Persistently Unfocused Energy

Okay. I am brimming with excitement! I'm simply so excited in being a Jedi I have all this energy build-up and focusing it is ridiculously hard at this point! I have then decided that I will at least flop some of that energy as a post in my journal, which is what I had done. But then I have also decided to share one of my problems with everyone else...

I am almost always packed with energy. Folks at work are always surprised to see me flying through the halls at a near-constant dash. My students are always surprised with how bouncy I am within the classroom walls (I'm also a schoolteacher). However, my head is what's left behind; it's rarely between my shoulders. Both my mind and my body are traveling a mile a minute, but almost never in the same direction. I'm very forgetful and emotional and have the attention span of a goldfish. While I am physically small (5'4'' and ~120lbs), spiritually I'm a bulldozer and exhaust almost everyone around me (except for my energy-absorbing students, lol). Even though I am 25 year old, many people think I'm no more than 18 because of my youthful exuberance. Simply put, I'm too childish! I used to take Adderall (with a prescription, of course) to handle my ADD, but I become rather impatient and brutal when both my mind and body are aligned and focused. Plus, I don't have health insurance, so I can't afford to always keep myself on Adderall during times when I should be on it.

I also run cross country for fun. I'm not the fastest runner but, boy, am I the Energizer Rabbit! I know I am really blessed with all this energy, though I wish I knew how to focus it better and more gracefully without nearly butchering people in my path. I wonder if I could get any advice. Anything is welcome by me!

May the Force be with you and peace be upon you!

Hmmm good question. Im totally different, but when I get excess energy and am unable to exhaust myself with exercise, I listen to some nice electronic music which is upbeat but structured to create a nice aural landscape so I can exercise my mind in spatial awareness while burning excess energy tapping my feet and fingers to the beat. Then I try and take the focus from the music and apply it to either typing or reading.

:side:

I would suggest you try meditation. It has been scientifically proven to have calming effects on the mind. It is also the key to the moment, which is where the party is really happening!

You could also try drinking camomile tea as that has calming properties or use sandalwood, both the incense and essential oil, as I find the aroma particularly relaxing and it also helps to focus the mind.

The Force will be with you, always.

I have moments like this, when I simply can't contain all the energy inside me. It feel like moving at a million miles an hour without going anywhere at all (to me). Very frustrating at times.

My advice -

Find a good website or a good book and just dig in until you feel yourself begin to calm. For me learning new things has always helped the energy work itself out.

Meditate as Psyddhattha suggested and don't be discouraged if it's hard to meditate for long periods of time. If your energy is like mine, when it gets like that it's hard to allow yourself to sit still.

Also exercise is brilliant, especially if you can practice a form of easy martial art or full-body exercise like Tai Chi or Yoga. Those are, to my mind, more effective than weight lifting, (though swimming/running/cycling are also quite amazing.)

Last thing I'd say is that sometimes being removed from society and technology is what the brain needs most in order to calm and free itself. I find that walking or meditating in an isolated park or wooded area (if you have such available) really helps to release that crazy energy and the general stress of the day.

Live Long and Prosper,
and May The Force Be With You

As for one method, I agree with Psyddhattha. Meditation is a very universally recommended practice for good reason such as this.

On the other hand, there are days I am so hyped up and just excited with energy and I can't even conceive of something like meditation because I just know I wouldn't be able to keep myself still, instead... I air drum.... haha! Yup. For years I've been avid in air drumming in the morning hours before I start my day. It's kind of best when you have at least a basic knowledge of what the drummer of a song your listening to is doing. I've developed a very high accuracy with songs I know well and its helped me to improve my drum playing a great deal over the years. But when I do it, I burn a lot of energy over the course of one to three songs depending on the speed and consistency of the song. It's wonderful exercise, both in cardio and in muscle reaction.

I have no idea if you've ever air-drummed in the past or if you'd ever want to, but I figured I share what has helped me a great deal with it.

Edit: In addition, when I think about it... I realize I'm actually in a type of meditative state when air-drumming. I get really into the song. All that is focused on is the present moment, digging the feeling of channeling energy that is taking place from the music and through me. So in essence, air-drumming can be seen as a very active form of meditation in itself.

May the force guide you my friend.

Affie, now I could be wrong, plus, I'm a massive perv anyway, but have you considered (plenty of) wild sex? When I need to tame the beast within, nothing works better than this.

