I think Yoga and meditation are something I will look into my rehab instructor from my MI rehab classes is the age I am and she is quite heavily into Yoga and meditation .I could see she is a person who sufferes a little stress and anxiety and it does help her I think after being dx with any serious illness its inevitable that these things are beneficial and I really think that its become or becoming a large part of all rehab instruction I just wish it was covered by medcare or insurance depending on where you're from .

I've actually been investigating Buddhism and Zen imparticular. I love the idea of Mindfulness and have no idea how to learn to start a Practice(meditation.) I have tried some relaxation tapes, ones for pain and even did biofeedback, but it never really helped.

I have recently come across a Buddhist group on an online library I joined called shelfari. I was given this website as a possible info source. I guess it has podcasts and such. It might be of interest to you and it's FREE.

www.zencast.org

I would love to find other spiritual seekers here on DS but it seems that ppl are mostly mainstream Christian in their orientation or Neopagan, so I don't say much as to not offend anyone or have to defend/explain my beliefs.

If you find out anything, I would love to know. I've considered looking for a Zen Center or to take classes too.

Thanks for the info, I will check out the website.

I bought a book called Mindfulness In Plain English by Bhante Hehepola Gunaratana to get me started but there are loads of similar books if you check out amazon.

I also really recommend any books by Pema Chodron and Thich Nhat Hanh, they are great for mindfulness not just for meditation but for living a spiritual way of life.

One think i would say about the meditation is that you have to work at it over a period of time. No instant results but after a while you do start to get benefit in my experience.

Have to confess I hadnt really thought about most people on here being Christians as I consider the mindfulness more about spirituality than religion. Thanks for mentioning it, I wouldnt like to offend anyone by being unthinking.

Loved the book Full Catastrophe Living - one of the big influences in my managing the worst period of this illness so far. i ordered a set of Cds from his website or you can download some on itunes. i like his lake and mountain meditations which come on one CD. Once I had folowed his guided meditations for awhile i was able to just use them as a basis for my own self-guided meditation and I use it whenever the world is too much to take. Go for it!

I recently was diagnosed with CFS and I am struggling with understanding how to pace myself, what my limits are (I seem to keep going past them), and being able to continue doing my creative work (which is my income).

About ten years ago I was training to become a Buddhist monk, which included lots of meditation and mindfulness training. I realize it is time to revisit my practice in a more serious way. To start, learning to meditate and be mindful can be difficult, but once the foundation of the practice is formed, there are so may benefits.

At the time of my training, I was living in NYC, working a very demanding full time job, volunteering many hours at the temple, practicing yoga, and having an active social life. Mindfulness practice helped to ease the pressure and stress of all these demands.

I know my revisiting this practice will show me a different dimension than before, because, unfortunately I cannot juggle multiple tasks anymore. I focus almost all my energy on my creative work, since that is what pays the bills and gives me fulfillment.

I recommend books by Thick Nhat Hahn, John Kabat Zinn, Tara Brach, Pema Chodron (a CFS sufferer)

If anyone has questions about meditation, please message me and I'll be happy to try and help.

Nice to see mindfulness meditation on this post. Thnks for
putting it up. Yes. I would definitely recommend it. You've gotten
good book suggestions on here also. I've read alot of Thich Nhat
Hahn and listen to his cd's. I've also meditated with him and
members of his group. For me, it was a very enriching
experience. His picture's on one of the recent
Shambala Magazines with a beautiful article. You may wish to
check this magazine as it talks about many Buddhist practices
and can help fill you in on some of the different schools of thought
Vipassana is one. Zen is one. There are numerous
schools and methods. I personally do better with a group,.
I prefer sitting with others. Hearing dharma talks and
chanting. But that's when my energy is steady. Otherwise,
listening to cds and meditating on my own works for me.
Keep us posted if you would. Good wishes.

I was introduced to mind fullness thru a local Fibro Support Group. It is wonderful. Helped a lot in dealing with my pain. I remember so clearly...

The counselor said we need to acknowledge the pain & thank it for doing its job of notifying us that there is something wrong (pain is a warning signal from our body.). And then just let it go! When I don't claim the pain as mine, it is easier to keep going thru it.

Check out YouTube for mind fullness videos, there are many there for free.
(((HUGZ))) SG

Another meditation teacher who is very helpful is Eckhart Tolle who has written The Power of Now and A New Earth. He has helped me to connect with the peace and joy of living in the present moment no matter what is going on around me. It works for all people regardless of whether they are Christians, Buddhists, non-believers, or whatever.
The nice part of yoga and meditation is that they help you to feel whole inside and connected to something bigger. That in itself brings a lot of peace within. It need not cost much money. Connecting with your breath is one helpful technique, and that's free. Gentle stretching exercises can be done at home with quiet music or look for "donation only " yoga classes that allow you to contribute what you can afford. Meditation is accessible to everyone especially with all the wonderful books that some of you have already mentioned. Just pick an approach that feels comfortable to you and begin to practice it every day.

Some great suggestions here! Glad it was brought back to the board.
Meditation has been a great tool to help lower the stress of my illnesses. When I was first introduced to it, I was a little overwhelmed. And I found myself getting caught up in "doing it right". Or feeling frustrated with all my intrusive thoughts. But what I've since learned is that meditation can be as simple as just focusing on my breath and being aware. Bringing my mind to the present moment. Even something like washing the dishes can be meditative by breathing and focusing on the feel of the water and the smell of the soap.

YouTube is a great resource. It has videos for just about every kind of meditation you can imagine. For me, the guided meditations are great.
Hugs to all...

I do Qi Gong which is a very gentle exercise that helps one relax into a meditative state as well as helping the energy and fluids in your body flow more freely.