Meditation...

You may wish to consider Liber MMM. It isn't meditation so much as magickal trance - the disciplines take you through a series of meditation based tools before approaching the magickal element - the disciplines each build upon one another, and allow you to enter a state of magickal consciousness.

The PDF can be found here: http://paranormal.se/article/Liber_MMM.pdf

danieljuk said:

just wanted to update the thread about meditation about my meditation apps idea from before. I did list some apps I loved. since then the app "Buddify" has updated itself to a second version (they removed the first version from being available now). You have to buy it but it's not much and is on ios and android. I am trying it at the moment and it really is very good! it has a beautiful "colour wheel" of meditations picks, can't get to sleep? stressed? daily meditation? all options. It has meditations with Buddhist mindfulness ideas in them but really impressed by it now! It might replace my previous fave insight timer now.

Obviously still we have to find our own method that works for us and Abbas has great ideas about youtube vids! I know all the benefits but still cannot do it daily, I have to improve my commitment to it but there is many systems out there to help, some free and some a small price I have noticed though many meditation sites from big esoteric brand names now charge a monthly charge to access their stuff, I am not sure about that, seems a bit of a con to pay for meditation resources as a subscription. There is many cheaper resources out there.
Just adding some more ideas to the mix

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So sorry! Totally forgot about this thread (life got hectic) and totally forgot about meditation. Which means that I STILL haven't started. HOWEVER, I am downloading this app as we speak. It looks marvellous and just what I need. Thanks a million Daniel!

Thanks to all of you for the wonderful advice and info. I really AM going to start! I'll make sure to let you know how I'm getting on.

PrincessPaulina said:

I find that there's definitely a difference between "emptying" my mind, versus "focusing" on something (the latter comes more easily to me).

For emptying: I just try to observe the emptiness, if that makes sense.

Sometimes I use tools, such as a Singing Bowl, music, or crystals. I would also love to get a drum for meditation, perhaps that should be my New Year resolution

Another neat idea is meditating on the Sunrise/Sunset!

I also love to do "pathworking" visualizations, where I imagine "entering" a Crystal or Tarot card.

You can also focus on a painting, or a Mandala/Yantra image.
I find Pinterest is useful to save meditation images in one place -- here is a link to my Mandala board http://www.pinterest.com/tenpents/mandalas-yantras/

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You have a number of very useful suggestions! I love pathworking visualizations, though it took me a long time to get with the program and not fall asleep (this was sitting upright in uncomfortable hotel chairs, in a group, in daytime!). But I hardly ever do this anymore; I know I should. I miss it. The best visualizations I have, though, are written out and I need to get off my butt and record them, because I'd have to have them read to me and keep my eyes shut!

I haven't meditated with a drum since my ashiko's head split. But I do have other drums...

I love mandalas, and I really love some of the items in your link. (But how does one get rid of the Pinterest logo across the bottom that asks you to log in or join up??)

Haleyw, perhaps you make excuses because you have a lot on your mind and just the thought of keeping 15 minutes free for meditation seems undoable.

I love to meditate, but I will admit there are times when I begin to meditate and remember, "OMG! I have to hurry up and do such and such first!" and stop and take care of what ever that is and then find just one more thing that needs to be done before I can meditate. By the time I stop doing all that, its getting late in the day and I tell myself, "oh well...I'll start tomorrow again."

Just take the time out and do it! Even if you only meditate to a favorite cd of yours with music. People forget that meditation can be done in many ways.

I absolutely LOVE to listen to the Celtic Women CDs and sometimes meditate to just that. It really calms me. Also, I have other music cds that I like to meditate to. Then, there are the others, chanting cds, shamanic cds with drumming and rattling and of course my chakra cds--(which I often will listen to while I sleep and boy, do they RELAX me!).

I need to find more time to meditate w/o any cd--just to connect with guides, departed loved ones or whatever--but don't always allow myself the time for that.

So, it may help you to start out blocking off time to meditate with a musical cd you love. Then, go from there. There are so many ways to meditate--even sitting outside and doing something repetive like working in the garden, or hiking on a trail in nature. Whatever you can do that also allows you to stop thinking about the 101 other things that need doing.

As for what I've gotten out of the meditations...mostly a sense of peace--internal peace. I come out of a mediation and it feels like I have just had the best 8 hour nights sleep of my life! I feel like I can go out and tackle the day with a renewed sense of being. Does this make sense? Its a feeling like nothing else and the best medicine for whatever ails ya!

