Meditation: new habit for May

[Alvar]

Coming next month I'm taking on meditation as a new habit. I am hoping others will join me, share insights and encouragement. My goal is to instil the habit and continue meditating regularly after I am done with this period, so I am also creating a routine.

First of all, go read Mark's post, if you haven't yet, and decide how you are going to meditate. If you, like me, are a beginner, you've got all the information you need on that post.
Decide how are you doing it and for how long. I'm starting with 10 counts, for 10 minutes a day, hoping to get to 15 mins after 2 weeks. I'll do it in the morning, as soon as I get up. I'll set a timer, so that I won't worry thinking if the time is up.

If you struggle with self-discipline and suspect that some days you may start creating excuses in order not to practise, write down under which circumstances are you reasonably allowed to skip a day, eg. being ill, waking up at some chick's place... Write it down and stick to it.



Ok, who's on board with me?

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For those of you who intend for the habit to stick in the long term, it will help if you trick your brain into creating a neurological craving. Here's the scientific explanation, courtesy of "The power of habits" (chap. 2):

Quote:This explains why habits are so powerful: They create neurological cravings. Most of the time, these cravings emerge so gradually that we’re not really aware they exist, so we’re often blind to their influence. But as we associate cues with certain rewards, a subconscious craving emerges in our brains that starts the habit loop spinning.
(...)
This is how new habits are created: by putting together a cue, a routine, and a reward, and then cultivating a craving that drives the loop.2.26 Take, for instance, smoking. When a smoker sees a cue—say, a pack of Marlboros—her brain starts anticipating a hit of nicotine. Just the sight of cigarettes is enough for the brain to crave a nicotine rush. If it doesn’t arrive, the craving grows until the smoker reaches, unthinkingly, for a Marlboro.

Or take email. When a computer chimes or a smartphone vibrates with a new message, the brain starts anticipating the momentary distraction that opening an email provides. That expectation, if unsatisfied, can build until a meeting is filled with antsy executives checking their buzzing BlackBerrys under the table, even if they know it’s probably only their latest fantasy football results. (On the other hand, if someone disables the buzzing—and, thus, removes the cue—people can work for hours without thinking to check their in-boxes.)

(...)
To understand the power of cravings in creating habits, consider how exercise habits emerge. In 2002 researchers at New Mexico State University wanted to understand why people habitually exercise.2.28 They studied 266 individuals, most of whom worked out at least three times a week. What they found was that many of them had started running or lifting weights almost on a whim, or because they suddenly had free time or wanted to deal with unexpected stresses in their lives. However, the reason they continued—why it became a habit—was because of a specific reward they started to crave.

In one group, 92 percent of people said they habitually exercised because it made them “feel good”—they grew to expect and crave the endorphins and other neurochemicals a workout provided. In another group, 67 percent of people said that working out gave them a sense of “accomplishment”—they had come to crave a regular sense of triumph from tracking their performances, and that self-reward was enough to make the physical activity into a habit.

If you want to start running each morning, it’s essential that you choose a simple cue (like always lacing up your sneakers before breakfast or leaving your running clothes next to your bed) and a clear reward (such as a midday treat, a sense of accomplishment from recording your miles, or the endorphin rush you get from a jog). But countless studies have shown that a cue and a reward, on their own, aren’t enough for a new habit to last. Only when your brain starts expecting the reward—craving the endorphins or sense of accomplishment—will it become automatic to lace up your jogging shoes each morning. The cue, in addition to triggering a routine, must also trigger a craving for the reward to come.

The cue for your meditation can be doing your bed, picking a pillow to sit in or some other small activity. By the end of the month that cue alone should have you anticipating the reward.
I wonder if the heightened relaxed state of mediation is, on itself, enough of a reward to justify the craving or would it be useful to have a small external treat?

[Nick]

Meditation May. It has a good ring to it. I'll join you just to see if it'll help me. I plan on reading a book called "Willpower" after the current book I'm reading. It's supposedly recommends meditation as one of the techniques that help increase your willpower. Hopefully, that will be enough motivation to last me the month. If it's a good habit, I'll pick it up permanently once the challenge is done.

[Salaam]

I'll join in. I meditate already, but could definitely be doing more.

Right now I drop into no-mind whenever the moods strikes as I go about my day, but I haven't been doing too much in the way of formal meditation except for 10 minutes under freezing cold water in the shower. I want to add an additional 4-5 sessions a week of 30 minute sittings.

[NakedAndFamous]

i'm in aswell. Just started last week but already skipped it the last 2 days :/

[crazyhorse]

Great thread Alvar

I now meditate 20 minutes a day and I'm actually getting really good. I'm amazed at how much easier it is to silence my mind and control my own thoughts.

I would like to go to 30 minutes, and I'm gradually increasing it.

It's a very interesting piece of text you posted as well. I'll definetly pick up on the book.

[Alvar]

Awesome!
Anyone else trying to "fool" his/her brain? Would be interesting to hear from others.

[crazyhorse]

haha what do you mean by fool?

so far everything is going great with me.

[Alvar]

I'm talking about engineering a craving that can trigger a reward for meditation. Once the cue is activated your brain would start expecting the reward, like in the quoted example.

[Nick]

(04-28-2012 07:15 PM)Alvar Wrote:  Awesome!
Anyone else trying to "fool" his/her brain? Would be interesting to hear from others.

I've been doing this with daily cleaning and daily walks. I can definitely feel the craving to clean, not so much with walks. I suggest you don't hold the expectation that you'll crave meditating sooner or later, just meditate and if it happens, it happens.

[crazyhorse]

I do think that you'll need to go through a "pain" period first. I always place a reminder somewhere or I put it in my cellphone.

