What meditation do you do?

[CrystalSong]

Silence is learned. It takes training the mind that meditation isn't the appropriate time to be busy thinking - just as one would gently train a child to not interrupt when others are talking.

Yes when a thought is noticed then just release it unfinished. Trying to 'stop' it requires too much vigilance and the mind will turn into a dog chasing its own tail. So instead when a thought is noticed do something like 'oh a thought, then don't be the thought, don't become the thinker of the thought - give it no more importance than the passing random whispers in a theater before the lights dim. Don't eves drop on the thoughts and get caught in the thoughts or have opinions about the thoughts.

So it's not a 'letting it finish' or 'stopping the thought' it's a Not Being the Thinker of the thought and just noticing thought exists without us being the thinker of the thought.
We can also slowly train our selves to make a head space in which thoughts are random happenings and controllable and instead after some random thoughts, like an audience settling in for a performance as the lights dim and stopping chattering and turning its focus to the stage, we can also focus ourselves and pay attention to the that which happens inside us which is not thought.

[Mystic Mark]

Originally Posted by anthony c

Hi all

This thread is for everyone that meditates and you don't have to be an expert to post your meditation.

I love meditation so much and always ask everyone i meet what meditation they do. I'm curious so here goes.

What meditation do you do?

Hi Anthony. One of the goals of meditation should be to create a supportive environment which is nurturing to spirit. For example, some people burn incense such as Frankincense, Sandlewood or Camphor. Does this help?

To some extent it does because it helps to purify the atmosphere. But another thing that you can do is take a clean white bath towel, drape it over your head, then twist it in the back, and let it hang down over your spine. That will also help to deflect negative thoughts to a great extent.

When meditating, never wear black because that color attracts karma, whereas white helps in deflecting karma away from you.

One of the reasons why temple floors are made of hardwood is because that material is more conductive of spiritual vibrations. I don't have hardwood floors, so I meditate sitting on a bamboo cutting board. But if you don't have one, you can just use a towel.

[anthony c]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mark

Hi Anthony. One of the goals of meditation should be to create a supportive environment which is nurturing to spirit. For example, some people burn incense such as Frankincense, Sandlewood or Camphor. Does this help?

To some extent it does because it helps to purify the atmosphere. But another thing that you can do is take a clean white bath towel, drape it over your head, then twist it in the back, and let it hang down over your spine. That will also help to deflect negative thoughts to a great extent.

When meditating, never wear black because that color attracts karma, whereas white helps in deflecting karma away from you.

One of the reasons why temple floors are made of hardwood is because that material is more conductive of spiritual vibrations. I don't have hardwood floors, so I meditate sitting on a bamboo cutting board. But if you don't have one, you can just use a towel.

Hey Mark

Thanks for all the tips much appreciate it. I meditate on a a cushion and a blanket is that ok? Also is that why some people have a turban to deflect negative thoughts?

I never really wear black anyways and will keep it in mind.

Thanks

[anthony c]

Originally Posted by CrystalSong

Silence is learned. It takes training the mind that meditation isn't the appropriate time to be busy thinking - just as one would gently train a child to not interrupt when others are talking.

Yes when a thought is noticed then just release it unfinished. Trying to 'stop' it requires too much vigilance and the mind will turn into a dog chasing its own tail. So instead when a thought is noticed do something like 'oh a thought, then don't be the thought, don't become the thinker of the thought - give it no more importance than the passing random whispers in a theater before the lights dim. Don't eves drop on the thoughts and get caught in the thoughts or have opinions about the thoughts.

So it's not a 'letting it finish' or 'stopping the thought' it's a Not Being the Thinker of the thought and just noticing thought exists without us being the thinker of the thought.
We can also slowly train our selves to make a head space in which thoughts are random happenings and controllable and instead after some random thoughts, like an audience settling in for a performance as the lights dim and stopping chattering and turning its focus to the stage, we can also focus ourselves and pay attention to the that which happens inside us which is not thought.

