I came across this site www.how-to-meditate.org the other day while on Stumble upon and thought I’d share it with you. It gives some basics of meditation, breathing exercises, andrecommended readings. While I’ve only explored a small part of the site, I like what I see already and it’s very easy to navigate for those unfamiliar with this concept. If there was ever a period in time that we as traders needed every advantage to keep our own minds calm, this is it.
If we train in meditation, our mind will gradually become more and more peaceful, and we will experience a purer and purer form of happiness. Eventually, we will be able to stay happy all the time, even in the most difficult circumstances.
Even after a difficult trading session I always feel better after I turn off the computer, clear my mind, and simply breathe. I’ll be honest, at first I never thought that I would find the time to sit there and do nothing, but it’s very refreshing, almost having the effect of recharging one’s battery.
Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. It seems as if our mind is like a balloon in the wind – blown here and there by external circumstances. If things go well, our mind is happy, but if they go badly, it immediately becomes unhappy.
Such fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation.
I’ll be honest, I have my days trading where I still feel like a balloon but that’s more the result of the large increase of volatility that still remains in the market. The problem that faces investors is we have no idea when conditions are going to calm down and return to normal. It could be tomorrow or it may be years from now. We experienced an extended uptrend that we become conditioned to expect and we are constantly wondering when things will turnaround. Maybe volatility is the new norm?
The question we have to ask ourselves is if he market remains the way it is now, will you still enjoy trading 2 years from now? Will your equity curve slope upwards from left to right or downward? And more importantly, how will your health be affected by the daily ups and downs. I’ve noticed many bloggers becoming more and more frustrated by their inability to trade this non-trending market with wild intraday action. Trading from a frustrated point of view will always end in disaster. Trying to calm your mind is just one way you can gain an edge in this zero sum game.
Link to breathing exercises.
Link to meditation music.
