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Go Back   Spiritual Forums > Spirituality & Beliefs > Meditation

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Old 19-07-2017, 03:57 PM
ambiebambie ambiebambie is offline
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Trouble meditating

Lately I've been having trouble meditating. Most of the time I use meditation podcasts to meditate. Or sometimes just listening to music. Now the only time I can really seem to clear my mind is when I go on walks and focus on nature. Should I see that as a sign? Or should I just give in to the mind chatter when I sit down and meditate?
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Old 19-07-2017, 04:45 PM
Gem Gem is online now
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ambiebambie
Lately I've been having trouble meditating. Most of the time I use meditation podcasts to meditate. Or sometimes just listening to music. Now the only time I can really seem to clear my mind is when I go on walks and focus on nature. Should I see that as a sign? Or should I just give in to the mind chatter when I sit down and meditate?

My guess is that you've been experiencing a degree of uncertainty, so its probablty time to sit in uncertainty and become comfortable with it. A most constructive time, I would say.
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Old 19-07-2017, 04:51 PM
ambiebambie ambiebambie is offline
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I do have this gut feeling something isnt right. I thought I took care of it yesterday. But I still have this feeling. I will try that tho. Thank you.
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Old 19-07-2017, 09:04 PM
iamthat iamthat is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ambiebambie
Lately I've been having trouble meditating. Most of the time I use meditation podcasts to meditate. Or sometimes just listening to music. Now the only time I can really seem to clear my mind is when I go on walks and focus on nature. Should I see that as a sign? Or should I just give in to the mind chatter when I sit down and meditate?

So you are discovering that the mind chatters incessantly. This is the nature of the mind. The fact that you are observing your mental chatter shows you that what you are is separate from the mind. Becoming aware of the internal chatter is the first step to learning to quiet the mind.

If you give in to the mind chatter when you sit down to meditate then you are not sitting in meditation - you are simply sitting and thinking. This is where you need to withdraw your attention from the mind chatter and return your awareness to meditation. And you repeat this process over and over again, and gradually your mind becomes quieter.

Meditation is certainly easier if you listen to guided meditations or music or walk in nature, because then your mind has something to occupy it and keep it entertained. This is why sitting meditations are so hard for so many people - there are no distractions for the mind.

You may find it easier if you use a mantra - there are many you can choose from. This helps to keep the mind occupied - it's a bit like giving a dog a bone to keep it quiet while we get on with other things.

And using a mantra during our daily activities means that when we sit down to meditate there is much less mental chatter. If we let the mind chatter away all day then we cannot expect it to suddenly become quiet when we sit down to meditate.

Peace.
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Old 20-07-2017, 05:45 AM
Gem Gem is online now
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Originally Posted by ambiebambie
I do have this gut feeling something isnt right. I thought I took care of it yesterday. But I still have this feeling. I will try that tho. Thank you.

We generally find that when the meditation starts the mind gets flustered due to the person ceasing to invest in all its shenanigans. In the first instance when music and podcasts are used, these basically provide the mind with the stimulus it craves and feels sated by, and of course that satisfaction is pleasant, but as you now find, these become inadequate when mind is no longer entertained, excited, and thus satisfied by them, and then mind wants something else to turn to for a distraction.

The novelty of guided meditations and the like has worn off, which indicates you've elevated to a higher level from which these start to seem sort of silly, then, what is next for you is uncertain right now, and no one else has the answers. Some might suggest another form of entertainment, a new method for you to obey or something like that, but I don't think that's best, so I won't be one such person. You keep a stable disposition, a good balance of mind, and let hard feelings be as they are. They will certainly pass soon enough, and you'll find renewed clarity in your own way.
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Old 27-07-2017, 04:47 PM
IFeelFree IFeelFree is offline
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Best Way to Learn Meditation

Quote:
Originally Posted by ambiebambie
Lately I've been having trouble meditating. Most of the time I use meditation podcasts to meditate. Or sometimes just listening to music. Now the only time I can really seem to clear my mind is when I go on walks and focus on nature. Should I see that as a sign? Or should I just give in to the mind chatter when I sit down and meditate?

In my humble opinion, the best way to learn meditation is to receive formal initiation from an awakened master, or from a meditation teacher trained by an awakened master. There are probably many such teachers to receive instruction and initiation from, but the sources that I'm most familiar with are Transcendental Meditation, The Art of Living Foundation, and the Isha Foundation.

Many people try to pick up meditation on their own, or from reading books. From what I have observed, this does not work well for most people. What is needed is both proper instructions (which you might conceivably get from a book, but personal instruction is best), and also the proper energy transmission that occurs during initiation. You cannot get that energy process from a book.

I've been meditating daily for 43 years, ever since my TM initiation in 1974. There have been many energetic processes awakened in my during this time, including opening of various chakras, many experiences of bliss, etc. I'm doubtful that one can obtain all of this by making up one's own meditation practice, or from obtaining instructions from a book. One needs a proper introduction and initiation into meditation that can come from a spiritual lineage, in order to realize possibilities and dimensions beyond your present level of experience.
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