in great supply around here.
If it were quick and easy robots would meditate.
I suspect many have given it a shot and given up after half an hour or a few days.
