Just starting

[jonesboy]

You don't need any of that stuff. You don't need beats, or videos or sounds or any of that stuff of the mind. Meditation is about concentration and letting go.
If you really want to learn a serious method here you go. HERE

Originally Posted by A human Being

I stick the tip of my tongue behind my front teeth purely so my tongue's sat towards the front of my mouth. I still think our teeth aren't aligned properly, and the effect of it is that it pushes your tongue near the back of your throat, so I often even put my teeth edge-to-edge for a few minutes (it gets easier with practice) to create more room in my mouth for my tongue.

Which, I accept, could sound like a crackpot theory, but it works for me.

Your kinda close, well not really but you are on to something

The tongue does play a role. It completes a circuit of energy and is the doorway to divine ecstasy. No joking

Most have probably experienced the tongue rolling back to the roof of the mouth. Closing the circuit. It is always a good session when that happens :)

Here is a nice link to learn more. HERE

Kechari seems to want to happen on it's own. If it is not happening I would not worry about your teeth or where to place your tongue. That is the mind just thinking. Stop it :)

[fall-sky]

Originally Posted by A human Being

The majority of people do, you think it's just sitting still but it ain't nearly as straightforward as that in practice What's your posture like when you meditate? It's hugely important, good posture makes it easier to breathe freely, so keep your spine straight but not stiff (which also aligns your chakras), pushing out slightly from the lower back.

Try putting the tip of your tongue behind your top front teeth as well, which moves it from the back of your throat and opens up your airways a little bit more.

My posture is pretty bad. I have trouble finding a comfortable position, because my neck and back and hips tend to hurt. I try to strech every morning and evening, and that virtually eliminates the pain. But I think postures that work for other people are not comfortable for me.

On the breathing, I noticed that when I finally get relaxed (after like an hour of staring at the candle!) my breathing is very shallow. I didn't notice what my tongue is doing, but I'll pay attention next time. (I hope there is a next time. It's only worked 3 times and it didn't work this morning. )

I agree with jonesboy... You don't need all stuff around you to obtain a peaceful state. Sometimes all I need is my garden, and sometimes all I need is (a lot of) motivation. My tongue used to really bother me during meditation but that's because I let it. When I actually stopped faffing around trying to find a comfortable position (for every appendage) it was a lot easier to draw my mind away.

Remember, if your body isn't used to it, then it will tell you to fidget. It's a bit like when you're trying to sleep and your body tells you your leg wants to move, or it starts to simulate the feeling of something crawling on you. It's your mind testing your will, and playing games with you.

Well... I think so anyway!

[Colourmyworld]

I'm hoping with enough time I'll learn what works for me. I am loving all the suggestions and can't wait to try them.
Guided meditation is something I really want to try to start with - @fall-sky I will let you know how it pans out. Let me know if you find anything that works!

[Gem]

What we get are two classes of meditation, basically. One class requires the meditator to perform a volitional action like visualise, mantra, controlled breathing, particular placement fingers and tongue and so on. The other class doesn't require any volitional action at all and includes the breath meditation, staring at candle etc.

In saying 'you don't need any of that stuff' we imply the non volitional observation such as breath or candle etc, because in so saying, you don't need the mantra either.

Originally Posted by jonesboy

You don't need any of that stuff. You don't need beats, or videos or sounds or any of that stuff of the mind. Meditation is about concentration and letting go.
If you really want to learn a serious method here you go. HERE




Your kinda close, well not really but you are on to something

The tongue does play a role. It completes a circuit of energy and is the doorway to divine ecstasy. No joking

Most have probably experienced the tongue rolling back to the roof of the mouth. Closing the circuit. It is always a good session when that happens :)

Here is a nice link to learn more. HERE

Kechari seems to want to happen on it's own. If it is not happening I would not worry about your teeth or where to place your tongue. That is the mind just thinking. Stop it :)

[Gem]

Originally Posted by octavarium

I agree with jonesboy... You don't need all stuff around you to obtain a peaceful state. Sometimes all I need is my garden, and sometimes all I need is (a lot of) motivation. My tongue used to really bother me during meditation but that's because I let it. When I actually stopped faffing around trying to find a comfortable position (for every appendage) it was a lot easier to draw my mind away.

