Beginner to meditation!?

Question

I want to start meditation. suggest me the types of meditation n the one which i should start off with at first,hw long should i meditate a day n is it necessary to meditate everyday?. My primary aim is to develop good concentration power which i could put into studies. also i want to control my anger n come out of depression. i feel useless in life. I was never successful wid friends. Lately i've been hurting my loved one's around me due to my behaviour n habits. i want to be calm n understand the feelings of my loved ones n the pain which they go through coz of me. although i don't have any bad habits or evil thoughts, i hurt people by words.im very sensitive n get emotional at petty things.i want to develop confidence in me n become strong at heart n successful in life. So i thought mental salvation is the only way out. plz help me out wid this.i would like to know the step by step procedure for practising meditation.im not a religious person n prefer spirituality. thanks in advance

Answer 1

I'm going to assume that you are really interested in this, and take the time to answer you. Meditation is an intensely personal, internal experience, aimed at 'quiet mind'. The objective is to silence your 'internal dialog', such that the 'silent watcher' behind your thoughts can experience reality directly, unmediated by the senses.

While there are many different ways to meditate, the simplest for a beginner is the 'counting' meditation. Find a nice quite spot where you can stretch out and relax... the quieter and more comfortable, the better. Close your eyes, and breathe deeply and slowly, in through your nose, out through your mouth. Count each exhalation silently, in your mind. When you get to four, start over...

inhale... exhale.. (1)...
inhale... exhale.. (2)...
inhale... exhale.. (3)...
inhale... exhale.. (4)...
inhale... exhale.. (1)...
inhale... exhale.. (2)...
... etc.

As you do this, various thoughts will pop up in your mind, and you may lose track of the counting. As you notice them, you must gently dismiss those them, and return to your task of breathing and counting... 1... 2... 3... 4...

Your subconscious does not want your mind to be silent, and so it will oppose what you are doing.

As you learn to dismiss these extraneous thoughts more easily, your mind will become more desperate, and you may start hearing auditory hallucinations... voices... strange sounds. They are not real... it is just your mind playing tricks on you. Gently dismiss them, just like the extraneous thoughts.

As your mind gets more desperate, you may experience visions... sort of like waking dreams. They will seem very interesting, fascinating, and you will want to follow them, and focus on them. Do not. Again, it will just be your mind playing tricks on you. Gently dismiss them, and return to your task of breathing and counting... 1... 2... 3... 4...

This will not all happen at once, of course. Do this once or twice a day, every day, at the same time (if possible), for 15 or 20 minutes at a time. As you gain experience, you may work up to around 30 minutes. You will find that it is very relaxing and refreshing, and that after doing it, you will feel very refreshed and alert... recharged. It may take you a few weeks... maybe even a month or two... before you are actually able to achieve 'quiet mind'... but once you do, you will find yourself experiencing a sense of 'connectedness' that will blow your mind. I will not try to describe it for you... you will know it when it comes. When you first achieve it, you will be frustrated, because it will only last for a fraction of a second... once you 'notice' that you have achieved connectedness, it will vanish. The trick, as you will learn through practice, is to 'experience' it without 'noticing' it.

Get a book titled to 'How To Meditate', by Lawrence LeShan. And, you might look up 'how to meditate' in Google. Also look up 'satori' and 'kundalini'.

Once you master this technique, you will find other purposes for meditation, and master more sophisticated techniques.

You will find this to be one of most profoundly rewarding experiences of your life. Good luck.
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Answer 2

Meditation will do all the things that you wrote about. The most important thing to know is that you cannot do it "wrong". There are different types of meditation and no one type is better than another.

Try sitting every day for 5 minutes some place quiet and monitor your breath. Just breathe in and out. As your thoughts spring into your mind, just notice them, and concentrate back on your breath again. Don't be judgmental, critical, or hard on yourself. And don't get frustrated - most people can't go a while minute without a thought. The more you practice, the longer you will be able to clear your mind.

Some people meditate morning and evening. You can really meditate anytime, anywhere. Don't expect major changes at once - the changes will be subtle - but if you keep it up, you will feel more grounded.

Answer 3

Congrats! You have already achieved one thing-instead of finding fault with others, u r aware of ur own faults!
Now coming to meditation, it is a process of concentrating on ur inner mind. I would advise you to go to a Brahma-kumari centre if in your town. They have a magnificent cassete/cd on meditation for beginners. It's title is commentary on meditation. I assure you that it will help you tremendously. Follow the simple rules--get up early in the morning & sit in a comfortable place & position. Keep ur eyes open & listen to the cassete. Try to repeat during the pauses. the commentary is in english & hindi, so no problem. If possible, attend a 3 day course run by them free of charge. Pl. remember, meditation has nothing to do with religion, so go ahead.
I recall having attempted this with several institutes but I was happiest with Bk. I am still visiting them often.

Answer 4

This answer is mainly about postures ---->

Different spiritual traditions, and different teachers within those traditions, prescribe or suggest different physical postures for meditation. Most famous are the several cross-legged postures, including the Lotus Position.

