Dr. K's Approach To Meditation

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▼ Timestamps ▼
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00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - What makes it hard to meditate?
05:06 - Finding the right technique
09:12 - Depression as an applied example
12:36 - Dissolving the ego
16:34 - Yoga Nidra
20:25 - Conclusion

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[dimafet]

Summary:

For people with active minds (anxiety and panic)
Yogic Pranayama tradition:
Nadi Shuddhi – alternate nostril breathing
Kapal Bhati – rapid forceful exhalation – physiologically destressed us.

Zen:
Observe your thoughts – can help with anxiety but acc. to Dr K, something like Kapal Bhati will be more effective.

For sluggish people:
Tummo tradition – increase the temprature of your toes by 8ºC – energizes you

Dissolving the ego:
Shoonya – void/null/zero – becoming ego-less

Yoga Nidra – hypnotic state -> implant positive thoughts/identity.

[ernakopmak]

Using a meditation practice that doesn't suit your innate traits is like being a wizard trying to lift a greatsword and wonder why you can't even hit a Lv2 goblin

[JanKowalski-wbih]

Master Joeng Hye, from Kwan Um school of Zen in Poland, told my friend, who admitted to having schizophrenia, that zen might not be the best idea for her. Zen meditation focuses a lot of mental energy in the mind, which can make schizophrenia symptoms worse. He then recommended that she try Bon (Tibetan school of Buddhism mixed with pre-Buddhist shamanic practices, thy also have one sangha in the same city).
He said that their practices of dancing, yoga etc. could help to get all that mental energy and move it throughout the body, disperse that which gives strength to intrusive thoughts, voices.

Good teacher is rare, but some actually do what you describe, and recommend a different school of meditation if they recognize the conditions to make such recommendation.

[psychonaut]

I started meditating last December when I purchased your Guide to Mental Health. So far I have some progression in all of the modules but the one that really caught my eye was meditation. I watched all the meditation module videos and most of the videos in the meditation index and I totally fell in love with it. For a long time, I meditated every day for 20 minutes at least, with my record being 1 hour.

But since a while back my ADHD seems to be getting worse and I cant sit still for more than 5 minutes anymore and I usually walk in circles instead. I wasn't sure if I could even continue meditating and that made me really discouraged...

But when I checked out the new Trauma module in your guide to mental health and it had a walking meditation method. Ive done it every day since I discovered it and now this video is gonna help me even further.

Thank you Dr. K (+ crew) ^-^

[RamshackleJalopy]

This is so fascinating - I've tried meditation (as most people know it - sitting still and observing thoughts) so many times with failed results, because my mind is extremely prone to anxious spiraling, and sitting with those thoughts and observing them just makes things worse. This rapid exhalation technique immediately made me feel more chill, and I feel like I just got a cheat code to calming myself down. Thank you for sharing this!

[behbehyoda]

I can say that meditation legitimately feels like a inteligent buff, before any major match or exam I used to meditate and my focus would be way better and mind would work way smoother, also in India where dr.k's ethnicity lies, schools takes meditation daily before starting classes

[FelipeRosafrs]

I practice zazen because any other type of meditation bothers me to the point where I can't do it. Simply sitting facing a wall in zazen makes me lose track of time, and before I know it, 30 minutes have passed.

The biggest breakthrough for me was learning from a Zen Buddhist monk that Zen meditation is done with open eyes, looking at a wall at a very close distance of about 20 cm. Keeping your eyes open and focusing on the wall helps prevent your mind from spiraling uncontrollably into fantasies. Previously, I meditated with my eyes closed, sitting on my bed, and my mind would run wild without any restraint, making it impossible to just observe.

It has helped me a lot, but I admit that calming the mind brings the hidden "dirt" to the surface. You start dealing with things you previously escaped from through behaviors like playing video games, watching pornography, eating poorly, etc.

What Dr. K said resonates with me. Thoughts like "I'm not enough, " "Everything will go wrong, " "Life has no meaning, " and so on often arise during zazen. But with practice, you realize these thoughts aren't you; they're just thoughts. Over time, they appear less frequently, and you begin to discover in the silence who you really are. You start to distinguish between the "dirty" thoughts—those from your parents, culture, and society—and your own genuine thoughts.

However, I also believe that it's not enough to just meditate without addressing what comes to the surface. The dirt rises, and you have to remove it. As the monk at the zendo I attend says, "Meditation alone won't cure everything; you still need therapy, psychologists, and doctors."

In the end, many people want to turn to meditation as a silver bullet and avoid facing their deeper dilemmas.

