Meditation

What form of meditation techniques do you practice (if any) and how do you feel it benefits you?

Good question,over the years ive tried many different forms but i found i could never stick to anything due to problems in my life.At twelve my dad died and i got in with the wrong crowd started smoking the weed which led on to pretty much everything else which realy messed me up.At 28 i kicked the habbit but my mind was still in a mess and with work i found it very hard to find the time to stick to anything.

Six months ago i had an accident which left me withtwo crushed discs in my spine and was told i wont be working for some time.So this has given me the time i need and as ive said in another post ive found some of the kundalini yoga meditations very good.Iit seems to put me in a space i could not reach before.Its still early days but i have gained a new found confidence .

At the time of my addictions i used to say to myself this is a rubbish meditation,it does'nt work ect ect but now i can see it was me that was,nt working and these thoughts were barriers i was putting up due to my mind being everywhere.Now however i feel i can focus my attention and hopefully acheive my goals.

Sorry i went off topic abit but i think everyone has problems in there life no matter how big or small which affects your meditations through barriers being thrown up in your mind those were just a few of my barriers which through some simple kundalini exercises i seem to be overcomingBut the mind will allways create new barriers.When there are no more barriers i think that is true enlightenment and i dont think there are many who can say they are fully enlightened.

My appolagies for going on i will shut up now

matt

Just an idea but do you think of your accident as any kind of message telling you to go in a new direction?

Deffinetly ive got a whole new outlook on life im not sure what i will do yet .Before i would work myself into the ground and got no thanks for it so whatever i do it will be for myself.Just need to come up with a plan.

I always find it impossible to just sit and meditate, my mind wanders or I fall asleep. I meditate whilst doing something else, something mundane. Walking is good or knitting or gardening

Julia

As a child I was taught a form of Zazen which I believe is practiced by Buddhists. I was taught it to help me when fighting in martial arts. My father was one of a half dozen masters who came to Europe in the 60s to teach Karate in the West.

The meditation itself is simple and can be done kneeling, sitting or even lying down. Eyes half closed, vision focused on an object a couple of metres away, breath slowly and steadily counting from 1 to 10 (I can only meditate if I count in Japanese forsome strange reason) with each count on a breath in and out. With each breath outwards the body relaxes a bit more. If the mind is busy I visualise a single flower on a lily pad floating on calm water. All focus is on these things so no other thoughts should enter the mind at all.

This practice over time leads to interesting side effects which include wider periferal vision (the ability to see much more than the normal limited focus of vision), a heightened connection with the senses, better motor control of the body (righ down to your toes), heightened pain management, instant ability to become relaxed at any time, instant ability to clear one's mind and in conjunction with physical martial arts practice one can achieve 'slow time' abilities (for example, to see an attack such as a punch move in slow motion while you have the ability to counter or react in real time at your leisure).

I would love to learn other meditation techniques - could you share yours with me?

Here's an excellent link for you as it also includes audio: -

Click here

It's worth noting that the numbers 4, 7 and 9 have two ways of saying them depending on what is being counted. For the sake of just counting from one to ten though, it doesn't really matter which version you use.

I use Shi, Shichi and Kyuu for those numbers when meditating.

i have various ways of mediating, some not conventional.

I have an annoying ability to make myself go into a trance, and its sometimes really easy for my to clear my mind.....but then i really just think of nothing, which is pretty pointless really, so ill sit in my room, with a few candles and listen to some 'mellow' music.....actually quite loud....i find the vibrations soothing, cos im a strange thing.

Another way ill meditate is too write songs and poems. Gets all my emotionals out and helps my sort out my mind.

Ironing. Oddly theraputic and thus enables me to think as well, lol

Sabouki wrote:

I have an annoying ability to make myself go into a trace, and its sometimes really easy for my to clear my mind.....but then i really just think of nothing, which is pretty pointless really, so ill sit in my room, with a few candles and listen to some 'mellow' music.....actually quite loud....i find the vibrations soothing, cos im a strange thing.

Another way ill meditate is too write songs and poems. Gets all my emotionals out and helps my sort out my mind.

Ironing. Oddly theraputic and thus enables me to think as well, lol

What wonderful ways to meditate. I really like these. Very natural. Thanks for sharing.

There have been periods in my life where I found it impossible to meditate which is in stark contrast to the other periods of my life where it is as natural as can be. I think what makes it hard for people is a number of things from circumstances, health, emotional welfare, spiritual welfare, etc, etc. It could be anything.

What does everyone else think?

Ook! wrote:

There have been periods in my life where I found it impossible to meditate which is in stark contrast to the other periods of my life where it is as natural as can be. I think what makes it hard for people is a number of things from circumstances, health, emotional welfare, spiritual welfare, etc, etc. It could be anything.

What does everyone else think?

i have to agree with u there. With my current circumatnces at home, its not been as easy for my to meditate as i normally could....take me a good few 5, 10 minutes at the moment, instead of, nearly instantly, lol.

It general worries that can prevent me from relaxing....or sometimes STRONG emotions....such as pain, or excitement, anger, fear etc.

I guess it can depend on the person....your personality and how easily one shows emotions and such.

I think your emotional state health e.t.c is a big factor in meditation, trying to focus and/concentrate whilst stressed upset or just have a stinking cold etc is pretty difficult. I can never seem to force meditation for me it either happens or it doesn't although i i think practice s definatley helping as it seems to happen more now than it used to though i still suck pretty bad