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How do i meditate?
- Thread starter NickMode
- Start date
W
Wunderkind
sit in silence and clear your mind. That's about it.
the most important thing is the complete silence, imo.
Babombeez
Active member
Wunderkind said:
I kind of feel this is very common misconception... Meditation is not necessarily about "clearing your mind." To turn the mind off is next to impossible.
However, to quiet the mind is different than clearing the mind. The mind was created to analyze every minute detail, therefore it takes some effort on your part to be able to quiet the mind.
Mindfullness is a VERY important part of meditation. The Buddha himself said so. So have many other enlightened beings.
1) To meditate, simply sit an a very quiet place. Turn of all electronic devices, unplug your phone, turn your wireless internet off, your cell phone, everything off! Make sure you have no interruptions...
2) Next, sit in either a cross legged position with your back as straight as possible without being uncomfortable, or sit in a chair with your feet touching the ground,. take your shoes off. Its good to sit in a chair that is comfortable, but keep your back straight.
3) Close your eyes and begin to just breathe. Don't think about anything else except your breath... Thoughts will come and go, but maintain focus upon your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly, but expand your diaphragm and your chest upon inhalation, and on the exhale just exhaust all your breath. It is easier for me to count my breath in my head, on the inhale, using 1, 2, 3, 4 as my guide... You can adjust the count to correspond to your duration of the inhalations and exhalations. Stay focused on your breath, this is KEY! Breath in and count 1,2,3,4, breath out and count 1,2,3,4. Keep on doing this and after a while you will forget about breathing and it will just come naturally, your mind will be quieted, and you will be in meditation and insights might or might not come to you, just be aware and in the moment. Don't have any expectations, just think of this meditation as a science experiment, you are the one conducting the experiment...
4) Record your experience in a journal or something, the computer is good too! Even if nothing happens, write it down!!!
5) Reflect on our meditations at some other time.
insight meditation is a powerful tool, it is also excellent for your health and is used in treating disease.
Beez
H
Hal
One of the great books on the subject:
How To Meditate, by Lawrence LeShan. Its been around forever (so has meditation...) and is definitely a classic. Check out the reviews on Amazon....
http://www.amazon.com/How-Meditate-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218805142&sr=1-1
Since it is an older book, you should be able to pick it up used for a few bucks.
How To Meditate, by Lawrence LeShan. Its been around forever (so has meditation...) and is definitely a classic. Check out the reviews on Amazon....
http://www.amazon.com/How-Meditate-...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218805142&sr=1-1
Since it is an older book, you should be able to pick it up used for a few bucks.
theres many types of meditations though
silence doesnt matter
what is the sound of silence?
if you cannot overcome the noise around you, how would you ever overcome the noise in your head?
find the joy in the unfolding of big mind
silence doesnt matter
what is the sound of silence?
if you cannot overcome the noise around you, how would you ever overcome the noise in your head?
find the joy in the unfolding of big mind
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S
stoned teacher
I'm glad others have begun to come on here and speak of different meditations and that it's not really about "clearing" the mind and silence (necessarily).... I was lucky to take a class in college on meditation in the Philosophy dept, and I'm not going to say in ways it wasn't a b.s. class, but I will say that we did a LOT of different meditations....more than i can count now....
The meditation described above by Babombeez is I think considered the most basic (ronreligious) meditation of relaxation....focusing alllll thought on every minute aspect and feel of the breath and nothing else....personally i was never a fan of the cross legged position at all so if it feels uncomfortable to the point where it takes your attention, I'd more go for a chair like he said, once i got better at meditating i enjoyed laying down and no i didn't go right to sleep..... Yes all about mindfulness and YES i recommend the journal
When you start trying to meditate, it will be hard to stay focused on just the breath or whatever you're trying to focus on, if you're mind wanders, it's OK, recognise it, bring it back to the breath (or whatever you're meditating on)....as you do it more it gets much easier to remain mindful and not have your mind wander......
Guys there's 1,000,000 meditations and you can meditate on almost anything.....we did some crazy meditation with drums (i wasn't feeling that one), focused all of our thought on picturing and feeling us in the whole better prettier more peaceful place....some crazy stuff but it all proved how powerful the mind is....
