Anchor
17th May 2011, 11:30
I am going to restart a thread I started on the other forum.
Meditation has been, in my opinion, dressed up and made a thing of complexity. In some ways this is inevitable, because as I have said there countless ways to do it. However, I think also, commercialism and the influence of the distorting forces of the wanna-be-tyrants in charge has introduced more complexity than even that which was inevitable! I hope to try to cut through that and try to prod those that dont (or did but stopped) to have another go.
I am not an expert in this subject, but I am a practising meditator. However, there are people on this forum who are very much more knowledgeable than I am on the subject. I hope those people can add their information.
So I will tell you what I have learned about meditation in as simple form as I can.
1) You have to do it
2) No one will do it for you
3) Regular daily practise is essential for rapid progress
4) There are as many ways to meditate as there are people on the planet!
5) There are good systems that work for many people
6) There are systems that don?t work so well for many people (but still work for some people)
7) You can make up your own system, but it is often a good idea to try a mainstream system and see how you go ? to get started
8) There are some common themes in common meditation wisdom: breathing is important and deserves focus; silence is very handy; thoughts are ok, watch them as an observer
9) Very many mediators? encounter layers of experience, the more you do the deeper you can go.
10) Teachers are useful. When you need them, you will get them ? so don?t worry about this
If you have nowhere to start, allow me to make a suggestion that could at least get you past the first hurdles. This is how I do it. Even doing all this can be a real drama for some people - it was for me to start with ;)
a) Get up at the same time each day, then before you eat....
b) Sit in a chair (obviously there are many postures you can use, I find just sitting on a firm chair with my back upright is just fine)
c) Shut your eyes - relax
d) Breath
e) Mentally express gratitude for the day
f) Ask for blessing , protection and guidance for this day
g) Keep Breathing (not joking here, pay attention to it)
h) Observe your mind at work
i) Keep going
Where you go from here is down to you.
If you do this for a few weeks, even for as little as 5 mins per day, you will probably start encountering some useful synchronicities in your life that will point you in the right direction.
Meditation is essential. I mean it! If you don't meditate, please give it a try.
Perhaps, if you are well enough situated in life that you have the means to read this forum, then there is a fair chance that the life your super-concious self (or higher self) has created for you has afforded you the means and opportunity to meditate - generally there are no exceptions to this! No excuses - if you are not meditating or at least trying you are handicapping yourselves.
Please if you are having problems with your meditating, post them up here and let people help.
Keep it as simple as possible.
John..
Anchor
17th May 2011, 11:40
I have added a selection of comments that I already had to speed this along. Some of the ideas people had to offer were really good.
Excellent post, thank you John.
I would add.......
Watch your breath as if an observer.
Concentrate your attention at the point between the eyebrows (as this is the where the third eye is located).
Use a mantra (which requires a teacher) or chant om or AUM mentally.
http://www.yogananda-srf.org/tmp/meditation.aspx?id=120
Just a few variations/alternatives that may appeal to the real beginner:
(a) not less that an hour after a full meal
(b) any position you feel comfortable in - even curled up in a foetal position in bed!
(c) any time of the day
(d) just as in Tai Chi, yoga etc. breathing gently and smoothly is extremely important
(e) focus on your breathing and, when the thoughts start drawing your attention away, focus again on your breath
(f) just watch your thoughts - as though from a distance
(g) common 'problems' - although definitely not the most useful way to describe them:
(1) a non-stop train of thought, falling asleep, fidgeting, bodily discomfort, noises, things you 'have to' get done
(2) rule1 (also rule 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on): don't beat yourself up when things don't go as you want them to
(3) if you do, you're fighting against the system, you're self-sabotaging
(4) just gently let go of anything, anything at all, that you become aware of and focus again on your breath
(5) <== that IS meditating
(6) with practice you'll find that dealing caringly with distractions is the doorway into deeper meditation
(6) in this present time cycle, leading up to and beyond 2012, there are forces/energies, never before so active, at work - you might refer to them as an impulse of Creation - and, even without any effort on our part to attract them to us, they are guiding us toward the realisation of our full potential as human beings. Worth keeping in mind, perhaps.
On the problem of falling asleep: some postures are more prone to makeing this worse. If it is a problem for you, avoid postures like lying down, or those that have the head supported. Meditating after you get up will help, as you will have had your sleep already.
I have not seen the following suggestion yet, and I would like to add this, please
In your breathing, count heartbeats, rather than seconds.
It can take a few breaths to settle, but when it does, you have a strong platform developed to continue meditating.
