Meditating simply

[conk]

I've just found a great guided meditation called the Tao Dropdown Meditation, by The Barefoot Doctor. He guides you to find the little Buddha sitting in the middle of your head, peering out at an infinitely distant star inside your head. Your breath becomes a tiny thread of gold being pulled in and out gently. I rotate this among others that suit me.

John, you are so right about having to meditate. It is essential. 90-95% of all dis-ease is caused by stress (See Dr. Bruce Lipton, among others). Meditation mitigates the stress very well. Our minds are running marathon after marathon, so to speak, and never rest. It's a deadly game where a negative outcome is certain.

I've only begun to meditate seriously in the last year. I've had two wonderful experiences and look to have many more. One glorious experience was ruined by fear that I could not "come back to my body". After having that fear I had to ask, "where was I if I was fearful of being lost"? Another time I felt completely integral to the vast Awareness that is the field. It lasted about 15 seconds. I lost it by thinking about how wonderful it was. I just needed to simply enjoy and be it. I'm learning and look forward to much progress.

[Anchor]

Posted by Upanatom (here)
Thanks to all above for the advice and encouragement about meditation...
I can obviously see the benefits it has for peace of mind and awareness, but every attempt so far has just ended in sleep.
It's plain to see I've not been out of the sheep pastures for long enough, huh?
Given time, I'm sure its possible and I keep telling myself I'm on the right road now, so you guys will be the first to know when I finally do achieve a meditative state.
Thanks again

Well if you are really gung-ho you could try this https://projectavalon.net/forum4/show...5-Cold-showers!

LOL

[Hummingbird]

Deep meditation brings catharsis up, or shadow material that needs to be dealt with. Most people can't sit still for a few minutes so if you can higher your thresh hold by keeping your breath in the same pattern it transfers into your daily life and creates a higher thresh hold for everything.

A couple things I have found very useful but sometimes challenging( thats when you know the meditation is really working) when you breath threw the moments of overwhelm in your mediation it open's up new neurological pathways in the brain, and creates brain synchronization.

Breathing: Inhale slowly and deep( you still want it to be a natural deep breath not a forced one) into the belly threw nose, count one, exhale.. next breath count two, all the way till ten, how long it takes doesnt matter, and repeat till you desire. This is a exercise helps in practice of keeping the mind from wondering and staying focused on the breathing.

James from wingmakers showed me the Quantum pause, which is inhale for 3-4 seconds depending on level of deep breathing you are at, then hold for same amount of time, the exhale for the exact same 3-4 seconds( let you intuition guide you) then hold with no air for same time, breath normally and comfortably for 2 minutes or so, or like 20 breath cycles.

I got introduced to meditation by Bill Harris founder of centerpointe research institute and Holosync utilizing carrier frequencies and bianural* beats amonst other things. I have noticed a significant difference all walks of life, for instance I train martial arts and love jiu jitsu(submission grappling) havnt been going to any gym's but when I grapple people that train regularly or have more experience I hold my own or I end up tapping someone out alot. It has increased my awareness to see the submission's position's etc. People ask why are you so fluent and relaxed, I tell them meditation they don't believe.

Bill Harris In my opinion is one of the foremost leaders in meditation, making it practical, giving fast results while also giving his speak cd's which have so much great teaching.

Hormone optimization: Hormone function and how much it affects are daily life is overlooked. Besides diet, exercise, weight bearing exercise ( kettlebells being one of the best IMO) stress management plays a huge part in optimizing your hormones. and it is not the kind of stress but just how you manage it, there has been study's done that show that a house wife can have a higher level of stress then a soldier in Iraq who seen his friend die a week before. So it is not the type of stress but how you manage it and meditation helps in that area like no other

Be well

Truth Nectar

[Hiram]

Great Thread!

@ Humming bird.

I too practice Quantum Pause. Learning to control the mind...control your thoughts is very important. An undisciplined mind is a reactive thing, like a skittish horse. It can't be controlled and so you are at the mercy of it's every whim. You ARE NOT YOUR MIND though most are subject to it. Its the machine you must learn to master.

Watching your thoughts will help.

[StephenW11UK]

Thank you John, your recommendations are simple and easy to follow for anyone new to this. So, would-be meditators, take them seriously.

