Do you meditate?

Answer 1

I pray for 1 hour and 30 minutes and I meditate for 30 minutes everyday.

Answer 2

Yup .. sure do. I simply sit on a comfortable seat with my feet on the floor and my hands in my lap and close my eyes.
I know I can't stop my mind from thinking any more than I can stop my heart from beating, so I dwell on a few inspiring/uplifting thoughts i picked up here and there in order to direct it to a more peaceful state .. one might be ..

'My peace I give unto thee,
not as the world giveth, giveth I unto thee,
let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' ..

or I might think on ..

'The mountains and the hills will bow down before thee, and all the trees in the fields shall clap their hands' ..

the first is from the New and the second from the Old Testament. I've got various others from different sources that work a treat.
The problem is after a couple of years I experienced what is known as a Kundalini .. this is when you can tap into the source, in your own heart (solar plexus area actually), of your spiritual ground, your very life and existence. I don't want to go on because I know it sounds strange but it scared me so much that I thought it best to cut back on a lot of meditating, now I'm just happy to be me, an occasional meditator without any of the problems associated with an awoken Kundalini.

Answer 3

I pray to God most of the time

and I use meditation to try and help me calm down and understand life and things better, but I always end up thinking of the female form and then about the girls I love an then I am in a different type of meditation..more like day dreaming

smile
good luck

Answer 4

Ohsure.
Funny story - A number of years back, I took an interest in altered states of consciousness - namely Alpha state (just one of the many) - and in looking things up online, found the coolest thing ever.
It was a "brainwave entrainment CD" - binaural beats. The theory behind it caught my attention by the pure, unmitigated Cool Factor of an audio CD that, embedded in white noise, carried "binaural beats". I was fascinated to learn that a frequency played in one ear would combine in the center of your brain with a slightly different frequency played in the other ear to form a standing wave (the frequency of which being the difference between the two original frequencies).
The resultant frequency will "entrain" your brain to the desired wavelength.
Now.... at this point you're thinking this all sounds fairly mechanical and miles from organic - unnatural and even somewhat invasive - but - like they noted on the nomenclature included with the disc, the CD is intended more for training purposes than daily use (an idea I disregarded at the time).
Turns out it was true. The CD acted more as a means of introduction to my inner self, my various levels of consciouness. Very cool. In playing the CD, I was, for the first time, lowered through the strata of my mind while fully conscious. I bore witness to the different levels of my subconscious mind while still fully aware, lucid enough to peer about and marvel.
You play the CD through a decent pair of over-the-ear headphones. What you hear is white noise - like a waterfall - with what sounds like a helicoptor in the distance behind you.... A waterfall and a distant whumping sound - sounds oddly familiar. You let yourself relax, sink, and begin to fall into the rhythme. Sinking, drifting down like a feather. Soon you feel a swishing, rocking feeling as if you are floating on the ocean. You may experience "tunneling". If you have selected a deeper track like theta or so, you may soon find yourself having waking visions, fully conscious and in control.
The CD was very fun to use, and I played with it for a few weeks, maybe a month, then discovered that I no longer required it. Exactly as advertised, the mere fact of the introduction to the inner workings of my mind served to train me to essentially recognize what it was I was trying to do. I would have been satisfied to play the binaural beats daily, but found it to be unnecessary, as I was now familiarized with the inside of my mind, and able to drift down on my own, without mechanical aide. The trail had been blazed, and to this day I can simply relax in a chair or somewhere comfortable and slide smoothly into an alpha state - because it's familiar ground!
Very neat, and I recommend it if one is interested in getting a peek at the clockworks inside :)
So that's my story...

Answer 5

I meditate once a week.
I just lay under my bed sheets and think about life.

Answer 6

Each day at the local saloon after 5:00 PM over a draft beer.

Answer 7

I do it in my pool. The weightlessness makes it an even deeper experience. I use an inflatable ring to keep my head above water and the rest of me just floats, total relaxation !