[watameron]

Ironic how I've been struggling with focus lately, as most millenials and younger generations, but it was a breeze sitting through this video without getting distracted because the information is so valuable and exciting.
Another certified banger Dr. K 🗿

[paletanner]

Dr K, i just tried the forceful exhaling and i can't believe how quickly that worked. Your content is very helpful as someone whos into eastern ideas in a western world. I hope to continue to grow and heal 💚🙏

[maddog]

I can't wait to watch this. So many great videos lately!

[vbj]

I do different types of meditation Dr. K explained: Pranayama meditation when I feel anxious and want to calm my nervous system; mindful meditation when I feel calm and want to immerse myself in the present moment. I also do a 20 - 45 minute yoga nidra when I wake up and before I go to bed to activate my parasympathetic nervous system to induce relaxation. Sometimes I experience Piti, tingling sensations, all over my body which is blissful. I feel the benefits of all of them and they have become an essential practice for my well being.

[hansjochen]

I don't know what it is about Dr k, but I my journey of living with anxiety, trauma, depression and addiction in the past couple months he uploaded videos that fit perfect to my current short term goals and thought reprogramming. Really changing for me were his teachings of disciplin (mana bar comparison) and the analysis paralysis. Right now I try to find a better way to switch between para sympathetic and sympathetic states and want to look into breathing methods, and here he drops the next video. Thank you for your help great sir

[homiesenatep]

I understood all of this Dr K. I meditated for about 5 years now with different experiences. I’m proud of them now. The most im proud of is techniques I developed myself, learnt from a Hindu teacher about stillness meditation, and a Vipassana meditation technique from a Buddhist. I originally thought the Hindu teacher was a Buddhist and didn’t mean anything esoteric. But it was a very amazing experience. My own technique was simply taking the bubbles of your thoughts, and throwing it out the window like a balloon. That was my very first technique I developed without any teacher, traditional methods, or even learning from the Hindu teacher or the Buddhist one. It’s completely original. I also learned other mystical techniques that give you experiences that you thought were negative but were positive. If you experience negative experiences like anger and revengefulness. It makes you into a powerful warrior if you were a person that never learned to stand up to a bully. Revenge is good for people to stand up to a bully. But wisdom is needed to learn how to, else someone with poor judgment can come up with a poor version of revenge. But it comes down to your authenticity. If you feel best doing any of these, or whole. Then perhaps you’re being your best self

[RaixorWasTakenSadge]

I just realized something. I think my meditation is just walking. and just listening to the world around me. after a while I can think about stuff that I usually never think about

[ksmusic]

Thank you so much Dr K. I have autism/Adhd and struggled many years with undetermined anxiety/mood disorder, likely exacerbated by deep trauma relating to my upbringing. I was very privileged in one way, yet felt so low in self worth in another and lived my life to confirm this bias around the belief I was worthless and did not deserve love.
Your meditative practices have been life changing for me and my improved perception has helped me to tackle these beliefs I have held for so long and started to heal. A million times thank you

[Merokh]

Welcome to every newbie on this channel…been following hg for about two years and just gotta say it was and still is like hitting a gold mine🙏🏼

[TheUltimateBlitz]

Thank you Dr. K!!! An expert finally says it "there's more techniques than just watch x", which is basically the only type of meditation that is taught in the mainstream. During covid, I was hooked on the premise of Buddhism, but the "sit there and watch" meditation just resulted in a lot of internal conflict and perfectionism, definitely made my mental health worse. As someone with an anxious mind, if you can't relax in the first place, then how the hell am I supposed to watch something in a relaxed state of mind.

[Ken-ki]

I've practiced meditation for about 17 years, I haven't had teachers but I feel that it has helped me greatly by making the consciousness the master and the body the follower. I have adopted what most people would call an extreme lifestyle and I thank meditation directly for being able to stick with it. This video made me realize I'm VERY lucky that I fell on the tradition that works for me (Zen). That being said, I've also benefited from the ego dissolution brought by LSD, thanks to it I was able to change very persistent bad habits that I had like alcohol consumption.

[LoydRamey]

DR K really be like the Avatar of Meditation... Not a Master in Every tequnique, but can use all, in times of humanities crisis, And saves us all from ourselves 🤣🤣🤣

[ramonabusa-virtmane]

Thank You! Because of seeing You on a podcast I began to meditate, practice I wanted to do from the age of thirteen (I’m 38 now😅). It’s a mystery what did happen, but something clicked and now I meditate for 3 months every evening.
I can’t express how grateful I am! 🍄❤️🍄
P.S. Pardon my English, it’s not my native language.😅