Anyone can give me tips on how to meditate better?

[Not the love ace]

This might be the thread to post in this forum but I thought since meditating for some of us can be a very spiritual thing, that this belongs here.

 

I used to meditate a lot and in various ways. It was simple but it was effective and I used to feel like I can delve into an alternate universe of mine and really concentrate on my "happy place". Of course I would (and still do) make sure my surroundings are clean, clean, clean then I would turn off the lights, burn some candles and listen to calming, deep, euphoric music. Or I would even go to my bathroom, turn off the lights, light up some candles and let the water run and concentrate on the warmth of the water and the sounds of it running as well for it would help me concentrate.

 

I usually would do stretches or sit Indian style, back straight and breathe through my nose.

 

Lately though, for the past year or more I've been having an extremely difficult time meditating. I've been more eager to sleep and try and have good dreams rather than stay put and really concentrate. I feel like my attention span and patience for meditation has flown out the window and I REALLY, REALLY BADLY want to get back into gear.

 

I just feel though I might have to do something different. Anyone got any tips and/or advice on how I can be able to better meditate? This is something that has really helped me be a better person and at peace with myself-something I haven't been in some time now. I truly appreciate anyone who can help.

[Feelin Frisky]

Perhaps you achieved everything that was there in that conventionality and it was more hype than substance. I don't really get meditation and may actually be a natural practitioner of it without cues from the lore and language of spirituality. All I know is there are faculties of my mind always engaged on transcendence even when I'm engaged in other things. Ideas and answers pop up like toast I've forgotten I put in the toaster. I don't want to mess with the gift by taking on someone else's spooky mumbo jumbo.

[Jilly Bean]

Ace - I am a practicing Celtic Pagan, so meditating is something I have practiced for many years.

 

It sounds like you're putting a lot of effort into "setting the scene", when in actuality, popping yourself into an alpha state can be achieved without all of the trappings of incense, candles, music, etc. If it helps, great, but it sounds like it's distracting you.

 

I will give you a really quick and easy meditation to do, abbreviated and shortened to suit all spiritual practices.

 

Sit in a chair or on the couch, but make sure to have your feet rooted on the floor (important to keep you grounded).

 

Let your mind clear as much as possible, take three cleansing breaths, then begin.

 

Picture the number 7 and the color red. This image will come to you in a very personal way, and let it appear in your minds eye. Take your time with this. It's not something you need, or want, to rush. When you can easily visualize and hold the image, then let it go and continue (all steps will be the same for this part of the meditation.) Again, don't rush the steps.

 

Now picture the number 6 and the color orange.

 

Then 5 and yellow.

 

4 and green.

 

3 and blue.

 

2 and indigo.

 

1 and violet.

 

At this point, your breathing should have slowed, your body will be relaxed, and your mind should be clear.

 

You can now do your meditative work - whether calling in your spirit guides, or just focusing on an issue and waiting for an answer to come, or just letting your mind travel and bring you peace. This is your time, so let whatever comes, come.

 

Stay in your meditative state until you feel you have solved a problem, or reduced your stress, or just feel more grounded. You will know when it's time to end the meditation.

 

When you're ready to come out, follow the next steps.

 

Slowing count in your head from 1 to 7.

 

When completed, then count in your head from 1 to 10.

 

You now will be back in the here and now, and should feel relaxed and refreshed.

 

Basically what this meditation does, is change your vibrations. First slowing them to get you into the alpha state, and then raising them to bring you back to the physical plane.

 

Good luck.

[TaraMaiden]

as far as I am given to understand, and please don't take this in any way as a criticism, Jilly - that perfectly describes a mild form of self-hypnosis. You're "taking yourself somewhere else within your mind" by leading yourself through a process.

Please let me add there';s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it may well be the proces NtLA needs.

as a Buddhist who also regularly meditiates, perhaps I could add a different perspective, and means and method of meditating which varies from that of Jilly Bean. I would hope all contributions are welcome.

 

First of all, I must agree with JB that your preparation seems to be an important preamble whereas in actual fact, you can even meditate on a crowded train, should you so wish.

It's not the period of time (or quantity) that matters. It's the quality.

One of my teachers said it was better to have regular good and productive periods of two minutes during the day, that two hours of unproductive straight sitting.

One meditation Guru described meditation as 'Bringing the Mind Home'.

From my own personal perspective and experience, Meditation is not about creating imagery and generating a pictorial process. It's not even about preventing thoughts arising, or silencing the mind, completely.

It's about Paying Attention and stilling the thoughts. Not preventing them, stilling them. Stopping them in their tracks from snowballing, and then letting them pass, without elaborating them into a story.....

 

Sit, exactly as JB has described, in a way that makes you comfortable and relaxed, but not liable to make you fall asleep.

Focus on the breath, and just be aware of your body breathing in, and breathing out. Don't tell yourself that this is what it's doing.

Jut 'watch it' breathing. Be aware of the feeling of your body expanding and touching your clothes, and watch the rise and fall of your chest.....

if you have a thought pop into your head, see it, accept it, and let it pass. breathe.

Just breathe.

we do this all the time, but we're almost never aware of it.

