How to Meditate? any advice..... :)

[markenty13]

Good evening all,

My question is simple, how do you meditate?

I would really like to try meditation, but have no clue as how to go about it..

I have tried google etc, but all seem to say different things...

Does anyone have any tips for new starters like me :)

Thank you x

[casper]

Meditation is not like a sport and to seek some advice on how to quickly get to a goal. First you
need to ask yourself why do you want
to meditate.

[markenty13]

for the past few months i have had a nervous feeling below my belly button, its there most times, not sure how or why it has come but it is there most of the time.

I was hoping mediation could give me an answer or at least relieve this feeling...

Thanks

[geoff]

Well thats a simple enough question isn't it? I am sure there are a hundreds of people on Avalon who will give you a hundred different answers.
You don't need to understand any deep philosophy to begin meditating or understand its true purpose, just the act of trying is beneficial, as you will find out for yourself. I taught myself to meditate, all i knew were three things, that you had to concentrate on your breathing, you had to keep your eyes half open and that the idea was to still the 'inner voice' or 'inner dialogue' but I didn't know why.
Anyway heres an easy way to meditate.

1. Find a space that you feel relaxed, indoors or outdoors, under a tree is good.
2 Sit in a comfortable manner, preferably with your legs crossed, but not so it hurts.
3. Try and keep your back straight, half close your eyes, try and keep your eyes focused on the tip of your nose.
4. Slowly breath in through your nose, and down into your stomach then breath out slowly through your mouth.
5. You will find your mind become full of thoughts, and they will distract you, but as you remember to, concentrate on your breath, even counting your breaths helps.

Just this simple method, will make you feel better in a whole load of ways, when you get to the point of stopping those thoughts completely! Then you will be there in so many ways.

[Anchor]

There are heaps of threads on the subject on this forum.

My advice - use the advanced search function :)

[casper]

Well thats a simple enough question isn't it? I am sure there are a hundreds of people on Avalon who will give you a hundred different answers.
You don't need to understand any deep philosophy to begin meditating or understand its true purpose, just the act of trying is beneficial, as you will find out for yourself. I taught myself to meditate, all i knew were three things, that you had to concentrate on your breathing, you had to keep your eyes half open and that the idea was to still the 'inner voice' or 'inner dialogue' but I didn't know why.
Anyway heres an easy way to meditate.

1. Find a space that you feel relaxed, indoors or outdoors, under a tree is good.
2 Sit in a comfortable manner, preferably with your legs crossed, but not so it hurts.
3. Try and keep your back straight, half close your eyes, try and keep your eyes focused on the tip of your nose.
4. Slowly breath in through your nose, and down into your stomach then breath out slowly through your mouth.
5. You will find your mind become full of thoughts, and they will distract you, but as you remember to, concentrate on your breath, even counting your breaths helps.

Just this simple method, will make you feel better in a whole load of ways, when you get to the point of stopping those thoughts completely! Then you will be there in so many ways.

That is not meditation, that is sitting cross-legged...

And you do need to understand deep philosophy and
understand its true purpose, that is the point.

[Anchor]

@casper: Are you one of the ones that think meditation is not simple?

Why do you think that?

[CD7]

Going within and visualizing your intention...its like working body muscles the more u do it the easier it becomes. Finding a reiki group, if possible, helps to cultivate meditation and bring intention HERE. It is a PERSONAL experience so there is NO one receipe...it boils down to practicing how to connect within-- YOU will guide yourself eventually and know what, how, where, and when. To me its connecting with intuition... awakening the third eye. i am now able to do a type of "awake" meditation which over time u learn how to switch into a "different" state much easier. There really is no One way...its really about shutting this world off and relearning how to connect with the deeper u THROUGH your heart.

[starsha]

This is probably the best advice i could share. :)

m7qFi52FX1Q

This one is also very good.

BPjtlwpXMVg

[casper]

Of course it is not simple. I don't think, I know...

[starsha]

Good evening all,

My question is simple, how do you meditate?

I would really like to try meditation, but have no clue as how to go about it..

I have tried google etc, but all seem to say different things...

Does anyone have any tips for new starters like me :)

Thank you x

I once heard that any form of meditation that incorporates 'curiosity' or inquisitiveness will get you to where you want to go. I still feel that is very true.

lCrWn_NueUg

[nomadguy]

Good evening all,

My question is simple, how do you meditate?

I would really like to try meditation, but have no clue as how to go about it..

I have tried google etc, but all seem to say different things...

Does anyone have any tips for new starters like me :)

Thank you x

give this a try
EUX4gsBjebA

[lisa]

Everyone is different, but what worked really well for me is this free 10-day course: http://www.dhamma.org/ with centers all around the world.

The organization works for the good of all. You get to stay at a center for 10-days, learn how to meditate, and eat yummy food for free. It has no religious affiliation, but it teaches the meditation technique that Gautama Buddha used to reach Nirvana.

Together with Yoga, it does wonders. I used to get sick a lot when I was a kid, but I have not gotten sick for many years. It does a whole lot more for me than simply not getting sick though...

[Anchor]

Of course it is not simple. I don't think, I know...

Thanks for clearing that up.

I got a sense that you do know; and its all good.

