@@OHomemquecalculava your bored because you don't know yourself, your at the beginning of the journey, so ignorant of self that you dont even know there's a journey to be had...
Meditation makes you more aware of your body in general and your current state of mind. And the more aware you are, the easier it is to meet the needs of body, mind and soul.
Honestly I never saw a video on TH-cam could resonate with me so much. I will sit there for an hour feeling bored of everything and end up doing nothing and then get mad at myself for doing nothing.
Think of it like going for a run: sure, you haven't necessarily achieved anything immediately productive in that hour, but not every hour needs to have immediate results. You're trading off short-term productivity (which might not even be that productive) for enormous long-term benefits.
0:10 - I dont have much problem with anxiety 4:00 - I think I have an addition to worrying about productivity 11:00 - It made me realise I had more anxiety than I thought I had THIS is why meditation is awesome 💪👍
Sarah Jeanne There is a saying “meditate 10 minutes a day for a year and you can conquer the world. Meditate an hour a day and you’ll realize you don’t have to.”
I'm a yoga teacher. You can add 5-10 minutes of ANY exercise prior to meditation to improve your meditation practice. Helps if your body is cleared of erratic energy. Way to go!
@@hallod1 Maybe, when you get old enough to get a job, you will know that there are plenty of different things which are real jobs. I hope your self confidence gets to a healthy level so you don't need to try to put other people down to try to feel good about yourself.
Kinda ironic that a video about worrying about being too focused on productivity has a sponsor that reduces the length of books to just 15 minutes long
It’s more about the fact that a lot of books have unnecessary lengthy elaborations, when everything could be put in 15 minutes. Writers need to write more in order. To produce a larger book, so the price of it seems to be justified. Moreover, people have FOMO & at the same time want to read every book that could help them deal with their stuff. However, you are objectively unable to read all of those books.
John Steinbecks books often have the complete -story- on the back, from start to end, in many editions. They are very much not about the story as such, but about how the characters feel about what is happening, how they grow, and what mood is built through the journey. Cutting it by even a few pages can fuck the whole purpose of the books. A lot of good literature is like that though. Not about getting from A to B but about how the journey makes you develop a feeling. I can see the cut-the-crap is good for instructionals, but absolutely not for actual books.
@Alexander Supertramp Exactly. The whole idea of cutting out the writers writing out of books is a dead meme (most often done in comic style four square form) but is an Insane idea to do for real. No, you have not read a great book if you have just read a summary of the story arc in the book.
It's not you being anxious, it is the mind, and you still think you ARE the mind and body. You are the spacious awareness that observes things passing, including thoughts, all form, time and space and so on. Takes quite some time for most to come to the "insights" that are universal, which of course included all human beings. Who's the one being anxious? "Heey, that is ME!". No, that is not it.
Any feeling, emotion, or thought is normal in meditation. You aren't really trying to clear your mind of it...you make friends with it. You're just being mindful/aware of anything going on in or even around you. Anxiety is not an issue for meditation, invite it if you are feeling it. If you can see the river, you are not in it. You are not being controlled by it's current. With enough practice in awareness/mindfulness it will translate to your life outside of meditation. Where the feeling of anxiety may come in, but it no longer has control of you. We are always aware. Even being unsure of something is awareness.
While nothing you were doing is "wrong" as such, I'd highly recommend the more "monk" like meditation, where you don't actually think about *anything*. The best description of this kind of meditation is to think about the gap between thoughts, and trying to increase that gap. When thoughts pop up, and they will, quietly acknowledge them, then return to just focusing on your breath and actively not thinking about anything, maintaining a blank, calm, quiet, still mind, without the buzz of thought. This is seriously difficult to do! However it's been shown that this method of meditation has huge benefits to self control and increases activity in the frontal lobe! I don't do it as often as I should, but it does work.
Thank you. Sitting here thinking, "Is this what people think meditating is?" You're right of course, there's no OFFICIAL way to do it, but mindfulness meditation is not just sitting and daydreaming. That's being lost in thought (the opposite of mindfulness).
You're describing zen meditation or zazen. Quieting the mind to stillness is the goal. Posture and a focus on breathing is key to slowing the mind down. He approached it like it was 20 minutes of daydreaming which is fine but not the same.
@@Thehubb1 I think he mentioned thinking about stuff once. The rest of the time he seemed to be doing the body scan approach of (Buddhist) Vipassana meditation. This technique was popularized by SN Goenka.
Sometimes when you watch a video it is extremely hard to feel that you are watching a real breathing-living human. I felt it really strong in this one. You were so open and real in this video, Craige. I really liked watching you being so open and real. Made me feel a little more open, real and alive. Thank you :)
That's one of the best parts of meditation. There is no "right way." As long as you are letting go of your thoughts and letting yourself be present. Glad you found something that works for you.
@@KemoSays I think you can't really compare the two but even if you have to chose between the two it would obviously be a heavy workout like ppl. But Yoga definitely can have some amazing benefits if you got a stiff neck etc.
@@bryans5878 yeah it's just me. My wife is a yoga instructor so i got to try it a lot. It's just heavy workout gives me much more benefit in terms of wellbeing and how my body feels. And for mental health i do meditation and other stuff. For my wife it's different. People should try everything and do/combine whatever works for them!
Quickly becoming one of the most inspiring channels on TH-cam. I love the new direction, Wheezy. Keeping the fun of the older videos, but using that to help people understand themselves better. Bravo!
I practice buddhist meditations, they helped me be more patient and calm. I can handle more stressful situations and don't get upset with people. Meditation rulez!😄
I think meditation will one day be regarded on the same level of exercise *_Edit: Not sure if you'll read this Craig,_* but just wanted to share my probably too long opinion. I've been meditating on and off for about 8 years and i've experimented in many ways. I don't think there is a proper way, but from my experience meditating before bed takes away some of the benefits because your body starts to associate meditation with sleeping. And having an empty & aware state of mind is different than the state you feel before going to bed. I have found that the best time is right when you wake up from a nap/sleep because your brain is in a state of theta waves (brainwaves that are active in sleep or deep relaxation) so it is at least for me the perfect time to enter an empty & aware mindset. PS for taking naps i'd recommend watching Thomas franks video on power naps
@J G true but only a small amount of people. But it's gradually becoming much more mainstream, and I think it's so important. I use headspace and it's changed my life. No hyperbole.