[Alvar]

@Nick: yes, I am aware that it will be hard for it to stick. I still will put an effort to it.

@crazyhorse: Are you talking about reminding yourself to do it? I always set up my routines so that I do them before I am allowed to do some other stuff - like internet browsing or, in this case, having my coffee. No chance of forgetting those.

[Salaam]

Meditation is its own reward for me. Relaxing deep into myself and just being feels good as hell.

Yesterday during an impromptu meditation I was able to unattach and then reattach a thought to an emotion and play with the way they would build on each other, as well as just sit with the emotion without judgement. Pretty damn cool and not to mention pretty damn helpful, since its that time of the month for my girl.

[Gatsby]

I'll join you, Alvar.
I have been experimenting with it since Mark's post on the subject, but it will be great to go through this month as to group and be able to share information.

[Halo Effect]

Alvar, if you succeed at creating the meditation habit, let me know how you did it. I am very interested in doing this as well. For many other things, and perhaps meditation as well. I believe meditation would be very helpful for me for several reasons, but at the moment I just don't really like it.

[Drewid]

I've been meditating for over two decades, on and off. The biggest moment of realization for me was that 90% of meditation is the practice of trying to clear your mind.

Most of a session is often catching your monkey mind at work and gently (and with as little anger or disappointment as possible) setting yourself back to your practice.

Once you start finding the goal, and stop chasing it, it can be a lot easier.

[Mark]

Wow, you read my mind. I was going to start something like this for this month but have been busy/distracted lately. I'm in. I'm traveling today (May 1st), so I'll start up tomorrow. 30 minutes a day.

[Mark]

Anyone else do this? I did it yesterday for 30 minutes. My monkey mind was going crazy. It's been a long time.

[crazyhorse]

(05-03-2012 06:11 PM)Mark Wrote:  Anyone else do this? I did it yesterday for 30 minutes. My monkey mind was going crazy. It's been a long time.

I'm doing 20 minutes a day, but I'm already used to it. I would suggest that you build it up more slowly. 30 minutes is A LOT if you arn't used to this.

It's actually too much if you ask me.

[NakedAndFamous]

i did it for the last 2 days. Im beginning with 10minutes a day which is already hard as hell for me. Im able to stay focused for the first 3 minutes, but after that threshold my thoughts drift away extremly fast.

[Drewid]

I'm actually heading off to a meditation retreat for 10 days this month. I'll try not to think of you guys when I'm in the middle of it. ;-)

[Mark]

(05-03-2012 07:27 PM)crazyhorse Wrote:  

(05-03-2012 06:11 PM)Mark Wrote:  Anyone else do this? I did it yesterday for 30 minutes. My monkey mind was going crazy. It's been a long time.

I'm doing 20 minutes a day, but I'm already used to it. I would suggest that you build it up more slowly. 30 minutes is A LOT if you arn't used to this.

It's actually too much if you ask me.

The length of time actually wasn't that bad. I used to go on two-day retreats in university where we'd meditate 10-12 hours a day, so I'm no stranger to meditating a lot. My mind was just going nuts for most of it.

Today should be easier.

[Alvar]

(04-30-2012 09:25 PM)Halo Effect Wrote:  Alvar, if you succeed at creating the meditation habit, let me know how you did it. I am very interested in doing this as well. For many other things, and perhaps meditation as well. I believe meditation would be very helpful for me for several reasons, but at the moment I just don't really like it.

Why don't you like it? Or don't give it a try if you think that you would benefit from it?

I did a meditation course early last year. I wanted to continue it at home and get into the habit but never really set myself to do it. Why? I don't really know, perhaps fear of failure, perhaps lack of proper habits; my answer may even be the same as yours.

For this month I made a contract with myself (this) to execute a meditation routine in the morning, thus removing free will and temptation from the equation. I have a cue and I hope I'll have a reward to look forward. I am also logging my experience at regular intervals, so as to get some awareness of my experience. I'll leave it at that, and will check at the end of the month if I do want to continue meditating in a regular basis.

[NakedAndFamous]

well i am having a hard time implementing this habit aswell. Its just really hard for me to do "nothing" for a longer period of time, and i dont really grasp the benefits ill gain from this. On the contrary, i think im approaching the whole thing the wrong way and meditation should really be about being in thr moment and not about future benefits. any clarification on this?

[Halo Effect]

Reasons I didn't like meditation (i.e. sitting cross-legged while focusing on breathing) when I tried it was that I constantly got annoyed with myself and constantly judged "Am I doing it right? No. Ah, crap. This posture doesn't feel comfortable. Why can't I just do this right?" and so on... So you could argue that I desperately need meditation to cut that bullshit out. I will give it a try soon.

NakedAndFamous,

I'm wearing Naked & Famous jeans right now.

[Alvar]

Can't you lay in the floor? I have back problems, to the point that I can not lift, so I am doing it on a mat. And no, I am not falling asleep

(05-04-2012 08:42 AM)NakedAndFamous Wrote:  well i am having a hard time implementing this habit aswell. Its just really hard for me to do "nothing" for a longer period of time, and i dont really grasp the benefits ill gain from this. On the contrary, i think im approaching the whole thing the wrong way and meditation should really be about being in thr moment and not about future benefits. any clarification on this?

Perhaps you shouldn't do it until you believe that there may benefits in for you?
Right now I can barely go 20 seconds without my mind getting loose. I really, really suck. But maybe I need to hear that. And to not giving up, even if I really "suck". And to trust that the alarm clock will ring in time. Gosh, what if I have set it for the wrong day? I also gain from accepting that I may not like meditation and may not benefit from it. Yes, I can deal with this much uncertainty. This in itself is already pretty positive.
This is my experience, and I'll admit to being biased...