What is your Meditation technique?

[Shamz]

Hello,
We all know the importance of meditation and what part it plays in our lives.
I just want to know from different people their style/techniques of meditation. I know that what works for one may not work for others, but I am just trying to get an idea about different ways or how people invent their own ways to meditate ?
1-2 lines from everyone are welcome. I am sure it will surely benefit lots of us esp someone new to meditation.

thanks

[Flasky]

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...for-dummies...

Check out that thread! I had sort of the same question and got heaps of response there...When you have time give it a read you might find something inspiring for you

[cloud9]

Thank you Shamz for posting this question as it's something I was going to ask too, perhaps to Anchor or Sepia. If somebody wants to answer this, I would like to ask:
Once you get to a estate where you are free of thoughts, what is it next?
Should one stay in that estate as long as I one is able to?
Should one visualize something?
Also, I find that I can, pretty easy, get to a estate with no thoughts or at least very few far and in between but I don't know if this is the only thing I need to do.
What is the purpose of mantras?
If one have a mantra, should one repeat this mantra for as long as the meditation lasts? Just at the beginning?

I'm sorry for so many questions but I've been thinking about starting a thread on this.

[gooty64]

Sometimes in a warm bubble bath.
Also, I heard someone call it a dynamic meditation-whereby you can meditate while you do the dishes, laundry, gardening etc. Just pay attention while you are doing these activities by using your senses and witnessing your actions almost like in slow-motion.

[Tenzin]

For ANY meditation subject: to first establish a completely relaxed state before everything else.

Visualization is ideal for anything that deals with this 'matrix'. Protection, success, whatever.

To get out of the matrix, stop thinking and go as deep into calm as possible. Let go of body, and mind.

[cloud9]

Perhaps my confusion comes from ignorance. After a while in meditation, let's say 25 or 30 minutes with a quiet mind, I just start thinking that it's time to open my eyes and I do so (very slowly), but I always think that I didn't do much. Many people have talked about wonderful experiences.... how do they do it?
I just started 2 weeks ago so...

¤=[Post Update]=¤

Tenzin,
I think I know what you mean... one day the silence was so great that I thought I was in a empty space, no sounds at all and I didn't feel my body either, but this is it? I mean this is the goal of meditation, to get to that state?

[Tenzin]

Great achievement, cloud9! Please go even deeper! Great wisdom awaits you!

[pie'n'eal]

Dear Shaz,
To start there is watching the breath meditation, simply resting in that awareness, that is called Shamata with support. Thoughts will arise, just let them come to pass. this is your time to relax and be at peace. gradually you will notice just the nowness, rest in that. This is called Shamata without support.

the point of meditation is to free oneself of fixated concepts. we are not these thoughts, gradually we become aware of a perceiver aware of these thoughts. Then we come to mere perception.....then we arrive at pure perception. Your true nature!

All the best
Tony

[Rahkyt]

I use simple Shamatha meditation, which is a technique I learned from my time at the Shambhala center in Washington DC. It is what Tony mentioned above as simple 'watching the breath' exercise, with a few modifications. You do watch the breath, but you also do it with your eyes open. There are no particular mudras or mantras. Bless.

[Allura]

I usually use a hemi-sync cd from the Monroe Institute, lay down on my bed, do some progressive relaxation and just quiet my mind (sometimes repeating a mantra). Otherwise I will use a guided meditation, also from the Monroe Institute...their cds are expensive but SO worth it! I love their hemi-sync technology!!

[cloud9]

One of my questions: Is it the goal to get to that silent estate, right? If so, is it not a contradiction to use music or sounds? As there's no silence anymore...

[Whiskey_Mystic]

Some of us believe in two basic forms of meditation. Yin and Yang. Yin meditation is what most people are famiilar with. Count your breaths. Get in the gap. Empty your mind. Yang meditation is active, rather than passive. It is the state in which one can "reprogram the matrix". If you are intentionally using meditation to reach high states of awareness, conduct energetic alchemy, or interface with non-physical entities, then you are approaching Yang meditation. That's not to say that anyone doing these things is practicing meditation as there are many ways to approach all of them. I've found that these techniques are not widely taught, although Tonglen practice in certain Buddhist schools definitely would qualify.

One very focused mind I know can meditate during almost any activity. I can't. I have to quiet my body first. I can't even do the walking meditation myself.

[Unified Serenity]

First of all, I find it important to get a good 30 minutes of uninterupted time which means no tv, phone calls, or kids wanting something. So, turn off anything that would interfer with this time. It's also very good to pick the same time for daily meditation. Be mindful of your body. If you are tense do a simple exercise starting at the head and tighten various sections of the face, then do the shoulder/peck area, arms, torso, buttocks, legs, toes, then whole body. Inhale deeply through the nose, tighten the area, and hold that for say the count of 7 and exhale through the mouth as you relax those muscles. Work all the way through your body. Once that is finished, you can reset your sympathetic system by doing 4,7,8 breathing. Inhale through the nose to the count of 4 a full chest inhale, hold it for the count of 7, then exhale through the mouth to the count of 8. Do it a minimum of 4 times and a maximum of 8 times. After that, you can do 4 fold breathing which is breathing in through the nose to the count of 4, hold for 4, exhale through mouth for 4, and wait for 4, then start again. You should be in a state of feeling your body as very heavy and at the same time feel like you are floating.