@J G the apps are training wheels that help someone who has never meditated to understand how to do it. Once you get familiar with it, you don't use them anymore. Doesn't take away from how beneficial they can be for getting started.
I love seeing you go from "Eh this won't do much but I'll try" to "Oh wow it did a lot" lol. For real though I've used meditation for a while now (mostly the guided meditation videos on youtube) because I have a lot of general anxiety or trouble falling asleep, or just my mind racing too much, and it's always been very helpful to me, so this was such a cool video to see!
Great job! It's stunning how challenging it is to quiet our minds! I have been working on it for a year. Doing yoga everyday and mediation at the end, I am totally hooked. I did not know how to really relax! At first I couldn't even finish a 20 minute session of yoga. Namaste.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Keep up the good work! I’m a certified meditation teacher. Meditation is mental fitness. It’s wonderful to see your transformation right in front of the camera. You change your tone and speed by the end of the video. Before knowing meditation, I was very impatient and agitated. The confusion between being productive and movement has diminished. Now I meditate everyday, even during activities. There are hundreds of meditation techniques. I’m glad you found what works for you.
"I think I have an addiction to worrying about doing nothing." Very relatable, I have thought this recently too, as I have been using ASMR to relax, and I typically do it as I am falling asleep so it doesn't feel that way, but sometimes I want to do it in the day, but I feel like I am wasting time instead of doing something else, so yeah, I always want to do things, being bored or just taking time to do nothing is hard, though I think there is some value in it.
Thank you so much Craig for sharing your experiences so authentically. I gained a huge amount of insight and serenity from watching this video as I struggle with the very same things. Keep on the great work!
Hello Mr Waiter, long time Wheezyan here (since about 2009) This is a fine video you have here. In fact, this whole video series is excellent! I'm so glad that you seem to have finally found a format that works for you, that is more meaningful and potentially impactful. All while retaining the ability to express your unique brand of random weirdness that we all know and love and without being too much of a sellout You're like a fine wine Keep up the good work man Here's to another 10 years of quality entertainment! *Wink*
Have you thought of doing a month long journaling challenge? I started in fall 2017 and it has changed my life. I don’t have a certain format, I just write/draw/plan anything. I’m a lurker, but I’ve watched you off and on for more than 8 years. Thanks for all you do.
very proud of everything you do, for the channel and yourself. not easy, a whole lotta time and energy, not going unnoticed!! thank you for all the efforts you put into your work and your family man
I'm 61 and I have fond memories of my grandparents and some photos. When my grandkids are my age they'll just have the names of my grandparents. When your grandchildren's grandchildren are 61 they'll still have all these videos to get the essence of you and Chyna. How awesome is that?
One thing to bear in mind, Craig, is that you're not just doing nothing. In fact, you're still working; you're working on yourself. You're making yourself more present, more in the moment, and you're making yourself more comfortable with being there.
I've just been thinking about getting back into meditation, myself. On a related note, the act of mediation is supposed to help us be present in the moment and fully focused on what we're doing, watching, listening to, etc, instead of the multitasking we've become accustomed to.
I realize I'm responding to an old video, but I hope you are still meditating! I liked watching you self-discover what meditation is and how it works best for you. I think it is a common myth that meditation is sitting and doing "nothing." When really it is sitting and staying in the present moment. Doing a body scan, as you do, is a great way to do that and gets you in tune with your body. I often start my meditations that way. Then you can transition to following your breath or another type of meditation. Feeling tired is one of the five hindrances to meditation: torpor (feeling tired, falling asleep, boredom), restlessness/anxiety, anger/irritation, sensual desire, and doubt. Any one of these can pop up during our meditations, in addition to our regular litany of thoughts. MY favorite description of what a successful meditation is is returning your focus back to your meditation just once and sitting for as long as you intended to sit. Somedays, your mind will be scattered all over the place, but if you can bring it back to your breath once and you can stay committed to sitting for the amount of time you intended to sit for, that practice is what helps us over the long haul of our lives. Right now, there are a lot of meditation centers doing online meditation retreats. It would be interesting to see you try one of those and hear what you think of them.
you are speaking right to my HEART on this one! its not just "I like being productive" Its an ADDICITON to FEELING productive or, honestly, what I found, is it's actually the addiction to feeling guilty. we out here busting through our patterns! So proud for you and inspired by how self-aware you are. I love your videos. I've just recently started Vedic meditation where you use a mantra 2x 20 mins per day (same as Transcendental). but I've been skipping days and this helped me to feel re-inspired! ^__^ Thanks for sharing your heart!
I always love nightly mediation because I'm a zoned sleeper too. Yoga is my form of morning meditation to keep me awake lol. You did great! Love your videos great job!
I always consider yoga like meditation + exercise 2-in-1, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. They're basically the same, you just move in yoga haha
This video has a calmer tone that your other 30 day challenge videos. I like your comedy and humor a lot but this was another side of you that was also really nice to see. Really enjoying your content!
i have to say that I love your videos because you are the only self-improvement youtuber that I can relate to. I mean, the other youtubers are awesome, but your videos seem so... real
Great video! Love that it worked so well for you. I totally get the ‘productivity’ issue, I am so tough on myself, always feel like I need to be useful, and that causes so much tension. Meditation is the main thing that helps me. Also love the discovery of the task list. A book on productivity I read says: “Don’t store anything in your head. Seriously, don’t do it.” By that he means everything that goes through your head like “I need to remember .... “, write it down, immediately, or it will just keep bugging you. I go through a little mental round before sitting down to meditate to see if there is anything I can or need to do right now (like watering plants) so I can do them before meditating (as long as they don’t take too much time which might mean I don’t get to actually meditate, otherwise it needs writing down for later) and not distract me as I meditate. Also I found it doesn’t work for me if I need to rush off right after meditating (i.e. “I have exactly 15 minutes right now so I can meditate but then I HAVE to leave) because it makes me anxious.