I regularly do Zazen. If that's the sort of meditation you did then maybe you are afraid now. I recognized when I began and later after a longer break that the silence is threatening.

Do you know the story about Buddha being tempted by Mara? I couldn't say I had any visions in my mediations but this is exactly what happens - strange feelings in the body, like fear. In my experience it's the fear of facing the world 'off guard'. If that's it what keeps you from meditation you simply have to endure it.

I really want to get into the Zazen method Farzon, inspired by the Osho Zen tarot. But it's something to really work at gradually.

When I was really in a bad anxious state a few years ago, I found meditation so hard. It made me feel very unwell doing it. However reduce the time you do it and don't be hard on yourself. Try one minute when you can do that, try two! I think doing it for a short time if you struggle with it, improves so much! I always feel calm when I do it now!

But I go back to my earlier post about there is a different meditation for everyone, some types just don't fit us! I think also some positions don't fit us, so make meditation work for you! But also I think as a skill it takes daily work (I still have not conquered it but I try!).

danieljuk said:

I really want to get into the Zazen method Farzon, inspired by the Osho Zen tarot. But it's something to really work at gradually.

When I was really in a bad anxious state a few years ago, I found meditation so hard. It made me feel very unwell doing it. However reduce the time you do it and don't be hard on yourself. Try one minute when you can do that, try two! I think doing it for a short time if you struggle with it, improves so much! I always feel calm when I do it now!

But I go back to my earlier post about there is a different meditation for everyone, some types just don't fit us! I think also some positions don't fit us, so make meditation work for you! But also I think as a skill it takes daily work (I still have not conquered it but I try!).

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Oh yes, I know. When I started, I did only short times and mostly with my eyes closed - so, no Zazen meditation. An acquaintance of mine also thought Zazen is not for beginners. And I agree, if you already suffer from anxiety it might not be the best idea to practice Zazen; at least not alone.

That's why, after a longer break on meditation, I sometimes begin with visualizing something (e.g. a Tarot card; I find some like the Wildwood's Star especially helpful) first and then gradually switch to compete silence when my mind gets calm enough.

I just posted about meditation in the other sub not sure whether that was the right place to go to ....

I came across this meditation lamp by accident while trying to figure out why my salt lamp is melting:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stephaner/breathe-the-meditation-lamp

There is this app which helps you with singing bowl sounds serving as cues in learning how to meditate longer and longer each time.

This lamp seems to be serving a similar function but visually and I love the idea!

I have trouble with wondering minds while trying to meditate. Apparently that is common for beginners?
If I could hit 3 minutes it was a good day....

Acoustic and visual assistance such as these can be really helpful in such cases I think.

My meditation is more of a mindfulness meditation, I am highly anxious and this helps.

It also helps with pain management. I have chronic migraine. Since I was 15 which is a life time ago. It became worse with age, until finally only prescribed medication can ease the pain.

One day I ran out of meds and there was no where to go to get a top up. By sheer desperation I focused my mind and released my body. I did not know I was practicing mindfulness at that very moment. I heard from a Zen practicing friend of mine that I should try just to focus on a dot in front of me as I closed my eyes, so I did that. The pain disappeared, although I could still feel the tension around my neck and the back of my head.

In mindfulness meditation we are generally told to be aware of our body and any sensations we may feel from our surrounding (smell, sound, sights, lungs expanding, blood flowing, etc).

One lady in a mindfulness class I attended said that last thing she wanted was to be more aware of her body as it was always in great pain. This is when I realise the essence of mindfulness meditation is not to focus on your bodily sensations, but to be aware of them.

It was a great revelation.

The same Zen practicing friend referred me to an animated short video in black and white illustrating zen meditation, and it was a very good video. I can't seem to locate it now though..... For some reason, I thought it involves a fly.... I could be wrong. Will continue looking and share that here if I ever find it again.

Edit: Just saw Danieljuk has mentioned this app! "Insight Timer"! It is a good little gem

PrincessPaulina said:

I find that there's definitely a difference between "emptying" my mind, versus "focusing" on something (the latter comes more easily to me).

For emptying: I just try to observe the emptiness, if that makes sense.

Click to expand...

Thanks for this point!

PrincessPaulina said:

Sometimes I use tools, such as a Singing Bowl, music, or crystals. I would also love to get a drum for meditation, perhaps that should be my New Year resolution

Click to expand...

Singing bowl/s really helps! Especially one with long lasting hums!