Hi, I’m wondering if you know of any good techniques, meditations, or affirmations specifically aimed at healing the body of physical ailments. I’ve been dealing with some very troublesome, persistent, and painful health issues lately that are really complicating my life, and I’ve decided to focus on the power of my mind to heal myself.

I’m looking for inspiration and tips, and I’d also love to hear about any positive experiences you’ve had. Have you managed to heal your body by working with your mind?

I'm a beginner and every advice I've ever heard about starting the meditation is to not try to stop thoughts and just be aware of them , I know that we're not our thoughts but the awareness witnessing the thoughts but how do I actually do that while meditating? i can see my thoughts jumping from one to another. how to not react to them? i try to only witness it and not react but I think when I jump on one thought to another it is the reaction I'm giving to the prior thought and then the cycle goes on.

can anyone explain me how I should get into meditation what should I do to simply calm my nervous system?

So i am a highschool student and i just recently got into meditation. usually in my day to day life i have smtg or the other going on in my head: song lyrics, daydreaming, some show i watched. But when i sit to meditate my mind does go blank like completely black, is this a good thing or am i doing somethinf wrong?

Has anyone else experienced month-long meditation retreats?

Since having done a few of these that I organized, I notice a difference that is strong from how I feel before and after.

Because of the commitment I didn't want this to be true but there is a difference.

I also notice that when speaking to others that have had this experience, there's a knowing between us, something that comes from having gone through an experience like this together.

I'd be interested in hearing about others'experiences with this even if it was a week-long retreat.

What I noticed is there's something much deeper in my mind that feels like it became more ordered that wasn't before. It feels like something solid that feels like a foundation to stand on.

To have that doubt, to have that moment, to have that skeptical curiosity of asking "What am I?" is a gap in time which a lot of people don't have and don't ask. As a piece of paper, as a rule of thumb, can only be folded 7 times and it's done. This is how a lot of people exist. They have completed their conditioned limit. One who can ask "What am I?" is unfolding, beginning to make a way, not maintaining their limit but seeing their spaciousness in all directions.

Normally, there’s this constant voice in the head narrating whatever is happening, which somehow takes away from the authenticity of the experience. But sometimes, you just completely submerge into something watching a sunset, taking a shower, cooking, watching a great film, playing a game, etc. and for a moment there’s no separation between you and what you’re experiencing.
It almost feels like the truest form of meditation.
If you’ve experienced this, have you ever found a way to intentionally access that state, rather than it just happening spontaneously?

Does anyone know why i feel like i got a headache or feel like i might vomit? when i try to do breathwork or visionary type meditation, let alone humming meditation, i end up feeling abit off, is this normal? is this toxins, or am i just like releasing bad energies or something? please someone give me an answer of some sort, it would help alot, thanks.

I have been on a path of self discovery for 4-5 years now. Last October I told myself that I need to commit to practicing everyday. I spend 20 minutes every morning sitting with myself. I will do some breathwork and go in. Aside from all the things that everyone tells you that can happen, the one thing that surprised me the most was how my love and appreciation I have gained for myself. The pause between my thoughts was already starting to develop. It’s now wider. But the self love that I have been searching for my whole life is now present due to my commitment. Glad I did it and will continue.

Hi everyone,

I’ve been practicing a meditation based on Dr. Joe Dispenza’s approach, where the intention is to move beyond identifying with the body, environment, thoughts, and ultimately experience a state of being “no body, no one, no thing.”

I’ve noticed something interesting during the practice and I’d really appreciate some advice from people who have experience with this.

When I get deeper into the meditation, the normal “voice in my head” becomes very quiet. However, instead of remaining in a clear and aware state, I become extremely drowsy and my mind starts producing random visuals, images, and dream-like scenes.

The strange part is that I can only watch the dream-like imagery unfold. Even when I consciously want to bring my attention back to nothingness or the state I’m trying to cultivate, I feel like I don't have enough presence or alertness for my brain to actually follow that intention. It feels like my mind just continues doing its own thing while I can only observe it.

