I keep reading in many resources about the positive effects of meditation on ones overall health and well-being. I understand the purpose of it. I hate to sound ignorant but how exactly does one meditate? If you use meditation, could you please share some insight? I kinda think that I would never be able to get myself focused enough. I guess I don't know how and was wondering if anyone can suggest a program, book, or process that could help "enlighten me" (no puns intended here).

Thank you.

Patty

One of the easiest and most beneficial forms of meditaiton is just to sit down comfortably and follow your breath. Just listen to it go in and out, keeping it a relaxed and continuous flow-- circling around in a continuum with no breaks. "Keeping the mind on the breath" is one of the oldest recognized techniques from Taoist and Buddhist sources. Once you get into following the breath with your mind (gently, no fierce concentration or pressure), you might want to sort of keep your consciousness at a point just below your navel, imagining a little ball of golden light there-- if it feels right.

Sharrhan:


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thanks kwan. i am keen to learn more about this as well. i have been trying different techniques that i found online as well.

i have tried the one you suggest here, but, like all the others, for some reason i just cant do it. i know it sounds dumb, but i just cant. i can do maybe like a few seconds and then my mind begins to race, as though i have no control over it.

i think meditation must involve practicing being able to control you focus, consciousness and mind.

do you agree? any tips for me?

also, why do you feel your meditation music helps? i downloaded it. i have not tried it yet. its lovely music, but i listen to it while i am in the bath tub

but i have not tried it with meditation yet.

i also wanted to add that i have a friend who is into martial arts and he practices daily meditation. he told me he can feel like only 5 minutes has passed and he then realizes he has been meditating for up to an hour or more.

he also said that he sees a man in a cloak who guides him to a dragon like figure that sits on a throne and gives him instructions. for example, he told him to tie a string around his neck. my friend always wears this string.

he has also began telling him things even when he is not meditating. for example, he said he was mowing the lawn and he heard the dragon tell him to move away from the tree. he moved away from the tree he was mowing under and a large branch fell down, right where he would have been standing.

kwan, what do you make of this?

seewraw--

I have the same problem sometimes. A mantra like so'ham (I am That), for instance, might help in the beginning to stablize the mind on something. I used this mantra for years and it really did help me to focus.

pihourova --

That's really wonderful! He sounds really tuned in to his inner being. There are so many different ways to interpret his experience-- all of them great.

I have a little story to share from last nigh & todayt. It's not particularly dramatic, and not specifically about meditation, but I think you might enjoy it.

I worked all afternoon outside yesterday and took some raisins and also some organic cherry tomatoes with me to eat. Okay, so when I went to sleep I felt perfectly fine and I decided to try this new visualization 'The Control Room' that I just learned. In the past I've felt like visualization is not for me, but this one really seemed good, and I thought I'd try it. You imagine you're in a room with switches on a wall for various body functions and parts (lungs, heart, stomach, etc.), and one by one you turn each switch to the 'on' position. At the end you go over to a big dial 'energy, vitality, and strength' or whatever you want it to be, and you turn it all the way to the right from 1 to 10.

I did my little visualization and everything was pretty clear. For some reason when I tried to flip the 'stomach' switch though, it stayed in the off position. I wondered a little about that, then went to sleep and forgot all about it.

This morning I woke up with food poisoning-- banging headache and nausea; spent the day 'heaving' and had to lie down for about 12 hours. Yep, my stomach had indeed shut down for the duration.

Sharrhan:


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amazing. thanks for sharing.

kwan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>> and I decided to try this new
> visualization 'The Control Room' that I just
> learned. In the past I've felt like visualization
> is not for me, but this one really seemed good,
> and I thought I'd try it. You imagine you're in a
> room with switches on a wall for various body
> functions and parts (lungs, heart, stomach, etc.),
> and one by one you turn each switch to the 'on'
> position. At the end you go over to a big dial
> 'energy, vitality, and strength' or whatever you
> want it to be, and you turn it all the way to the
> right from 1 to 10.


Hi Kwan,
I loved this visualiation and I decided to do it today.
I did turn all the switches and went fine,but when I did my liver I started to cry like a baby,very deep and sad.At the end,I was so tired that I had to sleep.
That was so powerful !!
I've done 3 liver cleanse and this past 3rd one,on Friday-Saturday did come a lot of toxins from my bladder,and stones from my liver.
This 3rd one was the strongest.The 1st and 2nd ones were great and ok,but this 3rd one came a lot of toxins.
But I think that my liver was suffering a long time with me,this crying was an old thing.

I find meditation to be congruous with seeing reality..you might not always like what you see! Swimming around with your BEING can be as uncomfortable a stretch as changing your diet/health. Similarly if one is doing it right, it might bring up more discomfort/releasing of energy then 'relaxation'.

Many people go to yoga or meditation groups to chill out and relax, and thats fine, but both those practices - for me - are almost never relaxing, as they are mechanisms for exponentially reaching out of my comfort zone - yet do serve to bring relaxation and contentment to my LIFE.

sitting zen....full lotus, spine strait, eyes open, is definitely the most challenging form - for me, especially keeping it a consistent and daily practice.

_____________________



it could be your thoughts...

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short and sweet....and DEEP

_____________________________________________________ ...and FREE

Yes,I agree with you Anaken.Meditation is a kind of catarsises that free us from evrything that we have inside. And we have so much stuff inside.

interesting, anaken.

Cy--
This might sound strange, but I think that's really beautiful that you connected so strongly with your liver. Sounds like your healing is progressing.

Anaken--
>sitting zen....full lotus, spine strait, eyes open, is definitely the most challenging form - for me, especially keeping it a consistent and daily practice.<

I'm impressed. No wonder you always sound so grounded and focused-- you are!

whats that great line from that great actor in that great film?..."i'm but a amatUerr."

but I AM very motivated.