Trying to Self-learn Meditation

[WayToTwilight]

Anyone have meditation experience?

I recently started meditating about 5 months ago. I do a simple breathing meditation that I found on the internet. Pretty much I sit down with my legs crossed, I usually like to have a cushion on my bottom but if I don't I make do. I cup my hands together with my thumb tips touching one another and lay it on my lap. I keep my eyes half open because apparently it is "acknowledging" the world and at the same I do not focus on "looking" at anything. I keep my back straight, which is harder than I thought and try to maintain relaxed shoulders, though I experience some discomfort in my waist-leg connection area.

Then I relax, and breath in and out, at the same time thinking "ham-sa" for every inhalation-exhalation. I think this is supposed to be the "Indian" way to meditate though I am not sure.

I've never reached any super meditative state, I think for the most part I can get really relaxed but not much beyond that. Consequently I use it sometimes to help me go to sleep, which... I don't think I'm supposed to do heh. However it is really helpful since I occasionally have bouts of insomnia.

I've never taken a formal meditation course so I have no formal training on this. I'm trying to self teach it. I was wondering if anyone had any insights on what I may be doing wrong or if I should go see a "professional" to help guide me.

[Michael Chui]

A friend of mine wrote this for others:

Calm brilliance - My techniques

I've no personal experience; I tried doing one-point meditation and couldn't focus my mind enough. He invites commentary, and will almost certainly respond to it.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by WayToTwilight

Then I relax, and breath in and out, at the same time thinking "ham-sa" for every inhalation-exhalation. I think this is supposed to be the "Indian" way to meditate though I am not sure.

I believe the manta is typically Hong-Sau (sounds like: hong saw). This should help if you are searching google for more information on this technique, though. There are many different types of meditation, it's hard to say which is "best".

[Toine]

First of all there are many forms of meditation and many reasons to do it. Pick the one that suits you best.

For me it became zazen.

Trying by myself didn’t work for me at first. Through internet I found a group in my area. I joined them around the time you started your meditation. It was really helpful. For instance they check the way I sit and help me correct it. Also sitting in a group increases the intensity of my practice. Now meditation has become a habbit as I sit for about 15-20 minutes every night. I’m no longer part of the group, because I moved. Currently I'm thinking of joining a group again here. I’m still in touch with my old group. They are planning a retreat, which I’d love to join.

A basic technique that has kept me busy since I started zazen is to count my breath. I count every time I breathe out all the way up to ten and then start over. When I notice my focus is no longer on my breath I start over. When you try this remember that it is not about getting to ten every time, it’s about keeping your attention on your breathing.

Don’t worry about reaching any kind of state. Meditation as I’ve learned it is not about states you can get in and out of. Let go of any preconceptions or expectations. Just sit. Just breathe.

There is nothing wrong with using these techniques to relax and/or to fall asleep. Just don’t fall asleep when you are meditating. Maybe it’s an idea to meditate in the morning…

sitting techniques

[AndyMartin]

WayToTwilight,

There are many techniques for meditation; there is no right or wrong technique, only "right practice." That is, practicing with the right mind and intention. Posture and breathing have certain benefits, as do visualization, single-pointedness, emptying the mind, body scan, progressive relaxation, etc. What you will find is the biggest reason for all of that is to overwhelm the rational mind and get it to shut up.

So practicing techniques is useful, but striving for mastery is not. I recommend using those techniques as tools to understand how your mind flows so you can learn to quiet it without effort.

Good luck!

--Andy

[toasterwater]

Wow, meditation is something that i have been very interested in ever since i read about it in Steve's blog. I too would like to learn more about it. I really dont know much, if anything about meditation at all. Things i would like to learn are: techniques, the purpose of meditation, when it may be helpful, and any other useful info your willing to submit.

[RandomJohn]

Until you find something that resonates with you more or a good teacher, just try this.