Just a few variations/alternatives that may appeal to the real beginner:

(a) not less that an hour after a full meal
(b) any position you feel comfortable in - even curled up in a foetal position in bed!
(c) any time of the day
(d) just as in Tai Chi, yoga etc. breathing gently and smoothly is extremely important
(e) focus on your breathing and, when the thoughts start drawing your attention away, focus again on your breath
(f) just watch your thoughts - as though from a distance
(g) common 'problems' - although definitely not the most useful way to describe them:

(1) a non-stop train of thought, falling asleep, fidgeting, bodily discomfort, noises, things you 'have to' get done
(2) rule1 (also rule 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and so on): don't beat yourself up when things don't go as you want them to
(3) if you do, you're fighting against the system, you're self-sabotaging
(4) just gently let go of anything, anything at all, that you become aware of and focus again on your breath
(5) <== that IS meditating
(6) with practice you'll find that dealing caringly with distractions is the doorway into deeper meditation
(6) in this present time cycle, leading up to and beyond 2012, there are forces/energies, never before so active, at work - you might refer to them as an impulse of Creation - and, even without any effort on our part to attract them to us, they are guiding us toward the realisation of our full potential as human beings. Worth keeping in mind, perhaps.

[Anchor]

On the problem of falling asleep: some postures are more prone to makeing this worse. If it is a problem for you, avoid postures like lying down, or those that have the head supported. Meditating after you get up will help, as you will have had your sleep already.

[Jonathon]

Posted by Upanatom (here)
Thanks to all above for the advice and encouragement about meditation...
I can obviously see the benefits it has for peace of mind and awareness, but every attempt so far has just ended in sleep.
It's plain to see I've not been out of the sheep pastures for long enough, huh?
Given time, I'm sure its possible and I keep telling myself I'm on the right road now, so you guys will be the first to know when I finally do achieve a meditative state.
Thanks again

I found it helpful to follow the advice of Alan Watts and use a 'sitting on heels' posture (imagine knees on ground, rear end planted on your heels). This was very helpful to me - I always fell asleep! The posture takes some getting used to... helps to put a pillow below your knees and also between your legs and butt =)

For those looking to add some flavor to their routine, I recommend trying The Inner Guide Meditation - book found HERE.

[jeannacav]

Thank you, John... this is a great thread.

I have not seen the following suggestion yet, and I would like to add this, please

In your breathing, count heartbeats, rather than seconds.
It can take a few breaths to settle, but when it does, you have a strong platform developed to continue meditating.

I learned this concept when I used the 'journey to the wild divine' game. I noticed many of the levels were having me breathe with my heartbeat.

The range seemed to be 3 or 4 or 5 heartbeats per breath... oh and I think there was a 7 too in the beginning.

Anyway for the novice, it gives a little something for the mind to do which ends up settling it a bit.

Thank you everyone, I have enjoyed the other suggestions.

jeanna

[Tea]

Well, here is how I do it, for anyone it may help. I don't consider myself an expert either. My experience with meditation has been on and off; right now im back on.

This is not to be read as the correct way to meditate. It is the way that has worked best for me.

After writing this I'm thinking it may not qualify as 'meditating simply', but since I already wrote it, here goes.



Before You Begin

1. Empty Stomach. It's best to meditate on an empty stomach.

2. Duration. Determine how long will you meditate for. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 1 hour, etc. Personally, I prefer to meditiate without being timed. I just end the meditation when I feel the time is right. This also eliminates problems such as wondering how much time is remaining.

3. Intent. It is a good idea to determine your intent before beginning, but not necessary.



Posture

4. Posture. Sit Cross Legged. Regular, lotus, or half lotus. If your knees do not touch the ground, sit on a cushion. I recommend your knees touch the ground.

5. Spine/Back. Make your back as straight as you can without straining it. To do this, focus on the crown chakra (that spot on top of your head near the rear where hair goes out in every direction) and imagine a string pulling you upwards from there, or, alternatively, you can push upwards from that area.

6. Chin. Tuck your chin slightly inwards, towards the body.

7. Hands. Several options.

i. Palms on you knees, fully relaxed.
ii. Back of your hands resting on your knees while holding your thumbs and middle fingers together lightly
iii. Hold your hands in a bowl position near your lower stomach, either crossing you fingers together or one hand on top of the other, and have your thumb tips touching together.
iv. Put your palms flat on the floor on each side of you in a relaxed manner. No guarantees here, this is my own custom one.


8. Eyes. Look a few feet, or a bit less than a meter, in front of you. Close your eyes but not entirely. Make sure your eyes are just slightly open, so that you can barely notice they are still open. This helps keep one of the chi channels open.

