Chasing Joy

10 for 10 Challenge: Meditation, Not a Joy For Me

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10 for 10 Challenge

A little while ago I invited all of you to join me for the 10 for 10 Challenge.  This challenge was to practice meditation 10 minutes a day for 10 days.  I had wanted to try meditation for a while.  I knew that it could be a good way to manage stress.  I had also heard that prayer was when you talked to God and meditation was when you were quiet enough to here Him speak.

Did any of you take the 10 for 10 Challenge with me?  How did you do?

I wish I could say meditation was a wonderfully enlightening experience.  I wish I could say that I felt closer to God.  I wish I could say I felt more centered (I have no clue what that means but sounds like a good thing).  I wish I could say I felt less stressed.  But unfortunately I cannot say any of these things.

Here is the rundown of how the 10 for 10 challenge went for me.

Day 1 – I forgot to note where I was located during my 10 minutes of meditation.  During the meditation I kind of zoned out.  The 10 minutes felt long.  I felt kind of fuzzy minded afterwards.

Day 2 – I did my Meditation in the car.I had a hard time staying awake.  I felt like I was starting to either dream or have a memory but then I got distracted and was unable to recall it.  I tried to imagine the word Joy as I said “Joy” during the meditation.  I forgot to breath correctly wit the pause before the exhale.  One really interesting thing was that the heartburn I had been experiencing temporarily stopped during the meditation.

Day 3 – I forgot to do the meditation.  I made a note to add a day onto the end of the challenge to make up for the day I missed.

Day 4 – I felt calm during the meditation.  I forgot to note where I was located during the 10 minutes.  I started to fall asleep during the meditation.  I paid more attention to breathing properly and saying the word Joy.  I wondered if it was important to say the word out loud.  I found it difficult to say the word Joy in one exhale.

Day 5 – Again I forgot to note where I was located during the meditation practice.  I tried to focus more on the breathing and saying Joy out loud.  I had a harder time visualizing images of Joy.  I did managed to do the entire 10 minutes without checking the clock.

Day 6 – I almost forgot to do the meditation.  I did it while I was in bed before falling asleep.  I had lots of thoughts competing with me focusing on images of Joy.  I found saying Joy out loud helped me keep from falling asleep.

Day 7 – I did the meditation the first thing in the morning while still in bed.  I wanted to get it out of the way.  After the meditation I felt a little disappointed.  I was thinking that I was not sure if meditation was for me as I was trying to “get it out of the way” as opposed to looking forward to it.

Day 8 – I was actually kind of dreading the meditation.  I felt stressed about having to sit and focus.  I felt disappointed that I was not getting any positive feelings from meditating.  I realized that the entire point of my trying meditation was to reduce stress and thereby increase my aptitude for experiencing Joy.  If the act of meditation was making me more stressed than it defeated the purpose of the challenge.  I opted to not  Meditate that day and ended the Challenge.

I do not think meditation is for me. I am glad I tried it though, as a major part of my journey Chasing Joy is trying new things.  I have not written it off entirely though.  I think I may have a better experience with some sort of guided meditation (does that exist).  I notice during my 1st hypnosis session (which I’ll be telling you about soon) that It was easier for me to relax and quiet my mind while listening to someone else talk.

Do you meditate?  Did you or will you give the 10 for 10 challenge a try?  What was your experience, are you a meditation convert or did you have an experience similar to mine?

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Comments

  2. Hi Arlett, did you try the guided meditation at the time? If you did how did it go? I tried to meditate previously but couldn't empty out my mind 🙁

  3. I've never tried to actually meditate, but I have been doing deep breathing exercises in the morning, that I believe is the closest I've gotten to it. Let me know if the guided meditation gives you a different opinion on it 🙂

  4. I agree with some of the earlier comments about using some guided meditation as that may help.

    Meditation for me is a way to either practice being in the Now, just allowing myself to BE in peace and quiet, or focus on a goal. There are many ways to use meditation and reasons why people do it. I think once you find your reason, it'll work out better for you.

    Also, you'll start to find your rhythm. It doesn't have to be daily. It can be a weekly thing for you or some other interval you choose.

    Have fun with it and I hope it becomes a better experience for you overall!

    ~Kesha
    @uncommonchick

    • Joy, I second Kesha's idea of guided meditation as an option, and I'd like to take it even further…

      I'd really, really, really love for you to read a post on my site about the wildly different forms of meditation that exist.

      http://ryzeonline.com/arousal-meditation-stare

      Athletes meditate during their sport, dancers meditate during their dance.

      Somehow the idea that meditation is some bland, sitting silent and being bored was started, and I'd love to see it lose some momentum.

      Either way, AMAZING on you for your attitude towards trying new things.

      Chasing joy indeed, lotsa love, rock on and ryze up!

  5. I definitely want to try meditation. I think 10 minutes to start could be good for me. But at least you tried it and kept at it to see what didn't work for you.

  6. I find that the only way I can empty my head and focus on just one simple word or image is after yoga. By then my energies are more in alignment and I've been working out, so I don't get as antsy. Normally when I meditate I need "something to do" so I journey on the astral to talk to my gods/totem/etc. or I chill in my personal temple. And it's definitely important to me to be comfortable and be in a dark, quiet space (or have meditative music).

    Cheers, Colleen

  7. Wasn't a follower yet at the beginning of this challenge, unfortunately, but this sounds like a good idea.

    I haven't practiced meditation yet but I can only imagine the immense benefits of taking 10 minutes out of daily craziness if only just to "breathe". Added bonus if one can have conversations with God during that time as well!

  8. I agree that meditation is hard. I started (guided) meditation last year and the first 3-5 days I thought they were trying to pull me into a cult. But after day 5 I was hooked. Personally, guided meditation was easier than trying to do it on my own.

    My journey began with a guided 21 day meditation via the Chopra Center. Perhaps you can join the next challenge that begins July 16 and chart your experience. Perhaps the experience will be a little different.

  9. As part of my faith, I meditate all the time, but not to talk to God or the Goddesses. I do it to find my happy place, detox from the real world, look around and see what "signs" may be appearing to me. I also end up near a cliff over looking the see with an elderly man there, I'm assuming he's a Druid, and I feel so at peace when he smiles at me. There are many books on meditation out there on how to fully immerse yourself into it. IMO, I would give up. Meditation is good for the soul. 🙂

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