You can also work a lot, become a caffeine addict and sleep very little. Works too although probably not great for health. For the caffeine I recommend pepsi max. There's no side effects like coffee has and no sugar. The caffeine will make your body burn more energy and the withdrawal is painful but short and easy.

Then you can also learn techniques to make your heart beat slower and things like this. It's difficult for me to judge "how" you are excited, I know for me the best solution isn't always the same one.

I have a friend that is ADHD and he also went of the meds because it made him smoke and eat in huge amounts.

His solution was martial arts. Because of the nature of martial arts, it requires you to use your mind and body as one. You start out slow but as you learn more you add in the meditation aspects of martial arts until you can focus yourself and your body.

You are who you are. Don't fight the energy, just use it differently.

To a fellow possible Attention Deficit,

I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 5 (along with a hella load more of mental disorders later in life), and The thing about the HD part is that it can be grown out of as you mature. I've been cranked on prescription meds for over 13 years, and had to switch off of many because of bad side effects (Ritalin gave me an allergic reaction and Strattera made me start hearing voices which lead to my schizo case), and I was constantly jumping off of the walls. However, as I grew older, I started to calm down at a very sharp rate and was left with just ADD, which I still deal with today. The meds I use for it now is Vyvanse. I've been on it for about for about 4 years, and it's done nothing but help me. Everybody's different so if you would want to test the effects, You should talk to your doctor about it, becuase it really works. (for me at least) It's rather unfortunate though that according to scientific study, ADHD cases that are diagnosed at adulthood take much longer to get past and can be all the more destructive. it took me about 10 years to learn to calm the hell down after being diagnosed at age 5, and even that was a lucky break. To make a long story short, i know what you're going through and if you wanna talk about it, just pm me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Lividius (Josz)

Adder wrote: Hmmm good question. Im totally different, but when I get excess energy and am unable to exhaust myself with exercise, I listen to some nice electronic music which is upbeat but structured to create a nice aural landscape so I can exercise my mind in spatial awareness while burning excess energy tapping my feet and fingers to the beat. Then I try and take the focus from the music and apply it to either typing or reading. :side:

I sometimes listen to some good music, too, though I find electronic music too derailing (it's too upbeat for my already upbeat personality), so I opt for some indie rock like Modest Mouse, The Strokes, The White Stripes, etc. It does seem to work; I think I should do that more often.

Lividius wrote: ... However, as I grew older, I started to calm down at a very sharp rate and was left with just ADD, which I still deal with today. The meds I use for it now is Vyvanse. ...

Huh. I'll take a look into that.

Lividius wrote: ... To make a long story short, i know what you're going through and if you wanna talk about it, just pm me and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thank you so much for the offer! Honestly, having been diagnosed this late sometimes tempts me to wondering how much pain in the past I might have avoided... but those types of thoughts are highly destructive and sometimes exacerbates my depressive moods. To get any advice would be of great value to me. I just might take you up on your offer shortly!

Phortis Nespin wrote: I have a friend that is ADHD and he also went of the meds because it made him smoke and eat in huge amounts.

His solution was martial arts. Because of the nature of martial arts, it requires you to use your mind and body as one. You start out slow but as you learn more you add in the meditation aspects of martial arts until you can focus yourself and your body.

You are who you are. Don't fight the energy, just use it differently.

Lol, Adderall does the exact opposite; it kills my appetite and I have to remind myself to eat something before I accidentally starve myself. :pinch:
Actually, I have done martial arts in the past, specifically kung fu san soo, and I loved it! After graduating from college and moving back to the DC area I just stopped. I should really look for another dojo and try to get back into martial arts, not necessarily kung fu (whatever's available and affordable, really). Thank you so much!

ren wrote: Affie, now I could be wrong, plus, I'm a massive perv anyway, but have you considered (plenty of) wild sex? When I need to tame the beast within, nothing works better than this.

HAHAHA! Well, I'm fairly conservative in how I carry myself sexually and prefer to abstain until marriage. I'm glad it works for you, though!:lol:

ren wrote: You can also work a lot, become a caffeine addict and sleep very little. Works too although probably not great for health. For the caffeine I recommend pepsi max. There's no side effects like coffee has and no sugar. The caffeine will make your body burn more energy and the withdrawal is painful but short and easy.

Then you can also learn techniques to make your heart beat slower and things like this. It's difficult for me to judge "how" you are excited, I know for me the best solution isn't always the same one.

