Meditation?....?

Question

has anyone got any advice on how to meditate properly and what experience you have of the process....I have tried unsuccesfully to get into a deep medaative state but alas I have failed.

Thanks to all who have wisdom on this subject

Answer 1

There are many forms of meditation, and the best way to meditate is to focus on the one that works for you.

The most well-known meditative state is that of transcendental meditation, where you try to focus on nothing at all. My mother first taught me about it when I was 8 or 9, and said that her personal experience was that the best way was to focus on a word that had no meaning at all, and everytime your mind wandered, bring yourself back to that meaningless point. She told me that it is very difficult and that everyone mind will wander to something else, but just bring it back. It takes many years of study to learn to deeply meditate like this.

Another way to meditate, and my personal favorite, is through visualization. I first learned about that in a Yoga book, when I was about 12. It said to lie on your back, and relax your body by tensing every muscle, and then one by one releasing them, so make sure that your whole physical body is in a relaxed state. Then, you should envisage yourself standing at a gate, which you cannot see through, and holding all your burdens. You put these on the floor, and the gate is opened to you, and leads into a beautiful garden. You feel the sunshine beaming down on you, the fresh, cool, warm wind blowing, and marvel in the beauty of the flowers and nature around you. You watch bumble-bees, and flowers opening and closing, the wind rustling in the trees, and know that nothing can bother you here, because you left all your troubles outside. This for me was better, because I could become mentally involved in the scene around me, and during times of stress or worry I could just pull my mind back to the flower garden to bring about me a new sense of peace and tranquility.

Hope this helps!

x

Answer 2

I LOVE meditation and I have never had a completely blank mind because you do not need to have a completely blank mind in order to get the benefits of meditation.

In fact, the kind of meditation that I do is kind of Americanized and involves taking steps with your mind so that you practice focus and not so much complete nothingness.

You can take a free course on the kind of meditation I'm talking about at: http://www.meditationformastery.com

That being said . . . I have found that when I can slip into silence for any sustained period of time (that is silence in my head) that there is an entirely new world waiting for me in the silence. This period of silence can be as short as 20 seconds or upto 2 minutes. That is all it takes to shift your consciousness.

This is when I go deep.

So my experience is that when you meditate long enough to be able to quiet down the chatter, slip into the observer mode where you are just watching thoughts float by like clouds, not trying to stop them or process them, you can get yourself into a very deep state.

And when you are in this deep state, you will find some new and very special experiences waiting for you. It can be truly blissful.

Answer 3

Buddhist meditation starts off with focus on the breath as the object of meditation in order to help see how thoughts arise and are impermanent like clouds in the sky, in order to learn how to calm the mind, then there's the analytical meditation where one's object of meditation is a point of logic or concept that the Buddha taught where you "chew it over" analytically until you come to your own conclusions.

So it depends on what kind of meditation you want to do.

Focus on the breath is simple... you sit on your cushion in half-lotus or full lotus (if unable to do the lotus, you sit on a chair with feet flat on the ground, back straight), your back straight, head aligned w/ your spine, chin back slightly, nose (nares) parallel to the ground, hands either on the knees palm down or the right hand resting on the left, thumbs slightly touching to support the other set at the navel. Eyes, if open, should have the gaze floating somewhere in the air around the tip of the nose, not cross-eyed either... LOL. Tongue should be resting lightly on the palate directly behind the upper front teeth, mouth slightly open to keep the jaw from clenching.

Once you're in a comfortable position you simply focus on the sensation of the air rushing through your nostrils, in and out. When a thought arises or distraction, you simply and non-judgementally label it as such (i.e. "thinking", "distraction") in your head and return to the breath. Don't control the breath, simply "watch" it as if you're a non-judgemental witness always returning to the breath when a thought flits by, and no matter what the thought is you don't judge it nor yourself.

Start with 10 minutes and work your way upward. Also if you're interested in this as a form of meditation, a meditation instructor at a local Buddhist center will guide you, as well as give advice when certain things arise... like when you're tired, agitated and can't calm down, etc.

Hope this gives you some insight to the basics. There are a lot of books out on the topic, and many have guided meditations CDs with them. Find one that works for you.

_()_

Answer 4

A lot of people fail to really understand meditation and seem to think you have to completely empty your mind to nothingness in order to meditate. This is not necessarily the case. Guided meditations and insight meditations require your mind be relaxed, but open to allowing thoughts enter.

First, start by focusing on your breathing. Start at your toes and tighten all your muscles up your body until you reach your head. Keep focusing on your breath. Then relax all the muscles starting in your head, neck, shoulders, chest and arms, stomach, pelvis, legs, and finally your feet. That should relax you.

Then - just let your mind drift onto whatever subject it wishes. Observe your thoughts and any emotions that come with them, but don't allow yourself to react to those emotions. Just watch - having removed yourself. When you're in deep meditation - you will be so involved in what's going on in your mind that you'll tune out any external sources of distraction.

Answer 5

Just understand this: Human mind can not rest - it keeps thinking about something or the other. Even when you try to meditate, your mind thinks of meditating ! So, it is nearly impossible to neutralize one's mind and bring it to a halt.

But, meditation itself makes it possible if you work hard and practise. Intially, you should try calming, not thinking about many things. Then, as your mind gradually comes within its own control, it would not be too difficult to bring it to 'Zero' for a moment or two. But that's all you can achieve after months of hard work. Just in case you succeed brining your mind to a longer halt, which is called 'transe', you will be able to see its benefits and the kind of pure joy it gives you !

Good luck then !

Answer 6

Meditation:
For all advices on how to meditate properly and get experience of the process....also to get into a deep meditative state successfully, visit http://www.sahajayoga.org and visit your nearest center or meetings place.Its always free and very easy to practice.

Thanks for your interest in this subject.

Answer 7

i'm a Hindu and that i generally meditate interior the early morning if i will. I start up and end via chanting "Om Namaha Shivaya" and end that why. some human beings do use it to sense comfortable,you do no longer unavoidably might desire to be non secular to coach it.i take advantage of it to quiet my innovations and to develop into at one with Shiva. i think of that is a superb non secular practice. there are a number of actual and psychological advantages from meditating. i at the instant study The paintings of Meditation and it outlines the advantages,a number of that are being much less services to rigidity and stress themes,it additionally decreases blood rigidity and improves air pass to the lungs to call some. i've got in basic terms ever had one non secular adventure from meditating.I observed a determine sitting on a mountain and that i rapidly recognized him as Shiva. He got here in direction of me and that i observed his 0.33 eye develop into open,yet fairly of his 0.33 eye opened of anger i observed he develop into smiling. A ray of sunshine got here out of his eye and hit my brow. i'm hoping i ought to help you.

Answer 8

IMHO, meditation is all about not trying to get anywhere else that where we are now. There's a lovely line about, setting out to clear one's mind is like stirring muddy water expecting it to clear.
Meditation is almost unique in my life, it's the one thing I do where I don't have expectations or desires for something different.
It's just what it is. Not good, not bad.
As for "how"--be still and notice.
That's it.

Answer 9

I learn how to meditate by going to meditation centers own by S.N. Goenka. (http://www.dhamma.org). He has meditation centers all over US and the world. I have been to his meditation centers several times. It's only for people who really want to meditate.

Answer 10

try try again, it takes alot of practice to achieve a deep meditative state.