The Mindfulness Forum

Hi there, i am kinda new to this forum so let me introduce myself, My name is peter ,19 old and from Holland.
A few years ago i was doing some meditation because of my training in martial arts. I was a training junkie
Then shit went down the drain and i went psychotic, after some medication the psychose stopped but i still suffer from the after effects, like feeling real tired.

Now like a month back, my state started to improve , i started training again , read a book on confidence and now i am busy changing my vision of myself, the world and interactions.

Today i read , the power of the now , by Eckhart Tolle, i felt amazed, I am really want to get starting with this stuff but i don't really know exactly what i should think and when i should stopt thinking en just be in the moment.

I realize that i should ignore memories or thoughts of the futere. But what about self-critizing thoughts , i must overrule them with a positive mantra and so forth. Is that right?

Part of changing your visions gonverns focusing your attention on the positive aspects of a memorie but when must i focus on the P.A. or should just ignore bad memories.

I'm confused about it , so can anybody help me out with this?

Hey Romeo-

Good to hear that you're doing better. The mindfulness I try to practice doesn't have anything you try to think about or not try to think about. Just observe what thoughts come into your mind and then let them drift away. Yep, harder to do that to say!

There are lots of techniques - for sitting meditation you can try to concentrate on the sensations your normal breathing has - air on your nostrils, rise and fall of you chest, etc. When a though comes up that distracts you from your breathing, you note it, then gently focus back on your breathing. The point is not too stop thoughts coming up, that's impossible (for most of us). But notice the thought that do come up, realize what they are - thoughts, single events, not necessarily true, and let them go on. If you're having intense thoughts or distress, focus on how that effects your body - tense shoulders, contracted forehead, gritting teeth. Really spend some time noticing those sensations. The more you do it, the more you'll reprogram your brain to be less thought-driven.

If I could recommend a book to you, The Mindful Way Through Depression. The title makes it sound self-helpy and only for depression, but I've found it's amazingly applicable for almost aspects of my everyday life.

Good luck and peace.
Sparrowhawk