[Bill]

I find it the easiest to meditate after a nap. The mind is then already calm and relaxed so there is no need to fight a mind in overdrive.

[xmlenigma]

(09-07-2013 06:28 AM)Beyond Borders Wrote:  

(07-06-2013 04:59 AM)jt797 Wrote:  

I want to meditate, but I don't have the attention span for it. I always get bored. Two minutes in and I want to stop and do something else, even if it's nothing.

This is one of the main reasons to meditate - to learn how to still that voice. You're training yourself to gain more control over your mind.

If this is especially a problem for you, that's just a sign of how much you need to learn meditation.

My personal philosophy is to always run towards my fears and challenges rather than away from them.

True.

[Cr33pin]

[Mikan]

I meditate after breakfast and when I arrive home from work. Usually about 15 minutes or so. Someone earlier in this thread made a comment about "de-fragmenting the mind". I never thought of it that way, but it is a good phrase. I've often thought of it as washing a chalkboard with soap and water. If you keep using the eraser, a white background residue builds up, clouding every new thing you write a little bit more after every erase. Meditation feels like actually cleaning the mind, not just writing over previous information.

I started about 15 years ago by attending beginner classes at a Buddhist Temple that was founded by Japanese immigrants in the 50's. The congregation was about 50/50 Japanese/Non-Japanese. Only a small fraction of the Japanese meditated, it was mostly white and black converts at the meditation group, although it was still run by the Japanese Sensei who ran the entire temple. While I did attend services regularly at the temple for several years I never considered myself a Buddhist, and no one cared, which I can't imagine at any other religious service. There was a quite a cultural split in the Temple. The Japanese were largely conservative socially, didn't do sitting meditations. Instead they chanted and had scripture reading in both Japanese and English on Sundays. A lot like a protestant Sunday service. The Sensei explained once that about 350 years ago a Shogun declared this particular sect, Jodo Shin Shu, to be the state religion of Japan and deliberately adopted religious services from Christianity like regular scripture readings, marriage and funeral rites and community service to make it a more competitive option against Christianity, which had gained a foothold in some parts of Japan. Also, the clergy marry and eat meat and live under similar lifestyle restrictions to protestant reverends. Also, and my favorite aspect of Shin Buddhism, it it has exactly one required practice, a chant called the Nembutsu. More here if you're interested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C5%8Ddo_Shinsh%C5%AB

The lay members of Shin Buddhism don't meditate very much, the clergy however do. The Sensei of this temple began to teach it to westerners coming to the temple in the 60's (hippies and beatniks) asking about it as a way to attract members to his dwindling congregation. It is essentially identical to Zazen sitting meditation from the Soto-Zen sect. Eventually an itinerant Zen priest also settled in the area and began to lead weekday meditation groups as well. That's where I learned to meditate.

Anyway, digressions about the history of Jodo Shin Shu aside, the other half of the temple were exactly the sort of new-age spiritual "I'm not a Christian, my parents are Christians and I hate them" sort of folks described earlier in this thread. Seeing a stoned to the gills patchouli smelling hippy at a beginners session once was common, as well as all manner of modern spiritual "seekers" and other space cases. At first anyway, the ones that stuck to it and meditated regularly chilled out massively after about a year or so of regular meditation, which intrigued me. Meditation has a way of helping people pull their heads out of their asses. It's definitely helped me transition from a more violent lifestyle to a more mature one. In bakufu Japan, Samurai who were retired by wounds or age, or forbidden to kill themselves at the death of their lord frequently joined monastic communities for a retirement of meditation and contemplation. The Hagakure was written my such a man.

Regarding the actual zazen practice, I sit up straight in a comfortable chair and count the breaths. Thats it. 1 on the inhale, 2 on the exhale, up to 10 then start over. You can learn how in any basic mindfulness meditation guide really, they trick is to just do it. I work largely with my mind (analyst) and if I miss more then 3 or so sessions the decline in my cognitive abilities becomes noticeable. After the afternoon zazen I usually engage in a short mentally stimulating activity like a puzzle of some sort or studying a new subject I am interested in. It is exercise for the mind like swimming and weights are exercise for my body. Meditation is mental stretching and cardio, books and puzzles are the weights.

As far as the membership of this community is concerned, it can pay tremendous dividends in cultivating the DGAF attitude. I am one the the least shakeable people people I know, when confronted with setback I'm much better able to regroup and reevaluate my strategies, rather then wallowing in frustration, blame and resentment. It also has greatly improved my ability to laugh at myself and agree and amplify.