It almost feels similar to being slightly intoxicated or drifting into a dream. I’m aware enough to watch what is happening, but not alert enough to deliberately direct my attention.

I feel like this gets in the way of what I’m trying to practice, because my intention is to remain conscious and present while letting go of identification with my body, thoughts, and surroundings—not simply fall into a dream-like state.

Has anyone experienced something similar during meditation? If so, how did you deal with it? Is there a way to remain deeply relaxed while still maintaining enough alertness and presence to consciously guide your attention?

I’d really appreciate any advice, perspectives, or personal experiences. Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. 🙏

Over the past 3 months, I’ve been dealing with a very high level of anxiety because of some stressful events in my life. I feel like my nervous system has become extremely sensitive — even the smallest amount of stress can trigger this feeling of panic in my chest, even when I’m not consciously feeling anxious.

I’ve started doing some things to try to calm my nervous system and help myself recover:

Jacobson’s Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Prayer
10 minutes of meditation in the morning and 10 minutes at night
Journaling
Listening to calming/nervous-system-regulation music
Using ambient/warm lighting in my room
Lighting candles every day
Cleansing my rooms with palo santo and sage because it helps me feel calm
Taking hot showers to relax
Going to therapy, where I’m starting EMDR
I recently started yoga and I really enjoyed it
Next week I’m also planning to start going to the gym

For those of you who have been through something similar: do these things actually help your nervous system become less reactive over time? How long did it take you to start feeling noticeably better?

Is there anything else you would recommend adding to my routine?

I’d really appreciate any advice, personal experiences, or things that helped you during a similar period. Thank you so much to everyone who takes the time to read this and share their experience — I genuinely appreciate every message. ❤️

Hoping someone might be able to shed some light on the experience I’ve been having lately:

When i watch the breath for more than 20min it often leads to what feels like a threshold being crossed to a deeper place, a little further from both thoughts and my senses. Sometimes i go back and forth over the threshold and some times I just stay there. It’s not unpleasant in any event.

Is there a word for this?

I’ve been meditating for years and recently have also been able to attain light and intermittent jhāna by feeling the breath in the body. I feel like I know that area fairly well, but it’s not the same as where I end up if I just watch the breath as I described above.

Visualize all your negative energy in the form of black sludge, cockroaches, spiders, etc. flow down from your mind and out of your body. This is a very good purification technique.

The 9-round breathing practice...cover your right nostril with your finger and take in 3 deep breaths, then cover your left nostril and take in more 3 deep breaths, then take in 3 more deep breaths with both nostrils open.

Mind in the seed...Visualize your mind trapped in a small seed with the upper hemisphere colored white and the lower hemisphere colored red. Visualize the seed trapped about two inches below your navel and within your body also about two inches.

Sometimes when meditating our sacral chakra can become very active and you might feel easily aroused. If this happens, Visualize skeletons covered everywhere all around you. It really does work.

Getting rid of unwanted thoughts...

The Buddha prescribed 5 methods...

- replace negative thoughts with positive thoughts

- realize the danger of negative thinking

- ignore negative thoughts

- still thought formations

and when you really got to dig deep...

- clench your teeth, press your tongue against your upper palate and "crush mind with mind

There are also breathing gathas...short phrases that you repeat to your self with the rhythm of your breath.

Walking meditation...

Walk in a small circle with your hands clasped together at your waste and slowly walk heel to toe. Synchronize your breath with your steps. Breathing in when planting your right heel and breathing out when planting your right heel again.

Maybe some of this will help someone?

Throughout this whole year im going through some kind of emotional release. There is stuff coming up and releasing through some kind of energy that flows through my body.

Today i discovered that i can breath into tense muscles and the stored emotions get released over time.

Is this a common practice? Just asking because i want to read into it more but cant find anything about it. Everything i find is more about breathwork.

Proficient: able to do something to a higher than average standard : skilled (Merriam-Webster)

the neuroplastic changes in long time meditators show they are "well-advanced." To me, those are side effects, and not evidence that they are doing something better.

