Ideas/Yawns when Meditating

[Antigone]

Sometimes when meditating I think of something I'd like to recall later, like a question to ask someone or idea for a homework assignment. I've noted them briefly and then resumed my meditation, but should I instead aim to not write/move at all during meditation? I could tell myself that regardless of what I think, none of that is _really_ important and I'm choosing this certain amount of time solely for mindfulness.

The other thing is I tend to yawn frequently. I meditate in the morning but I'm not tired...I just do. I could also choose to not yawn, since most of the time the urge isn't that strong. Does this yawning interruption of "normal" breathing matter?

I realize I worry a lot about what's right...but if I can decide something for these questions, it'll be slightly easier for me to not want to follow my stream of consciousness when meditating.

[Attachless]

I often write down things during meditation, especially when they are interesting thoughts or ideas that consequently will later on be "realized" through implementation in a project or in a book I`m writing, or just something that could be of interest later on and I know through experience that hints of wisdom/inspiration/kiss of the muses will be gone the moment after completely, so when I notice a thought of importance/interest, I not it down. Sometimes a whole stream of interesting thoughts all aligned with each other arise and I notice them, and they are no more or less than a whole chapter of my book sometimes and most - okay, many - content in my book is just that, written down inspiration when it came; it doesn't really come from me by "thinking it through" and stuff.. the muse. When she kisses you in meditation, I make it priority - not always, but most of the time. Sometimes though I sit then and write 10-15 or 20 minutes even and write it into my phone before it`s gone (because that's what I have at hand during meditation) and then that "complete meditation time" is missing.

But, the very act of mindfulness makes us (or me..) receptive for such flashes of intuitions, ideas, inspiration etc.. I couldn`t come up with most things just by myself :-P but by being receptive and mindful of what is being received in forms of thought. I don`t know where creativity comes from, but meditation certainly helps to let it flow through, so to speak.

Yawns, I don`t know. Notice the urge, notice the action or inaction upon that urge, and keep meditating. After all, meditation is nothing but being truthful to the moment, and not "doing the moment right". If that is the moment of yours, be fully with it and don`t analyze it to death, which just abstracts you from the very moment experience and it`s a thin line, easily to be missed (as you see, a yawn can be enough) :-P

Greets

[Antigone]

Thank you! (I feel better about how to approach meditating now.) It's interesting that your writing flourishes with meditation!

[Laurent]

I too have noted the flourishing of ideas due to meditation.
It seems quite logical, the mix of a deeper analyze of phenomenas and stilling our usual trotting out should lead to more perspicacity. I think it is real. A quite good representation of this feeling is in the movie: "Limitless".
It is important to continue to dig and not to attach to those phenomenons, go deeper and deeper to get the deepest view at last. Otherwise we should find ourselves starting up a sect, or entering into politics 

Yawns makes me think about sneezes or even deglutition. Try to observe it without deliberately triggering it. It is possible that it doesn't trigger then. It is part of subtle changings that shows us where we are in meditation. Observing and triggering, observing and not triggering, cessation ...

 

[Goofaholix]

Ideally you shouldn't be writing, moving, or yawning during meditation unless it's really necessary.  This is a good opportunity to investigates the habits of the mind, just watch out for the impulse to write, move or yawn, what is prompting it?  is it necessary? Do you have to act on it?

Don't worry about forgetting things that you don't write down, if it was important then you'll remember.

[Antigone]

Ideally you shouldn't be writing, moving, or yawning during meditation unless it's really necessary.  This is a good opportunity to investigates the habits of the mind, just watch out for the impulse to write, move or yawn, what is prompting it?  is it necessary? Do you have to act on it?

What concerns me is that if I'm investigating/asking myself about this impulse and if it's necessary, I'm starting to follow-through. And I shouldn't follow-through...right?

[playground]

I keep a pen and a piece of paper next to me when i meditate.

Sometimes the ideas are things i should remember to do.

Sometimes the ideas are really excellent creative ideas that
i've regarded as being precious later.  (like keeping a private
journal - with which i would be "absolutely and painfully
honest" with myself --- which has turned out to be a five star idea)

Sometimes i write down a topic or concept which i then pursue
in my 'honest' journal.  I now realise that pursuing virtually any
topic, with a resolution to be 'absolutely and painfully honest' almost
always bears fruit....  it's always easy to do,  but  it always seems
to bare fruit and you sense intuitively that it's good for you.
Try it.. i recommend it.

Interestingly.. creative ideas seem to follow after doing
focused attention exercises...

[dharma bum]

In my second 10-day retreat, against the rules, I kept a journal of the daily meditation.

Like others, I find that meditation cleanses the mind and infuses creativity. Even ordinary objects around the house and in the neighbourhood appear different. Plants, trees, flowers, birds all seem more charged with beauty. You notice the light between the leaves, the colour of the sky etc. (I am a part-time artist).

[playground]

In my second 10-day retreat, against the rules, I kept a journal of the daily meditation.

Like others, I find that meditation cleanses the mind and infuses creativity. Even ordinary objects around the house and in the neighbourhood appear different. Plants, trees, flowers, birds all seem more charged with beauty. You notice the light between the leaves, the colour of the sky etc. (I am a part-time artist).

I agree with this 100%.

I notice a definite effect on my visual perceptions.
(It's as if the quality of my visual perception and visual appreciation
runs off some cerebral battery which is recharged during meditation).

And when i notice the effect the most, is when i'm out there, in
nature (which is when i go running through the forest, along the river)
I've remarked about this in my 'honest' journal many times. 
Over and over again i note that:
(1)  It's like my vision is now higher definition.
      There's more contrast .. and i notice the small details more
(2)  My depth perception, ie. 3-D perception is somehow enhanced
      ....  and... i somehow find it satisfying.  So  i focus on the
      trees and bushes along the path where i run and notice the
      relative motion of the background to the foreground.
      And being there, it feels somehow _more_ real than it
      normally does. 

And that's just my visual perception...

be happy

[Suited4Battle]

I have creative/inspirational thoughts during meditation and yoga and often if I'm dealing with a particular issue, it seems to work its way out through meditation or yoga,
like I can be consumed with an issue and by the time meditation is over I'm no longer thinking of this issue or see it more clearly with a lesser sense of urgency..

today during meditation, an answer came to me concerning a mistake I made in a poker hand over 2 weeks ago and I wrote down my thoughts a little while after I was done meditating,, it would never occur to me to actually stop meditating and being still to write down something or do anything else

I agree if its important and it came up during meditation u will remember later,,, I also find my vision is diff and more sensory after meditation esp when looking at nature,,i always first look at a tree across the street when finished and it just looks diff, more alive and vibrant