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Positive Affirmations and Brain Reprogramming
It’s been a while since my last post, but I’m still practising meditation which, I believe, is going really well. In many ways meditation has just now become a part of my life; it is something I can’t live without and is now a habit. But now, I want to informally write about a subject [...]
Guitar: ‘Shake that Thing’
The song, Shake that Thing, originally, I think, by Mississippi John Hurt, is my current guitar challenge. Below, is Stefan Grossman’s rendition, and it is described as being easy to learn. Actually, I’m finding it quite challenging because I’m not used to syncopated technique, but I figured in the long run this will be of [...]
Sound of Silence:
Currently, my mediation time is divided up into the following sections, each lasting about five minutes in duration: Breath awareness; Listening and sound; Body scan and sensations Attention to thoughts Visualisation of acceptance. In particular I have found sound to be the most fascinating aspect. My experience is that, for me at least, there is [...]
Final Group Session
Today was the final group mediation session. It was quite sad to leave; strangers have suddenly become familiar, and perhaps more importantly they have become friends. Alistair and Angela have been fantastic teachers and I can’t praise them highly enough. The session commenced with a return to the formal meditation known as the body scan. [...]
Summary
Mediation over the past few days has been good and I have practised without guidance using the iPhone app Insight Timer. There is no doubt that persistent practice yields great benefits, and yet the change is subtle as opposed to sudden and dramatic. I have noticed that I no longer take my thoughts too seriously [...]
Meditation
I will be posting summaries of my meditation practice from this point forward. It’s fair to say that mindful meditation has had a positive impact on my depression and anxiety. It hasn’t brought about a cure — I doubt that’s possible — but it has certainly brought a lot of my thoughts into perspective, not [...]
Where is the guitar playing up to?
I’m managing to put in about an hour each day, and I’m flitting between the Fylde Goodfellow (tuned to DADGAD) and the Santa Cruz OMPW (tuned to standard). I’m still working on Paul Simon’s Kathy’s Song, but I’m fairly confident with that now — at least the playing aspect! And for those who like looking [...]
Formal Group Session (Preston)
It was back to Preston today for the second to last group session. After performing a formal sitting meditation there was plenty of time for everyone in the group to share their experiences of the course to date. I explained that I had found the formal meditation to be of great benefit even though it [...]
Sitting Meditation (Day Thirty Two)
Today involved walking five miles into Bolton and then Five miles back into Horwich to collect my car which, thankfully, passed it’s MOT and had a service. In essence, it was a full day of exercise but I’m tired now and paying for it. Tonight’s meditation was 20 minutes unguided and it went well, although [...]
Sitting Meditation (Day Thirty One)
A guided mediation today; conducted at 7.30pm. I felt very tired all day, perhaps this is because I have increased the frequency and distance of my running and my body is going through the usual adaptions that happens following a long lay-off. I tend to feel great after a run, but very tired the following [...]