[awshepard]

> even people who practice half-hour daily buddhist meditation praise its beneficial effects on mental and physical well being.

Wanted to lend some weight to this. I've practiced mindful meditation on and off for a year or so. I've never hit an hour or even half an hour at a time, but I will say it is fairly effective for recalibrating your mental state even with just a few minutes a day. I find myself much more patient, accepting, and clear-headed when meditating regularly, which was exactly what I was hoping to accomplish. I occasionally find myself re-centering and focusing on breathing while not meditating - just a reflex that develops with the practice, and even if its effects are strictly physical (eg more oxygen to the brain), it still feels good, mentally, to get that shot of clarity throughout the day.

I can't speak to its effects on addiction, or other forms of pain, but I would definitely recommend some form of meditation for everyone.

[mattm]

I've found 20, 45 or 90 minutes to be the ideal time where I feel super refreshed after. Maybe try pushing yourself sometime to get to longer times just to see how it goes.

[baby]

I don't know about meditation, but when I write in the morning I feel like I can think more clearly and express myself more easily during the day. Might be a form of "re-arranging" your brain.

[bitcrusher]

It's a well known technique... Stream of Consciousness writing in the morning is very effective at clearing out the mind before the day starts.

Some Artists use this and call it "morning pages" (Check out "The Artists Way". )