Meditation - How to meditate??

Question

How long does it take to learn how to meditate properly?
What do you have to do?

Any helpful advice please?

Thank you.. all for answering!

Nameless...Thank you very much for the link...

Pierce...Thank you x

Thank you EVERYONE for your help/advice & links provided!!!

Afrowoman ...Your comment made me lol - to be honest, i have done that myself in the past...when i was very unhappy!
My own lovely sister a (very kind person) does that regularly, too!
Only hope/pray for her.. she slows down! and, stops working too hard at her 'underpaid' career she strives for!

For me, and.. my bad temper - my bible, prayer & meditation will help!!!

Thanks x

I will be leaving 'Best Answer' to the voters!

Hope nobody minds!

Thank you
Nicola x

Important to add... my bad temper is only frustration caused by an abusive husband i was married to in the past!

I have never raised an hand to anyone! and never would!
But my EX husband was a woman beater! and still is!

Meditation will help me cope!
thanks

Important to add... my bad temper is only frustration caused by an abusive husband i was married to in the past!

I have never raised a hand to anyone! and never would!
But my EX husband was a woman beater! and still is!

Meditation will help me cope!
thanks

Answer 1

There are different types of meditation and the type you want may depend upon your religion.
All meditation is about stilling the mind, slowing down the normal brain waves so that a deeper understanding is possible.
Most meditation can be 'taught' very quickly. Then you spend years working away at it. Meditation is a life-time practice which brings benefits all the way.

Transcendental Meditation (TM) is quite expensive to learn and very simple to do.
To learn Christian meditation you would probably need to go ask for teaching at a monastery where they practise these disciplines.
There is a Buddhist monastery in England where the Abbot has produced a DVD showing you how to do 'Serene Reflection Meditation'. It's called Throssel Hole Monastery and here is the web site address. (This is a very easy meditation to learn and it is the one I use myself.)
www.throssel.org.uk
Meditation is a wonderful practice and it makes my heart sing to know that someone else is going to start.

Answer 2

To learn a technique is fairly simple, and you have good suggestions here where to go - although you might also consider checking out a link or two I will include - the first one is about the Dali Lama giving a talk on the neuroscience of meditation. The comments from the scientists are interesting to read, if you scroll down. The next link has wonderful resources stemming from the Dali Lamas wisdom and teachings. Including CD's to use for meditation.

There is so much to learn about, and it is fasinating. I have studied and taught meditation for over 20 years now, and will be for the rest of my life. The techniques,as I mentioned, are deceptivly simple. It is the effect it has on the mind that is disconcerting, until you have put in a fair amount of time training your mind to listen to you, not the other way around. Do not expect to plunk down and get "still" right off the bat. Rather, do not expect anything.

Here is the very most important thing I can tell you about it - meditation and mantra (MOST helpful) are designed to clean house on your mind and soul. In that, you are more able to sit apart from identification of yourself as the body, and begin to contemplate other aspects of who you might be.

When you sit down with focused intent, and begin to use the mantra you have chosen, many things will happen - your mind can go WILD with thoughts than you have never had before -not to worry. This is a good thing - today, THAT is your meditation.
AS soon as you begin mantra, everything after that becomes your meditation. So relax, and let it be whatever it is, no restrictions. When you notice you are wandering, slowly bring your mind back to mantra, and begin again. Easy, no worries.

ALSO - most important - after you finish -be it 5 minutes or 50, take 15 minutes of quite time to integrate. Disipline your mind with this segment as well -it is most important that you think only positive thoughts during this period. If you are consistant with this, it will assist you greatly.

Good luck, and my email is avaliable if you have other specific questions. Happy to be of service.
Namaste.

Answer 3

Hi,

As I understand it, meditation is a whole way of life, and not just the time spent on the meditation cushion, though that is a very important part of it.

It's a gradual progression of doing good things, of which 'meditation' is the summit / plateau.