I learned this concept when I used the 'journey to the wild divine' game. I noticed many of the levels were having me breathe with my heartbeat.
The range seemed to be 3 or 4 or 5 heartbeats per breath... oh and I think there was a 7 too in the beginning.
Anyway for the novice, it gives a little something for the mind to do which ends up settling it a bit.
Well, here is how I do it, for anyone it may help. I don't consider myself an expert either. My experience with meditation has been on and off; right now im back on. ;)
This is not to be read as the correct way to meditate. It is the way that has worked best for me.
After writing this I'm thinking it may not qualify as 'meditating simply', but since I already wrote it, here goes. :p
Before You Begin
1. Empty Stomach. It's best to meditate on an empty stomach.
2. Duration. Determine how long will you meditate for. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour, etc. Personally, I prefer to meditiate without being timed. I just end the meditation when I feel the time is right. This also eliminates problems such as wondering how much time is remaining.
3. Intent. It is a good idea to determine your intent before beginning, but not necessary.
Posture
4. Posture. Sit Cross Legged. Regular, lotus, or half lotus. If your knees do not touch the ground, sit on a cushion. I recommend your knees touch the ground.
5. Spine/Back. Make your back as straight as you can without straining it. To do this, focus on the crown chakra (that spot on top of your head near the rear where hair goes out in every direction) and imagine a string pulling you upwards from there, or, alternatively, you can push upwards from that area.
6. Chin. Tuck your chin slightly inwards, towards the body.
7. Hands. Several options.
i. Palms on you knees, fully relaxed.
ii. Back of your hands resting on your knees while holding your thumbs and middle fingers together lightly
iii. Hold your hands in a bowl position near your lower stomach, either crossing you fingers together or one hand on top of the other, and have your thumb tips touching together.
iv. Put your palms flat on the floor on each side of you in a relaxed manner. No guarantees here, this is my own custom one.
8. Eyes. Look a few feet, or a bit less than a meter, in front of you. Close your eyes but not entirely. Make sure your eyes are just slightly open, so that you can barely notice they are still open. This helps keep one of the chi channels open.
9. Tongue. Place the tip of your tongue at the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. This helps the chi flow through your body.
10. Mouth. Your mouth should also be just slightly open. If too much saliva accumulates, focus on swallowing it down to just below the navel. To your dan tian, if you know what that is. Do not to make this into a habbit, do it only if necessary.
Getting Started
11. Breathe. Begin breathing naturally, in a relaxed manner. All breathing will be done through the nose.
12. Relax. Start focusing on relaxing your entire body. This will allow the chi to flow much better. If you are new, you will begin to notice that there a many subtle tensions held within the body. Begin by relaxing your face, and then shoulders. Relax your entire stomach. Relax your knees and your wrists. Relax your rectum. Relax your throat. Pay attention to areas around your eyes, nose, and mouth as well. You may find this a little difficult at first but you will get better at it. As you are meditating, you may begin to notice that you can relax further. Sometimes fears will arise while doing this. I believe tensions in our body are largly the result of holding onto different fears.
13. Breathing Technique. I prefer using the even-breath-in-even-breath-out technique. The duration of the in-breath and out-breath are the same. Your breath should flow naturally, like water, without pause, totally relaxed. At first your breaths may be short and shallow. Ideally you want long, smooth, deep breaths, but do not try to force this, it will come naturally with practice.
14. Attention to Breath. You can either place your attention at the tip of your nose or you can follow the breath as it enters and exits the body.
15. Flow of Breath. When breathing in, start by filling in the belly area, then the chest area, and finally the throat area. When breathing out, exhale from the throat area, then the chest area, and finally the stomach area. This motion will become natural with practice and will not require attention.
During Meditation
16. Thoughts. While breathing you will begin to notice thoughts arising. Don't let this bother you, all is well. I put thoughts into two general categories.
i. Thoughts that distract you from focusing on the breath. Example1, 'What will I eat tonight?'. Example2, daydreaming.
ii. Thoughts that give rise to strong emotions. Example, past realtionship breakup.
17. Dealing With Thoughts.
i. Thoughts that distact you. When a distracting thought arises you may not notice it at first. When you do become aware of one, just gentilly return to the breath. Do not get frustrated if your mind wanders; just remember that every time you return to the breath you are increasing your ability to focus on the breath and calm the mind.
ii. Thoughts that give rise to strong emotions. Usually these will be negative emotions, if it is a positive one, you may wish to pause and appreciate the feeling, but do not allow it to distract you, gentilly return to the breath. I prefer do deal with strong negative emotions purly in the realm of feeling. At first, the thought will appear, and then a strong negative feeling will arise with it. Once you recognize this, discard the thought and switch your attention purely to the feeling that has risen. Do not judge it.