9. Tongue. Place the tip of your tongue at the roof of your mouth just behind your teeth. This helps the chi flow through your body.

10. Mouth. Your mouth should also be just slightly open. If too much saliva accumulates, focus on swallowing it down to just below the navel. To your dan tian, if you know what that is. Do not to make this into a habbit, do it only if necessary.



Getting Started

11. Breathe. Begin breathing naturally, in a relaxed manner. All breathing will be done through the nose.

12. Relax. Start focusing on relaxing your entire body. This will allow the chi to flow much better. If you are new, you will begin to notice that there a many subtle tensions held within the body. Begin by relaxing your face, and then shoulders. Relax your entire stomach. Relax your knees and your wrists. Relax your rectum. Relax your throat. Pay attention to areas around your eyes, nose, and mouth as well. You may find this a little difficult at first but you will get better at it. As you are meditating, you may begin to notice that you can relax further. Sometimes fears will arise while doing this. I believe tensions in our body are largly the result of holding onto different fears.

13. Breathing Technique. I prefer using the even-breath-in-even-breath-out technique. The duration of the in-breath and out-breath are the same. Your breath should flow naturally, like water, without pause, totally relaxed. At first your breaths may be short and shallow. Ideally you want long, smooth, deep breaths, but do not try to force this, it will come naturally with practice.

14. Attention to Breath. You can either place your attention at the tip of your nose or you can follow the breath as it enters and exits the body.

15. Flow of Breath. When breathing in, start by filling in the belly area, then the chest area, and finally the throat area. When breathing out, exhale from the throat area, then the chest area, and finally the stomach area. This motion will become natural with practice and will not require attention.



During Meditation

16. Thoughts. While breathing you will begin to notice thoughts arising. Don't let this bother you, all is well. I put thoughts into two general categories.

i. Thoughts that distract you from focusing on the breath. Example1, 'What will I eat tonight?'. Example2, daydreaming.
ii. Thoughts that give rise to strong emotions. Example, past realtionship breakup.


17. Dealing With Thoughts.

i. Thoughts that distact you. When a distracting thought arises you may not notice it at first. When you do become aware of one, just gentilly return to the breath. Do not get frustrated if your mind wanders; just remember that every time you return to the breath you are increasing your ability to focus on the breath and calm the mind.

ii. Thoughts that give rise to strong emotions. Usually these will be negative emotions, if it is a positive one, you may wish to pause and appreciate the feeling, but do not allow it to distract you, gentilly return to the breath. I prefer do deal with strong negative emotions purly in the realm of feeling. At first, the thought will appear, and then a strong negative feeling will arise with it. Once you recognize this, discard the thought and switch your attention purely to the feeling that has risen. Do not judge it.

You will notice that it will arise from one of the three lower chakra centers (it has never happened otherwise for me). Focus on the area it is coming from. While breathing inward, bring rise to the feeling/vibration and gentilly begin to bring it upwards into the heart chakra. When the feeling/vibration reaches the heart chakra, begin to nourish it, care for it, smile at it (not physically) or something along those lines. The vibration may begin to move upwards from there, that is fine, allow it to flow naturally. Once you feel the negativity has passed, gentilly return to the breath.


18. Focus on the Breath. You will become better at focusing on the breath for longer durations without distraction, and eventually you will reach a state where you are purly focused on the breath. With experience, arriving at this state will become easier.

19. Automated Breath. After some time of pure focus on the breath it will become automated. This is where you will begin to transcend the mind. You may notice vibrations occuring throughout your body, and you may start to see colours appearing.

To be honest, this is about as far as I have gone so far, so I can no longer explain. It may be best that way from here onwards anyways.


20. Ending Meditation. When you end your meditation session, do not get up right away and start attending something. Allow yourself to smoothly come back to the waking state. The idea is to eventually transfer the calm mind of the meditation state into your daily life.


Tip: Do not always expect progress to be linear. Often, as your ability increases, greater challanges will be presented to you, so this may be viewed as a positive thing.

[Anchor]

Tea, that post is great. Meditation can be as simple as sitting down, relaxing and "going there" - but it takes a fair bit of practise for people to get so its that easy. The more of everyone's methods we share the better it will be for people to pick something they think will work for them.

If you find you are really having trouble after about 2 weeks - even trying to write down what you are experiencing can be a great way to start to resolve it. If you are brave post here. I bet there are hundreds of competent meditators on this forum that can help.

