Is there an ideal "time" to do it?

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by Starman

I have audio cassette tapes of Ram Dass where he talks about his LSD experiences, and also him getting drunk with Chogyam Trumpa Rimpoche. ...Like you, I am old school and have been on this spiritual path for more then 40-years also. ...but these days I do not follow any one particular teacher.

Oh well, I will not judge Ram Dass for his indulgences - are these really important in the greater scheme of things? And "Be Here Now" was the first spiritual book I ever read when I was in my teens, so I am grateful to Ram Dass for pointing me towards the teachings of India, even if I have not read anything else by Ram Dass since.

When I began this journey I never imagined that one day I would be "old school", but I guess that is what I am. The current availability of spiritual teachings was inconceivable back in the 1970s so maybe Humanity is doing something right.

But at the end of the day it still comes down to being here now.

Peace

[Gem]

Originally Posted by Redchic12

I have felt like you Gem for many years regarding these so called gurus when I was your age but as I’m a lot older now (nearer Starmans age) I tend to be a bit more compassionate and understanding and less judgmental.

In this case you're indirectly insinuating that you or Starman are greater in compassion and understanding in relation to me who is comparatively lesser.
I don't know if that's true or not, it's possible, but it's better if you plainly say 'I'm more compassionate than you are'. I know being direct breaks the formula of social acceptance, but I get the message anyway, and it's possible you're right, but to my ear, things that sound nice aren't always what they sound like.

[Redchic12]

GEM: ”In this case you're indirectly insinuating that you or Starman are greater in compassion and understanding in relation to me who is comparatively lesser.”
.................
Omg definitely wasn’t insinuating that at all!

I was merely stating that I could understand and see BOTH points of view and then I went on to say how I NOW see things differently to what I did when I was younger. NOT better. Just different.

How can I possibly claim to be “more compassionate” than you when I don’t even know you. That would be rather silly..

[pixiedust]

It just means experience sometimes humbles us, or at least shifts some of our strongest judgements, especially those of "purity."

[Redchic12]

Aww thank you PixieDust. You “get” where I’m coming from!

[Altair]

This will vary from person to person. For me, it is better to do meditation (and yoga asanas also) at least three hours after eating.

[AngelBlue]

Each to their own. We are all different.

[thegreatupdraft]

It's very dependent on the person, their obligations, their energy cycles, their routines.

I tend to do my sitting meditation later in the day. This is a habit thing more than anything else. I start work early.

If I were to give a definite answer, I'd say do it when you're most alert. Late night and early morning aren't great for that.

[Fizwold]

Originally Posted by Starman

The energy from our meditation will build up in that spot and over time it will become easier to slip into meditation when we sit in that spot.

Also we are doing subconscious conditioning by using the same place to meditate in on a regular basis, our consciousness will soon come to know when we go to that place we are going to meditate. What makes a church, synagogue, or temple, so serene is that people regularly go there to pray and meditate and that serenity builds in those places.

Did not know this. Would explain a few things then or help to anyway, the piece about energy build up. I tend to meditate while waiting or go into active imagination or something along those lines because why not?