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comment by Isherwood
Isherwood  ·  2492 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: May 31, 2017

I meditate. I did tai chi when I was younger because I've always been an old man, and it was a great way to slow down and appreciate what I have. I don't do the motions any more, but I do still have two meditation techniques that I like a lot

1. Thankfulness. A lot of times we curse what goes wrong, but very rarely do we appreciate what goes right. This is an all day exercise where you say "thanks" out loud when something goes well, like you hit a green light or don't have to wait for an elevator. The goal is to be thankful for everything that goes right in your day - if you do that you'll quickly see how much the good outweighs the bad.

2. Clear mind. This is a more traditional meditation - I find a quiet place where I won't be disturbed and close my eyes. I imagine a clear flowing river. Whenever I have a thought, I drop it in the river and watch it float away. It takes a lot of effort to make sure every thought goes into the river and flows away, it's easy to hold on to some, but it helps me to practice what it feels like to let things go. On really good days I do this until my mind is clear, but on most days it's until I'm frustrated or bored.