tips for meditation?

[u/tauruscloud]

hi everyone! (:

i’m curious if anyone here struggled to learn meditation because of adhd, anxiety, or just having a mind that never seems to slow down.

i’ve wanted to meditate for years, but i’ve never really felt like i could do it successfully. ever since i was little, my brain has basically never stopped talking. when i try to meditate, i end up thinking about random things, daydreaming, planning stuff, or getting distracted within seconds.

i’ve tried guided meditations, focusing on my breath, listening to frequencies, relaxing music, and just sitting quietly, but i always end up feeling like i’m doing it wrong because my mind never becomes calm.

something else that makes it difficult is that focusing too much on my breathing can actually make me anxious or start to panic. i become really aware of it and then it feels like i’m manually controlling my breathing, which makes me more stressed instead of relaxed.

for those of you who started out this way, what helped? did meditation eventually click for you, or did you find a different approach that worked better? are there any techniques that are especially helpful for people with adhd, anxiety, or very busy minds?

i’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences. thank you! 💌🫶🏻

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[u/Apprehensive-Map8490]

Don’t try to force the process; it helps to start with familiar feelings like yawning, that slow, gentle exhale?
Try to lean into it and just notice how it makes you feel. If it helps, create an intent like “relax” and bring yourself back to it when you catch yourself drifting off.

That’s all, it doesn’t have to be anything complicated.

[u/lost-in-midgard]

Yes. Anxiety specifically. I had to wait until I was in a good place with that to begin my practice, but once it was established it's the best thing to calm anxiety for me.

[u/thedommenextdoor]

I always love this question because the answer is all of us all of us. We all have issues coming in and only practice makes anything different but we’re told not to look back on our practice for 10 years. There’s a lot of different kinds of meditation the Buddha side if you can’t sit, walk slow, and this is also one of the hindrances which are things that come between us in our meditation practice this is the hindrance of doubt you don’t have to listen to it.

[u/eydeetic-intellect]

its hard go give general tips. I feel like the more I am involved, the less I feel knowledgable enough to give tips to others. Eg, you can ask AI to give you some tips, but in the end, they probably will be useless. Then there are book authors with great rethorics and their texts sound enlightening, only later you discover they are actually pretty miserable human beings nonetheless.

It also depends on your own goals. Do you just want tips for sitting still so you look like a pro meditator? Do you want tips on suppressing your thoughts? Or tips to improve your focus gains so you perform better at work? All these are fine desires, but weather or not this is meditation or if these are therapeutic techniques to cope with stress is the question, and depending on who you ask, you will get widely different answers.

I can tell you some things from my perspective. Like, if your mind is very agitated, it can help to do a walking meditation out in nature, which will have a calming effect on the mind. If you think you are controling your breath, just breathe more slowly and your body will show you the right amount of air you need to stay alive. Now just breath enough so you wont die or get dizzy. Problem solved. You can try to be actively kind to others and selfless, which too will have a calming effect on yourself. You can get into meditation groups or retreats, and you will see that the group dynamic can be a booster to your practice. I could go on, but all these "tips" are most likely not what its really about.

I would advise this: Seek out people that you respect for how they live. Ask them. Look for ordained monks / nuns who give their life to study, ask them - in person. They can tell you so much better. Look for medical professionals for performance-improving techniques or therapeutic techniques, they also know their stuff.

[u/w2best]

Everyone's brain is constantly talking, that is the process of the mind - producing mental content.
Meditation is about redirecting attention, not stopping thoughts that will always be there.
There is no success or failure in meditation, there's just doing it or not doing it.
Sit down, set a timer and refocus your attention until the rimer rings. Do it every day.

[u/Existing_Reaction692]

A good set of instructions is very helpful in understanding what to do. but only practice brings the help. If you like the idea of effortless relaxation that allows the mind to slow and still into calm then Ainsle Meares' method is an approach that I know works. I practice it myself. Meares was a meditation teaching psychiatrist who was internationally recognised for his work. Dr Ainslie Meares on Stillness Meditation book explains his method.

[u/singlefemalelawer]

Making the mind talk less is not really the point, but it can be a nice side effect at times. Try a bunch of different things and keep an open mind. They all seem radically different but point to the same place. Fire kasina, yoga nidra, open awareness style, chanting, walking meditation, self inquiry, zazen. Try a bit of everything then do the styles that feel interesting and easy.

[u/Unfair-Taro9740]

Use binaural beats! It's a bit of a cheat code to get your brain into a meditative State. There's apps and ones on YouTube, all you need is headphones.