How can you clear your mind for meditation?

Question

I am having a problem relaxing enough to meditate. Any suggestions on what I can do to help.

Answer 1

Concentrate on your breathing. As your breath comes in, feel your lungs expanding....as you exhale, feel your lungs deflating. As thoughts come in, acknowedge them, let them go.....keep breathing in, breathing out.....after a while you should feel the tension leave your body and mind and you will be in a receptive state for meditation.

Namaste!

Answer 2

Well, as you've seen from these answers, there are different approaches. Some traditions recommend focusing on a candle flame or an image, many recommend focusing on the breath. I myself find it very difficult, so all I'm going to say is: you're not alone. It isn't supposed to be easy or come naturally. Don't struggle with it, but don't expect it to be fabulous. As Chogyam Trungpa writes, in reality it is very boring. I used to think I just wasn't the right sort of person for meditation, but then I realized you have to keep trying.

Answer 3

First breathe~imagine, the breathe comes in through your nose and up your head going down your back spine until it reaches the bottom(1st Chakra) then circle up to wards the front and hold as long as comfortable at the point of Tan Tien(below navel/or power house) then breathe out from the front up through your mouth. Inhale(expand your stomach as if a baloon is expanding) exhale, deflate the baloon inside your tummy. Chest breathing will make your heart beat faster so, not so good for relaxing. Breathe through your tummy. Remember, exhale is twice slower than inhale. When you've mastered this, just be mindful, cos u don't wanna control your monkey mind as yet as a beginner. Just notice sensations, around you. What do you feel, what sound do u hear and etc. Don't think or visualise, just acknowledge and be mindfull. Don't even judge..example if you hear a very noisy sound playing and it's irritating you, just simply repeat words like noisy noisy noisy and let go, and move on to the next mindfullness.

Answer 4

Literally 'count your blessings'. Just start thinking of all the things you are thankful for. Keep being thankful (be specific with your growing list) until you enter a period of grace and love. Then just let your mind receive whatever thoughts enter it. You can even 'ask the universe' for a message at this point. Take 'seriously' any thought that comes to you. Meditation is often misconstrued as 'an absence of thought'. It is actually a state of total thankfulness and love which opens your heart to hear the messages from your soul.

I learned these principles from Dr. John Demartini. He has written many books. I highly recommend his "Count Your Blessings" book for an incredible journey into a whole new understanding of life and its challenges.

Hope this is helpful. Best wishes and good luck.

Answer 5

Rachel, the whole aim of meditation is,
1. to calm your mind, and
2. to focus the mind on one thing.

The mind of a normal person is like an uncontrolled monkey jumping from one thought to another. To process all these thoughts a lot of body energy is used. Thus if your mind cease to process thoughts you will be saving a lot of body energy which can be used to cure a lot of ailments in your body. That is why a person who continues to meditate regularly even gets a nice body complexion.

If you sit down and close your eyes you will notice that your mind is jumping from one thought to another. Even though you want to concentrate on your breath you will find other thoughts also coming in between.

In learning to meditate you must first learn to calm your mind. You do this by following every thought that comes into you mind. You must be like a Manager of a Hotel who stands at the entrance and observes the customers coming in. Without getting attached to the thoughts try to observe them. You will find that a thought comes in and that it goes nowhere and another thought follows it - try following that too - with same results. This way you will find that your thoughts gradually subside. Do not try to force out your thoughts.

Of course do not expect results in one or two days. Practise it for at least 40 minutes every day for at least 2 months you find that you have 'killed' your train of thoughts. I have practised for 1 1/2 years and still vagrant thoughts come in.

Thereafter start concentrating on your breath. Notice the breath coming in and going out. You should not concentrate only on the tip of your nose. Notice the breath coming in and thereafter your lungs getting filled and then gradually exhaling the breath.

After you finish that for the day start to think of a person or several persons whom you hate most. Having those people in mind start to think in a compassionate manner "may he be healthy, may he be happy, may he go up in life, may he live long". Keep on doing this for about 10 minutes a day for a few months you will find that you do not get angry even when you have to get angry.

You should be able to get some guidance from the following sites,

1. http://www.dhamma.org/vipassan.htm
2. http://www.meditationexpert.com/ and click on the free articles on yoga meditation - it includes articles on all types of meditations including christian and muslim meditation.

Answer 6

find that one smell that just takes u away to bliss and calmness, the use of incense, candles, and oils, try different kinds. I love Francene's, lavender, and candles just help me feel relax seeing and smelling them.

Answer 7

Try staring at a lit candle