Mormon Stories. He teaches what he calls Secular Buddhism, also known as Mindfulness Meditation. This is great for anxiety, and also helps with pain tolerance. This can be a wonderful help for recovering Ex-Mormons. I don't know how I'd get through life without this meditative practice. I get rusty at it, but then I always return and get it going again.

I get through life just fine without meditation.

I feel sad that nobody is interested in this. Perhaps I should have worded my Subject differently? Should I have said: "Mindfulness Meditation"?

brigidbarnes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I feel sad that nobody is interested in this.
> Perhaps I should have worded my Subject
> differently? Should I have said: "Mindfulness
> Meditation"?

Why are you emotionally attached to what 'we' think? If this works for you, don't seek approval and 'feel sad'. That's just another thing to meditate away...

I keep recommending this because I know how debilitating anxiety is, and I have suffered more than my share of it over the years. This has been my non-drug way of bringing calm into my life, let the world do what it may.

The world may throw bombs and wreak all kinds of havoc, but we can still be calm and happy. And you don't have to convert to Buddhism! You can be religious or atheist, and it will still work.

I'm glad this works for you, and it is appreciated that you've shared it.
Consider that, perhaps, some of the lack of enthusiasm might come from the slightly "evangelistic" way it's presented...

One thing that's very freeing when leaving mormonism is the notion (and it's a wrong one) that there is "one true" something that everybody should (or must) do. So when somebody posts something that sounds like they're pushing "the one true meditation," it can get a resoundingly apathetic response.

Like I said, I'm glad this works for you. It wouldn't work for me, and frankly I don't need it. Because I'm different from you, and you're different from me, and that's not just fine, it's wonderful. :)

I never intended for this to sound like "one true meditation". If I thought it was, I'd probably become a Buddhist. I know that different meditations or mental exercises have worked for different people. I was pointing out what I know can work for the harsh times we are living in.

I looked him up on Utube and only found his discussions of Buddhism which I personally was not impressed with.

I am a devout meditator and enjoy different meditations. I believe I have much greater 'awareness' because of the meditations I do and have derived a lot of helpful benefits.

If you could please direct me to where he does a 'specific' meditation or mental exercise, I would probably be interested and review that.

We do have a few meditators on this board or at least use to but you can probably see why many leave or don't participate much in every discussion.

Start with desire/attachment leads to suffering.

Feeling 'sad' and anxiously asking if you'd get a response if you worded your Subject differently...ain't Zen.

Trust that those who are seeking meditation will find their answer(s) in time.

Noah's podcasts have helped me a great deal. It's a good introduction to mindfulness. I also appreciate that he is ex-mormon married to TBM wife, so he gets what I am going through.

Listening to his podcasts has calmed me a lot.

Nice of you to post this. Lots of people lurk here and you never know who might be glad to check it out. So glad it has helped you. Anxiety is a tricky devil.

I have never followed any kind of formal meditation, but I would be lost without my glass of wine in the garden and an hour of letting my mind pull everything out of its drawers, dusting it off, and then put everything back in a new order.

Perspective is a wonderful thing and any way anyone can latch onto some perspective is good.

When something is bothering me I always ask myself, "Will I even remember this or care in another five years?" The answer is usually no and that really helps downsize the anxiety.

Noah seems to be buddhism for mormons.

He may not appeal to the stronger brand of ex-mormon because he tiptoes around mormon issues. He doesn't want to come out and acknowledge false mormon doctrine.

He wants to ride the "mormon middle-way" where he can respect the "truths" that are in mormonism while calling the lies and destructive dogma "irrelevant."

That appeals to mormons. They aren't being criticized, so they can be hip enough to engage in buddhism.

While it doesn't appeal to me, it fills a niche I think. It's a very vanilla step out of the mormon church. A stepping stone to being able to see and state obvious facts. Noah may do this intentionally or he may not be ready himself.

I think Noah is applying the non-attachment concept to facts as a way to avoid offending mormons.

At any rate, when mormons head down this path, it seems more likely than not that they will ultimately be able to acknowledge that mormon dogma is false and often destructive - and it won't cause them any angst to acknowledge that.

I think Noah opens a door for some mormons to exit so that's good.