Just subbed. The topics you touch are mostly what I've just stumbled upon battling anxiety and panic attacks having cut drinking and smoking for good over a year ago. Your 10 000 steps thing made me go from jogging to walking and has done wonders to my lower back as well as the cortisol levels as mentioned in the video. Cool stuff dude!
One aspect of meditation is letting go. Letting go of your thoughts. Letting go of your emotions, expectations, your identity, your name, your perspective of reality. Letting go of everything and letting it all float. Sinking yourself deeper into your being that is beyond your name and identity. And realizing you are whole right as you are. It is a magnificent feeling.
@@saramshagorkhali101 I disagree, and I'm Indian too. Throughout history, only a very small percentage of people living in South and East Asia practiced some form of meditation. The percentage of yogis and monks was very small compared to the general populace, who are either farmers, merchants or some palace officials. I won't be surprised if the percentage is about the same as today, not just in Asia but also in the West. *Moral of the story, Indians have not been meditating or doing yoga for Millenias, very very few did. And Westerners have not been non-meditating for Millenias.*
loved this one! I think it's fascinating seeing more and more people simply noticing that their brains are more in control of them than they realise. It can be challenging but also so liberating and ya literally just gotta plonk your butt down and breathe. Win win.
This was so calming, thank you. I like your videos a lot, and I like meditation. It was nice to hear you calming down more and more in the video . Very strong proof of how it works. Thanks!
You’re doing everything right man! I don’t know where you did your research, but it took me years to learn how to meditate properly, you seemed to know straight away. It has really helped me too, I am calmer, more aware, I sleep TONS better, and my life is just better. For a while I was like one of those vegans always preaching veganism but I was preaching meditation because it helped me so much. Now I am learning to be a counsellor and will teach mindfulness. As you grow in your meditation journey you will learn that you can meditate any time, doing any task. Just ground yourself in something (for you it’s the body scan) and let your mind wander but don’t get caught up in (in Buddhist terminology, attached to) your thoughts, just let them come and let them go. I do this a lot now.
Great Content 👍 This is probably the first video, that actually make me want to meditate for a long period of time and not just a couple days here and there. I‘m going to start right now and see how it goes.
Hey Craig, nice you started meditating. It changed my life as well. Have you heard of Vipassana 10-day courses? They're all over the world and you go there to meditate for the entire ten days, in complete silence and without your phone, books, or any writing materials. I just finished my second course this summer and I'm just amazed how helpful this mediation technique is. At the course you get accommodation, food, and proper facilities, and there's no charge for the course either, it's run completely on donations from people who finished the course and realised its benefit. Look it up, there are plenty of experience videos here on TH-cam. It's absolutely worth it. Anyways, wish you all the best !
I had fallen off the meditation wagon for months and just got back into it today after seeing the vid notification. I had forgotten how much it helps me.
I've done one before. It's really not THAT special. Clean out your closet and lay on the ground in the dark and you'll get a very similar experience for free at home.
Body scan is like baby's first big secret to Meditation. It's the most amazing way to notice those parts of you body that are causing issues and focus on how you can relax then more. Keep them as relaxed as possible and you'll be surprised how much back pain you were giving yourself by automatically tensing up all the time.
Just a few technical suggestions - if you're going to use a chair, use a firm kitchen chair, keep a straight back ( don't lean against the back of the chair ), feet flat on the floor, eyes closed, right hand resting on the left hand. Now the actual meditation: focus on your breath in/out through the end of the nose ( near the top of the lip ). Inevitably, your mind will wander, as soon as you realise your mind is wandering, bring your focus back to the breath. Don't worry about being a good or bad meditator - just when your mind wanders refocus. Slowly but surely, you'll see the benefits of meditation.....Cheers. PS: this method should lessen your tendency to sleep - remember keep a straight back - very important....
I love these videos, mainly because you are adding something to your life without going out and buying a lot of stuff, it’s just you and your research. I like that a lot. Most of these challenges on TH-cam I feel is so wasteful and focuses so much on the material side of things. I love how your challenges are you working mentally through stuff. Love it Craig 👍
Most "beautiful" video since I subscribed your channel. I tried meditation, but seems like it, that doing it more often shows a better mood effect. Thanks for that insight ;)
Dear Wheezy, as someone who has been doing meditation daily for around 25 years it was great to see your progression and how you naturally found your way. Keep going like that 😁
So happy you tried this! I think with screens, podcasts, music, TH-cam, we rarely spend time in our quiet brain. And when we do when don’t feel comfortable and it’s easy to succumb to anxiety or stress. So good to sit with yourself and be mindful!
The things we do, when we get older.. amazing, how much more we actually start listening and appreciating ourselves. I like your self improv vids as of late and am thinking about incorporating more wholesome things to my well being as well. Thanks;)
The best thing I have gotten from meditation is simply the ability to notice my thoughts. The easiest way to change my feelings and behaviors is to recognize and change my thoughts, but you have to be aware of the thoughts first.
@@cheery-hex you don't need to take days off, what you work on needs days to rest so as long as you train different muscle groups. So you do legs/back and then you do shoulders/biceps then chest/triceps, those days are rest days for your legs and back. as long as your individual groups aren't overworked in a single session and let them rest until you work on them again you are fine, and this also applies for working out everyday. The benefit is shorter workouts, more energy going towards every muscle group which naturally makes results faster (as opposed to running out of energy at your last few muscle groups in a full body program and ending up not overloading them which is important for muscle growth)
Glad you liked it! You should totally try yoga for a month next. Straight-up meditation hasn't really worked for me - I can only achieve that state if I'm on a walk or doing yoga or some other slow, intentional movement exercise.
I had a lot of trouble just sitting when I first started meditating - and it would also make me quite tired as well - so I decided to lean into that. I listen to my daily guided meditation right before bed! The slow, focused breathing really helps me get rid of daily tension and let my body be tired. I always feel a bit weird about it, because the app ends being like "Have a lovely day" or something like that, and I'm always about to sleep, haha. But oh well, it works for me!
