Improved my relationship with my fiancée

Report from a 52-year-old man who attended three of my meditation classes over 3 weeks.  He picked up the meditation techniques very quickly, practiced in all earnestness, and derived remarkable benefits in just 3 weeks. When I see improvement achieved by such people, I get the thought “How many people are suffering from not knowing these simple techniques or similar ones? Should we not teach them in school and college?”. His responses to my standard questions are as follows.

What were the issues that prompted you to do the classes?

Insomnia: I have sleep apnea and have been using the CPAP machine. I had a hard time falling asleep. I was waking up 2- 3 times in the night.

How to manage stress: Managing anger (as it affected my relationship with my fiancée)

What meditation techniques have you practiced and at what times?

I practiced ‘Counting mode’ primarily, the ‘Segment mode’, or the ‘Tip mode’. I also practice the ‘Staring mode’ when at a red light. I find myself being disappointed when the light turns green, as it interrupts my breathing practice. I also use the feeling mode sometimes when at work.

I do the ‘waking up routine’.

After returning from work, I lie down on the carpet with a yoga mat under just below the knee and complete four hands using the ‘Segment mode’.

I do the going the ‘bed routine’ every night.

What improvements have you noticed in mind, body, and relationships?

My insomnia has improved dramatically. In just the three weeks of practicing these meditation techniques, I have only woken up once in the middle of the night, and I fall asleep much faster.

I’m much more patient in circumstances where I’m usually impatient, such as waiting at a red light.

I feel much more relaxed. Especially after coming home from work and doing the after-work routine. I feel incredibly relaxed after that, like all the day’s tension has gone.

It has improved my relationship with my fiancé. I’m much calmer in situations where normally I would react in anger or feel tension rising within me. Instead of responding back to her in anger and frustration, I try ways such as telling her that I appreciate her feedback, but I get negative feelings when she expresses it to me in that manner. This has worked in preventing the situation from escalating. I try not to feed the fire.

June 2013

Related pages

Meditators' reports