Now, you can do this either laying down or sitting with feet flat on the floor. One technique I have often used is to visualilze at the beginning as you are centering that there are energetic roots going down to the earth from your body or feet if sitting down. As you inhale you feel your body taking in energy and it flowing all the way down into the earth, and on exhale push it down. Once centered for a few minutes as you inhale visualize that energy now coming up those roots, flowing through you and exhale it to come out of the top of your head flowing out around you back to the earth, and sense a loop now. Just Inhale and draw that energy up your body, hold it and let it fill you, and then flow out again from the top of your head, and back down.

You can keep it going just like that for 20 minutes or you can add to the meditation. If you are dealing with a physical problem, feel this energy as a healing source of life and as you inhale you feel that energy going to that area, and see the pain or illness leave upon exhale. If it's an emotional pain, on exhale you release it out to be cleansed. There are a lot of things to do once you are accustomed to centering. I'll stop here and if anyone has any questions, I'll be happy to share what I can. If you have a really bad problem of what I call the babbler (constant worrisome thoughts that don't stop) not shutting up when you try to meditate, you can try a worry bead exercise. When you do something repetitious while focusing on a breathing technique it shuts up the babbler. This is how the Catholic rosary works, Arab beads, and a few other things. Basically doing anything mundane while focusing on breathing techniques will shut the babbler up.

[Anchor]

My experience is that consistent and regular daily meditation at approximately the same time(s) every day seems to work the best. For me early in the morning is best, when there is close to no chance of being disturbed and the least likelihood of falling asleep.

I love these threads, they are kind of an FAQ, and each time they come up, we get new and better answers!

[eg: http://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...itating-simply ]

[Bright Garlick]

First. Drop the word technique. Second. Feel everything.

[ponda]

Here's a book that details various different meditation techniques from 12 modern Buddhist masters from South East Asia.It's called Living Dharma and was put together by a guy called Jack Kornfield.

Living dharma: teachings of twelve Buddhist masters

In this book (previously published under the title Living Buddhist Masters), Jack Kornfield presents the heart of Buddhist practice as taught by twelve highly respected masters from Southeast Asia, Here, renowned teachers such as Mahasi Sayadaw, U Ba Khin, Mohnyin Sayadaw, and Achaan Maha Boowa describe a rich variety of meditation techniques—practices that can lead to the dissolution of a limited sense of self, an awakening of insight, compassion for all beings, and the realization of Nirvana. In other chapters, Achaan Chaa, Achaan Buddhadasa, and Sunlun Sayadaw offer practices clarifying the essential attitude that will allow each person to discover the truth of the Buddha's teaching here and now—the living Dharma. The book also provides an introduction to the basic tenets of Buddhism and a look at the Buddhist tradition as taught in Burma, Thailand, and Laos.

You can read it online for free here: http://books.google.com/books?id=8In...page&q&f=false

[Hughe]

I do meditate whenever I have desire of meditation. For serious meditation, I have the lotus seat and breath till I get bored.
For light meditation, I lay on the bed complete naked and relax before going to sleep.
I watch how my thought or emotion flows inside mind sometimes.

[DawnOfANewEra]

Thank you everyone for sharing. I used to have trouble falling asleep, my thoughts would just race. Now when I feel that happening, I focus on the thought 'sleep' over and over. I also like to imagine all the crazy energy in my brain slowly draining from the top of my skull into my throat, then I breathe it deeply into my lungs and release it when I breathe out. This really calms me and I've been doing it for awhile to ready my mind for a usually incredibly intense dream state.

Recently, I have been studying UFO contactee Billy Meier and the peace meditation. You can read more about it here: http://www.theyfly.com/salome/salome.htm. It also has a recording of the peace meditation, spoken in an ancient Lyrian language. I just love the sound of the chant and imagining inhabitants all over the universe praying for peace together is about the most inspirational thought one can have, in my opinion. Hope this helps someone out there

[joedjemal]

Cloud9, yes that's it well done on getting it so fast took me years but now I just switch it off and carry on with what i'm doing. Meditating while gardening is good.

As for the experiences, wait and keep it up.

It won't be long berore you start seeing things. Don't think about what you see just experience it it may start as washes of grey light that turns into pure colours. Then you'll encounter a tunnel, go down it.

[Carmody]

Reduce all extraneous input. Music without vocals helps. Avoid engagement of the ego function though the channels available. I just found this, (example):

http://n5md.bandcamp.com/track/subtr...d-lovely-quiet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_6Pp_JKwmk