I’ve been practicing Transcendental Meditation for two years and it really saved my sanity: beginning in Spring of 2019, both of my parents suffered a long decline in health (my father had a stroke after some heart trouble, and my mother had undiagnosed kidney cancer), and my Father passed away December of 2019, and my mother passed three weeks later. I began meditating during the period that I was juggling work and helping them out with their daily needs. I have to say that it absolutely took the edge off of the anxiety, stress and frankly terror of the situation (as well as the subsequent grief and post-death red tape). Without meditation I’m confident I would have had at least one nervous breakdown.
Former medical massage therapist here, validating your theory about the ankle habit. ;) It usually goes that way, with activities we do a lot of! And coulda told you that about the spot in your spine hahaha, SO delighted you've become more somatically aware through all this! Part of why it makes you tired, btw, is because thinking about your body and breathing controlledly and slowly will generally kick in your parasympathetic nervous system (your body has, essentially, just two output modes, easily characterized as "freak out" and "pass out". The former is referred to as your sympathetic nervous system, and the latter group of signal-firers are the parasympathetic nervous system). Over time, as you get more used to controlling and seeking that state more often, and also get more restful sleep and feel less tired to begin with, that should continue becoming something you acclimate to and become more flexible with and have more control over! :) Thanks for another wonderful video. I should practice meditation anywhere near a quarter as often as I mean to ... I appreciate the motivation. Happy wishes to you and yours!
Lol I listened to this several times because you were so relaxed that your voice kept making me fall asleep. This is such an interesting experiment. Now, I want to try meditation. Thank you
I appreciate how different this is from your other recent videos. I mean, I love your other "30 day" videos but this felt a lot more, idk, intimate? The calmer pace, the lack of any other people. It emphasises the theme of meditation really well, Good call all round.
Explaining the worry of not being productive all of the time is my biggest hurdle. I can't even watch TV nowadays without either answering emails, ironing my clothes, doing exercise, etc because I am so conserned of "wasting time". Sounds like meditation really helped you out with this problem, so I'm defintely going to go for it!
5:01 "and then a leaf hit me on the head"... omg I don't know why but I think kinda the way it came out of nowhere was so freakin' hilarious I bursted out laughing hahahaha... I love you Wheezy you really are a character pls never change x)
I've subscribed to Headspace for the last 2 years. I agree with you that sometimes it can be hard to actually meditate when the voice keeps popping up. One minute your in the zen space and then the bubble is burst! My biggest struggle is actually string more than 2 days of meditation together. I've worked through the trial period of the Simple Habit app, and i've found the guided meditation is better than Headspace, so I might subscribe to that instead next time round.
This is a very interesting video, good job Craig! Also if you're interested you should try attending an unprogrammed Quaker meeting, it's almost like an hour of group meditation with occasional spirit led messages from group members
Meditation doesn’t make you tired , it makes you aware of how tired you already were
Thank you for that perspective!
nah, it makes me tired lmao
I don't know, for the brief time I tried it, it just got me bored, and that made me want to sleep, so I personally don't think I agree with you...
@@OHomemquecalculava your bored because you don't know yourself, your at the beginning of the journey, so ignorant of self that you dont even know there's a journey to be had...
Meditation makes you more aware of your body in general and your current state of mind. And the more aware you are, the easier it is to meet the needs of body, mind and soul.
Honestly I never saw a video on TH-cam could resonate with me so much. I will sit there for an hour feeling bored of everything and end up doing nothing and then get mad at myself for doing nothing.
Think of it like going for a run: sure, you haven't necessarily achieved anything immediately productive in that hour, but not every hour needs to have immediate results. You're trading off short-term productivity (which might not even be that productive) for enormous long-term benefits.
an hour. wow.
I agree with you completely.
I can feel like that too Lens Hunter
Checkout pranayama it may help u explore more correct way of doing meditation
0:10 - I dont have much problem with anxiety
4:00 - I think I have an addition to worrying about productivity
11:00 - It made me realise I had more anxiety than I thought I had
THIS is why meditation is awesome 💪👍
"Being still and doing nothing are not the same thing" - Jackie Chan
I love that. It's so true!
@J G lmao
If you stand incredibly still you become invisible to the eye.
@@CanthusOfCandE Can I have a bite of your Zagnut?
@J G are you pathetic?
the addiction to worrying about productivity is SO REAL
I kinda have the same problem, always have to be doing, listening, watching
Sarah Jeanne There is a saying “meditate 10 minutes a day for a year and you can conquer the world. Meditate an hour a day and you’ll realize you don’t have to.”
@sarah Yet its in fact very counter-productive and harmful for your success.
I'm a yoga teacher. You can add 5-10 minutes of ANY exercise prior to meditation to improve your meditation practice. Helps if your body is cleared of erratic energy. Way to go!
A very good idea, thanks!
Thanks I'm going to try that
The relaxation at the end of a yoga session is the most relaxed it is possible to be without medication!
Get a real job LOL
@@hallod1 Maybe, when you get old enough to get a job, you will know that there are plenty of different things which are real jobs. I hope your self confidence gets to a healthy level so you don't need to try to put other people down to try to feel good about yourself.
Look at my boy, looking like socrates, half-naked, rocking a majestic beard, talking about meditation. Keep the good stuff up man!
Not sure if its a good example. I wouldn't like him to end like Socrates did.
But it's better than Aristotle at least.
There was hardly any (any?) music or jokes in this video and it made me feel so... zen
Thomas Manana ....why?
@@RadioMylar its a zen story about a monk meeting a woman crying over her dead son, he hit her with a stick saying - here have something to cry about
Thomas Manana Hahahaha what a horrible story!!
Kinda ironic that a video about worrying about being too focused on productivity has a sponsor that reduces the length of books to just 15 minutes long
@Didac Cerver Summarizing
It’s more about the fact that a lot of books have unnecessary lengthy elaborations, when everything could be put in 15 minutes. Writers need to write more in order. To produce a larger book, so the price of it seems to be justified.
