when i think about some great memories of pure joy, i feel like they were always times when i was living in the present moment and not worried about the past or future. and it makes obvious sense why. but do you think that with conscious breathing and focusing on being in the present, you actually lose being in the present? or does it eventually just become second nature where you don’t need to snap back to “i need to be present” and you just are present? cuz right now there will be times where i won’t be doing my conscious breathing and will still be in the moment and the past or future thoughts don’t give me any emotional response. and other times i feel like i am trying to be present while doing conscious breathing and acknowledging my thoughts and emotions, and it will help with transforming those emotions but at the same time i feel like i am not present.

the best way i could describe it is when you are trying to listen to someone talk. and you are focused on listening to them talk and look like you’re engaged and end up not actually remembering what they say instead of just actually listening.

Been working on mindfulness for a bit now and noticed some minor improvements, but nothing major until the other day. I was on my daily walk walking along the sea wall (I’m fortunate to live next to the ocean) and while I stop to take it in, I truly *got* what it means to be present.

In that moment, there were no worries, no anxiety, no fears, no rumination. In that moment everything was perfect. Sunshine, beautiful ocean, seagulls cruising. I was fully present and joy just exploded. I’ve done that walk a million times but I felt like I was actually truly seeing it for the first time.

It’s hard to fully articulate, but I feel this is what mindfulness does for us. Understanding in any given moment, it’s all enough and there’s so much to be grateful for. That joy only happens in the present moment and comes when we slow down and make space for it. It was such a gift. These efforts are so worth it!

These past few years my anxiety is getting worse and worse. This year i feel like my anxiety is almost taking over my life.

During the day i feel like my stomach is getting heavy when breathing and having random rapid heartbeats.

Stupid things make me feel anxious, especially when I'm out of my comfort zone.

For example when I'm driving somewhere that i don't know the road or the place it's making me feel very anxious. Where to park, what if something happens on the road etc. And that's just one example out of many that make anxious.

The only times that I'm feeling calm is when I'm having a chill day like going to work, coming back home and watch some tv, play some games, read, listen to music etc. Because I'm inside of my comfort zone.

Most of the times i feel like something bad will happen to me and I'm constantly on edge. I'm really tired of feeling that way. Ngl i feel like I'm a weak person and can't deal with reality and always trying to take the easy road instead of dealing with my problems.

Tried meditation in the past but stopped after a few months. I also thought of seeking help from a professional. But i can't afford it right now.

What would you advice to do?

Across my practice, I have learned, or more precisely, realized that there is no 'free will'.

What I cannot fathom, despite this realization, is how exactly one is aware or not aware. How is it that I, at times, get lost in my thoughts and then, eventually find my way back?

Is it simply a habit of the mind, to keep a steady light of attention set out across the mind? Or is there something else at play?

How do you, dear reader, interpret this phenomenon? How do you understand it!

Whenever my body is physically stressed or on edge, sitting in complete silence and focusing on the breath just makes my heart race faster.

Switching to sound-based focus, gentle pacing, or somatic movement feels so much easier on my nervous system than forcing stillness.

Did anyone else have to drop strict seated meditation to actually find physical calm? What helped you ground your body when the mind won't settle?

Im a 20 year old girl away from home (diff country) for university. Im always sick and stuff (not used to cold) since I was born and came from a place hot and humid. Its been more than a week Ive been sick, anxious and depressed. Feels like such a horrible time with my exams approaching and me having no support from anyone. Im a big time complainer and my family is done with me. I feel incredibly depressed and alone. My family is finally done with my constant nagging. I had few online friends and they’ve said it to that Im incredibly insufferable. How do I fix it, I don’t have no one to talk to. Im sensitive to a lot of stuff. Please anyone help me. Thank u so much!

Edit: plz if you have anything negative to say plz dont. Not now, I can’t take criticism rn. Later yes i can

I really don't know the reason why but I feel anxious suddenly...like I don't even know the reason behind it.

If some thoughts come in my mind and it made anxious for day. Even I tell my self their are not important than your peace of mind..