* get a comfortable chair which allows you to place your feet flat on the floor comfortably
* i'd get a non-harsh-sounding alarm. if you have a palm pilot, get the program "Pocket Doan," and I'm sure there are others as well for other platforms (Google "Mindfulness clock" if you have a PC)
* sit with your back straight, feet flat on the floor, hands in your lap, and generally fairly relaxed (maybe take a deep breath or two before starting)
* for the practice, count your breaths from one to ten, then start over, and repeat until the alarm goes off
* your mind will almost surely start to wonder. If so, calmly and gently bring your mind back to the practice and start counting your breaths again. You are going no-where with this practice, and so you don't have to rush it.
* if you have trouble focusing your mind, just keep practicing, even if you don't get past one. You will get whatever benefit there is to get out of it anyway. Don't place any metrics on your practice. Just do, as a poster commented above, "right practice."
* once you are comfortable doing this, you might add music, mantras, or whatever else helps you.

[Belle]

What really helped for me was the workbook/CD set called Insight Meditation (you can get it from Amazon). At one point in the meditation, you're reminded that when you get a distracting thought and you send it away, THAT is the practice. Our minds are trained to have these distracting thoughts, so instead of thinking of it as an annoyance, the fact that you just had such a thought, recognized it, and then left it behind IS the practice of insight meditation. That's been the thing that's helped me really get into meditation.

I also use the Kelly Howell/Brain Sync cds, especially before I fall asleep. I can get into very deep meditation with these.

[Colin]

I use a technique I came across in 'The Way of the Warrior-Trader' by Richard McCall, which I've been practicing every morning now for three to four months.

He uses a nice acronym to make the steps easy to remember: S.T.I.L.L.

S = Sit down. I generally use a martial arts stance whereby I kneel on the ground and then sit back onto the balls of my feet. You can do it sitting in a chair, or however you feel most comfortable, but you must make sure that your knees are below hips. If they are not, then you will not be able to able to breath fully, as your diaphragm won't be able to expand properly, due to your body posture.

T = take a breath. Perform three or more deep, slow, controlled breathes. Make sure you do abdominal breathing: as you breath in, imagine the air going down your windpipe and into your stomach first. Only when your stomach is full of air should your lungs start to fill up. Imagine the reverse when breathing out, starting with your lungs emptying, followed by the air in your stomach. You should feel your stomach area expanding and contracting as you take these breaths, with your diaphragm unhindered due to your correct sitting posture.

I = imagine. Think of something positive. It could be the purpose of your meditation or just something nice that you'd like to happen in your life. Imagine being healthy and happy. Imagine clients getting in contact with you instead of you having to chase after them. Use your imagination

L = Let it all in. Go through each of your five senses and concentrate on what it is telling you at that point in time. Most of us never pay much heed to what our touch or smell is telling us all that often, so it helps to tune into each sense. In the long run it can help to make each sense hypersensitive so that you are able to pick up more information from your environment in your day to day life.

L = Let it go! This is the hard part! Clear your mind of the random jumble of thoughts that race through our minds all day, every day. This definitely takes practice to make any headway with, but is the most benefical part of your meditation. I find it helpful to think of my mind as a revolving door. If a stray thought enters my mind, it has just entered the revolving door and it gets spat straight back out again.

I normally take ten to fifteen minutes out of my morning to meditate, after I'm showered and dressed, but before I eat breakfast.

It seems to quietly energise me for the rest of the day, which is a good enough reason to keep doing it!

[ChrisC]

Hi WaytoTwighlight,

You appear to be on the right track. Advances come by grace, which cannot be forced. The only other thing I might suggest is to keep your eyes closed and focus your inner "visual" attention to a point on your forehead, between your eyes. If you see points of light, then keep your gaze focused on that.

All the while focus your attention on whatever mantra you are using. When you notice your attention diverting or you realize "hey, I've just been thinking about my job (or whatever)" then gently bring your attention back to the mantra, doing so without beating yourself up.