You can call it 'development': in generosity, ethics, mental strength, and understanding / wisdom.

I must re-emphasise that this is a gradual & lifelong thing, in eg Buddhism.

It requires the company of good people to feed / bounce ideas off each other in the development & cultivation of skillful states.

There's nothing more important, in my view.

Answer 4

I first studied Edgar Caycee's books, which I found fascinating, and then had the urge to meditate. I gradually learned, in my own silence, to let go of my surroundings, and brush away each intrusive thought. Now, after twenty years, I have an established routine every morning, and wouldn't dream of changing it. It keeps me calm and centered.
The answer to your question is - just keep trying; it will eventually come. Patience is the important virtue here!

Answer 5

Relax, find a place free of distractions, build a relationship with Jesus, finding serenity, discovering solutions to questions you may have, and relying on the Holy Spirit to direct your path on your purpose in life. This is a few things I have found what meditation does for me. With like anything else, we have to practice and gain knowledge from professionals or others who have have lots of experience in this field. Meditation frees your physical body from all that has bound you down from your daily life. We have to try and do this daily so that we can be set free from all bondage's that can hinder us from doing what we have been called to do. Sometimes we have to individualize our meditation because what works for me, might not work for you. Hope this helped you out!

Answer 6

It depend on what you want to meditate on.
Most meditation is to clear the mind as so to gain a better understanding of all things. a high plane so to speak.
just relax, find a space where you can do what you like and sit and think about whats going on in your life, have time alone with your mind, its amazing what you sort out.

Answer 7

Prayer and meditation are very useful tools that help us to have a closer relationship with God. There are different types of meditation, but to meditate on God you have to look around you and explore all that He has created. The vastness of the universe, the beauty and diversity of planet Earth. The mind boggling complexities of the human brain and the body in which it is contained. There is so much to explore and appreciate what He has given us. God bless.

Answer 8

To meditate in Christian faith is simply to take a verse or few verses of scripture from the Bible and to speak them over and over to yourself for many hours or all day (while sitting still or while doing work with your hands) until that goes down into your heart/spirit and you get the depths of what it means. You can write it on a card and read it over and over.
Before Christ in my life, I did several kinds of meditation and to "chant" while sitting in any particular position is absolutely an attempt to control the mind and does very little for life.
If you fill your mind with one focus or one thought (or one verse of scripture) your mind will BE controlled. It's NOT a biggy! When something seems to feel very complicated.., forget it.
It's like trying to get rid of darkness..., just turn on the light! No matter what you are forcing your mind to do, by whatever method, as soon as your mouth speaks, your mind has to stop whatever it is thinking to listen to what you are saying. That is exactly what the "saying of scripture" is all about. See? And besides that, to speak God's word is beneficial because it is alive and Truth, Life, Spirit, health and medicine to your flesh, and it never dies! Put it inside yourself by speaking it and it renews your mind! You never want to CLEAR your mind. Nature ( how we operate in this world) will not allow a vaccuum; an empty mind; and you will make a place for any roving spirit to enter AND THAT'S NOT GOOD. Choose who and what occupies your mind. If you don't lie scripture, take an inspirational statement and repeat it. "Ooohmmm" is NOTHING and will NOT help you, it will bore you! Fill your mind with what you want to show forth in your life.

Answer 9

Well I meditate when I read the Bible. And when you meditate you have to ask yourself this: How did this help me? What lesson did I learn? How can I apply this in my life?
Question like that are going to help you....and also don't forget to pray a lot.

Answer 10

my thoughts of meditating is that you need to find your inerself first.you also need to find a reason why you want to meditate, do you have a sertain reason? like, do you have a problem in yoour life and its really bothering you, or do you just want to be closer to your god? you need to find a quiet spot where you can be alone. then you need something to focouse on, like the rythm of your breathing, or somthing that you like; your dog or pet. hen you can pray, or focus on how you can resolve that problem, or reason, or you can ask your god for help. glad i could help!!!