Moreover, people have FOMO & at the same time want to read every book that could help them deal with their stuff. However, you are objectively unable to read all of those books.
John Steinbecks books often have the complete -story- on the back, from start to end, in many editions. They are very much not about the story as such, but about how the characters feel about what is happening, how they grow, and what mood is built through the journey. Cutting it by even a few pages can fuck the whole purpose of the books. A lot of good literature is like that though. Not about getting from A to B but about how the journey makes you develop a feeling. I can see the cut-the-crap is good for instructionals, but absolutely not for actual books.
@Alexander Supertramp Exactly. The whole idea of cutting out the writers writing out of books is a dead meme (most often done in comic style four square form) but is an Insane idea to do for real. No, you have not read a great book if you have just read a summary of the story arc in the book.
Blinkist is rubbish, way better reading the full books
I feel so validated that I’m not the only one who gets anxious about whether I’m relaxed enough. 😳
only one? most of us feel that way
It's not you being anxious, it is the mind, and you still think you ARE the mind and body.
You are the spacious awareness that observes things passing, including thoughts, all form, time and space and so on.
Takes quite some time for most to come to the "insights" that are universal, which of course included all human beings.
Who's the one being anxious? "Heey, that is ME!". No, that is not it.
Any feeling, emotion, or thought is normal in meditation. You aren't really trying to clear your mind of it...you make friends with it. You're just being mindful/aware of anything going on in or even around you. Anxiety is not an issue for meditation, invite it if you are feeling it. If you can see the river, you are not in it. You are not being controlled by it's current. With enough practice in awareness/mindfulness it will translate to your life outside of meditation. Where the feeling of anxiety may come in, but it no longer has control of you. We are always aware. Even being unsure of something is awareness.
While nothing you were doing is "wrong" as such, I'd highly recommend the more "monk" like meditation, where you don't actually think about *anything*. The best description of this kind of meditation is to think about the gap between thoughts, and trying to increase that gap. When thoughts pop up, and they will, quietly acknowledge them, then return to just focusing on your breath and actively not thinking about anything, maintaining a blank, calm, quiet, still mind, without the buzz of thought. This is seriously difficult to do! However it's been shown that this method of meditation has huge benefits to self control and increases activity in the frontal lobe! I don't do it as often as I should, but it does work.
Thank you. Sitting here thinking, "Is this what people think meditating is?" You're right of course, there's no OFFICIAL way to do it, but mindfulness meditation is not just sitting and daydreaming. That's being lost in thought (the opposite of mindfulness).
You're describing zen meditation or zazen. Quieting the mind to stillness is the goal. Posture and a focus on breathing is key to slowing the mind down. He approached it like it was 20 minutes of daydreaming which is fine but not the same.
@@Thehubb1 I think he mentioned thinking about stuff once. The rest of the time he seemed to be doing the body scan approach of (Buddhist) Vipassana meditation. This technique was popularized by SN Goenka.
Thanks, this was helpful
Terrible advice for somene who is new at meditating
Sometimes when you watch a video it is extremely hard to feel that you are watching a real breathing-living human. I felt it really strong in this one. You were so open and real in this video, Craige. I really liked watching you being so open and real. Made me feel a little more open, real and alive.
Thank you :)
That's one of the best parts of meditation. There is no "right way." As long as you are letting go of your thoughts and letting yourself be present. Glad you found something that works for you.
Can you do yoga for 30 days please? I keep hearing about all the benefits but I'd prefer you to tell me that first
Yes!
this but compare yoga with some simple whole body workout :) used to do yoga, now started doing Dumbbell P/P/L workout and feel way better!
@@KemoSays I think you can't really compare the two but even if you have to chose between the two it would obviously be a heavy workout like ppl. But Yoga definitely can have some amazing benefits if you got a stiff neck etc.
@@bryans5878 yeah it's just me. My wife is a yoga instructor so i got to try it a lot. It's just heavy workout gives me much more benefit in terms of wellbeing and how my body feels. And for mental health i do meditation and other stuff. For my wife it's different. People should try everything and do/combine whatever works for them!
THIS YES PLZZZZ
Wow.... Addicted to worrying about being productive...... that honestly struck me so deep. I relate so much to that constant state of being.
Just 100,000 more until 1 million. Keep it up wheezy!
Holy crap. I've been here since 13k, and for a few years, I fell off watching him. Now... Holy freaking cow!
Now only 99k left
I'm glad I am gonna be a part of it when it finally happens!
He's going to stress on 1 million subs video idea. Rip his meditation
A cheesy Indian bass player has over 3 million...
Do a 30 day drawing challenge. Let's see how good you can get at drawing in a month.
Quickly becoming one of the most inspiring channels on TH-cam. I love the new direction, Wheezy. Keeping the fun of the older videos, but using that to help people understand themselves better. Bravo!
I practice buddhist meditations, they helped me be more patient and calm. I can handle more stressful situations and don't get upset with people. Meditation rulez!😄
Started daily meditation in January, it’s been huge. Hope more people find the power of sitting quietly for a few minutes each day
I think meditation will one day be regarded on the same level of exercise
*_Edit: Not sure if you'll read this Craig,_* but just wanted to share my probably too long opinion. I've been meditating on and off for about 8 years and i've experimented in many ways. I don't think there is a proper way, but from my experience meditating before bed takes away some of the benefits because your body starts to associate meditation with sleeping. And having an empty & aware state of mind is different than the state you feel before going to bed. I have found that the best time is right when you wake up from a nap/sleep because your brain is in a state of theta waves (brainwaves that are active in sleep or deep relaxation) so it is at least for me the perfect time to enter an empty & aware mindset. PS for taking naps i'd recommend watching Thomas franks video on power naps
What.
@@brothaman4578 i.e. being as beneficial.
@J G true but only a small amount of people. But it's gradually becoming much more mainstream, and I think it's so important. I use headspace and it's changed my life. No hyperbole.
@J G the apps are training wheels that help someone who has never meditated to understand how to do it. Once you get familiar with it, you don't use them anymore. Doesn't take away from how beneficial they can be for getting started.
Why not both?
