(08-27-2016, 12:59 PM)anagogy Wrote: Alternatively, do some exercise before you meditate. Even just 10 push-ups makes meditating at least 10 times easier. Usually when you can't sit still its because your body doesn't feel like sitting still, so you need to expend some physical energy to properly utilize your mental energy.
yeah, ive started doing 11 pushups (i like the number 11 a lot) before my meditation, as well as doing gibberish meditation (which is letting your mouth and body move and make noises to release inner tension/pressure), BEFORE I even sit down to silently meditate. But even with this, I sometimes still have intense mental chatter. The gibberish meditation really helps most of the time though.
(08-27-2016, 12:59 PM)anagogy Wrote: Don't attempt to create new "belief bridges" when in a resistant negative state. It won't go well. It is a *lot* of work for little gain, wait till you are in a less resistant state and you will make twice as much progress. Quality over quantity.
I think I disagree with this because - isn't it that, during the times when you have a heavier weight on you, the work you do strengthens you that much more? Like if meditation is compared to climbing a steep hill every day - on the days you have no weight, it's a regular old workout, you gain an average amount from it. on the days you have a heavy backpack, rather than it being "little gain," it's actually working your leg muscles more than it would have without the backpack. so on those super distracting days, isn't it extremely beneficial to adamantly seek the silence??
this is the philosophy ive been using, and sometimes, like today, i break through to a more rewarding silence than if I had been clearheaded initially.
i'm more wondering what you all do when you find your mind unnaturally cluttered and can't seem to find the silence.