[aguasin]

When I was in Bangkok, I became friends with someone who works for Wat Phra Dhammakaya, who themselves aren't exactly known for there following of the ways of the Buddha, but nonetheless I was pointed to a video series on meditation which I've found really helpful.

Playlist at the link:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...yo7WXZfqrR

All of the videos are around the 30 minute mark, I usually find my 'itch to move' growing at around the 20 minute mark and due to lower back pain, i usually just sit in a chair instead of the lotus position; those are some things that have helped me.

I usually find it gives me a sense of calmness and can help with anxiety if you combine it with some other techniques.

[Vaun]

I have been using the Headspace app, and have meditated now about 10x in the last three weeks. I am trying to get to every weekday morning.

Question - can I meditate while laying in bed? I tend to not fall asleep when I do it.

[Mikan]

(03-01-2015 02:50 PM)Vaun Wrote:  

I have been using the Headspace app, and have meditated now about 10x in the last three weeks. I am trying to get to every weekday morning.

Question - can I meditate while laying in bed? I tend to not fall asleep when I do it.

I've known meditation groups that did this for elderly members. I started in half lotus then just moved to a nice chair. The "traditional" positions exist because the meditative practice comes from a nation/culture where those are ordinary, everyday sitting positions. Just like sitting in a chair is an ordinary, everyday position as an American.

[BasketBounce]

I liked what Giovonny was saying about making his life meditation.

I meditated everyday for a few months, but like others have mentioned, I got tired of sitting all the time. Now I just do what works for me: I bring my mind into the present moment whenever I feel emotionally perturbed. I accept what comes. I haven't really experienced complete and total detachment from everything yet because I'm ambitious by nature, but now I can recognize when my ambition is detrimental to living a life of value.

If you ask me, meditation is just being present throughout life. You don't have to sit in a particular pose for thirty minutes every day to be fully engaged with life.

Quote:

Meditation has a way of helping people pull their heads out of their asses.

Could not have said it better myself

[captain_shane]

I've been meditating for a few years now, and I'll do it for the rest of my life. Meditation for me, has brought me to new places for self-realization. I am much better at being able to observe things that anger me instead of what used to happen, which would be to just react. I've also encountered some extremely strange things, which including the use of dmt, made me believe in something other than just the physical universe.

I'm still at a breaking point I believe in my progress. I can get into a pretty deep trance and "into the void", but it almost always seems like I'm just an inch away from experiencing something extremely profound. Then my body gets very restless and I end up moving or getting up. Frustrating, but the squeeze is worth it, even if there never is any juice.

For beginners:
- Don't worry about thoughts while beginning. Just try and observe these thoughts, and what brought them about. If you're having a real tough time, try putting on a very lyrical cd in the background and focus just on the lyrics. I had one of the most powerful experiences by listening to one of Big Daddy Kane's albums by just focusing on the words. Lupe Fiasco's new cd is great, and classical music is also amazing by just focusing on the different instruments.
- Don't worry about certain positions or anything. I do corpse pose because I can't really sit with my back completely straight and be comfortable enough to let go.
- Keep with it. Meditation and the benefits of it aren't immediate. Keep it up and you'll begin to enjoy it and actually look forward to it eventually.
- Don't move. Focus on your breath, but do not fucking move. When you start, you're gonna have little itches you might feel the need to scratch. Don't! This is your subconscious mind asking your conscious mind if its still awake. It confirms this by scratching the itch. Only scratch the itch if its unbearable, otherwise investigate the sensation by asking yourself what is causing it.


Once you start getting the grasp of it, start integrating mudras.



Your hands are energy points in your body. Ever wonder what the hell acupuncture and qi/chi work are about. Energy.




Once you start feeling the energy in your body and are able to manipulate it at will the world is yours. Have fun young jedi


Side note for people that like to read.

Here's a pdf book called the Kybalian, written by 3 unknown people that walked the path of Hermes Trismegistus and wanted to pass down the ancient knowledge that led to all the current religions.

[testos111]

I've been meditating for over 60 days now. The reason I do it is because around 4 years back when I meditated for a brief period of time, I remember the effect it had on me. THere were some issues in my life that went away without any resitance or solution.

I think this is what meditation is about. Solving problems that you THOUGHT existed but actually dont and meditation is able ot get your mind to that state.

Also, I read an article titled "Why Meditation will make you superhuman". Just look it up on Google. It's one of the most amazing article I've ever read. The benefits written there will seduce you into doing it everyday.