Another suggestion - as a beginner, ten minutes is sufficient. 20 minutes after a month of practice....cheers.
"I think I have an addiciton to worrying about productivity."
Welcome to America! Here's your gun and the 50h work week you need to feed your family.
Okay I didn't know I was American... Where's my gun?
Hahah
This is one of my favorite videos so far. The "no music" vibe was a great choice for this one.
the sound of silence is a great aide to meditation
I love seeing you go from "Eh this won't do much but I'll try" to "Oh wow it did a lot" lol. For real though I've used meditation for a while now (mostly the guided meditation videos on youtube) because I have a lot of general anxiety or trouble falling asleep, or just my mind racing too much, and it's always been very helpful to me, so this was such a cool video to see!
Great job! It's stunning how challenging it is to quiet our minds! I have been working on it for a year. Doing yoga everyday and mediation at the end, I am totally hooked. I did not know how to really relax! At first I couldn't even finish a 20 minute session of yoga. Namaste.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Keep up the good work!
I’m a certified meditation teacher. Meditation is mental fitness. It’s wonderful to see your transformation right in front of the camera. You change your tone and speed by the end of the video.
Before knowing meditation, I was very impatient and agitated. The confusion between being productive and movement has diminished. Now I meditate everyday, even during activities. There are hundreds of meditation techniques. I’m glad you found what works for you.
Keep working at it your wheezyness. Self improvement is a daily goal.
wheezyness xD
"I think I have an addiction to worrying about doing nothing." Very relatable, I have thought this recently too, as I have been using ASMR to relax, and I typically do it as I am falling asleep so it doesn't feel that way, but sometimes I want to do it in the day, but I feel like I am wasting time instead of doing something else, so yeah, I always want to do things, being bored or just taking time to do nothing is hard, though I think there is some value in it.
I really enjoy the manner in which you narrate your conscious experiences!
Meditation is self improvement & therefore there is no need for guilt. Please continue to watch out for falling leaves. There everywhere.😊✌️
I'm moving in 2 days. I should be worried.
2 sec later pure panic in the eyes
I feel like you and Chyna are my life coaches
Thank you so much Craig for sharing your experiences so authentically. I gained a huge amount of insight and serenity from watching this video as I struggle with the very same things. Keep on the great work!
Hello Mr Waiter, long time Wheezyan here (since about 2009)
This is a fine video you have here. In fact, this whole video series is excellent!
I'm so glad that you seem to have finally found a format that works for you, that is more meaningful and potentially impactful. All while retaining the ability to express your unique brand of random weirdness that we all know and love and without being too much of a sellout
You're like a fine wine
Keep up the good work man
Here's to another 10 years of quality entertainment!
*Wink*
Have you thought of doing a month long journaling challenge? I started in fall 2017 and it has changed my life. I don’t have a certain format, I just write/draw/plan anything.
I’m a lurker, but I’ve watched you off and on for more than 8 years. Thanks for all you do.
He did a journaling video
He did a journaling video
very proud of everything you do, for the channel and yourself. not easy, a whole lotta time and energy, not going unnoticed!! thank you for all the efforts you put into your work and your family man
I'm 61 and I have fond memories of my grandparents and some photos. When my grandkids are my age they'll just have the names of my grandparents. When your grandchildren's grandchildren are 61 they'll still have all these videos to get the essence of you and Chyna. How awesome is that?
One thing to bear in mind, Craig, is that you're not just doing nothing. In fact, you're still working; you're working on yourself. You're making yourself more present, more in the moment, and you're making yourself more comfortable with being there.
I've just been thinking about getting back into meditation, myself. On a related note, the act of mediation is supposed to help us be present in the moment and fully focused on what we're doing, watching, listening to, etc, instead of the multitasking we've become accustomed to.
Brilliant Video! The bit where you said a leaf fell on your head had me howling!!!
Do something today that your future self will thank you for. Good advice, and relevant haha :)
I realize I'm responding to an old video, but I hope you are still meditating! I liked watching you self-discover what meditation is and how it works best for you. I think it is a common myth that meditation is sitting and doing "nothing." When really it is sitting and staying in the present moment. Doing a body scan, as you do, is a great way to do that and gets you in tune with your body. I often start my meditations that way. Then you can transition to following your breath or another type of meditation.
Feeling tired is one of the five hindrances to meditation: torpor (feeling tired, falling asleep, boredom), restlessness/anxiety, anger/irritation, sensual desire, and doubt. Any one of these can pop up during our meditations, in addition to our regular litany of thoughts. MY favorite description of what a successful meditation is is returning your focus back to your meditation just once and sitting for as long as you intended to sit. Somedays, your mind will be scattered all over the place, but if you can bring it back to your breath once and you can stay committed to sitting for the amount of time you intended to sit for, that practice is what helps us over the long haul of our lives.
Right now, there are a lot of meditation centers doing online meditation retreats. It would be interesting to see you try one of those and hear what you think of them.
you are speaking right to my HEART on this one! its not just "I like being productive" Its an ADDICITON to FEELING productive or, honestly, what I found, is it's actually the addiction to feeling guilty. we out here busting through our patterns! So proud for you and inspired by how self-aware you are. I love your videos. I've just recently started Vedic meditation where you use a mantra 2x 20 mins per day (same as Transcendental). but I've been skipping days and this helped me to feel re-inspired! ^__^ Thanks for sharing your heart!
I always love nightly mediation because I'm a zoned sleeper too. Yoga is my form of morning meditation to keep me awake lol. You did great! Love your videos great job!
can meditation help with having no sex life??? after a breakup
I always consider yoga like meditation + exercise 2-in-1, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. They're basically the same, you just move in yoga haha
This video has a calmer tone that your other 30 day challenge videos. I like your comedy and humor a lot but this was another side of you that was also really nice to see. Really enjoying your content!