[FJMcD]

Thank you so much. It really is amazing that I ask questions and login to this wonderful forum and there is an answer for me to review. I am very new here and want to say to you all how much love I feel when I read your words. Love to you all.

Frankie Jane

[sheddie]

Thanks John

Great post and so very true, thanks for reminding me

x

[finally there!!!]

all brilliant posts thanks for all the helpful tips people!!!! lots of love

[Charlie Pecos]

Thank you John for creating this thread, and thank you to all who have posted here.

I have been searching for this information and you all bring such simplicity and

clarity to this subject. Ask and you shall receive! Love to you all!

[JohnBlues]

Just want to add extra thanks in writing as well as pushing the Thank button (of which i've used on alot of posts in this thread!), this is what finally got me to actually give it a go, I've been reading various things and I kept saying to myself "I'm not ready yet" or "I'm too busy, maybe I'll try tomorrow" and various other excuses, but this gave me nice simple to follow instructions and gave me the push I needed.

Does anyone use what Eckhart Tolle mentions in his book about focusing attention as if it's a ball of light at various parts of your body and moving them along your arms, legs, torso, head etc? I find I can do it and I can sense tingling or light sensation where I'm focusing on but when moving the focus or "ball of light" it's very slow going, i.e. at a few centimetres every 10 seconds or so. Maybe I have too much expectation.

[3optic]

Simplest traditional meditation I know is Zazen or "just sitting."

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nsFlrdXVFgo

If t's too difficult to go into lotus position, crossed legs or "easy pose" is fine.

Also look up "beginners mind"

[Anchor]

Posted by JohnBlues (here)
Does anyone use what Eckhart Tolle mentions in his book about focusing attention as if it's a ball of light at various parts of your body and moving them along your arms, legs, torso, head etc? I find I can do it and I can sense tingling or light sensation where I'm focusing on but when moving the focus or "ball of light" it's very slow going, i.e. at a few centimetres every 10 seconds or so. Maybe I have too much expectation.

Cool I use that technique for self healing sometimes. I didnt learn it from Eckhart Tolle.

Essentially what is going on here is based on the maxim "There is nothing in the manifest universe but energy, Energy follows thought"

If you get into good practise you can make balls of light outside your body and chuck them about. If you have a partner doing this, you can play catch

[bilko]

Posted by theguardian (here)
Hi John Thanks for Sharing,
This is just my Experience with meditation , Most of the time when i meditate , i lay in bed and i use headphone for some binaural beats,
Few times happen to me , That i get some sort of Sleep Paralysis and i was still concious Or sort of Nerve & Muscle Contraction all around my body (Its Like i feel the flow of energy ).
I dont know if im doing it good or not.

HIMate,
Binaural beats are usually used in conjunction with trying to astrally project.
Sleep paralysis is what happens sometimes when one is re-entering their body but doesn't connect back up properly so to speak, if this happens try and snooze for a few minutes and reawake again after that.

It sounds to me that because you are lying down and using the beats, the body is falling asleep while the mind is awake resulting in trying to OBE.

Try and sit up in a chair and center yourself so energy can run through your chakras. Then relax, inhale through the mouth so the belly expands and exhale through the nose a few times.

After you have oxygenated your lungs with a few deep breaths continue to breathe normally.

Then follow John's instructions.

Good luck

[bilko]

Posted by Wood (here)

Posted by Teakai (here)
Sometimes, when I meditate - I forget to breath.
Does this happen to anyone else?

It has happened to me. It is not 'falling asleep' (at least in my case) but suddenly realising that it has been longer than usual since the last breath (like twice or three times as long). Now I am trying to pay more attention to breathing in a deep and regular manner while doing meditation.

On the odd occasion that i try meditation Or being quiet as i call it, it is the silence after the exhale that is divine. The pause between breaths.

I get lost in it sometimes and a few seconds can seem like half a minute of bliss. For me the space between breaths is so important, i am nothing and everything in that moment.

[linz2d]

Well I started meditating about five months ago, I use a type of open eye meditation which is improvised somewhat and now I am at the stage where every time I meditate I see swirls and patterns of moving violet color in my field of vision. It does take a while to get to that state but I find every time I do meditate I get there faster. I want to advance, I want to meditate for an hour at least but I'm lucky if I hit 35min as I always come up against the same problem... a dead leg.

Anyone have any advice on how to avoid it? I usually sit in half lotus.