Actually, I sleep very little. Sometimes as little as 4 hours per night for 2 weeks straight. It actually messes me up pretty badly and I only do it when I find myself in a severe pinch for time. My focus drops even more. Caffeine, however, has been "my best friend" since I ran out of Adderall. And like Adderall, I become more impatient when on it, though. You recommend Pepsi Max? I'll look into it.

Also, what kind of techniques might you be thinking of? I don't know of such things and would like to learn! Oh, and I am more of the, um, peppy daydreamer, if that makes any sense. My body is on earth, but my mind is in a galaxy far, far, away... :lol: So, I often find myself going somewhere, forgetting why I was going wherever I was going (or sometimes even what I was doing), and just dropping my whole target and doing something else.

Proteus wrote: On the other hand, there are days I am so hyped up and just excited with energy and I can't even conceive of something like meditation because I just know I wouldn't be able to keep myself still, instead... I air drum.... haha! Yup. For years I've been avid in air drumming in the morning hours before I start my day. It's kind of best when you have at least a basic knowledge of what the drummer of a song your listening to is doing. I've developed a very high accuracy with songs I know well and its helped me to improve my drum playing a great deal over the years. But when I do it, I burn a lot of energy over the course of one to three songs depending on the speed and consistency of the song. It's wonderful exercise, both in cardio and in muscle reaction.

Air drumming? Sounds like air guitar! I do neither; I'm the singer/whistler of my imaginary band, lol. I love singing and I am a pretty descent whistler; sometimes I just burst into song for no apparent reason besides my need to calm my emotions. Or just because I'm bored. It really is energy-burning! But singing and whistling in public isn't always a good thing, lol, so I need to be careful! :lol:

Psyddhattha, Hal_littleeye, and Proteus, which meditations do you recommend? I'm pretty new in the realm of habitual meditation, though I would love to make it a real part of my daily life.

---

Thank you, all of you! I am so glad I've decided to share my problem with y'all; I feel like I've benefited greatly by doing so and receiving your advice!

May the Force be with you all and peace be upon you all - always!

Since you're new to meditation I personally don't recommend anything highly strenuous or involved. Find a quiet space where you are removed from all interruptions including those from electronics. All cell phones, pagers computers and TV's off. Some people go so far as to make certain that all electronics in their house are off and their meditation space is as dark as possible, that's a matter of personal preference though.

Light a stick of your favorite incense (if you are in doors), sit cross-legged on the floor, let your eyes relax but don't close them fully and keep your soft gaze focused at a space about a foot in front of you on the floor/ground.

Then take deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, counting each full breath cycle until you reach ten without letting your mind wander. Keep focused on your breathing and the spot you picked on the floor. Don't chastise yourself when your concentration lapses from your breathing and your mind wanders, just gently remind yourself of your breathing and and restart the count from zero. It takes many people a long time to get to the count of ten without letting the mind wander, sometimes even months of steady practice, but this is the best simple meditation there is (in my range of experience).

For an additional aid to concentration you may place your hands directly under your navel while sitting, the fingers of your right hand cupped in the fingers of your left, with the tips of the thumbs touching. When your concentration begins to slip, your thumbs will fall out of alignment. This will help to bring your mind back to your breath with greater ease when your concentration slips.

I'd also recommend you purchase a good Zen mediation pillow to sit upon, as it will GREATLY enhance your meditation sessions and provide excellent support to your back while helping to keep your awareness focused in the moment.

This is the information my Zen Roshi recommended to me to help with my meditation when I first started.

this is how I started mine and try to keep doing:
SEISHIN TEKI KYOYO
Spiritual refinement is a strange thing, you either believe in it or you don't. If you are a believer then you will quickly increase your internal energies, if you are not a believer then the path is a long and winding one (but not impossible).
Below I will give you instructions in increasing your CHI (internal energy). I will assume nothing and begin as if you are a new student.

Before you start these exercises you must be sure that you will not be disturbed. (later this will not be so important.) You should be relaxed and not under time pressure. The first exercises take only 5 minutes. (but will seem more like 5 hours).

FIRST 2 WEEKS
This is just a way of practicing the exercise so that you will be relaxed and comfortable with it.
Sit comfortably on the floor, you may use a mat or cushion if you wish but your back must be straight.
You may close your eyes or keep them open.
Place your hands in front of you (palms towards you) with the fingers of the left hand resting in the palm of your right hand. Press your thumb tips lightly together.
Think of some nice things that have happened to you.
Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Breathe slowly, each inward breathe should take 7 seconds. Hold the breathe in for 7 seconds. each outward breathe should take 7 seconds. Repeat this for 5 minutes.

