Does anyone here meditate?

[W8N2SKI]

I practice mindfulness, and, for me, that includes a daily meditation - even if I only have 5 minutes. I have a stockpile of guided meditations online and on my phone. There is some excellent literature out there as well. For anyone who is interested, you can do a simple search and investigate the options that most appeal to you. The good news is that in all the myriad approaches there is no such thing as "failing" in mindfulness meditation.

I began the practice at a Buddhist mindfulness center 10 minutes from my house. The convenience made me try it but the psychological and emotional benefits keep me going back. I find some of my most meaningful and impactful mindfulness moments occur when I'm skiing. Standing at the top of a mountain and looking at the wonder around me - there's nothing more "present" than that. I'll often do a one or two minute meditation right there, just taking in the view and breathing the cold air. Meditation isn't all about sitting alone in a room with your eyes closed.

For those of you who don't like the "sitting and focusing" effort, you might try starting out with a walking meditation. https://jackkornfield.com/walking-meditation-2/

 

[marzNC]

I practice mindfulness, and, for me, that includes a daily meditation - even if I only have 5 minutes. I have a stockpile of guided meditations online and on my phone. There is some excellent literature out there as well. For anyone who is interested, you can do a simple search and investigate the options that most appeal to you. The good news is that in all the myriad approaches there is no such thing as "failing" in mindfulness meditation.

After reading the book by the Google guy I mentioned earlier, I've found that even the 2-min version of a mindfulness meditation once a day is helpful. All of the exercises he developed for the Google in-house course are short and clearly described in a way that could make sense to software developers and engineers. The goal was to find ideas that could be understood and implemented by people who are analytical by nature.

 

[Randi M.]

I love meditation. For a while there I did it pretty frequently, even getting up early to have my 20 minutes before the rest of the family got up. But I've kind of gotten out of the habit. I would love to to take a transcendental meditation course or something similar that teaches how to meditate deeply, but it's out of my price range right now!

However, I still find it helpful to know the practice is there. And meditation has given me a different outlook on the world and relationship with my emotions.

 

[VTsnowflower]

I've been thinking recently that skiing alone can become a moving meditation. Empty the mind of random thoughts and worries, concentrate on the movement of the body (whether fast or slow), become conscious of the surrounding environment, and go!

 

[ski diva]

Upate: I've been meditating 15 minutes a day for 2-1/2 years now, and haven't missed a day yet.

This morning I encountered an article from OutsideOnline that I thought I'd share: Why Mindfulness Is Your New Secret Weapon. It's actually about three books that talk about how meditation can re-wire the brain and help improve athletic performance. I do think it's helped me become a more relaxed skier and calmed me in situations where I might have been anxious in the past. Of course, everyone is different, but hey, how could it hurt?

 

[KathrynC]

I meditate on and off, sometimes using Headspace and sometimes just on my own. I don't do it every day - for me moving meditations in the form of running, hiking or climbing are more effective. Sitting to meditate can be useful at work though. I am a computational biologist which involves writing quite a lot of code, and I frequently find that stepping away from an annoying bug fixes it much faster than sitting staring at it and overthinking. If I have half an hour to go for a run, I prefer that as a method to clear my head, but if not 10 minutes of meditation does the trick nicely. The problem is managing to sit for 10 minutes without constant interruptions from students... I used to go to the cloisters at the University of Glasgow where I work which was a lovely location (https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/visit/attractions/tour/cloisters/), but recently they have removed all the benches and if I sit on the floor people keep interrupting to ask if I am ok. And right now, it is full of students taking graduation photos!

 

[VickiK]

@ski diva said

I do think it's helped me become a more relaxed skier and calmed me in situations where I might have been anxious in the past.

This is great. I would definitely benefit from this, in skiing and in in life in general. I tried to do a nightly short meditation practice a while ago, but didn't stick with it because even in my room, the house environment is so disruptive (noisy). Maybe the mornings would be better. But I get up at 5am and ...whine... I don't waaaant to get up any earlier. I'm a fairly calm person (I think) but sometimes my calm is more of a self-imposed shell shocked response to the turbulence of others around me.

 

[KathrynC]

@ski diva said
I tried to do a nightly short meditation practice a while ago, but didn't stick with it because even in my room, the house environment is so disruptive (noisy).

Part of the benefit for me of meditating in my very noisy shared office sometimes is that it has taught me to accept the noise and put it to one side instead of being distracted by it. Of course, that still doesn't help if a student comes in specifically to speak to me because I can't ignore that, but I have gotten better at ignoring background conversations and other people on phone calls. It did take a lot of work to get to that stage though.

 

[MissySki]

Some of the classes at the gym downstairs at work are specifically for employees of my company. On Tuesday and Thursday mornings we have chair yoga and meditation. It's a short 30 min class which is a nice way to start the day, it's around 20 minutes of light yoga and then 10 minutes of guided meditation. I'm very very new to meditation, and I don't do it everyday, but I've been doing a little here and there as I've been trying to embrace mindfulness and actually it has been helping immensely with cultivating a sense of calm and happiness that comes from within.