Since I've been doing it for the last 60 days, I can feel one noticeable change in me. I don't get flustered aboutmost things. I have become sort of calm or even numb to things in a good way. Just the other day I was imagining a situation where some natural catastrophe is taking place and everyone is running around like mad, and I'm just walking about in a chilled out way. I could just see myself so chilled in an extreme situation.

Another thing I can say is that like Giovanny said, make your life your meditation. One of the reasons I feel I have been able to find the courage to follow my dream life and not take the usual boring route is because I've always been into meditation-like activities like sports, music and working out. I feel these activities work similar to meditation. In fact any activity in which you lose yourself and enjoy life totally is meditation and lets you go deeper into yourself.

[fucksong]

I try to meditate everyday after I wake up and will sometimes do it once more in the day if I'm having major challenges at work to deal with. I'll also do it when i'm at a club trying to meet chicks or even on dates/meetups if I finding i'm getting too excited/nervous over a hot chick.

I was first introduced to meditation by the director/filmmaker David Lynch of Twin Peaks fame (great youtube vid) but it's the same meditation that the Beatles, the guy in India that they went to see (can't remember his name) and this later a harvard study was conducted using that same style of meditation and a book was later written on it called "The Relaxation Method"

Don't know if it's been mentioned on this thread, but the whole Eckhart Tolle Power of Now is also big on meditation and the whole idea of presence so yeah, it's a big part of my life

[Glaucon]

Meditation changed my life for the better. Doing it since almost 3 years now. I do it first thing in the morning, 10 minutes. Sometimes I forget it, or just too lazy to do it and I can feel after just missing it for a few days my willpower and concentration are going off.

[dorky44]

A good resource on meditation:
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/

Question: Will you please tell me something about meditation?

Sri Chinmoy: First you have to read a few spiritual books in which they teach the various ways to start meditation. Then you start. Soon you will see that reading books is not enough. You will see that you need a particular teacher. The teacher will know which kind of meditation will most suit your nature and soul. If you do not have a teacher, pray to God to reveal within you the kind of meditation you should adopt. Then, during a dream or in your silent mood, God will make you feel what you should do. Now you can begin your journey.

When your meditation is correct, you will feel a kind of joy all over your body. But if you do not feel that joy, if, on the contrary, you feel a mental tension or disturbance, then you will know that that particular kind of meditation is not meant for you and is not advisable. When you get a kind of spontaneous inner joy, then the meditation you have adopted is correct.
http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/aum-137

[trojans10]

what are the thoughts on some of these paid meditation courses that are available. been meaning to sign up for a virtual one. maybe even do a 1 week in person one.

[dorky44]

By the way, the above Sri Chinmoy meditation groups provide free meditation classes available in many cities around the world. I attended a couple of them years back and still practice some of their techniques.

[Filbert]

I've been doing japa medition for several years.
I meditate during a so-called brahmamuhurta, God's hour, which is from 3.00 to 4.00 a.m.
The key is regularity (every night) and punctuality (I get up at 2.50 to take a shower and sit down at 3.00 am.)
I usually use Gayatri mantra or Aum to begin. Chant for about 10-15 min., then fall into a silent meditation for about 20 min.

Then sometimes I go back to sleep. It is imperative though to get up at 6 a.m. not to lose the result of meditation.
It also helps to stick to a light vegetarian diet (which exludes meat and fish), as meat is pretty rajasic (agitating for the mind) and fish is tamasic (lethargic).

In the beginning, it is useful to join one of local meditation groups in your area and read a couple of books on meditation to get a general ideal. But your own technique you get after meditating for a couple of years. Again, regularity is the key.

Of course, the best way to learn to meditate is to get a diksha from an adept who is in a position to give it, but it is hard to find one in the west. When giving you the diksha (or initiation), he teaches you how to meditate.

The result of this practice is a blissful state that nothing, and I mean nothing at all, can penetrate. At least until you come down. It is like legal opium without its side effects.
Sometimes, I wonder why more people don't practise it. It's dope.

P.s.
Forgot to mention one important thing: it is imperative not to close your eyes during meditation, which is often overlooked by many practitioners, since if you close your eyes you can easily fall asleep.
You can keep your eyes half-open or half-closed, as in this case you don't lose your contact with the physical plane.

[Built to Fade]

have any of you read "power of now" I feel it does an excellent job of encompassing eastern philosophy without any market bs.

[redbeard]

I would not have graduated college if it wasn't for meditation. I took a break for a while and now I'm back in the meditation game. Here are a few things that have helped me.

-Practice on an empty stomach. The best time for me has been about an hour after waking up, once I get some water and coffee in my body.