You may find it hard to manage even 5 minutes at first but do your best and you will find each time that it is getting easier. Also you may find that you get excess moisture in your mouth, and that it is hard to keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth, this is quite normal.
By the end of the second week you should feel very relaxed with the exercise, you will feel like you are walking taller, that your head is clearer when you think and that you feel much better inside.

WEEKS 3 AND 4
In the next 2 weeks just repeat the first exercise but instead of thinking nice things try to clear your mind of everything.
Try to increase the time you meditate to between 10 and 15 minutes.
Imagine that you are looking up into a black night sky. You may see stars or just the blackness. Marvel at how much there is contained within nothing. Look into the blackness at its beauty.
Feel the path of your breathe as it journeys through your nose, down your back under your body and up through your chest and out of your mouth, taking with it all the cosmic energy of the universe.
By now you should find your tongue automatically goes to the roof of your mouth and that your mouth is dry.

WEEKS 5 AND 6
Now it is time to increase your inner strength fully and without fear. By now you should be able to empty your mind. You should not be distracted by unnecessary thoughts or feelings. It is time to feel within. With your mind empty you can concentrate on your Spirit.

Within each of us burns a fire, a globe of light and heat. we will now focus on that fire making it burn bright and warm. Increasing its radiance throughout the body.
As you meditate try to imagine this ball of fire deep within you, somewhere between your sternum and your groin (It is different for everyone). As you breathe your breath will be like the air through bellows, fanning the fire, making it flare and glow. This heat will begin to expand outwards from the ball of fire through your body, a little at first, then further and further until it reaches your finger tips. This may take many weeks but you should feel something within days of beginning this training.

Soon you find that you can perform the breathing exercise without the need for sitting and in any environment such as in the car or at work.
You will feel warmer and need to wear less clothes in the winter. You will feel confident and alert. Your hands may feel warm and when you touch others they may comment on this. You may even be more resilient to illness.

To increase the speed at which you develop your Chi there is another way. This exercise must be done for 15 minutes.
While doing the breathing exercise for 5 minutes cup your right hand to your left ear, for the next 5 minutes cup your left hand to your right ear, and for a final 5 minutes cup your right hand to your left ear and your left hand to your right ear. This increases the flow of energies around the body.

These exercises should be carried out at least 3 time every week for the greatest effect, although even once a week will work.

My method of meditation is quite simple to start with but like probably any method, it takes time to really fall into and more and more elements are added to increase the experience.

Position?
By default, as usual, it's good to sit. Doesn't matter if its in a chair, on the floor, on a bed, etc, just so long as you are comfortable and most likely to be able to be still, with decent posture. If, while doing this, you feel too uncomfortable (maybe your back is hurting or something) you can lay down just the same, but if you feel you will end up falling asleep, I like to actually stand up, and it still works.

Start by closing your eyes. Don't worry about the breath, let yourself breath however you will. Just begin paying attention to sounds around you.


Gathering Sound
Start with paying attention with one sound. Then turn your attention to another sound.
Now combine the two sounds in your head.
Gather a third sound (if you hear one).
Gather as many detectable sounds as possible into your attention. Treat them all as one sound.
Acknowledge for a moment the idea that the sounds are coming from other places.
Now imagine that the sounds are instead coming from inside YOU.
You are the sounds.
Turn your attention inward into your own body, where the sounds come from.
Feel the textures and tones of the sounds together.

Thought Play
The first few days, only put your attention on these sounds.
Naturally, your mind will wander into random thoughts.
Let those thoughts run.
The TRICK is to keep yourself from being the subject of the thoughts and instead, become the observer of the thoughts (meaning, when you find yourself thinking for example "The other day was a bad day for me. I can't believe what happened!", let that thought run and then turn it into "Oh, I must be thinking of a thought about the other day", and let the voice in your mind that is talking about it just become noise, floating among the rest of the sounds.)
If the sounds of a verbal thought seem like its trying to overtake your attention, just let it run and instead simply focus your attention back onto the other sounds that you've gathered.
Play with those sounds, blending them into the verbal thoughts you are having.
See how much you can combine it all into one single sound in your head, unified together, and unified with you.

