Is there a patern of thinking used during meditation?

Answer 1

Here are the techniques that I use:

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.

Answer 2

Meditation is a hard mental discipline, everybody can develop it, but it is necessary to adopt a firm determination in thinking and isolate from the entire environment. The mental concentration must be in such extreme way that you can not feel even yourself.
To concentrate in meditation you must go away from your normal physical environment, and the most important, TO MEDITATE IN WHAT, you have to put your mind in blank and then choose the theme you want to develop your mental capabilities, which in reality is the reason of this discipline, to find yourself and your place in the time and space.
That is the way Nepal Monks do.

Answer 3

No thinking is desirable in meditation as it requires concentration and focus.