I love this channel! Definitely best find of 2019 for me!
i have to say that I love your videos because you are the only self-improvement youtuber that I can relate to. I mean, the other youtubers are awesome, but your videos seem so... real
Great video! Love that it worked so well for you. I totally get the ‘productivity’ issue, I am so tough on myself, always feel like I need to be useful, and that causes so much tension. Meditation is the main thing that helps me. Also love the discovery of the task list. A book on productivity I read says: “Don’t store anything in your head. Seriously, don’t do it.” By that he means everything that goes through your head like “I need to remember .... “, write it down, immediately, or it will just keep bugging you. I go through a little mental round before sitting down to meditate to see if there is anything I can or need to do right now (like watering plants) so I can do them before meditating (as long as they don’t take too much time which might mean I don’t get to actually meditate, otherwise it needs writing down for later) and not distract me as I meditate. Also I found it doesn’t work for me if I need to rush off right after meditating (i.e. “I have exactly 15 minutes right now so I can meditate but then I HAVE to leave) because it makes me anxious.
Just subbed. The topics you touch are mostly what I've just stumbled upon battling anxiety and panic attacks having cut drinking and smoking for good over a year ago. Your 10 000 steps thing made me go from jogging to walking and has done wonders to my lower back as well as the cortisol levels as mentioned in the video. Cool stuff dude!
Congrats, Wheezy! Glad to see this experience has shined a light on places in your life that can use a little more of your own TLC. That's awesome!
One aspect of meditation is letting go. Letting go of your thoughts. Letting go of your emotions, expectations, your identity, your name, your perspective of reality. Letting go of everything and letting it all float. Sinking yourself deeper into your being that is beyond your name and identity. And realizing you are whole right as you are. It is a magnificent feeling.
Meditation is so underestimated in this society
agreed 100%
Meditation is becoming more and more mainstream, which is fantastic 😊
Saramsha Pandey the West is the best
@@saramshagorkhali101 I disagree, and I'm Indian too. Throughout history, only a very small percentage of people living in South and East Asia practiced some form of meditation. The percentage of yogis and monks was very small compared to the general populace, who are either farmers, merchants or some palace officials.
I won't be surprised if the percentage is about the same as today, not just in Asia but also in the West. *Moral of the story, Indians have not been meditating or doing yoga for Millenias, very very few did. And Westerners have not been non-meditating for Millenias.*
loved this one! I think it's fascinating seeing more and more people simply noticing that their brains are more in control of them than they realise. It can be challenging but also so liberating and ya literally just gotta plonk your butt down and breathe. Win win.
I find it incredibly difficult to keep meditating, but vids like this inspire me to try harder. Who da thought doing nothing would be so difficult?!
This was so calming, thank you. I like your videos a lot, and I like meditation. It was nice to hear you calming down more and more in the video . Very strong proof of how it works. Thanks!
You’re doing everything right man! I don’t know where you did your research, but it took me years to learn how to meditate properly, you seemed to know straight away. It has really helped me too, I am calmer, more aware, I sleep TONS better, and my life is just better. For a while I was like one of those vegans always preaching veganism but I was preaching meditation because it helped me so much. Now I am learning to be a counsellor and will teach mindfulness. As you grow in your meditation journey you will learn that you can meditate any time, doing any task. Just ground yourself in something (for you it’s the body scan) and let your mind wander but don’t get caught up in (in Buddhist terminology, attached to) your thoughts, just let them come and let them go. I do this a lot now.
Probably the best guidance about meditating I've ever found in any format. Thank you for your excellent example!
Great Content 👍 This is probably the first video, that actually make me want to meditate for a long period of time and not just a couple days here and there. I‘m going to start right now and see how it goes.
“Sorry for the shoulder nudity” 🤣
Yay! I'm excited about this video Craig! Thank you for all your not getting not better videos! 🧘🏼♀️
This is gonna take you to a million 😌
Hey Craig, nice you started meditating. It changed my life as well. Have you heard of Vipassana 10-day courses? They're all over the world and you go there to meditate for the entire ten days, in complete silence and without your phone, books, or any writing materials. I just finished my second course this summer and I'm just amazed how helpful this mediation technique is. At the course you get accommodation, food, and proper facilities, and there's no charge for the course either, it's run completely on donations from people who finished the course and realised its benefit. Look it up, there are plenty of experience videos here on TH-cam. It's absolutely worth it. Anyways, wish you all the best !
I had fallen off the meditation wagon for months and just got back into it today after seeing the vid notification. I had forgotten how much it helps me.
Soooo jealous of that sensory deprivation tank! Nice vid again wheezy 🤙
I've done one before. It's really not THAT special. Clean out your closet and lay on the ground in the dark and you'll get a very similar experience for free at home.
same I'll experience one eventually
@@123userthatsme but it's that weightlessness feeling that I'll miss being in my wardrobe! 😆 I'll just go for a surf a float about a bit 🤙
This was such a soothing video, thank you.
Body scan is like baby's first big secret to Meditation. It's the most amazing way to notice those parts of you body that are causing issues and focus on how you can relax then more. Keep them as relaxed as possible and you'll be surprised how much back pain you were giving yourself by automatically tensing up all the time.
I like how calming the video itself was this time too. No crazy cuts or music. Just Wheezy face and voice.
Just a few technical suggestions - if you're going to use a chair, use a firm kitchen chair, keep a straight back ( don't lean against the back of the chair ), feet flat on the floor, eyes closed, right hand resting on the left hand. Now the actual meditation: focus on your breath in/out through the end of the nose ( near the top of the lip ). Inevitably, your mind will wander, as soon as you realise your mind is wandering, bring your focus back to the breath. Don't worry about being a good or bad meditator - just when your mind wanders refocus. Slowly but surely, you'll see the benefits of meditation.....Cheers. PS: this method should lessen your tendency to sleep - remember keep a straight back - very important....
Thanks asshat but worry about yourself
This is good, Wheezy.
My favorite is Vipassana meditation. If you get the chance to try it sometime, you should. I think you'll enjoy the experience.
I love these videos, mainly because you are adding something to your life without going out and buying a lot of stuff, it’s just you and your research. I like that a lot. Most of these challenges on TH-cam I feel is so wasteful and focuses so much on the material side of things. I love how your challenges are you working mentally through stuff. Love it Craig 👍
Most "beautiful" video since I subscribed your channel. I tried meditation, but seems like it, that doing it more often shows a better mood effect. Thanks for that insight ;)
You are so right! Meditation can do good things!