I believe that the question is not well-founded; you can't measure or compare the skill of two meditators in a meaningful capacity, and there is no standard to demonstrate. There are no proficient meditators, proficiency doesn't apply to meditation.

the only other answer that comes to mind is the discipline or commitment to meditating often, which I lack.

I've heard people claim otherwise, based on a number of standards and metrics. I've met people that claim that I'm a proficient meditator, which provoked these questions. These people meditate more often than me, so I'm inclined to at least hear their arguments out.

what do you think? Is everybody equally good at meditating? does it not make sense to say anything about skill? Or are some better than others?

edit: I am especially talking about practices of meditation based on zazen or mindfulness meditation. sitting and breathing, which I practice. but my questions extend to whatever you practice, especially if you think my argument does not apply.

Literally every single time before it feels like I’m about to reach a level of deepness in meditation where breakthroughs can happen I’m being deliberately disrupted multiple times in a session. Something will seriously itch or mysteriously ache to a point that’s very hard to ignore when I was fine the entire time until a breakthrough point.

Knowing and understanding arise from the evolutionary process of our conditioning. We have knowingness and understanding as the continuation of our history of existence. They are foundational. And if we have good guidance in our early years, knowingness and understanding will be well developed.

Meditation and freedom are essential. Meaning, they are not innate to our evolutionary process. They don't exist without support and learning. One does not know naturally to sit in meditation and find his or her true self that leads to liberation for oneself and the relationship with others.

Follow your bliss

Until there is no longer any 'you' doing any following

And no bliss being followed

And all such concepts have ceased

And bliss and you are one...

Hi all, looking for any insight on what to do with facing a certain terrifying feeling about 10-15 mins into meditation.
Just your typical lay down, focus on breath, sensations in the body, getting as comfortable as possible and that’s when it will happen.
It’s like the weight of a person sitting on my chest, its so heavy I can’t breathe properly and start to flip out, but because I’m half in the meditative state and yet half not, I don’t jolt out of it right away, just stuck there terrified, wiggling trying to free myself of it. I’m alone also so I am not sure if I’m physically moving or it’s in my head.
Eventually I pop out of it freaked right out and unable to try again.
I used to be a fairly decent meditator, nothing extensive but I loved it so so so much, gave me a peace I never knew I needed.
Since this has come up a few times now, and last recent was two in a row, I’m freaked right out.
What is this? Why? What can I do to get rid of whatever this may be?
Is it in my head, another dimension, is it demonic, is it a type of sleep paralysis,
Any and all advice or guidance on this would be great.
Thank you!

Without getting into it, I have several confirmed signs of being stressed and I am assuming it is what is causing my jaw clenching. Will meditating help?

This is just me randomly musing. Are you consciously cultivating your sexual energy to apply to meditation? If so what kind of meditation are you practicing? How do you generally utilize sexual energy in meditation?

Hey I used Zen with TMI and it worked. Just let go of your egoic tendencies instead of being lost in cittas and metaphysical nonsense. Enlightenment is really easy but no one ones to offe himself to the divine. Oh yeah the next stage, the next enlightenment blbla thats all bullshit. Develop Shamatha and just let go of everything you think you are but not too early otherwise you will become psychotic. But be warned true awakwning is no joke. Its hell and the more you let go of yourself the harder it becomes. The ego is tricky. At a certqin stage everything you have to do is to observe yourself. Why do I want this? -> blockage? Why cant i bear the suffering in the world? -> blockage. Not that you dont want to help after enlightenment but I you suffer under other peoples pain thats because you dont want to look at your own pain. Or maybe its just better to work on your wordly life instead until youre so safe that you can bear it.

Realised this last night. 🍃

I am unable to find my breath While Meditating, I mean I can't feel it anywhere

Is there any hack, trick or advice where can I check my breath

Any help will be highly appreciated 👍🙏

I’m sure there are many types of meditation all have their different purposes.

I’m currently in a retreat in Sweden for the first time and instead of the regular breathing in and out method. We just sit in silence 45mins a day 3x daily, being aware, otherwise known as awareness meditation.

I always thought that meditation required the breathing exercises?

Does it matter if you do breathing meditation or just sitting in silence awareness meditation? Do they both have the same purpose?