I've been meditating using Burmese Vipassana methods and Tibetan Dzogchen methods for many years. I was warned by my teachersvp that meditation should not be used to feel better, it's a tool for enlightenment. Meditation for me is like gardening, lots of weeding and hard work, and so many pesky bugs, it does not feel good!
Clarity and equanimity are sideffects but will not last long if not grounded with other practices and teachings that go with meditation. I had a hard time, I'm American getting through the cultural wrappings that go along with the teachings but it was worth the effort. Sometimes I think it's getting older and I've been through the ups and downs of life so I don't sweat the small stuff and I know how to take care of myself and that has nothing to do with meditation, it's just knowing oneself, which I've read in philosophy books is the first step towards wisdom.
Thats so interesting. I haven´t used either of these methods yet, but am gonna do a 10-day vipassana in Jan.
I agree to a certain extent, however i think what you are describing is more for when you go deep into the whole meditation thingy.
It can be also a tool to calm your mind and just learning to be more present and pay attention to your body. It also really depends on where you come from. If you´re a person with a lot of issues that has trouble being alone or being scared to be alone with their thoughts, meditation can possibly be a bit painful - but even more of a reason to start practising.
If you´re doing 5 min pranayama and 10 min meditation each day, its gonna be hard to do deep work with it, but it will definitely help you be more aware of your thoughts, your mind and your body.
I might do a more extensive post on it in the future!
All of us have monsters, volcanos, and treasures buried deep in the dark corners of our heart. I know I wondered why I couldn't control certain aspects of my behavior, which caused me all sorts of troubles. I went to my towns library, this was before the internet and looked for books on how to let go of trauma that is how I found meditation and got into philosophical studies in Buddhism.
The breathing exercises are good for helping calm the mind and bring it to a pin point focus for certain kinds of meditation. One doesn't need meditation to focus on the breath for a few minutes and it'll take your heart rate down fast, cool one off quick but that takes practice too.
The mind can only focus on one thing at a time. What the problem is using the breath or any other thing to keep calm won't address the core of the problem which is conditioned reaction to sensation one likes or does not like. Dissolving conditioning is the hard part...hehehe.... I'm going to a vipassana retreat sometime in April, I need to reserve a spot now! I try and go once a year...back in my early 30s and 40s I did several retreats a year plus I served several retreats. I like SN Goenka's no frills retreats, they are free, but donations are asked at the end of the retreat and we focus on the Satipattana related to vedana, which is mind and body sensation and our conditioned reaction to sensation. http://www.vipassana.co/Sensation-The-Key-to-Satipattana
I used to write about this stuff all the time now I don't feel the need. But I'll post my adventures to the retreat this year. Weird things always happen when I plan to go to retreats...hahaha