You will notice that it will arise from one of the three lower chakra centers (it has never happened otherwise for me). Focus on the area it is coming from. While breathing inward, bring rise to the feeling/vibration and gentilly begin to bring it upwards into the heart chakra. When the feeling/vibration reaches the heart chakra, begin to nourish it, care for it, smile at it (not physically) or something along those lines. The vibration may begin to move upwards from there, that is fine, allow it to flow naturally. Once you feel the negativity has passed, gentilly return to the breath.
18. Focus on the Breath. You will become better at focusing on the breath for longer durations without distraction, and eventually you will reach a state where you are purly focused on the breath. With experience, arriving at this state will become easier.
19. Automated Breath. After some time of pure focus on the breath it will become automated. This is where you will begin to transcend the mind. You may notice vibrations occuring throughout your body, and you may start to see colours appearing.
To be honest, this is about as far as I have gone so far, so I can no longer explain. It may be best that way from here onwards anyways.
20. Ending Meditation. When you end your meditation session, do not get up right away and start attending something. Allow yourself to smoothly come back to the waking state. The idea is to eventually transfer the calm mind of the meditation state into your daily life.
Tip: Do not always expect progress to be linear. Often, as your ability increases, greater challanges will be presented to you, so this may be viewed as a positive thing.
I always come up against the same problem... a dead leg.
Anyone have any advice on how to avoid it? I usually sit in half lotus.
Sit on a chair instead.
Lotus positions are useful for people who do not have chairs to sit on :)
I am absolutely terrible when it comes to this.
I did find some quiet time to give it a go. most of it spent working on a breathing rythm... but eventualy.... i got everything quiet..... even tho it was just for a moment :P
and as soon as i realised that... that was the end of it lol!!
Maybe you were "trying" too hard.
Just because your attention wavered it doesn't mean you failed, it means you took one more step in learning.
Try every day for two weeks!
A simple meditation exercise... (Channeled from Hatonn via LLResearch)
This is not the whole transcript for that go here (http://www.llresearch.org/transcripts/issues/1976/1976_0530.aspx)
We would like to begin by speaking with you about meditation. It is a technique that can be approached in endless ways. Tonight, we would like to say a few words about your physical body and its relation to meditation. Become aware, my friends, at this time of your symmetry as you sit comfortably in meditation. Your two legs, balanced. Each arm resting comfortably. Your eyes, my friends?the space between them, just balanced. That which you hear is being received symmetrically, stereophonically, by your ears. And you are in balance, each side in balance. You are a creature, in the body, of this duality?your right and your left. It is a symbol for all to see of the nature of the physical universe: that there are always two sides, two qualities, to be reconciled in balance.
As you rest in meditation now, my friends, become quite, quite reconciled to this two-sidedness of the physical. Begin to sense that point between your two sides, the point of balance, the point of stillness, the point that does not move. In between the two eyes is the point where your sight becomes one. Midway between your ears, you suddenly hear one whole sound.
You, my friends, are not creatures of duality. You simply reside in a physical body and in a physical universe which is of this nature. Therefore, you are under the illusion that you are of this nature. And it is in meditation that you seek knowledge of your true self, which is free from duality. You are not even that point of balance or stillness. You simply reside, in the physical, at that point of balance, if you have maintained a healthy awareness of who you are and that you are within your body but not of it. Many, many of your troubles in the physical arise from the fact that you?ve allowed that center of stillness to be moved by outward events, so that you seem to be unable to regain that balance.
Now?you find the balance of your body, and then release that connection. My friends, do not become so comfortable within your body that you forget that you are actually a stranger to this environment. Your essential being is unified. You not only know what this unity within yourself is, you are this unity. Coming into the knowledge of it is simply a matter of remaining still long enough to begin to know the true self. It is not a knowledge that must be pulled from far away: you are that knowing.
[ I was thinking about pilotsimone's request for help and the next thing I read was this, so pilotsimone, I dedicate this post to you - I hope it helps! http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?20462-Neep-help-Panic-attacks-while-driving-cross-country-right-now ]
Terra
17th May 2011, 11:57
Thankyou John, very helpful. The problem I have is I so easily drift off to sleep, have tried many times but my problem is always the same, I end up waking up to the sound of my own snoring and feel like I am never getting anywhere. Any tips and hints (other than get to bed earlier) would be welcome. How long on average do you "masters" practise it for each session?
