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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Meditation

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  #1  
Old 18-07-2018, 03:42 PM
trying2find_me trying2find_me is offline
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Hi. I have zero experience in meditation, but have been starting to read up on processes.

I'm just curious as to know where you started. Did you make up your own environment? Meditate where you felt most relaxed?

I have major trouble clearing my mind, I'm the type of person to replay the day in my head, figure all possible scenarios and all possible outcomes for what's to come. I partly feel I may ever accomplish meditating.

Any pointers for this newbie? Thank you!
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  #2  
Old 18-07-2018, 09:38 PM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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Location: Golden Bay, New Zealand
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We all come to meditation in different ways. My own story is that back in the 1970s I was in my first term at university and I went to a party on the south coast of the UK. I had taken some mushrooms and at one stage I became very introspective. Suddenly I had a clear knowing that I was simply looking for love and peace and happiness, and I knew that I would never find these things in the external world because they were all within me. I knew that I had to stop drinking and smoking, give up the other substances, become vegetarian and start meditation. I knew nothing about meditation but I knew that I had to do it.

After the party I was excited and confused. I was excited because my life was about to take a whole new direction. I was confused because I had no idea where to begin. The next day a friend asked if anyone wanted to go and hear a talk about an enlightened teacher who taught meditation. Naturally I went, and that was the start of my journey.

So you may want to find a local meditation group to get you started. It helps to have the group support to establish a meditation practice. As you learn more about meditation you may move on to other groups and other practices. Eventually you may become most comfortable meditating without any particular group environment.

There are plenty of books on meditation, so read what you can and see what resonates with you. You may be drawn to the yogic paths or Buddhist meditations or perhaps to more Western practices. And over time your practice may change.

And everyone has trouble clearing the mind. It is the nature of the mind to think, to replay what has happened and figure out what might happen. In meditation we learn all about the nature of the mind. Gradually we become less attached to our thoughts and we discover a stillness beyond thinking. It just requires practice, practice and more practice.

Good luck.

Peace.
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  #3  
Old 18-07-2018, 11:54 PM
Starman Starman is offline
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Location: U.S. Southwest
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Welcome. I think it is best to start with a group or a teacher, say at a meditation center or something similar. That is how I started. There might even be classes at a Buddhist temple or Hindu temple. Some mental health centers in the U.S. also teach meditation. Veterans in the U.S. are learning meditation at V.A. hospitals., etc. Look around and see what touches you, but I think you will do better to start out meditating with a group than you will doing it alone, or with just talking to people about it online. But that's just my bias opinion.

When you start doing meditation you may have experiences that are strange to you and group support can help with that, you also have to develop a regular practice to build a foundation within yourself, a spiritual foundation, and a group can give you the inspiration you may need to build that foundation. Not everyone who starts doing meditation becomes successful at doing it, that is another reason support is important when you first begin.When you meditate you are dealing with your own consciousness, your own mind. I have been doing meditation for more than 40-years and I am glad I had a teacher and group support when I began.
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Old 19-07-2018, 12:28 AM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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I echo Starman's comments about the importance of group support and the need to build a foundation.

When I joined my group back in the 1970s I began with doing 30 minutes of breath meditation morning and evening, and then increased that to one hour. At one stage I was given a mantra to help me. After four months I was initiated into the actual meditation practice of the group (Shabd Yoga). Following this initiation I was meditating for four hours a day (two hours in the morning and two in the evening) with a six hour meditate every weekend. During the next twelve months I did longer meditates, gradually building up to doing four day meditates. Once you can do four days then even longer meditates become easy and enjoyable.

This may sound extreme but we all did it, and it was the group environment that made it possible. Otherwise I would never have persisted - there were many times when I struggled with the resistance of the mind, but eventually the mind surrenders.

Peace.
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  #5  
Old 22-07-2018, 06:46 PM
trying2find_me trying2find_me is offline
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Join Date: Apr 2018
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Thank you all. I have never thought of group meditation, that sounds like the best way to start out.

Thank you, again :)
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