Currently my fav channel on yt.
Dear Wheezy, as someone who has been doing meditation daily for around 25 years it was great to see your progression and how you naturally found your way. Keep going like that 😁
So happy you tried this! I think with screens, podcasts, music, TH-cam, we rarely spend time in our quiet brain. And when we do when don’t feel comfortable and it’s easy to succumb to anxiety or stress. So good to sit with yourself and be mindful!
The things we do, when we get older.. amazing, how much more we actually start listening and appreciating ourselves. I like your self improv vids as of late and am thinking about incorporating more wholesome things to my well being as well. Thanks;)
I am heartened by this video. Good for you! You encourage me to get back to a meditation practice.
The best thing I have gotten from meditation is simply the ability to notice my thoughts. The easiest way to change my feelings and behaviors is to recognize and change my thoughts, but you have to be aware of the thoughts first.
Body build for 30 days (straight)!
Don't!
30 days total and enjoy them rest days ☺
@@benbo9070 It aligns with today's self improvement trends. I think he can accomplish a lot in a month. We all know he'll stop right afterwards.
you have to take days off.. that's when you build muscle, is on rest days. but yeah 30 days total over 40 days or smthg is a great idea!
@@cheery-hex you don't need to take days off, what you work on needs days to rest so as long as you train different muscle groups. So you do legs/back and then you do shoulders/biceps then chest/triceps, those days are rest days for your legs and back.
as long as your individual groups aren't overworked in a single session and let them rest until you work on them again you are fine, and this also applies for working out everyday. The benefit is shorter workouts, more energy going towards every muscle group which naturally makes results faster (as opposed to running out of energy at your last few muscle groups in a full body program and ending up not overloading them which is important for muscle growth)
Glad you liked it! You should totally try yoga for a month next. Straight-up meditation hasn't really worked for me - I can only achieve that state if I'm on a walk or doing yoga or some other slow, intentional movement exercise.
I had a lot of trouble just sitting when I first started meditating - and it would also make me quite tired as well - so I decided to lean into that. I listen to my daily guided meditation right before bed! The slow, focused breathing really helps me get rid of daily tension and let my body be tired. I always feel a bit weird about it, because the app ends being like "Have a lovely day" or something like that, and I'm always about to sleep, haha. But oh well, it works for me!
So glad to always see great content from you!
Hope your move is going well!
The path you've been on for the last few months is truly extraordinary WW! Keep on it, keep growing and becoming a better being!
I don't normally comment but seeing you discover meditation really makes me happy for you. Stay consistent and you will do well with it
I’ve been practicing Transcendental Meditation for two years and it really saved my sanity: beginning in Spring of 2019, both of my parents suffered a long decline in health (my father had a stroke after some heart trouble, and my mother had undiagnosed kidney cancer), and my Father passed away December of 2019, and my mother passed three weeks later. I began meditating during the period that I was juggling work and helping them out with their daily needs.
I have to say that it absolutely took the edge off of the anxiety, stress and frankly terror of the situation (as well as the subsequent grief and post-death red tape). Without meditation I’m confident I would have had at least one nervous breakdown.
Former medical massage therapist here, validating your theory about the ankle habit. ;) It usually goes that way, with activities we do a lot of! And coulda told you that about the spot in your spine hahaha, SO delighted you've become more somatically aware through all this! Part of why it makes you tired, btw, is because thinking about your body and breathing controlledly and slowly will generally kick in your parasympathetic nervous system (your body has, essentially, just two output modes, easily characterized as "freak out" and "pass out". The former is referred to as your sympathetic nervous system, and the latter group of signal-firers are the parasympathetic nervous system). Over time, as you get more used to controlling and seeking that state more often, and also get more restful sleep and feel less tired to begin with, that should continue becoming something you acclimate to and become more flexible with and have more control over! :) Thanks for another wonderful video. I should practice meditation anywhere near a quarter as often as I mean to ... I appreciate the motivation. Happy wishes to you and yours!
You learn so much about yourself and your surroundings by stopping for a while.
Dude you are awesome! I love your videos!
Honestly, the first time I HAVE EVER rewound a TH-cam video to get the sponsors info 🤯🤯🤯 that sounds dope af...
I’m clicking your link bud 🤘🤘👌👌
It's really cool to watch the channel change directions over time. This exploration is great.
Lol I listened to this several times because you were so relaxed that your voice kept making me fall asleep. This is such an interesting experiment. Now, I want to try meditation. Thank you
I appreciate how different this is from your other recent videos. I mean, I love your other "30 day" videos but this felt a lot more, idk, intimate? The calmer pace, the lack of any other people. It emphasises the theme of meditation really well, Good call all round.
I'm binge watching your channel now.
That fireplace is awesome, congrats on the new home!
Really liked it Craig. Glad you found a deeper peace.
Listening to you slow down as the video runs its course says it all.
Explaining the worry of not being productive all of the time is my biggest hurdle.
I can't even watch TV nowadays without either answering emails, ironing my clothes, doing exercise, etc because I am so conserned of "wasting time".
Sounds like meditation really helped you out with this problem, so I'm defintely going to go for it!
Love your videos and your sense of humor! I am hooked!
5:01 "and then a leaf hit me on the head"... omg I don't know why but I think kinda the way it came out of nowhere was so freakin' hilarious I bursted out laughing hahahaha... I love you Wheezy you really are a character pls never change x)
I've subscribed to Headspace for the last 2 years. I agree with you that sometimes it can be hard to actually meditate when the voice keeps popping up. One minute your in the zen space and then the bubble is burst! My biggest struggle is actually string more than 2 days of meditation together.
I've worked through the trial period of the Simple Habit app, and i've found the guided meditation is better than Headspace, so I might subscribe to that instead next time round.
This is a very interesting video, good job Craig!
Also if you're interested you should try attending an unprogrammed Quaker meeting, it's almost like an hour of group meditation with occasional spirit led messages from group members