Session 3: Mind

1. What is meditation?

- Meditation helps us to be aware of yourself. A way to train your awareness.

Understand yourself.

- A way to observe and be aware of our thoughts, feelings, emotions and body

sensations.

- For example, it is knowing when to make use of emotions of the past.

- According to research, the half of the time our mind awake, we are either

worrying about the future or thinking about the past. Meditation can train our

mind to prepare ourself and anticipate judgements. Help to feel less overwhelmed.

- Generation now experiences much more mental stress, anxious compared to the

older generations. Meditation can slow us down and get away from the noises to

feel present.

2. Why do we need to meditate?

- It can alleviate symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.

a) Sandy was diagnosed with chronic depression and it led to social anxiety.

Due to this, he started taking meditation more seriously which helped his

depression and anxiety.

- What does meditation actually do to us?

a) It disconnects us from our emotions for a while, which means we are no

longer identifying with our emotions when we are meditating by creating a

psychological barrier.

- Meditation improves sleep.

- It helps us understand thought and behaviour patterns.

a) Helps us be more in tune with our emotions.

b) Helps us relate and address our problems in life (problems related to

emotions).

- Meditation increases kindness towards self.

a) This will usually project the kindness to others.

b) When we lash out to others, it is usually because we have unresolved issues

within us.

3. What meditation is not?

- It is not a religious practice

a) Meditation is practised in almost every religion and religions make use of

meditation but it is not exclusively a religious practice.

b) Meditations has been in this world longer before religions existed, even

before Buddhism and Hinduism.

- Is not an instant cure to our problems

- Is not always about sitting still like a Zen cat

- It is not always suitable for everyone

a) It sometimes can bring out unpleasant emotions and traumas and if a person

does not know handle it, the experience can be worse.

b) It depends on how the person uses meditation.

Emotions

4. Emotions are shaped by its function, there are no good or bad emotions. They

have purposes. There is a reason why we feel that way.

- All emotions have a functional purpose instead of just labelling it good or bad. We

cannot see emotions as “good” or “bad”, but as functional.

o For example, emotions such as anger can be helpful to stand your ground.

You get to know if someone is angry.

o Unpleasant emotions: fear, however, it functions as a dangerous reminder

o When we cry, we show that we need assistance and company

- We have to recognize the unpleasant emotions because it is there for survival and

reproduction.

o “If you don’t survive, you don’t get to be happy”

- Emphasis of positive emotions is actually secondary compared to the unpleasant

emotions that so called “negative”.

- The problem that we encounter now with such functional emotions is:

o Our brains is actually the “caveman version” which used to use all the

emotions for survival but since we are more civilized, these emotions,

especially the unpleasant ones, tend to be extended in long term.

o We will not encounter to hungry predators; however, we are facing

prolonged stress, fear and anxiety that stressed out in the future.

5. The upside of unpleasant emotions and the downside of pleasant emotions.

- Not all pleasant emotions is good and not all unpleasant emotions is bad.

a) For example, sadness functions in preventing further loss and anxious people

have an overly sensitive awareness system, which is not a bad thing but when

in excess, it can be bad.

b) When we are always positive, we tend to be blind to threats.

c) For example, amusement is enjoyable but in the expense of others, it is bad.

d) Feeling nostalgic can actually make you feel worse. Studies have shown that

people who are more nostalgic actually feel worse.

- It is crucial to know where we sit on the spectrum of these unpleasant emotions.

- We do not need to label our emotions as “good” or “bad”.

6. Questions and Answer Session

- Question: How can I regulate my emotions as a person with high functional

anxiety?

Answer: Meditation would help. First, recognize this as functional and think of it

as preparedness instead of problematic. Just to know that your anxiety is there for

a purpose based on individual differences. Recognize the degree of preparedness

that you have towards such situations that prompted by to your anxiety.

Situational modification also helps May try to reappraise your anxiety and modify

the situation.

- Question: Every time I meditate, I fall asleep or worry about life and feel

worse.

Answer: If you are falling asleep, it means that you can be exhausted and your

body telling you to rest. Take sometimes to rest, otherwise, meditation become a

chore. Do meditate when you are comfortable. It is best to meditate when you are

feeling comfortable instead. Take sometimes to rest, otherwise, meditation

become a chore. If you are feeling worse, it is best to have guidance by someone

on how to meditate.

- Question: As someone who is interested in meditation, do you (Mr Sandy)

have any beginner’s advice on what to do or how to venture into meditation?

Answer: You can try practicing the 5 minutes breathing technique and try to be

present when you are doing any activity, even during conversation.

- Question: Is meditating something like spacing out? Where your brain is just

blank and at peace for a few minutes?

Answer: Spacing out is not meditation. Meditation is when you are present and

aware.

IG questions:

- Are there different types of meditation for different purposes?

Yes. When meditation, you can direct your attention to multiple things.

Concentration meditation to help you focus attention. Insight meditation to help you develop your awareness. Love and care meditation to help you develop self-

compassion towards people. Walking meditation to bring back your body health and sensation of your body.

- Every time I meditate, I fall asleep, or worry about the life and feel worse

than before. What can I do?

If you fall asleep during meditation, chances are you are exhausted and your body

telling you to rest. Take sometimes to rest, otherwise, meditation become a chore.

Do meditate when you are comfortable.

- What is the relationship between emotion and meditation?

When you meditate, your emotions become calmer. To manage those anxious and

stressful thoughts.

Key takeaways:

1. Meditation is a way to train your awareness. It is a way to train our mind to not

overwhelm ourselves with emotions, bodily functions, etc.

2. Meditation helps you to disconnect with your emotions and mind. In a way,

you don't identify with them but merely addressing them by creating a

psychological barrier.

3. Meditation trains our mind to be aware, understand and regulate our

emotions.

4. Emotions help us to survive everyday life by keeping us safe through pleasant

and unpleasant emotions. For example, anger can help you to stand your

ground (eg negotiation)

5. Recognize your emotion as not being "good" or "bad "but something that is

functional and meaningful by practicing mindfulness

6. Meditation is not a solution for everyone. Sometimes it's better to do

something more physical than looking inwards through meditation. It is better

to identify what would work with you the best

7. Meditation is not a religious practice. It has been around even before many

older religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism!

8. Mindfulness makes life more fulfilling and content if we consistently practice it

9. Regular meditation helps relieve symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression.

Plus, point, it improves sleep and the way we treat ourselves as well as

others!

10.It will help to understand why you’re feeling the emotions you are towards a

certain situation or place.

11.Not all pleasant emotions are good; and, not all unpleasant emotions are bad.

For example, sadness prevents further loss.