The more I learn about my issues and how to solve them
Meditation
Manifesting
Somatic therapy
NLP
Hypnotherapy
Energy transferring
Edmr
Neuro plasticity
Consciousness
Subconscious
Etc
I feel so weird uncomfortable all the time like all these thoughts and feelings going through me should I stop? What is it this, I just want to go back I feel like I shouldn’t have learned this much I’m confused and it’s making me freak out. Can anybody give me advice

I don't know why but I just don't feel peace. Idk about reason but I just thinking about something idk what is that but that's why I'm just frustrated. I want peace of mind but don't know how I get it. I do every possible think to understand what's in my mind but I don't figure it out.

Online daily zoom sitting?

Hi all
Female 35 y
Recently I am noticing in me that now a days I am not able to stay focus or listen to someone even more than 5 second.
At office also someone was giving me KT. But thoughts were somewhere.. I realise and continue back to focus ,but it is again jus for 3 to 4 seconds,,

This is not only at office,,
At home when I speak to my husband or to my parents over phone,,

Could you please suggest what all could I do , to remain focus ,listen?

Hi!

I am trying to restart and focus on my shadow/inner work so that it becomes easier to manifest the things I want truly. But I am facing a block here my past disappointments & being let down is interfering and causing self doubt.

I really need help because it is totally affecting my life! How do I navigate this safely???

Hello! I’m trying to start being a more mindful person and to be more present in my life. Ive just started therapy for my depression and one of my treatment goals is being more mindful! I’ve been in a bit of a fog over the past few years and I’m getting to a point where I need change.
I have a pretty busy schedule, working 7 days a week at two highly interpersonal jobs that tend to drain me by the time I have my own downtime. So with trying to be intentional with being present, I’m trying to ease into so I don’t become too overwhelmed and give up.
I understand that mindfulness is a skill and it’s a daily practice so I’m looking for something simple to can try possibly at the beginning or end of my day.
I’d love to hear any suggestions that you use or have used at the beginning.
TIA!

How to describe the feeling of thoughts being ethereal, even though I know it feels out of my reach. No, I could have the thought, but a second later it's gone and I don't know how to get it back, some I don't get back. But no matter how well I can explain or expand upon the thought or how accurate I can describe it, it is still so fleeting as if a piece of me is lost. My mind is the collection of the pieces of who I am, me or the conscious mind only makes a fraction. My fears, my opinions, my thoughts, and my doubts are all pieces so when I forget them I feel like they immaterialise—a piece of who I am gets lost in the ocean of my mind. Is there a fix or shall I forever remain a stranger to myself. By a peice of me going missing, I do not mean my identity has been overturned, more that I feel hollow as if the peices of the puzzle that make up my identity have disappeared. The puzzles are the memories of the past, to lose your old puzzles feels to lose evidence for your existence. But then, how will others understand, how can I know it's real? What if i am just lying or I change it's meaning later on, who am i to trust myself over something so important. It's born from my lack of self trust, this more to explain my own thoughts,this is just how i distrust myself I think the solution would be to journal and articulate my thoughts to give them a physical space to occupy to materialize, and by journaling I'm not relying on an external truth but precisely that since by writing it down it becomes a memory therefore it's just an external peice of me

When you think of mindfulness, what is it that you see? A calm pose? See nothing at all? A moment of tranquility?

We're all individuals, separate minds, separate feelings, separate experiences..

Hello friends. I am wondering what techniques or breathing exercises we recommend for blockages? I am trying to create something brand new for myself, but I am facing a lot of self doubt & restlessness. Any tips ?

Meditation is really hard for me & listening to my intuition/ divine self is 10x harder.

The non-judgment part is the hardest for most people, especially judging yourself for judging. It can help to just describe what's there in plain words, like 'tight chest, thought about work, urge to check my phone', without adding good or bad. If a judgment shows up, you can notice that too. It gets more natural with practice.

Hi there. I used to have a very consistent routine for a few years and I remember it feeling so great, just feeling so clear so much of the time.