If I can share my personal favorite "intro"meditiaton to show the power of the mind, I've done this with students of various grade levels (until one parent wouldn't believe it wasn't buddhist thus religious indoctrination) with really good success! Take a half hour to an hour, at your own pace, and give it a try!!!!!!!!
If your mind wanders, it's OK, bring it back to focus on what you're focusing on....the more you are mindful, the easier it gets!!!!!
I think it's a good meditation cause you can physically feel it significantly...can really show you the power of the mind
1. Get comfy, the chair, pillow, or laying down if you're NOT TIRED...I also personally don't recommend this baked (or excessively baked if you're high all the time)...sober is really the best way......stretch real quick , crack any joints that feel like they need it.....start by taking 5 minutes to relax, breath, focus on nothing but the breath (as described above)...if another thought enters your mind, it's OK, go back to the breath......eyes are closed no noises of course...thinking and feeling the every minute little aspect of the breath and nothing else.....
2. Once your relaxed and able to focus on the breath, shift all of your mind/focus to feeling your toes feel very relaxed (I'm serious)...take a minute to feel and think about your toes relaxing.....the harder you're able to focus all of your mind that you're toes are relaxed, the more relaxed they will be...
3. Got it...now little part, one at a time from bottom up, take a minute and focus on each one relaxing, once you move up, everything below it already relaxed stays that way....take that minute and focus your attention to the next little part of your body being totally relaxed....
4. When your done spend time trying to focus on making the whole body even more relaxed....You can go on and on...whatever you put your mind to at that point can happen in a "within" sense......
I doubth anybody's gonna put down their pipe and laptop and go try this, lol, but if you do and stick with it for real, it's EASY, relaxing, and quite a cool experience...
We're so externally driven nowadays, it's great to take an hour or two a week and totally totally focus within....quite a relief in this hectic world
The meditation described above by Babombeez is I think considered the most basic (ronreligious) meditation of relaxation....focusing alllll thought on every minute aspect and feel of the breath and nothing else....personally i was never a fan of the cross legged position at all so if it feels uncomfortable to the point where it takes your attention, I'd more go for a chair like he said, once i got better at meditating i enjoyed laying down and no i didn't go right to sleep..... Yes all about mindfulness and YES i recommend the journal
When you start trying to meditate, it will be hard to stay focused on just the breath or whatever you're trying to focus on, if you're mind wanders, it's OK, recognise it, bring it back to the breath (or whatever you're meditating on)....as you do it more it gets much easier to remain mindful and not have your mind wander......
Guys there's 1,000,000 meditations and you can meditate on almost anything.....we did some crazy meditation with drums (i wasn't feeling that one), focused all of our thought on picturing and feeling us in the whole better prettier more peaceful place....some crazy stuff but it all proved how powerful the mind is....
If I can share my personal favorite "intro"meditiaton to show the power of the mind, I've done this with students of various grade levels (until one parent wouldn't believe it wasn't buddhist thus religious indoctrination) with really good success! Take a half hour to an hour, at your own pace, and give it a try!!!!!!!!
If your mind wanders, it's OK, bring it back to focus on what you're focusing on....the more you are mindful, the easier it gets!!!!!
I think it's a good meditation cause you can physically feel it significantly...can really show you the power of the mind
1. Get comfy, the chair, pillow, or laying down if you're NOT TIRED...I also personally don't recommend this baked (or excessively baked if you're high all the time)...sober is really the best way......stretch real quick , crack any joints that feel like they need it.....start by taking 5 minutes to relax, breath, focus on nothing but the breath (as described above)...if another thought enters your mind, it's OK, go back to the breath......eyes are closed no noises of course...thinking and feeling the every minute little aspect of the breath and nothing else.....
2. Once your relaxed and able to focus on the breath, shift all of your mind/focus to feeling your toes feel very relaxed (I'm serious)...take a minute to feel and think about your toes relaxing.....the harder you're able to focus all of your mind that you're toes are relaxed, the more relaxed they will be...
