I've considered taking up meditation, but I don't really know much about it. They're so many different types with different types of restrictions. I don't want to get too involved with anything that would contradict my beliefs. (I don't want to say any organized religion, but I do believe in God).
Anyhoo, I would like to know if anyone here in y/a meditates, what type, and how it has benifited you in any way. The more information the better!
-Grazie!
2006-11-02 09:34:41 · 4 answers · asked by §чﺀﺀчβчﻯ†a 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Zen is the purest form of meditation & it can be practiced alongside any belief or religion.
Its benefit cannot be fathomed, not by all the Buddhas combined.
2006-11-04 13:11:22 · answer #1 · answered by unseen_force_22 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, I meditate. the way I do so is to go outside ( weather
permitting ) with a blanket. the saying is the closer one is to Mother Earth the more energy one receives. then lay down in the shade of a nearby tree and Pray to GOD for a helpful meditation time. then I close my eyes and just try to relax letting my mind wander until it ceases to think about daily problems and strife. after a period of time there usually seems to be some thought or answer which comes to mind which helps advise in some of my problems. hope this helps
2006-11-02 09:43:49 · answer #2 · answered by Marvin R 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Meditation has nothing to do with beliefs. It is common to all religions. Lot of literature have been expounded by the religions in the East - that is why some think that meditation belongs to certain religions.
The whole aim of meditation is,
1. to calm your mind, and
2. to focus the mind on one thing.
For this you need only a silent place. You could sit on a chair or you could sit on the ground with folded legs.
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.
Anapana or concentration on the breath is the best form of meditation.
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 nearly 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.
2006-11-04 02:05:28 · answer #3 · answered by donp 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
to make it simple yet effective then all you have to do is practise emptying your mind of thought
i say simple ... it is the most difficult thing in the world lol
but with practise it gets easier
counting your breaths or listening to your heartbeat will help
and if thought comes to you , just acknowledge it and let it go
meditation can get quite technical but it doesnt have to if all that is needed is a way to quieten your mind and reach a state of peace and relaxation
good luck with it xx
2006-11-02 09:42:47 · answer #4 · answered by Peace 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