Are you meditating daily? Consistency (even if for only 15 minutes) is more important that sporadic sessions. Occasionally, schedule a longer session, too.

Best wishes.

[Antarananda]

Originally Posted by Matt

I believe the manta is typically Hong-Sau (sounds like: hong saw). This should help if you are searching google for more information on this technique, though. There are many different types of meditation, it's hard to say which is "best".

That is how Yogananda explained it for his American audience, but the actual, traditional Indian pronunciation is "hung (with a silent "g") - saa". The esoteric meaning is "I am She", or I am the Creatrix of the Universe. An alternative is "So Ham", which means "I am He". Both essentially are the same silent mantra that all living beings are connected to with each breath. It is a very simple, yet exceptionally powerful method, especially once you start transcending the actual sound of the mantra and go into deeper layers of vibration.

Edit:

It is true that being initiated by an enlightened Master is a very effective way to make a quantum jump in your meditation state, a result of "grace"; it is a shortcut to accelerated progress, as opposed to trudging along by learning meditation from books or websites.

[WayToTwilight]

Thanks for all the replies.

Unfortunately I have not been meditating daily. It is somewhat difficult for me to do so since I do not live alone, I share a room with someone and it is difficult to find a quiet private place for myself.

I have tried a couple of the techniques you guys have mentioned, but I think because I am not trying this daily I am not putting as much focus on it as I could be. We'll see. Thanks again for all the input!

[AndyMartin]

WayToTwilight,

Practice will always be imperfect; that is it's nature. That is part of the letting go that you have to allow. Don't let imperfect circumstances stand in the way of your practice. You don't need an empty, silent room. The point is to empty yourself of what's going on inside, distractions come from outside as well as from within; they are no different. If you aren't comfortable doing it in your home, find a park bench to sit on or take a walk. Meditation can occur in any pose or disposition; it is the flow of your mind that you are working on, not your environment.

Best,
Andy

[WayToTwilight]

I may not need to be completely alone, but it is a lot easier to remove external forces, so that the only forces I need to try and keep quiet are the ones from within. It's true I don't need a room. I have meditated outside before, at a park and under a tree. I found it really great, the fresh air and the feeling of being connected with nature... even though it was a park with concrete sidewalks. I will continue practicing and I understand where your all coming from about losing this desire to become "perfect" at meditation. It's a part of social conditioning that I have yet to break away from.

[toasterwater]

great advice guys. This gives me the opportunity to start another 30 day trial. In fact, I will be bold enough to say that starting right now, every morning for the next 30 days, i will meditate for at least 10 minutes (i do have a busy schedule, so more than 10 minutes could be inefficient for the rest of my day).

Im also about to try my first session after this post!

Ill let you know how my experiment goes.

Oh yea, Ive never meditated before! Just thought I'd throw that in there for dramatic effect. Its like im picking up meditation "cold turkey" LOL.

[Lucas]

Originally Posted by toasterwater

great advice guys. This gives me the opportunity to start another 30 day trial. In fact, I will be bold enough to say that starting right now, every morning for the next 30 days, i will meditate for at least 10 minutes (i do have a busy schedule, so more than 10 minutes could be inefficient for the rest of my day).

Im also about to try my first session after this post!

Ill let you know how my experiment goes.

Oh yea, Ive never meditated before! Just thought I'd throw that in there for dramatic effect. Its like im picking up meditation "cold turkey" LOL.

If you want to kill two birds with one stone you can try out Wayne Dyer's Meditations for Manifesting, which I think is excellent. Not only does it give you a quick overview of Intention Manifestation, Dr Dyer guides you through a morning and evening meditation, with affermations on it. It's a vocal meditation which I find to be great because the sound helps focus me. Slap it onto your ipod and play it softly, so that while he is giving you the affirmations, you barely hear it, and it's almost like co-creating a subliminal tape!

So not only can you start meditating, you can work with IM as well