Meditation and LSAT

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• 3 Likes

  Khalil.davis-1 Free Trial Member

  November 2014 17 karma

  Before you start any LSAT work, take the minimum of 10 to 15min for meditation.
  
  My meditation method: is that I have everything laid out in front of me. I sit up right in the chair, put on calm soothing music of my preference. (Erykah Badu or Jill Scott helps me). Put it on really low, so it sounds like whispers. Close my eyes, Take deep breathes and focus your attention on becoming calm. Repeat a mantra to myself, (any inspiring one). By the time my timer goes off, I am readily calm, super focused, and feel empowered to take my LSAT. My success is that I do not feel rushed during my exam and I answer questions with better reasoning.
  
  Plus, If you are new to meditation, you can find any 10min meditation guide online and follow that.
  Hope this helps!
• Quick Silver Alum Inactive Sage

  November 2014 1049 karma

  Does anyone know where the meditation samples in the 7Sage course syllabus comes from? They're pretty good!
• 5 Likes

  James Ray Alum Member

  November 2014 186 karma

  Someone asks me for this so I thought I would repost here:
  
  My meditation is for use during the break period. There are other techniques for the other times, but this one is great for that 15 min break. Ok so, the first five minutes, after taking care of bathroom needs, snacks, etc. I use something called the flood technique. We flood our mind with all the issues, concerns with particular questions, anxiety over where we messed up, all of what has happened in the previous three sections. This gets it all out there and in a torrent. The idea is that you flood your mind with all of it to such a degree that it becomes white noise. You do this while doing basic stretches. The physicality will help you break away from what you've done and leave it behind. Do this until you are 5 minutes into the break, max of 7.
  
  For the next 5 minutes we are going to do a technique I call world builder. Now this can have many expressions but the basic idea is to close your eyes, take deep breathes in through your nose, exhale through your mouth, and while you are doing this, imagine that you are willing into existence cities, countries, towns, everything. You can do whatever speaks to you. Castles if you love castles. Pagodas if that is interesting to you. Build furniture if you like that. the idea is to create things in your mind, complete them, then wipe them away and build something else. Hell, it can even be like a mini-story. if you hit a block, just wipe the slate clean and start again. This accesses the creative parts of your mind and activates it in a stress relieving, interesting, and relaxing way. You do this for five minutes.
  
  For the last five minutes of break, you think about what is ahead. You think, ok well i did great before so I need to keep this up. Or maybe, I did poorly but I am capable of getting any question correct and if this is so then I am capable fo getting every question correct. Focus on being positive and remember how awesome you are. Focus on your own ascension and what you have to do in the next hour. This is the time to get your mind right. Basically its a pep talk from your internal monologue. This is also free form and individual to a person. you know what gets you pumped better than anyone and you need to be hungry and focused for the last section. not because you want it over, but because YOU want to end it. YOU want to conquer. because YOU want the win.
  
  The last step is part of something larger I have worked on that I call the Icon Call. The Icon Call is a notion that I love, personally. What I do is, I have an icon, a mental totem, that I associate with being positive, being intelligent, sharp, excellent, relaxed and on point. I have built this in my mind and the relationship I have to my Icon is strong now. Its like having a necklace or doll or something you find comforting and encouraging, only its more potent because it is born of your individuality and crafted of your will. Right before you start, pencil in hand, take one more breath, close your eyes and envision your icon, call upon it, and get to work.
  
  Thats it folks. This works for me, I hope it helps you.
• pjanderson5 Free Trial Member

  November 2014 238 karma

  @khalil and @james, have you guys seen score improvements from these techniques?
• MsAnnieP Alum Member

  November 2014 11 karma

  First things first: There's no "get-rich-quick" schemes when it comes to the LSAT. You either study conscientiously and do well or you mess around and you don't.
  
  My family and I have been meditating for over 30 years combined (me for six+). The method we use is called Transcendental Meditation (tm.org). It's easy: You close your eyes for 20 minutes twice a day and repeat the mantra you're assigned when you learned the technique. It's made me more mindful and less stressed, it's fantastic and I can't praise it enough. (My mom's been doing it for around 20 years and she has even more benefits if you'd like to know).
  
  TM's existed for thousands of years. A lot of important people and celebs do it (if you care for that sort of thing) and also love it (there are even schools that require it--including Oprah's in Africa); there's been documentaries on it and everything. Youtube it if you want.
  
  BUT. I won't try to sell you on it (yes, it costs money to learn TM) because while it's true that everyone would benefit from practicing it, I wouldn't recommend it JUST to improve a score for two reasons: 1) I'm not God and Idk whether it really help your score if you're not already improving yourself in other ways; and 2) I've always been a good student and I don't ever get very stressed, so while I know that TM's contributed to my overall wellbeing (and great school performance), I don't know how much.
  (Or to put it in your terms, Idk how much my scores have improved from TM vs. what they could be if I didn't do TM b/c I've been doing it + other beneficial things for so long.)
  
  So your question is a valid one and I think it's admirable to look at outside ways to help your score, but know that just like with anything worthwhile in life, immediate gratification isn't the answer. Exercise, sleep and eat well, study, repeat. Avoid big positive/negative life changes until after you're done prepping. Decrease/eliminate alcohol consumption. Take your time(!). Pray if you already do. Relax YOUR way. Add meditation or yoga if it feels right. Meditating is invaluable but if you start doing it with the sole purpose of helping your scores go up, you're better off not doing it.
  
  Hope that helps and study hard!!
• pjanderson5 Free Trial Member

  November 2014 238 karma

  Thanks for the input! I know the hard studying is required. I cancelled in Sept and have been studying my ass off for the Dec exam. I'm often making mistakes because of nerves, anxiety, and not reading thoroughly enough. I think meditation can only be beneficial for me.