-Practice with sunlight hitting you. Something about the warmth helps me connect better.

-Set a timer for how long you want to meditate plus one minute. This came from a Tyler RSD video. The one minute is a "warm-up" time for you to move around and get into position, or to really focus on getting out of your head.

-Choose a position that works for you. My hip flexibility is good but not amazing. I love to sit cross legged but found that elevating my butt allows a more comfortable position. For me, a few pillows did the trick, but I found myself often distracted by how many pillows, the movement in the cushioning, etc. So I bought the bullet and bought a $10 yoga block off Amazon. It is the perfect height, firm, and I don't have to think about it anymore.

-Burn some incense or essential oils. Incense were big for me, until I realized they were congesting my sinuses. Instead I use this $6 candle oil burner and it works great. I use eucalyptus and clove bud oils because they open my sinuses and allow me to breath better. The oil warmer doesn't cover a huge area, so for best results place it in front of you while meditating. This can also be used with other oils for when you have females over.

-As far as thought patterns: try different things out. For me it helps to think about nothing, count down from 1000, breathe in counts of 6, I could go on. It depends how I'm feeling that day.

-I close my eyes. I don't know if this is good practice or not, but my purpose for meditation is to distance myself from the world, so closing my eyes is needed for this.

-If there is something distracting you, visualize yourself getting rid of it. If you are worried about your boss emailing you, picture yourself getting up from your meditation and smashing your laptop on the ground. If you think your girlfriend will come in and bug you, imagine yourself slamming the door in her face in order to meditate.

-Play meditation music. There is a ton on YouTube, Spotify, everywhere. Just make sure that if you are listening to something water-focused like a waterfall to use the bathroom before practicing. Here is one of my favorite tracks. This is the daughter of Ravi Shankar, famed sitar player who influenced the Beatles.

[Brian Shima]

I don't think I am into it...but I got high and went to a Buddhist temple last week to relax for the first time. I just told them that I had a lot on my mind and they nodded, stated to close my eyes and "let everything go". It felt nice.

[BB1]

Bump.

I have recently read "Waking Up" by the neuroscientist, Sam Harris, and am seriously considering starting a meditation practise.

Harris says that our concept of "I" or our "self" is an illusion and until we become experienced meditators, there is no control of our lives - we are just trapped by thoughts and desires that we have no control over.

Just wondering if anyone here has been liberated by meditation?

It seems that the self-improvement/increasing status/etc message of RVF is inconsistent with the goals of meditation (dissolving the self/ego, etc)?

[RexImperator]

Eventually one realizes "trying to dissolve the ego" is another trap in a certain way. If you can allow it to do its thing while being aware, then you aren't trapped in it.

It's a deeper topic than it seems at the surface as I think this gets at the crux of human existence: self-improvement vs. self-acceptance, masculine vs. feminine aspects of our nature, eastern vs. western philosophy, yin-yang, etc...

[Valentine]

People overcomplicate meditation. Mindfulness is the simplest thing possible - just pay attention to your senses.

I do it daily and consider it an essential habit for calm and confidence.

A manosphere guy I lived with for a while was massively into meditation. In younger years he had spent literally all day for months trying to find deeper levels of meditation.

Now he does tai chi meditation for maybe 30 minutes a day and also during sex.

Tai chi is incredible for increasing sexual stamina and pleasure too by the way.

For my daily meditation practice though I prefer mindfulness.

[PragueDude]

Been doing it for 5 years. I bought the book 8 minute meditation and haven't stopped since. The only sessions I've missed have been after 12 hour flights or 6 glasses of red wine type nights. It's something you gotta stick with. I do it to build up discipline.

[redbeard]

(05-05-2016 09:46 AM)Valentine Wrote:  

People overcomplicate meditation. Mindfulness is the simplest thing possible - just pay attention to your senses.

I do it daily and consider it an essential habit for calm and confidence.

A manosphere guy I lived with for a while was massively into meditation. In younger years he had spent literally all day for months trying to find deeper levels of meditation.

Now he does tai chi meditation for maybe 30 minutes a day and also during sex.

Tai chi is incredible for increasing sexual stamina and pleasure too by the way.

For my daily meditation practice though I prefer mindfulness.

Bust out a Tai Chi datasheet! I don't know much except Elliott Hulse mentioned that he practices Tai Chi in the park every day. Seems very relaxing.

[Chowder Head]

I have a friend that meditates on things he wants like money, good health, etc. It seems to work for him. Is that a good way to meditate? I thought having a clear mind was the best way. I guess what he is doing is more visualization not meditating.