Answer 8

I have developed simple nonsectarian, universal spiritual practices based on my experience and background with various religious and spiritual paths. For me, the purpose of any spiritual practice is to encourage self-reflection, internalizing this awareness, and to develop wonder, gratitude, and awareness of the interdependent forces of the Universe. I have taught these techniques to my children (ages 7 and 9) and we do them together. We also do a Sacred Meal where we think and are grateful for all of the things that have contributed to the food and drink we are about to consume (we do this by "presenting" the food to a picture of the Earth while chanting "Be One. Be Love. Be Peace."). We also have a family drum and chant circle to help express a connection with the interdependent forces of the Universe.

Here are the simple techniques that I have developed. For both chanting and silent meditation practice, your specific posture does not matter. If you are uncomfortable sitting on the floor, you can sit on a chair with feet flat on the floor.

Way of Oneness Chanting Practice

Being more musically inclined, I created a nonsectarian alternative to the combination of chanting a rhythmic phrase (or mantra) to a visual object (often a scroll, picture or statue). This is a more active form of meditation as compared to the silent form of meditation which is discussed below.

You are more than welcome to use this chanting practice if you think you may find it possibly useful. While there are many folks that seem to believe their particular mantra (which is a phrase which is repeated as a focusing device has "magical power", it really is the mindfulness that matters. The mantra is just one of the vehicles you can use to get there.

I recommend "Be One. Be Love. Be Peace." as the chanting and meditation mantra which is appropriate for nonsectarian, universal spirituality in the Way of Oneness. This phrase is a reframing and translation of the Hindu term "satchitananda" (which means pure being, pure consciousness, and pure bliss) and is another way of referring to the interdependent forces of the Universe or the universal divine (or Brahman or God or Goddess or Dharmakaya or whatever label you prefer).

I use two forms: "Be One. Be Peace." for those who prefer a four syllable "mantra" or more often I recommend "Be One. Be Love. Be Peace." for those who prefer the pace of a six syllable "mantra". As in drumming, people who like to chant are attracted to the rhythm and they find it an easy way to center themselves and become mindful.

The specific chanting practice method that I find helpful in the vein of the Way of Oneness (the realization of interdependence) is to chant "Be One. Be Love. Be Peace" in a position of reverence (palms together in front of chest with fingers pointing upward - a traditional gesture of respect) to a picture or photograph of the planet Earth which is a wonderful visual representation of the interdependent forces of the Universe. Just chant this phrase loudly or softly in a comfortable pace until you are satisfied.

Silent Meditation Practice in the Way of Oneness

Meditation is simply learning to live in the moment, when nothing distracts you and when you are not tied to the past or anxious about the future. In meditation you become peacefully aware of your real self. The more you use it, the more aware you become. When you learn to live life for each moment, to enjoy and appreciate life to the fullest at that moment, you suddenly become impervious to the myraid
of doubts and fears that you've lived with all your life.

There are a couple of simple techniques for silent meditation as well. You do not have to sit on the floor. You can sit with erect back on a chair. Many people say try for 15 minutes twice a day. I say start with a simpler goal - 5 minutes twice per day. The benefits include stress management and relaxation benefits which help the body, increased mindfulness and focus, and increased energy. The mindfulness can be a benefit to your spiritual life, but meditation also has "non-spiritual" benefits. Here are two easy techniques:

Breathing meditation - 1) Check posture. 2) Close your eyes and relax. 3) Focus on your breath entering and leaving your body. 4) Count breaths mentally one to four. Repeat. 5) Don't fight a wandering mind, but calmly direct it back to task. 6) Sit for a minute afterwards.

"Mantra" technique (choose a personal "calm" word or phrase that you will repeat in your meditation – I use the nonsectarian "Be One. Be Love. Be Peace.") - 1) and 2) as above in the Breathing meditation. 3) Listen to your breathing and let it relax you with each breath. 4) Once you are relaxed, mentally "hear" your "calm" word or phrase in your mind. Let it repeat in your mind. 5) Don't fight a wandering mind, but calmly direct it back to task. 6) Sit for a minute afterwards.

Conclusion

That is all there is to these very simple but beneficial silent
meditation and chanting techniques. Many people think that
something "mystical" should happen during meditation or chanting. Most often "nothing" happens and "nothing" should be expected.

I hope these are helpful!

Be One. Be Love. Be Peace.

Namaste,

Dave

Answer 9

Yep for 30 mins at 7.30am

Answer 10

I try to. But every time I do, the kitten jumps on my lap or the phone rings or the neighbor's house is one fire or something like that.