In the last year I went through a few large stress points, and I fell out of meditation and into a lot of digital media use to distract myself. I’m trying now to get fully back into practice. I remember the feeling I felt during meditation in terms of clarity but I’m struggling to actually get back to it. I feel “wired tight” if that makes sense, with a feeling at the front it my head needing distraction and in a loop of giving in to it just to “relax” when I know it’s not relaxing.

Any advice welcome 🌸

Hi.

I have a severe addiction of fantasies, which is generally called Maladaptive Daydreaming nowadays. I'm not quite satisfied with the term since "Daydreaming" involves many other thought processes that are not about fantasizing at all.

But anyways, I've come to deeply understand, how Samatha/Shamatha, Tarataka, or Focused Attention Meditation (FAM), is THE way to train the impulse control of the brain that can be used to tame and eventually stop the unhealthy fantasizing.

This exact practice/exercise has been used in medical research as well with proven results but for other addictions like substance abuse or alcohol. As the fundamental mechanism of all addictions is bascially losing the control over the impulses/urges that keep hijacking the reward system. Yes I know, all addictions have many differences, I'm not talking about those differences, just the impulse control part.

I've started to practice it. And I've felt differences that are supposed to occur, which is an encouragement for me. But I'm having serious trouble with consistency, initiating the practice and optimizing the practice in terms of duration and effort management.

I'd be very glad if people here can guide me how can I improve this. Since my dopamine is so low, it creates this unpredictable brain fog and task initiation paralysis stuff that keeps getting in the way of doability and therefore consistency of the practice. I've also found, the typical 5, 10, 13, 15, 17 or 20 minute sessions are not going to be enough. I've realized that these durations are for people who are already normal and healthy, maybe a bit unhealthy in the mind or whatever. For a person like me, I really need to up the practice to create enough counter momentum to takeover the compulsivity of fantasies. Whenever I, unwantingly, reduce or slow down the practice, the addiction rises again.

Am I overthinking it? Am I over-optimizing it? Am I missing something? I'm in a place in this journey now, where I'm really confused what is the right thing to do next, since there is no official article, research or stuff written to address Maladaptive Daydreaming in context of Focused Attention Meditation soecifically. Experienced insight would be better, but any guidance is very welcome.

Thanks you for reading.

Really need help with this, it’s been giving me headaches

“I should finish this.”

“I should be calm.”

“I should not need a break.”

A thought can sound like a rule before there is time to notice it.

In mindfulness practice, what helps you hear that “should” as a thought, then check what is happening now?

Sometimes the task does need doing. Sometimes the plan needs to change. I am curious about the pause before deciding.

Does noticing a body sensation help you pause? Or is a simple “there is that thought again” more useful?

I used AI assistance to put these ideas into words.

I feel bad about myself, i think im ugly , i believed i was too ugly to be a girl , so i cut all my hair off when i was 12 im 18 i still have short hair, and dont own a single garment made for a girl , not a shirt not pair of trousers , im tired of feeling so ugly that it hurts , i feel this suffocating feeling , i cant put my finger on it , i feel terrible , i do not try in school and do not care too , i want to care i want to be a better student , im very tired , i think im too sick of myself too keep living this way, i stoped studying and stopped showing up to classes, ill go to classes tomorrow, im doing well better then before

So recently I’ve been having a lot of believes about dumb stuff and thinking about it for a hour usually when I’m tired and like trying to make my own theory make sense. a thought popped up of how I could be going delusional about stuff cause I’ve been having more thoughts about theory’s recently idk if its normal or not they weren’t bad like blatantly not true but if it’s like early signs of delusion I’ll just stop thinking of that kinda stuff. I only really do it cause i just like using my brain and thinking

I have been practising Yoga and Pranayam (ancient breathing technique in Yoga) and felt a lot better and controlled (finally!) from a month. 💙

Be it a random music i dont even like or any life instance or my DAYDREAMING, they all come automatically at once and keep looping and I am stuck resisting. I dont think anything negative.

My eyes look sleepy and dull although I eat, exercise sleep better than a healthy human should. I have to force myself to be aware and calm but my nervous system is hyper almost all the time.

Please help! 🙏

[Health issue journey commented if u curious.]