Best regards
Terra (meditation nublet)
Edit: Nevermind just as I was posting this you added the answer above, thanks :)
linz2d
17th May 2011, 13:04
Its also best to warn people on the side effects of meditation. I am not trying to scare or advise individuals against the practice because I myself meditate everyday. Meditation is a very personal thing as we are working on the mind, body and soul, and depending on the stage of spiritual development individuals will have different experiences. Even if you have never mediated before do not compare yourself to someone who has meditated for years, you may be further along your spiritual path than you know and it is not a competition.
The side effects you may experience during meditation;
Hearing voices and or sounds, burning sensations, tingling, dizziness(after meditation give yourself a few seconds to come to your senses), drowsiness, resurfacing of painful memories or events, a sense of detachment in your daily life, developing schizophrenia(very rare), seeing visions, acute or strange movements of the body, you may start to see visual phenomena during the day, improved concentration, a feeling of contentment.... and more.
Experiencing these things should always be viewed in a positive way as it shows ones progression, if you are experiencing something like a bad memory during meditation then it is good because you still have not come to terms with what's happened, once you have the memory will go. As for developing schizophrenia, it is one of those things that can happen but its extremely rare.
linz2d
17th May 2011, 14:41
Something else I would like to add because I thought it was good advice, forgive me because I cant remember which book I read it from(it might of been Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind)... "Be the frog" and sometimes I say this to myself when I'm meditating.."Be the frog."
A frog will sit still and not move or blink, in a way it is very much like someone meditating but if a insect flies by he will shoot out his tongue and eat the insect. What this means it that when your meditating, and you have an itch, just scratch it, if you get a dead leg then move your leg. These irritations will play on your mind and distract you from your meditation. So "Be the Frog". If something comes up just deal with it and carry on.
http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af148/djensen04/TMB/This-Pleases-Me.jpg
John.D
17th May 2011, 15:10
Ive been trying to meditate on and off for about three years and find it very frustrating . Ive tried loads of different types but had the most success with concentrating on my breathing . No matter how much i try , I always find im engaged in a thought without realising it !!!! Grrrrrr !!!!! :)
John
Anchor
17th May 2011, 23:31
Ive been trying to meditate on and off for about three years and find it very frustrating . Ive tried loads of different types but had the most success with concentrating on my breathing . No matter how much i try , I always find im engaged in a thought without realising it !!!! Grrrrrr !!!!! :)
John
From what I read, this is common.
My suggestion, just take a back seat and let those thoughts run their course - watch or observe them from a "distance" but don't attach to them or analyze them.
I think you will find that even this will be of immense value. Its like cleaning a house, and prepares the way for deepening states.
Something that worked for me was to try and characterize the thoughts as kites blowing in the wind. Its important to let go of the string.
John..
Limited Edition
18th May 2011, 02:22
... but had the most success with concentrating on my breathing .
JohnYou can learn alot by focusing on your breath, especially the space between the breaths. I also have learned alot by listening intensely. Trying to hear sounds several miles away places more of a focus in the center of your head. For me, it increased my levels of concentration. There is also something to be said about
following a sound back to its source, and being aware of how sound moves through the air. Happy listening.:prpl:
TuffLittleUnit
18th May 2011, 11:15
Lot's of really good advice :)
Ive been trying to meditate on and off for about three years and find it very frustrating . Ive tried loads of different types but had the most success with concentrating on my breathing . No matter how much i try , I always find im engaged in a thought without realising it !!!! Grrrrrr !!!!! :)
John
Hi
Try to discard the virtue of each moment of thought or emotion. Sometimes it's too easy to classify these moments as negative, which detracts from your inherent natural balance.
Perhaps try a two stage breathing technique which combines both sharp and gentle inhalations (a nice contradiction :)). The depth of the first sharp breath will quickly reduce naturally. The second gentle inhalation is just an additional gentle gulp, only when both combined try and focus the gentle exhalation and energy towards the small point of focus, which is your pineal gland. Really it's only about taking thought(energy) of breath, to a gentle focus of energy, and subsequent natural exhalation.
It was Dogon's thread which helped me with that one.
hth
John.D
18th May 2011, 11:34
This thread has come at a good time . Me and my partner have been saying for the last week that we really need to get back into a routine with it .
Ive always struggled with the chatter , even when i was really on it and trying to meditate twice a day everyday . That said , a couple of times i got a strange feeling like a tingle (but not?) and a lifting sensation but i would jump (like when falling in a dream) and that would be the end of it !
Ive read a lot and spoke to people about meditating ....... One guy told me that its a bit like sleep , the harder you try , the harder it is :)
I'll get there eventually im sure .
Thanks for the advice .
John
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