Group meditation

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aitchsee

New member
Joined
May 25, 2018
Messages
5
Reason
PALS
Diagnosis
10/2002
Country
UK
State
Scotland
City
Edinburgh
Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum but have had ALS / MND for 16 years. I'm interested in creating a meditation group online using Zoom or Skype for those who are unable to leave the house without great difficulty but who would like to meditate with other people. There would be no need to speak or to have your webcam turned on if you so wished. Recent research has shown that the practice of meditation can help reduce stress ( see The Brilliance and Benefit of Meditation for Those With ALS | ALS Worldwide). I don't profess to be an expert at meditation! - it's just something I enjoy and it brings me peace and a sense of well-being...

Hannah :smile:
 
Just my opinion, Hannah, but I think meditation is best done alone.

I'm glad you found us here. Can you tell us a little about your diagnosis and progression. We always very curious about new members, especially those who have been diagnosed for so long.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the welcome!

Yes I appreciate that for some people, it is more beneficial alone. For others, and in my own experience, there is a shared 'field' when meditating together - with the net effect of being uplifted together.

Sure...I was diagnosed in '02 - at that time I was having falls and finding it awkward to place my feet. Things progressed for about 6 years and I've remained at this stage ever since: I am able to take a few steps holding onto someone. I can't raise my arms or use my hands. I can speak (although a wee bit slurred). I can eat, drink and breathe on my own, though both are affected a bit.

I am a huge believer in attitudinal health and healing. When first diagnosed I was lucky enough to read 'Love, Medicine and Miracles' by Bernie Siegel MD which really put some hope in my heart. A couple of years later I read 'Power vs Force' by the late Dr David R Hawkins. This book completely changed my life, forever. Another of Dr Hawkins' that is slightly more accessible is 'Letting Go : The Pathway of Surrender'.

Best wishes

Hannah
 
The VA where I get care offers instruction in meditation recommended by the clinic pschologist--a course of 8 two hr group sessions which you can repeat at will. The teacher is a clinical psychologist who has studied extensively with teachers in the US and India and he teaches a form of Buddhist mahayana meditation, along with some discussion of the science behind the way the brain works. My wife and I have been to two courses of instruction and have been practicing not quite daily ever since. Most of the other vets attending suffered wartime trauma, though ALS is traumatic in its own way. We have both found it helpful and beneficial (in ways described in the link above) and I believe it will be even more useful as I lose function and need to rely on my inner resources even more.

The group aspect in the teaching (each session involved a 20 minute meditation using different techniques) did not seem to enhance the experience any more than our practice together--my wife and I usually meditate sitting together. The other attendees were a bit more skeptical than we were, I suspect, and there weren't many. I believe the practice has helped me avoid depression and self-pity and to live "in the moment" and as a non-religious person it meets a need I'll call spiritual for lack of a better word.

Ed
 
I've taken some courses in meditation and self hypnosis. I'm also a big fan of Bernie Siegel and often do his morning and evening meditations. I also believe reducing stress is one of the keys to health and happiness.

I recently downloaded an App on my phone called Calm. It wasn't cheap but it has many different kinds of meditation. I use my iPhone and send it to some nice speakers in my bedroom.

That's wonderful that your progression has been slow and I hope you live many more years. Whatever you're doing, keep it up!
 
That's great to hear Ed. I'm sure there is much on the forums already about the benefits of avoiding self-pity as you mentioned. That was something really key for me - learning how to bypass the bottomless pit of identifying as victim. Wishing you all the very best.
 
I try to never "claim" the disease. So many people say "my cancer", "my depression", "my ALS." I treat it like an invader and fight it. I recognize it, let the moment flow through, then set my mind on more positive things. Laughing works best, for me.
 
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