Apologies if I'm a bit off topic but is it generally considered that a relatively quiet mind is needed as a prerequisite to focusing on the breath? Almost like an order of operations, 1st mindfulness of thoughts then move onto the breath. This has been my impression but I don't know if it's true.Johnny Dangerous wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 5:09 amI've never heard much about meditation for those conditions, usually just managing the condition is a significant challenge, so I doubt much real research exists, but I could be wrong.avatamsaka3 wrote: ↑Tue Aug 18, 2020 2:33 amWhich kinds are recommended for these conditions then?The kind of meditation of course is a huge deal.
Any info you can share on this will go a long way to help me help others. I can research it, but it sounds like you know more.Now, what constitutes good clinical meditation and how effective it actually is are in dispute.
Here's some general info:
https://consultqd.clevelandclinic.org/e ... -benefits/
Basically, for mild to moderate depression and anxiety there's some good evidence for clinically-applied mindfulness. It's also been used in substance abuse treatment - I've used it professionally in that environment. My own limited experience is that the best practices were simple focused rhythmic breathing exercises done as emotional triage - for when someone really just needs to down-regulate their nervous system due to anxiety or some event which triggers cravings, etc. Beyond that, most people won't practice on their own anyway, so there's not much point in even labeling it "meditation", even though that's what it is.
Keep in mind here, we are not talking about Buddhism in relation to these conditions, only about clinical mindfulness stuff to get people to their healthy baseline, part of which draws from Buddhist methods.
When I say I practice mindfulness (not sure if I'm misusing the term) I am referring to the practice of essentially allowing the mind to quiet down, paying attention to the space between the thoughts so to speak. Lately I have been trying to focus on the breath and it's very difficult. It's hard to explain but with with mindfulness I'm simmering in contentment while focusing on the breath is like rolling the windows down on a car at 100mph. It's very difficult for me to stay focused and I don't feel I'm getting anywhere. I don't want to reinforce bad habits.
Should I just keep at it, practice makes perfect kind of thing? Or should I get a bit better at mindfulness first? Am I missing something all together? Thanks in advance.