Gathering Touch
Simply spend one, or maybe even two (or longer depending on how much time you need) weeks with JUST sound play. But afterward, when you feel you are ready to step it to the next level, begin including a new sense, like touch (itching, the temperature of the room, a breeze, your current inner bodily functions, any inner physical pains, aches, tensions, etc), and do the SAME thing with them. For this level, you will start with sound and after you've combined all the sound with you, then begin combining external and internal physical feeling with it.

Gathering Smell
The next phase could be smell (by the way, these don't necessarily have to be in this particular order, simply pick which sense you feel you can add on next). During this phase, you'll start with your eyes closed, combine all sounds, combine all physical feeling, and then begin detecting and combining smell.

Gathering Sight
Eventually, you might want to add on the sense of sight.
In this phase, you'll start off with all the previous senses, combining them, and afterward, let yourself open your eyes.
Keep them relaxed.
While your eyes are open, you can either stare at one single point somewhere, be it far off or near by directly in front of you, or you can simply stair into empty space.
Begin paying attention to the general colors, shapes, lightness or darkness of the scene before you.
Imagine what you are seeing is just a screen like a television, or maybe a picture you are looking at.
Everything is 2 dimensional.
Zone into the picture and let it all absorb into your sight together.
Afterward, begin putting your attention on your peripheral vision (the outer corners of your vision).
Do the same thing with your peripheral vision as you have done with your normal vision.
Now combine them together.
Now imagine everything you see is not existing outside of you.
Actually, what you are seeing is all taking place INSIDE of you.
It is all a part of you.
You are now inside your own head.
Let yourself bask and simply exist in this state.
Here time does not exist.
You are watching yourself, as seen through everything around you.

You basically get the idea here. And by no means do you HAVE to start with one sense and then start adding others immediately after. You can start with isolating just sound, and later on, you can move to isolating only touch, or isolating only smell, until you get them all down really good in your ability to combine them in your head together and with you.

Gathering Emotion
Also, the senses aren't limited to only physical ones. A very powerful and important one to eventually include is your sense of emotion. Pick an emotion you want to use and focus on that emotion. Evoke it by a thought, or a series of thoughts and once you've evoked this thought or thoughts, catch the emotional that it gives you and lock yourself into observing that emotion. You can give yourself control of "turning up the volume" on the emotion, which is letting that emotion become larger and deeper. You might find yourself smiling very very wide, or maybe you might begin to cry, or maybe you might feel a deep bitterness about something (I personally don't keep negative feelings out of the mix as it lets me surface emotional pain I might have, to acknowledge and let myself let go of them through this process). The ULTIMATE idea is capturing one emotion this way, and then capturing another emotion and combining it together, and then another and another (just like with your physical senses) and then combining them all with you. This becomes a very very deep and ultimate state of mind and can really bring out feelings and motivational powers within you that you never thought you had.

Anyway, you get the idea. FOR NOW, start off with just ONE sense. I recommend sound since it tends to be the easiest at least to me, to put your attention on and it has the most influence with controlling distracting thoughts.

In addition to the excellent suggestions already mentioned, you might want to try Hara Breathing. It's designed to improve focus and to balance and centre energies. Visualise your Hara (otherwise known as the "lower tantien" or the "sacral chakra"). It's a point around 3 finger-widths below your navel.

When you breathe in, visualise the energies of your breath being brought into this point. When you breathe out, spread those energies throughout your body and beyond. Continue breathing in and out of the hara for at least 5 minutes.

If you find your attention wandering, take note of this and then bring your attention back to the task. After a while this will become easier. This exercise also improves your overall energy flow and focus.

Thank you so much Hal_littleeye, for the great advice! I will definitely try your form of meditation shortly!

I'm currently trying to make salaat (a kind of prayer with meditative qualities) more of a part of my regular schedule. A part of it includes dthikr, which is often done in a way that involves a regulated breathing pattern corresponding to the word/phrase one is chanting. I'm going to see what happens when I include some of your methodologies into my salaat. I'll also try doing your meditation in the original format you've told me. Hopefully all goes well!

May the Force be with you wa alaikum assalaam - always!

You're very welcome! I'm happy to help and look forward to hearing how it goes for you a month or so down the road.

"salaat" - that's a Muslim practice isn't it? A friend of mine is a practicing Muslim, it's given him a really great outlook on the world and a sense of inner peace I was worried he'd never find. There's some really cool stuff in there; I'm going to have to do some more reading on the subject.

Live long and prosper
and May the Force be with you