3. Got it...now little part, one at a time from bottom up, take a minute and focus on each one relaxing, once you move up, everything below it already relaxed stays that way....take that minute and focus your attention to the next little part of your body being totally relaxed....
4. When your done spend time trying to focus on making the whole body even more relaxed....You can go on and on...whatever you put your mind to at that point can happen in a "within" sense......
I doubth anybody's gonna put down their pipe and laptop and go try this, lol, but if you do and stick with it for real, it's EASY, relaxing, and quite a cool experience...
We're so externally driven nowadays, it's great to take an hour or two a week and totally totally focus within....quite a relief in this hectic world
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Here is a short video that shows you how to meditate. You might not get to the meditation state right away. Practice and keep practicing until you do.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rSmxsVHPE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0rSmxsVHPE
Check out self realization fellowship if you are in cali. They have gurus there that can give you shaktipat.
mjcuresall
Active member
My doctor has practiced transcendental meditation for years. He tells me he requires only 2 - 4 hours of sleep each night. He makes hospital rounds, in addition to having his own practice. He's also an accomplished musician and is fluent in 4 or 5 languages. Whenever I see him he's always on top of his game. Numerous studies prove its benefits. I'm just beginning...
fari
Active member
Wow, almost none of these descriptions fit my view on meditation, the only reason i prefer to meditate without thoughts is because mostly they confuse you from the truth. Meditation is nothing more then connecting to the Divine, it is the process of enlightenment, the realization of the Self, the answer to "who am I"...
If you want to meditate, meditate on the question who am I, or what am I here for, the answer lies within, and finding it is what causes meditation. In meditation you witness the true reality of all beings, including yourself, its a long path to walk on, you must be honest and clean hearted when seeking to find the True Love of Jah.
Blessed Love
If you want to meditate, meditate on the question who am I, or what am I here for, the answer lies within, and finding it is what causes meditation. In meditation you witness the true reality of all beings, including yourself, its a long path to walk on, you must be honest and clean hearted when seeking to find the True Love of Jah.
Blessed Love
When you meditate you are not supposed to ask yourself questions. Your mind is supposed to be completely blank. The only thing you are supposed to focus on is the ajna chakra which is located in the middle lower forehead. It is also known as the third eye and is the same spot where you see hindus put the red dots on the faces. It is the main chakra for clairvoyancy. You are also supposed to curl your tongue back onto your palate to allow greater energy flow through your body. I studied these practices for years and meditation does work. You have to be a clean soul though or you may have negative effects from meditation. I no longer meditate because i smoke cigarettes now and energy will work for both the negative and positive and strengthen them without discretion.
NPK
Active member
MrMcBean said:i just dont know how i am going to get myself to do it.. im way to hyper. i need ACTION. all of the things described here are things i do at night when im trying to get some sleep. I do believe though!!!! just cant get down on the floor..
I'm not an expert practitioner of meditation, but a basic form of it helps me sleep when I'd otherwise be lying in bed worrying. It's the only thing that shuts off the chatter and worry in my brain. I simply focus on breathing, which I do in a rhythmic way. I breathe in deeply through my nose and slowly exhale through my mouth. I clear my mind of any and all thoughts (that's the tough part) and deliberately make my limbs go limp. Next thing, it's morning! I think of it as active relaxation, and it's the best sleeping pill in the world.
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M
medical_shed
Yoga is great if you don't want to sit still, meditation in motion.
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P
perakko
some good instructions in this thread already, and lets remember there's no 'wrong' styles to medicate i'm sure we can all find something that fits us.
to me medication is basicly, what has already been said in here, quieting the mind, intercepting the though, whatever you want to call it. and i've found out taking long walkabouts in nature is propably the best way for me to achieve this. quiet your though, don't look anything directly, at least for a long time, and try to keep your eyes pointed a little over the horizon. works for me!
to me medication is basicly, what has already been said in here, quieting the mind, intercepting the though, whatever you want to call it. and i've found out taking long walkabouts in nature is propably the best way for me to achieve this. quiet your though, don't look anything directly, at least for a long time, and try to keep your eyes pointed a little over the horizon. works for me!
