meditation for beginners

[greatdane]

Before I started meditating many years ago, I thought meditation was something mysterious, esoteric. Then when I started, I loved it was just as easy as following your breathing. Or as complex. The act sounds so simple, just focus on the breath, but I would find my thoughts drifting and then would all of a sudden realize I was no longer focused on my breathing, but....everything else. It got easier with practice. I found, and still find, meditation to be one of the all around best things to do for me, my body, my health, my mind, and it's free . For those who would like to get back into meditating, or maybe start for the first time, here's some easy tips from Zen Habits.
http://zenhabits.net/

 

[Eyebright]

Thank you for the link GD, this arrived at just the right time, as I have been thinking about starting meditation recently and didn't know where to start!

Off to check out the website now

 

[danieljuk]

Will help my practice as well

 

[greatdane]

Hi Eyebright and danieljuk!

I hope you will post how you're doing . When I meditate, I just think in as I take a breath in, and out as I take a breath out. I don't try to NOT think, but to just not hang on to thoughts, which is easier when I'm thinking, IN, OUT . But that's all there is to it. I hope you enjoy your meditation and I look forward to reading your thoughts about it.

 

[PAMUYA]

I hope you will post how you're doing . When I meditate, I just think in as I take a breath in, and out as I take a breath out. I don't try to NOT think, but to just not hang on to thoughts, which is easier when I'm thinking, IN, OUT . But that's all there is to it. I hope you enjoy your meditation and I look forward to reading your thoughts about it.

Yes, that is what meditation is... getting to know your mind, and how it is always chattering, it is not a mystic/magical thing, it is real life and learning to know and love yourself. Meditation has changed my life, I have been meditating for 3 years now, daily. My depression is almost non exsistant, now I am working on my "not being good enough" issues". The Zen apporach is very good one. Keep it up, it does pay off.

 

[greatdane]

Yay pamuya!

You are a great testament to meditation . I know so often it seems to either scare people off or people sometimes tend to think it's airy fairy stuff and has nothing to do with the real world. I think meditation affects my whole world. From sleep to calm to focus, what DON'T we rely on our mind for? So what affects our mind in a positive way, has to affect everything about us in a positive. I think it rocks you've found it a good thing in your life.

 

[celticnoodle]

I hope you will post how you're doing . When I meditate, I just think in as I take a breath in, and out as I take a breath out. I don't try to NOT think, but to just not hang on to thoughts, which is easier when I'm thinking, IN, OUT . But that's all there is to it. I hope you enjoy your meditation and I look forward to reading your thoughts about it.

Yes, that is what meditation is... getting to know your mind, and how it is always chattering, it is not a mystic/magical thing, it is real life and learning to know and love yourself. Meditation has changed my life, I have been meditating for 3 years now, daily. My depression is almost non exsistant, now I am working on my "not being good enough" issues". The Zen apporach is very good one. Keep it up, it does pay off.

So agree with your thoughts on the 'inner chatting' that so many people allow to keep them from meditating. I remember reading somewhere about this and how you should just allow the chat to come in and go out (sort of like your breathing GD) and not allow it to 'hang' around. but also to think of it as sharing your day with God/Goddess/Universe just like you would your friend. Sharing your thoughts/the things you have to do during the day---everything. Before long, you'll see yourself beginning to 'listen' to your "God/Goddess/Universe" instead - sharing with you and your own chatter just stops.

it does work. just don't give up or in to the mind chatter. You will see. and meditation is very soothing. very healing. I love it.

 

[canid]

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people try meditation & give it up immediately because they've been told to completely shut off all thoughts & that's nearly impossible to do. Random thoughts can be a bit controllable but it takes a lot of time. I don't like, personally, to focus on my breath, it distracts me & I want to hyperventilate so I will focus on something; even a favorite fantasy is meditative as long as you can keep your mind focused on that & that alone. Painting is meditating. Drawing. Most creative endeavors are, actually. People meditate all the time without even realizing it. But the more I 'try' to 'not think' is what creates problems with me. I really like the relaxation technique - starting with your toes on up & feeling your muscles tingle because of it.

 

[BodhiSeed]

Yeah, I've heard a lot of people try meditation & give it up immediately because they've been told to completely shut off all thoughts & that's nearly impossible to do.

People have some strange ideas about meditation. Some think you should be visualizing or feeling something otherworldly, and like Canid said, some think you should not be thinking at all. But meditation is like sitting on a dock and watching the ships (thoughts) pass without wanting to jump on board. Your higher self becomes a witness to the crazy stuff that seems so real and important when we're running around. "Ah yes... there goes the ship People Pleaser, and right behind her is the Micro-Manager..."

 

[PAMUYA]

Hope you all are continuing to meditate daily. Start with just 5 minutes, it takes time to build up to 1/2 an hour or more. Just be consistant, sit every day, find a time that is just for your meditation. There are many many forms and ways to meditate. This is how I introduce my clients to meditation.


What I like to do is take a few cleansing breath to relax, do a body scan (look for any tightness and relax it), then I consentrate on my breath. I do it my own way, which is I focus on my out breath, at the end of my out breath just before I take in my next breath I look at my mind, is it empty of thought? if so I breath in the emptiness... if there is a thought there, I acknowledge the thought and breath in saying to myself in a very compassionate way "thinking", I breath out the thought, at the end of my next breath I look into my mind, is there anything there, if not I breath in them emptiness... this goes on and on through out the meditation. When I find myself chasing after a thought I say "thinking" to myself and breath it out. After awhile the empty times come more often, it is during these empty times when you see the clairity of your mind, and you feel a sense of peace. Sometimes even after years of practice, there are days when each breath is a "thinking" breath. There is no good or bad meditation session, it is about consentrating on your mind, watching your thoughts. It is natural for the mind to have thoughts, there are other mediations that have you explore your thoughts, but for now we just watch and let the thoughts go. This teaches you what your mind is doing all day when you are not paying attention to it. It also teaches you how your thoughts controls your emotions. This insight into your mind teaches you that you do and can have control.

Doing this daily has helped be to put space between my thoughts and emotions. Before my mind has a chance to respond to a situation, I have that space to put things in prospective before I react. I now understand that emotions are just the body's reaction to the thoughts in my mind, and I can control or at least see what is happening, instead of letting my emotions run amuck. It is part of my spiritual journey. Meditation is free, all it takes is a few minutes a day. Do post and let us know how you are doing.