Don't alter your breathing, don't slow it down, don't make it deeper. Just breathe.

 

Sometimes it helps to sit in a darkened room, and focus on a candle flame. Then close your eyes, and 'look' at the image of the candle you see with your eyes closed. Focus on it, and be still. When the image disappears, open your eyes, and repeat the exercise two more times.

 

Another way, especially if you're on a bus, a train or a passenger in a car, is to look at the passing scenery, and note everything you see. But without any commentary. see the houses, the red car, the girl with the push-bike, the mom with the two kids, but don't let yourself think, "oh, there are the houses, the red car, the girl with the push-bike, the mom with the two kids"... Just 'see' them. let them come, and go, without adding any labels or words.

 

My bit.

[denise_xo]

I find it very helpful to meditate with other people. It creates more of a focus for me and helps me bring myself together faster when I tune out. I've found a couple of good groups where I live and when I join them regularly it helps me focus better when I'm by myself as well. I'm out of the routine now though due to work pressure and other stuff going on, so I'm basically in the same spot as you and struggling to get focus and presence back again.

 

It sounds like you might be ready for another format. No point in banging your head against the wall if that ultimately just takes attention away from your main objective. I also use/have used dance, tai chi, yoga or long walks in nature. Doing something physical, especially something that requires coordination of different body parts in different directions, is pretty good for clearing the mind of other things.

 

At the end of the day, though, it's like Frisky is saying that the ultimate form of practice is just trying to be more present as you go through the day. There's a book I really like called 'Presence' (UK)/ Second circle (US) by Patsy Rodenburg. It's not about meditation, but about achieving that presence in your every day life and it has practical steps for how to help you achieve/ maintain that. This woman has worked with all sorts of people from prostitutes to business people to actors like Nicole Kidman, and I find her perspectives quite useful for that every day work (as opposed to the thirty minutes or whatever when you can isolate yourself from the world - those minutes are good tools but in some ways they're also artificial time).

 

Anyway, good luck to you!

[Not the love ace]

as far as I am given to understand, and please don't take this in any way as a criticism, Jilly - that perfectly describes a mild form of self-hypnosis. You're "taking yourself somewhere else within your mind" by leading yourself through a process.

Please let me add there';s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and it may well be the proces NtLA needs.

as a Buddhist who also regularly meditiates, perhaps I could add a different perspective, and means and method of meditating which varies from that of Jilly Bean. I would hope all contributions are welcome.

First of all, I must agree with JB that your preparation seems to be an important preamble whereas in actual fact, you can even meditate on a crowded train, should you so wish.

It's not the period of time (or quantity) that matters. It's the quality.

One of my teachers said it was better to have regular good and productive periods of two minutes during the day, that two hours of unproductive straight sitting.

One meditation Guru described meditation as 'Bringing the Mind Home'.

From my own personal perspective and experience, Meditation is not about creating imagery and generating a pictorial process. It's not even about preventing thoughts arising, or silencing the mind, completely.

It's about Paying Attention and stilling the thoughts. Not preventing them, stilling them. Stopping them in their tracks from snowballing, and then letting them pass, without elaborating them into a story.....

 

Sit, exactly as JB has described, in a way that makes you comfortable and relaxed, but not liable to make you fall asleep.

Focus on the breath, and just be aware of your body breathing in, and breathing out. Don't tell yourself that this is what it's doing.

Jut 'watch it' breathing. Be aware of the feeling of your body expanding and touching your clothes, and watch the rise and fall of your chest.....

if you have a thought pop into your head, see it, accept it, and let it pass. breathe.

Just breathe.

we do this all the time, but we're almost never aware of it.

Don't alter your breathing, don't slow it down, don't make it deeper. Just breathe.

 

Sometimes it helps to sit in a darkened room, and focus on a candle flame. Then close your eyes, and 'look' at the image of the candle you see with your eyes closed. Focus on it, and be still. When the image disappears, open your eyes, and repeat the exercise two more times.

 

Another way, especially if you're on a bus, a train or a passenger in a car, is to look at the passing scenery, and note everything you see. But without any commentary. see the houses, the red car, the girl with the push-bike, the mom with the two kids, but don't let yourself think, "oh, there are the houses, the red car, the girl with the push-bike, the mom with the two kids"... Just 'see' them. let them come, and go, without adding any labels or words.

 

My bit.

 

 

Thank you my friend. And to answer the statement in bold, ALL contributions are definitely welcomed indeed, without question. I want to know everyone's way/style of meditation.

[knaveman]

I like to meditate in the mornings, but I'm a terrible morning person so I don't always get up when I am supposed to. Most times, instead of meditating, I go for a run or a long walk. No headphones, no thoughts, just time alone.

 

When I do get my ass up early enough to meditate my day is so much better. I use something I read in a Pema Chodron book (or was it Thich Nhat Hanh.) I breathe in and out, counting each time, until my in breaths are the same number as my out breaths. Then I just breathe with not thoughts, letting everything around me just happen. If my mind starts to wander I just bring it back to my breath. I enjoy every minute of it.

 

Maybe I'll be getting up early tomorrow now.