Thanks for that CrystalSong very helpful.

[IFeelFree]

Originally Posted by anthony c

Transcendental Mediation always interested me but cant pay that much for a mantra.

Is it true the mantra is super strong? I hear these days they give you a mantra based on your age. Any truth to that?

In 1974, I paid $50, not only for a mantra, but also the initiation puja, several days of follow up instruction, unlimited follow-up support in the form of meditation "checking" (to resolve any questions or problems that might come up), and various free lectures, potlucks, etc., at our local TM center (in Cambridge, MA). I was very involved with the center activities for years. It is different today, but I still think that it is a very potent meditation technique.

The selection of the mantra is based on information given in the application and/or interview. I think it is related to birth date.

[Mystic Mark]

Originally Posted by anthony c

Hey Mark

Thanks for all the tips much appreciate it. I meditate on a a cushion and a blanket is that ok? Also is that why some people have a turban to deflect negative thoughts?

I never really wear black anyways and will keep it in mind.

Thanks

"I meditate on a a cushion and a blanket is that ok?"

Yeah, if your comfortable, then you can meditate longer. So it's best to use the blanket. The bamboo cutting board doesn't have that much of an effect, anyway.

"Also is that why some people have a turban to deflect negative thoughts?"

Correct. However, I'm not sure how to tie the turban. Used to doing things the easy way. lol

[anthony c]

Originally Posted by Mystic Mark

"I meditate on a a cushion and a blanket is that ok?"

Yeah, if your comfortable, then you can meditate longer. So it's best to use the blanket. The bamboo cutting board doesn't have that much of an effect, anyway.

"Also is that why some people have a turban to deflect negative thoughts?"

Correct. However, I'm not sure how to tie the turban. Used to doing things the easy way. lol

Very nice thank you

[Shivani Devi]

I do 'focused' or 'mindfulness meditation', both internally and externally. It's part of an old Hindu/Buddhist meditation technique I learned in Bali.

Internally, I focus on my breathing (Pranayama), usually at that point where my breath touches my nostrils and I become mindful about which nostril most of my breath is flowing through at the time, and place pressure under my armpits to regulate this flow.

I also focus on my 'Third Eye' area, using the mental image of Jyotir Lingam (endless stream of pure Light and Consciousness) before saying a few times "Aum Namah Shivaya" and then I just let myself go fully into meditation at that point.

Externally, I like to focus on a candle flame, my own eyes in a mirror, my own reflection between two mirrors (in a mirror tunnel), rotating tesseracts (hypercubes) up to the 16th dimension, infinite fractal zooms into the Mandlebrot Set and endless permutations of the Fibonacci Sequence.

I like to be totally mindful of everyday, mundane (boring) activities like walking the dog or cleaning my house...cleaning is like the best meditation I can do because I get into 'dirt removal mode' both inside and out, starting at one side and moving through to the other.

I also colour in mandalas and play with my Zen sand garden a lot and do tasks that require my full focus and concentration, so there leaves little to no room for other thoughts to intrude, like playing Jenga, doing cross stitch or reading up on the latest advancements in QM.

That's my meditation.

[blueberry26]

I usually begin by taking 20 long, slow and deep breaths.
Then i say affirmations to balance my left and right channels, after which i do chakra balancing, starting from the first mooladhara chakra all the way to the top sahasrara chakra. I usually take my time with this and i feel cleansed and relaxed at the end. If i have time, I will then continue to simply sit still and focus on my breath, feeling my body as a single energy field, and allowing thoughts and emotions to come and go. Sometimes im lucky and am able to stay in this state for quite a long while, but quite often and especially on days when im stressed, i tend to end up following some of the thoughts and end up getting distracted. If i catch myself in time, i am able to return back to the state, but sometimes its too hard and if i start to get frustrated, then i stop the session and say a prayer of gratitude.
Hopefully, with time my concentration ability will improve..

[praveece]

I have been practicing kundalini meditation for about 12 years.