Many meditative traditions teach that the spine should be kept "straight" (i.e. that the meditator should not slouch). Often this is explained as a way of encouraging the circulation of what some call "spiritual energy," the "vital breath", the "life force" (Sanskrit prana, Chinese qi, Latin spiritus) or the Kundalini. In some traditions the meditator may sit on a chair, flat-footed (as in New Thought); sit on a stool (as in Orthodox Christianity); or walk in mindfulness (as in Theravada Buddhism). Some traditions suggest being barefoot, for comfort, for convenience, or for spiritual reasons.

Other traditions, such as those related to kundalini yoga, take a less formal approach. While the basic practice in these traditions is also to sit still quietly in a traditional posture, they emphasize the possibility of kriyas - spontaneous yogic postures, or perhaps repetitive physical movements such as swaying etc., which may naturally arise as the practitioner sits in meditation, and which should not be resisted but rather allowed to express themselves in order to enhance the natural flow of energy through the body, which is said to help purify the nadis and ultimately deepen one's meditative practice.

Various hand-gestures or mudras may be prescribed. These can carry theological meaning or according to Yogic philosophy can actually affect consciousness. For example, a common Buddhist hand-position is with the right hand resting atop the left (like the Buddha's begging bowl), with the thumbs touching.

Quiet is often held to be desirable, and some people use repetitive activities such as deep breathing, humming or chanting to help induce a meditative state. Practitioners of the Soto Zen tradition meditate with their eyes open, facing a wall, but most schools of meditation assume that the eyes will be closed or only half-open.

Often such details are shared by more than one religion, even in cases where mutual influence seems unlikely. One example would be "navel-gazing," which is apparently attested within Eastern Orthodoxy as well as Chinese qigong practice. Another would be the practice of focusing on the breath, which is found in Orthodox Christianity, Sufism, and numerous Indic traditions.

Sitting cross-legged (or upon one's knees) for extended periods when one is not sufficiently limber, can result in a range of ergonomic complaints called "meditator's knee''.

Go to this link to see an image of half-lotus position -

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:7BrahmanMH.jpg

Answer 5

Mind is something unnatural; it never becomes your natural state. But meditation is a natural state----which we have lost. It is a paradise lost, but the paradise can be regained. Look into a child's eyes, look and you will see tremendous silence, innocence. Each child comes with a meditative state, but he has to be initiated into the ways of the society--- he has to be taught how to think, how to calculate, how to reason, how to argue; he has to be taught words, language, concepts. And slowly, slowly, he loses contact with his own innocence. He becomes contaminated, polluted by the society. He becomes an efficient mecahnism, he is no more a man.

Answer 6

You could also try guided meditation tapes/CDs. Kathleen Swann's "Seasons of Serenity" is pretty decent. Depending on your religion, you could try Chris Penczak (Wiccan). Guided meditations are much easier to start with because your mind wants to wander and when you're listening to a CD it gives your conscious mind something to do while you quiet everything else.

Answer 7

try yoga at the end of the class there is always some relaxation meditation. it is a great way to exercise and balance the mind.

Answer 8

There are different types of meditation. I have studied most of them and tried out too.

The best method of meditation is that which is recommended by ISKCON . that is chant

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

Chant this mantra as long as u can. Do it every day without fail.

Answer 9

japa Meditation

Regarded as one of most effective ways of meditation, Japa Meditation helps sooth the mind and clears away the numerous impinging problems and worries that cloud it from time to time. Prevalent from ancient times, Japa Meditation has been in vogue and practised by all religions such as Hindus, Christians, Muslims, and others to enable them to experience peace, calmness, and tranquillity in their minds and life.

An indispensable tool for all, which has been handed down from one generation to another, what does Japa Meditation mean?

Meditation involves focusing the mind on a certain objective or thing or thought by shutting out the disturbing external stimuli. Meditation, or the peace of mind, can be achieved by different ways. One of the ways involves mental chanting or repetition of mantras to ease one’s stress and tension. This method is also known as Japa Meditation.

Japa Meditation involves chanting of a mantra, which in most instances are composed of Sanskrit letters which are so arranged so as to evoke a certain response from within the individual. The vibrations of such mantras are extremely effective in creating a very significant change in attitudes and mind-set of individuals. It helps in focusing one’s energies so as to achieve a sense of calmness within oneself.

Mantras can also be any word which evokes a sense of calmness, inspiration, and even respect, such as repeating the name of their God, or anything else.

There are usually two ways in which individuals can practise Japa Meditation. One is audible Japa Meditation, also known as Vaikhari Japa, which includes repetition of mantras in whispers and even audible pitch, and the other is the silent or mental Japa Meditation which is also known as Manasika Japa. Manasika Japa is considered to be extremely powerful as it involves the complete focusing of the mind and hence, once achieved, it tends to obstruct any outside influences from disturbing the mind.

Usually the best ways in which one can practise Japa Meditation is by sitting cross-legged on a sheet or cloth on the ground, and chant the mantra by beading the rosary of 108 beads with concentration, perseverance, and dedication.

A mental activity, Japa Meditation is the best way to ease stress and tension in our lives. When practised correctly, Japa Meditation makes our lives peaceful, calm, and evokes happiness from within ourselves, both from minds and souls.

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Answer 10

i know how you feel oi have depression too
my family is tired of worrying about me
i lost my brother when i was 13
its hard
i take zoloft it helps
ask doctor what kind of meds you should be on