Does meditation work for you?

Question

I'm asking people who meditate. I'm young and I tried meditaing for about half a month now and I don't see any different. I cant calm myself and everytime i do it have to say the heart sutra thingy to keep me from thinking other stuff.

Answer 1

http://www.wildmind.org/ <<< hope this helps.

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you might be expecting 'something' from meditation, hence you have problem with it.
remember: there is nothing to attain.

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try this?

there are many many kinds of meditation. i'm doing pure concentration meditation, designed to quieten and clear the mind so that i can use it to look deeply, to see what's going on in my mind, and develop mindfulness & insgight. its a difficult form of meditation @ the beginning, but it's well worth becoming competent in. it forms an ideal foundation for further practice in the future, and it's also very conducive to a happy, stable life in the present.
choose a suitable place in your home where you can practice meditation uninterrupted. it needs to be quiet, not too bright, and out of sight of other people.
once you found the spot, find a good firm cushion, so that you can sit cross-legged, having something to cushion your ankle.
to start, sit down on your cushion, sitting towards the front of it so that your body is sloped very slightly forward. experience will show you the optimum position. fold your legs so that your knees & ankles are touching the floor. the important thing is to have a good straight back & reasonably comfortable legs, so that your pgysicaly energy isn't blocked. place your 2 hands in your lap, palms up, one on top of the other.
once sitting there, wriggle a little bit to find an effortlessly comfortable position for your back & arms. you don't want to feel tension anywhere. then you can begin.
take a breath, hold it for a moment, then let it out gently. pause for a moment, then take the next breath. again hold it for a moment, and let it out again. do this for 10 breaths. once you've got the rhythmn, start to count your breaths. a breath is a complete cycle-- in, hold, out, hold- and most meditators find it better to count towards the end of a cycle rather than @ the beginning. in other words, you are counting complete breaths. simply count 1 to 10 in this way. when you've reached 10, start again. if your mind wanders and you lost the count, start again from one.
do this for 10mins @ a time for a week or so. when you are ready, increase your sitting time to 20mins. you can do it anytime, but most people do it regularly @ the beginning of the day & @ the end of the day.
this is all there is to it, and @ first you'll wonder why on earth you are doing it. your mind will wander, you'll probably feel twitchy, and you'll be bored. but persevere. ther's absolutely nothing better than this for calming the mind & opening mental doors that you never knew were there.
what comes after this? once you've got to a stage where you can follow your breaths effortlessly, so that you can say, 10-20mins, and not lose count even once, you'll be ready for the next stage. in this, you start to observe the contents of your mind. you'll still be using the method of following your breaths, but now, beacause of the concentration you've already developed, you'll be able to add in a new activity. it's not possible to do this until you've gained control of your mind.

Answer 2

Usually I give an answer, then sometimes read the other answers. But this time, I read the other answers first.

Vinslave has provided you with some very sound advice. Be gentle, and patient with your mind, and keep bringing your mind back to the breath. What helped me more was entering into the Shambala Training Center in San Diego, Cal. to learn meditation better, - for my mind, tended to wander often also. This happens to everyone. Determination, gentleness, Patience, and practice especially are the essential keys. Finding a teacher is very helpful, as Vinslave suggested.
A book I had read called, "Mindfulness in Plain English"
By: Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
was, and still is, quite helpful as well.
It is a "How To" book
on Visapassana Bhavana Meditation.
And lastly there is always this site below, which teaches in detail mindfulness meditation as well:

http://www.buddhanet.net/insight.htm

Just keep practicing, while being gentle, and patient with your mind. Our mind is the source of our Peace and Happiness.

With Metta.

Answer 3

Two weeks is not very long.

You need to keep at it. Meditation is not going to bring an instant change into your life. It will take a long time to gain experience.

Don't try to remove all thoughts - simple "counting breaths" mediation is the best way to start - if you can count to ten you can begin to meditate : )

Are you with a group, or are you doing this alone? Being with more experienced people is a great help.

Nothing is instant, sweetie, but it is worth it as you become more experienced.

(Several answers you have had here are nonsense).
.

Answer 4

You can't "force it"... it has to come with patience. Meditation works when you approach yourself and the meditation with patience and compassion. You may be making more progress than you think you are too... perhaps you'd find benefit in finding a meditation instructor/guide to help you determine things. It's not about forcing... it's about letting things come to you by default. Patience IS hard to cultivate, but you can do it... return to the breath.

_()_

Answer 5

i'm a Hindu and that i frequently meditate interior the early morning if i will. I start up and end by using chanting "Om Namaha Shivaya" and end that why. some human beings do use it to experience comfortable,you do not unavoidably ought to be religious to coach it.i take advantage of it to quiet my techniques and to alter into at one with Shiva. i think of this is a superb religious prepare. there are a number of actual and psychological advantages from meditating. i these days examine The paintings of Meditation and it outlines the advantages,a number of that are being much less companies to rigidity and tension subject concerns,it additionally decreases blood tension and improves air flow to the lungs to call some. i've got purely ever had one religious adventure from meditating.I observed a parent sitting on a mountain and that i with out delay known him as Shiva. He got here in the direction of me and that i spotted his 0.33 eye became into open,yet instead of his 0.33 eye opened of anger i spotted he became 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 6

I suggest starting of by focusing your thoughts on things. Stoping the thinking process is a very advanced stage and is often confused as the only form of mediation. Try focusing on your body function such as heart beat and breathing. Try working out to get you body to be more in tune with it self.

I also suggest picking up some books on meditation.

Answer 7

First what is heart sutra? To truely meditate we have to try to calm ourself what ever it may be. I personally sometimes listen to some calming music. Do what you like as long it does not violate any of God's laws.

Answer 8

it takes practise and patience and yes it has brought a lot of peace to my life
dont worry so much about thoughts coming , that will eventually stop
and the worrying you are doing over it is most likely causing it
so just go with the flow , allow a thought to enter and then let it go and begin again

Answer 9

In a way I meditate, but I call it prayer. I focus on Christ, his cleansing power that restores the spirit.

Answer 10

i also meditate somethimes but it only works if u live alone :))