This morning during the guided meditation, I fell asleep, my head slumped down and then I jolted awake. Is that normal when you are trying to clear your mind and just be? I couldn't figure out how to avoid it at that moment when I was just so relaxed, the instructor's voice was so soothing, and I was trying to keep conscious thought of the day ahead out of my head. Has this ever happened to you? Is this okay? How do you avoid it? Maybe I'm just tired today haha.

 

[KathrynC]

This morning during the guided meditation, I fell asleep, my head slumped down and then I jolted awake. Is that normal when you are trying to clear your mind and just be? I couldn't figure out how to avoid it at that moment when I was just so relaxed, the instructor's voice was so soothing, and I was trying to keep conscious thought of the day ahead out of my head. Has this ever happened to you? Is this okay? How do you avoid it? Maybe I'm just tired today haha.

This happens to me occasionally, although less frequently than when I started. There is an article about this on the Headspace website: https://help.headspace.com/hc/en-us...y-do-I-keep-falling-asleep-during-meditation- They also suggest that it isn't uncommon and suggest some ways to prevent it. For me, I like to sit cross-legged on the floor - it is a position that is comfortable enough to maintain for a 10-15 min session, but there is no way I could fall asleep in it (I guess this is also why the lotus position is used traditionally) - on the occasions I meditate at my desk, I sit upright in my chair without leaning against the back for much the same reason. Probably good for posture too

 

[MissySki]

This happens to me occasionally, although less frequently than when I started. There is an article about this on the Headspace website: https://help.headspace.com/hc/en-us...y-do-I-keep-falling-asleep-during-meditation- They also suggest that it isn't uncommon and suggest some ways to prevent it. For me, I like to sit cross-legged on the floor - it is a position that is comfortable enough to maintain for a 10-15 min session, but there is no way I could fall asleep in it (I guess this is also why the lotus position is used traditionally) - on the occasions I meditate at my desk, I sit upright in my chair without leaning against the back for much the same reason. Probably good for posture too

Thanks for the article! We were sitting in a chair today, perhaps I should try not leaning back next time. In one of the classes a few weeks ago we were sitting on a chair, but balancing on a ball, there was definitely no falling asleep that time!

 

[newboots]

I took an 8-week mindfulness course that met in the evenings, and every single time we were lying down I fell asleep! Fortunately, we also did seated, and walking meditation. So I was awake through much of the class!

Now that I'm slowing down a bit in life, I realize I've been overtired most of my adult life.

 

[snoWYmonkey]

When I first replied to this cool thread that was started by Ski Diva, I had no idea I would so soon get to add skiing to my meditation practice, as an on-snow coach, for the upcoming Mindful Ski and Snowboard Camp at my home mountain of Jackson Hole.

There will be indoor sessions with respected mindfulness wizards, coupled with daily skiing practice.
I often find that breathing, visualization, self-talk, and calming practices can really help either before or during skiing. This is going to be an opportunity to learn from the best and then apply our new or refined skills in the mountain environment.

Here is a link to the camp https://www.jacksonhole.com/mindful-ski-camp.html

For a little info about the camp here is what Jan Hoath the camp facilitator has written. We have not yet had our “coach” training, but I am looking forward to finding out more about what the on snow component of the camp will look like.

How can we use it in skiing?
Life is a full body experience. In that experience, we are privileged to participate in a full range of emotions from pain, to peace, to pleasure. Millions of people each year are drawn to do this one simple full body experience of skiing or ‘slide’ on snow. Bringing mindfulness to skiing takes this full body experience to a new dimension as it brings greater awareness to the joy of the ‘slide’ inside our bodies and the magnificence of nature that surrounds us outside. Mindfulness evokes what scientists call a state of “direct experience” in which the brain functions through the senses in real time. This ‘real time’ feedback allows for the integration of the mind, body, soul and nature connection on the slopes while enhancing the pleasure of the skiing experience, quieting any mind chatter, and maximizing the moment to moment adjustments required as one takes in the terrain they are skiing on, the skis they are skiing on, the functioning of the body to stay upright and turn.

Can mindfulness really make us a better skier? How?
Yes! Mindfulness can absolutely make us a better skier as it provides a holistic approach to the nature of being human as we slide! While traditional ski instruction caters primarily to the “auditory”, “visual”, and “kinesthetic” learning processes, mindfulness provides depth and dynamics that make it more intuitive to the individual as one learns by “direct experience” which can be more immediately integrated and applied. Mindfulness further assists in addressing fears students may have from either negative past ski experiences or other inhibitions one has absorbed over a lifetime that may not even be ski related. Mindfulness also helps with muting the mind chatter of the inner critic as well as any thoughts related to one’s personal or professional life that may be a distraction from the skiing experience.

I am curious if anyone of the Divas have ever used their meditation/mindfulness practice skills in action on snow?

I for certain have, mostly in terms of breath work, visualization, and even ways to find enjoyment in less than stellar conditions, when my mind tells me “heck no” I don’t want to be here right now, but have to as it is my job.

 

[echo_VT]

I started a meditation practice and did it for some time but then stopped. I’d like to get back to it more frequently... so here for this -