There are as many paths through meditation as there are those travelling the paths. Simple logic tells me that some of those paths are bound to be more complex than others. One, may, for extra challenge, pick a complex route up a mountain and still arrive at the top. I think though the first few steps on that path, are not so hard, and I postulate (and this is in no way referenced at you or anyone else) that layers of artificial complexity are often promulgated by people:

a) who genuinely feel that it is really really complicated and you have to be very serious and disciplined and do all these complicated things
b) with an agenda to discourage people and reduce the number of people trying
c) who want to look (or feel) clever because they do well at something that is complicated
d) that profit by "teaching", and teaching simple things is poor business

My take on things, after having read the views of many teachers, mediators, beginners, and people on this forum and of course my own experience; is that there seems to be a lot of common ground and things that work for those taking the first few steps on that path; and they really are not that complicated.

Once you take the first few steps, then any teaching assistance required will arrive on request sometimes in miraculous and different ways... and if you don't ask and you want to struggle, then that is fine too.

I wrote a thread about meditating simply, here: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?3779-Meditating-simply ; and I would be happy to see your feed back on the ideas - either here or there. Pie'n'eal (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/member.php?5101-pie-n-eal) on this forum has also contributed a number of threads on the subject which are all good as well.

[WhiteFeather]

MY CHOICE IS Lying comfortably, slow breathing, relaxing the mind and listening to tranquil music, my preference are sounds of nature Ex: running water, thunderstorms, forest sounds, ocean sounds. The trick is breathing and relaxing, this is my form of meditation and it works well for me. I have accomplished astral projection from this method. Whatever works for you. Experiment!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCw6nwRnJIo&feature=relmfu

[Tarka the Duck]

Hello Mark

If you click on the Groups tab, you will find there is a meditation group that might be of help.

Kathie

[Ineffable Hitchhiker]

Well thats a simple enough question isn't it? I am sure there are a hundreds of people on Avalon who will give you a hundred different answers.
You don't need to understand any deep philosophy to begin meditating or understand its true purpose, just the act of trying is beneficial, as you will find out for yourself. I taught myself to meditate, all i knew were three things, that you had to concentrate on your breathing, you had to keep your eyes half open and that the idea was to still the 'inner voice' or 'inner dialogue' but I didn't know why.
Anyway heres an easy way to meditate.

1. Find a space that you feel relaxed, indoors or outdoors, under a tree is good.
2 Sit in a comfortable manner, preferably with your legs crossed, but not so it hurts.
3. Try and keep your back straight, half close your eyes, try and keep your eyes focused on the tip of your nose.
4. Slowly breath in through your nose, and down into your stomach then breath out slowly through your mouth.
5. You will find your mind become full of thoughts, and they will distract you, but as you remember to, concentrate on your breath, even counting your breaths helps.

Just this simple method, will make you feel better in a whole load of ways, when you get to the point of stopping those thoughts completely! Then you will be there in so many ways.

That is not meditation, that is sitting cross-legged...

And you do need to understand deep philosophy and
understand its true purpose, that is the point.

Hi there,
I thought geoff´s advice was valid. It especially helpful to first quieten the mind and enjoy the stillness.

There are so many methods and philosophies on how to meditate, but as Anchor said, once you have begun to take the first steps, the rest will follow.
As in :-"When the student is ready, the teacher will come. " :)
The "teacher" being an-other who is able to facilitate a peaceful mind.

Good luck Mark, and do pop into the Spiritual section too, to find something that suits you.

[Tenzin]

Meditation is neither difficult nor simple; it depends on the individual.

It can be used for various purposes, each with their various appropriate techniques. There is no 1 technique that fits all, and some people are more suited for certain approaches. There are also techniques that more people can easily grasp. This forum is a great way to begin your exploration. :)

1. If you have practised it in your previous life, your consciousness may have expanded enough, you may improve in leaps and bounds.
2. If you have been taught the ways to keep your bodies healthy (physical, etheric, etc.), you may improve in leaps and bounds.

Personally, I was taught visualization, then concentration on breath. I am still in a middle of a long overseas meditation retreat. And among those, I was advised to maintain mindfulness daily, so the mind is trained to become sharp and alert. Once your mind is strong and stable enough, it will be easier to establish concentration (really deep ones where the senses are shut off), which one can then use to then explore the inner, subtler dynamics. One has to remember that as long as the mind is scattered (such as engaged in constant thinking), it cannot be concentrated. This is too brief to be practically helpful, but better than nothing!

[geoff]

I didn't mean to say that to understand the true meaning of meditation, you don't need to understand a deeper philosophy, I just meant to say that to begin meditating you dont need to understand any deeper purpose. Which is true. Of course what I said is valid, I just put it in the simplest of terms. If you use that technique, you will get results, guaranteed. Its a good starter and simple. To go further, then of course, that will take a life time of work, probably many lifetimes.

[casper]

to begin meditating you dont need to understand any deeper purpose.


Just opposite, you need to understand deeper purpose to begin meditating.

ALL THE BEST FROM CASPER

STAY CONNECTED...

[geoff]

Or the opposite ,you need to meditate to understand deeper purpose

[casper]

Hmmm ok I give up...