Remember, if your body isn't used to it, then it will tell you to fidget. It's a bit like when you're trying to sleep and your body tells you your leg wants to move, or it starts to simulate the feeling of something crawling on you. It's your mind testing your will, and playing games with you.

Well... I think so anyway!

Yea... a garden is a serene place too... and there is something to do with a good posture, but not the critical element. I found that in a seated posture, the meditation knows the body and posture will adjust itself quite naturally.

Good point there in your second paragraph.

[A human Being]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Your kinda close, well not really but you are on to something

The tongue does play a role. It completes a circuit of energy and is the doorway to divine ecstasy. No joking

Most have probably experienced the tongue rolling back to the roof of the mouth. Closing the circuit. It is always a good session when that happens :)

Here is a nice link to learn more. HERE

Kechari seems to want to happen on it's own. If it is not happening I would not worry about your teeth or where to place your tongue. That is the mind just thinking. Stop it :)

Yeah, I've experienced the tongue rolling back thing quite regularly recently (sometimes I worry I'm actually going to swallow my tongue). Interesting that you talk about completing a circuit - I'm experiencing a lot of kundalini at the minute and when I put my teeth edge-to-edge I can actually feel the energy in my teeth, it's like I'm closing another circuit. The energy then spreads to my lips, it's an interesting sensation.

The reason I do the edge-to-edge thing, as I mentioned in another thread a few months back, is that there's a theory that our teeth should naturally be aligned like that, but they're not, because we eat with knives and forks, and I've been experimenting with it and it does appear to have a slight but profound knock-on effect on my breathing, largely, I think, because of the effect it has on the position of my tongue in my mouth.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by A human Being

Yeah, I've experienced the tongue rolling back thing quite regularly recently (sometimes I worry I'm actually going to swallow my tongue). Interesting that you talk about completing a circuit - I'm experiencing a lot of kundalini at the minute and when I put my teeth edge-to-edge I can actually feel the energy in my teeth, it's like I'm closing another circuit. The energy then spreads to my lips, it's an interesting sensation.

The reason I do the edge-to-edge thing, as I mentioned in another thread a few months back, is that there's a theory that our teeth should naturally be aligned like that, but they're not, because we eat with knives and forks, and I've been experimenting with it and it does appear to have a slight but profound knock-on effect on my breathing, largely, I think, because of the effect it has on the position of my tongue in my mouth.

Lots of cultures eat with their hands and their teeth are arranged the same as those who use chopsticks or cutlery. Very highly questionable theory, no evidence for it at all.

[fall-sky]

O.k. I stared at the candle for an hour and a half this morning. I was almost ready to give up after an hour, but I decided to change my body position and keep trying. Eventually I reached a mental state where I could see the whole candle at once (flame, reflections, bubbles in the wax) without being focused on any particular part. So that seemed like progress but I wasn't sure what to do. It was very beautiful, but the experience faded and came back several times over 5 minutes. It seemed harder to reach that state and it wasn't as intense as it had been several days ago. Maybe it lost some of its novelty.

So here are some questions:
- Should I keep trying to reach that state every day no matter how long it takes?
- Should I try to maintain that state as long as possible?
- Should I try to get back to that state again and again in the same session?
- Or something else?

[Gem]

Originally Posted by fall-sky

O.k. I stared at the candle for an hour and a half this morning. I was almost ready to give up after an hour, but I decided to change my body position and keep trying. Eventually I reached a mental state where I could see the whole candle at once (flame, reflections, bubbles in the wax) without being focused on any particular part. So that seemed like progress but I wasn't sure what to do. It was very beautiful, but the experience faded and came back several times over 5 minutes. It seemed harder to reach that state and it wasn't as intense as it had been several days ago. Maybe it lost some of its novelty.

So here are some questions:
- Should I keep trying to reach that state every day no matter how long it takes?
- Should I try to maintain that state as long as possible?
- Should I try to get back to that state again and again in the same session?
- Or something else?

1 1/2 hours, that's fantastic. The candle is a cool meditation too, I reckon.

I think you can go forward intuitively, and let the meditation lead, like, relax, and see where it goes. (I guess that's what you did the first time).

Sounds awesome.