The Harmony Lounge

TKDGRRL

The purpose of meditation is to make our mind calm and peaceful. If our mind is peaceful, we will be free from worries and mental discomfort, and so we will experience true happiness; but if our mind is not peaceful, we will find it very difficult to be happy, even if we are living in the very best conditions. Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind – blown here and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy. By training in meditation, we create an inner space and clarity that enables us to control our mind. In this way, we will come to experience a permanent inner peace, known as "liberation" or "nirvana". There are differents forms of meditation. Do you meditate? What kind do you practice? Why do you prefer one form over another?

bika

I do but mine is very simple. I close my eyes for 10 minutes and pay attention on my breath. It gives me relief and keeps my tension away.

TKDGRRL

It doesn't matter if it is simple. At least you take the time to do it.

skatss

I do a lot of meditating. My life is full of stress. My sister is dying of colon cancer and I'm taking care of her. She is also in a wheel chair because both hips are severely arthritic and they have to be replaced. But they can't be replaced because of the chemo she has to take.

Life is very hard. She is depressed and I try to be positive for her. It's hard to get her to all her doctor appointments, and get her to take her chemo pills, and getting her to the hospital for chemo treatments. If I had my way I'd stay in bed all day with a blanket over my head, but I can't do that.

Instead I take a half hour for myself and meditate by counting. It calms me down and helps me to help her.

Meditation can do a lot for a person.

TKDGRRL

I'm sorry to hear about your sister, skatss. I'm glad that you have found a way to help deal with your stress. That's an honorable thing to take care of her like that. I respect you immensely.

Simplyme

I use to meditate and I am not sure how or why I allowed myself to stop as it was the one part of my day I always looked forward to. I will definitely be taking it up again right away.

I have never been a position such as you skatss I did take care of an elderly lady with many issues (dementia, heart failure , overweight and completely bed ridden) who was like a Grandma to me and before she passed I found meditation is probably one of the few things that helped me keep control and not lose myself to the chaos. Skatss you are doing a very honorable thing and I can not imagine what it is like for you but rest assured you are doing a great service to your sister. I'd be honored to have a sister such as you.

BrownEyedGirl

Skatss, I just think you are a great lady for taking such good care of your sister!!

kimsayers

I was VERY very happy to see meditation, not only an administrator reccomendation, but also as a topic for a board discussion.

In college, I joined a Transcendental Meditaion group, taught by an older woman, a grad student in the Psychology Dept. She did this extra-curricularly, there was no credit for it - but she had been a certified TM instructor since the early 70s. First, we all had to pay a very reasonable fee (reasonable, money-wise, and also because you are basically paying for something that you will have and be able to use for your entire life) and take the formal TM course - about 4 or 5 evening sessions, as I recall.
There was a lovely 'graduation ceremony', where each student was asked to bring an offering of fruit and flowers . The evening closed with our instructor taking each of us individually into another room and giving us our 'mantra', an Indian word to be used during every meditation, and selected specifically for each of us based on the instructor's perception of our personality. . She whispered my mantra to me and told me that I must never say the word aloud - and above all - NEVER to disclose my mantra to another living soul - I have not ever done either of these things!

But, after I had my second child, I found it harder and harder to get those two daily 30 minute meditation times. Either I just couldn't make the time, period, or the Fates of Motherhood seemed to conspire to pick THAT exact moment to present me with ...well, you all can no doubt name any number of typical domestic scenarios that would make sneaking off alone for even ONE minute impossible.

Now, I find myself wanting badly to again make TM a definate, high-priority part of my life. I wish to commit to it. I know I want to. And it should be possible! I just need to remind myself how anything that is super-beneficial to Mommy, is super-beneficial to all who depend upon me.
In addition, I am a skin cancer survivor, self-employed in my primary, fulltime position - with no health insurance of any kind. So it is also the physical, physiological benefits of TM - and most 'types' of meditation - that are meaningful to me now, as well as the undeniable benefits to one's peace of mind.

I would love to hear about others' meditation experiences and issues, especially any benefits people have noticed as a result of meditating,

Thankyou and thanks for letting me share.
kim

kimsayers

Bless you for being your sister's true companion and careperson.

I had a similar experience not long ago, caring for my mom full-time after some eye surgery. Unfortunately, she had a reaction to a medication, which caused a mental fuge state/psychotic episode that lasted several weeks. Of all my siblings, I live the nearest, so after she was discharged from the nursing home, I took over her care, in her home. One of my sisters was staying with ME - so luckily she was able to take over caring for MY kids. Needless to say, while nowhere NEAR as serious - or sad - as your situation, those weeks with my mother took more love and energy than I thought I had available within me to give. I did learn, however, that to take care of someone like that, fulltime, requires that one take care of ONESELF, just as commitedly, as much as one is able. It sounds as though you already know this, and I am glad to hear that you are finding meditation such a support.

What would any of us do without people who love us this much?