How should I start meditating as a beginner?

You're very welcome :)

[ZainMd]

When i first started meditation. I learned by visualization technique,
Which i find it unsuitable. I explored next with breathing technique meditation,
which is pretty good but not my cup of tea. I tried prayers and sound technique' again i feel something is missing until i learned heart and inner heart meditation. The technique make me feel grounded with little effort and trying in the beginning stage. It is ok to try different technique that suited you most and feeling comfortably connected when you are in meditative state. What good technique for one can be on the opposite side for you.
Best wishes in your journey

[wstein]

Originally Posted by GhostTown

Thank you. I found that Vipassana suits me. I tried it for 12 min today, and now I feel so relaxed.
So should I do it daily?

Some one else covered the specifics of Vipassana.

As a general case, the biggest key is constancy. More time meditating will see faster progress. The temptation is to squeeze in as much meditation time as possible. Counter intuitively its better to spend less overall time on a regular basis. One of the biggest reasons is that blocking out time on a schedule lets you and everyone know this is a priority.

Balancing meditation time with life demands is one of the biggest problems. Consistent meditation will lesson those demands allowing more time for more meditation. Eventually you will be able to meditate while doing daily things and the blocking out time and scheduling will become moot.

There are some 'advanced' states that require large blocks of physical time (may seem way shorter in the experience). This might require special extended sessions.

[GhostTown]

Originally Posted by wstein

Some one else covered the specifics of Vipassana.

As a general case, the biggest key is constancy. More time meditating will see faster progress. The temptation is to squeeze in as much meditation time as possible. Counter intuitively its better to spend less overall time on a regular basis. One of the biggest reasons is that blocking out time on a schedule lets you and everyone know this is a priority.

Balancing meditation time with life demands is one of the biggest problems. Consistent meditation will lesson those demands allowing more time for more meditation. Eventually you will be able to meditate while doing daily things and the blocking out time and scheduling will become moot.

There are some 'advanced' states that require large blocks of physical time (may seem way shorter in the experience). This might require special extended sessions.

Do you think meditation can break with very very deep and old patterns? Like food addiction or not dealing correctly with day to day unselting experiences like anxiety ?

[ZainMd]

Originally Posted by GhostTown

Do you think meditation can break with very very deep and old patterns? Like food addiction or not dealing correctly with day to day unselting experiences like anxiety ?

My pointer for you.
Just keep at it for now. Relax,smile and melt within.
The chattering from thoughts will arise. Through awareness
those are just passing clouds covering the sky(pure consciousness).
As the expansion within grows and unite with Source as one.
Not only your challenge with food addiction can be put to rest.
The emotional negative layers that have been accumulated throughout our
lives can be cleanse gradually,layer by layers. The healing power are just beyond words.
Keep at it and wishing you beautiful growth within the love and light from
True Source.
Just a note to remind me as well. While meditating, be a blank book.

[wstein]

Originally Posted by GhostTown

Do you think meditation can break with very very deep and old patterns? Like food addiction or not dealing correctly with day to day unselting experiences like anxiety ?

Very deep old patterns can be 'broken' (more accurately released as not being part of you) by deep meditation. As such, for most people that is going to take a long time (more than a decade). So yes, it is one of the benefits of meditation. However, its probably not the best tool for the job.

Note that not all addictions based on 'old' or 'deep' patterns. Addictions can arise as a maladapted response to severe trauma. Trauma, of course, can happen at any age.

Anxiety can also be addressed by meditation. The good news is that progress towards that end comes fairly rapidly for most people (starts in just few weeks or months). One of the first noticeable affects of meditation is more calmness.

[astralsuzy]

I spoke to someone who worked on the cruise over a year ago. He was a young man and was a meditation teacher. He said meditation cured his gambling addition. He no longer gambled.

[BigJohn]

Originally Posted by GhostTown

I have no clue. Do I only have to focus on my breather for a short period of time?

What helped me, might help you.

On Sundays, I would generally go to 3 different groups that offered a meditation. During the week, I would go to at least 2 other groups on different days. It seems, a lot of people 'meditate' once a week, but if you do it 3 or more times per week on different days, then the meditations become really beneficial.

As for me, I like doing walking meditations but if I meditate sitting down, I like to rock side ways and meditate with my eyes open. The rocking gives you depth perception and with your eyes open, you get to see what is going on in the room.

[iamthat]

Originally Posted by GhostTown

Do you think meditation can break with very very deep and old patterns? Like food addiction or not dealing correctly with day to day unselting experiences like anxiety ?

Meditation can help us break all unhelpful patterns, but as wstein says, it can take time.

One of the effects of meditation is that it increases our awareness of our patterns, and it can push things to the surface to be released. We sit there and we have to deal with the mind with no external distractions. This can be difficult. We become more aware of anxieties, addictions, desires, etc. Meditation is not all bliss and calmness. Some people persist through these difficult times, for others it is too much.

But if we persist then we find a greater separation between our awareness and our mental patterns. The fact that we can observe our mental patterns is evidence that we are not those patterns. We find a still centre within which is untouched by whatever is happening in the mind. Then we can reap the rewards of all our efforts.

I would certainly not want to relive all the difficulties of my early years of meditation. But I had to go through all that to get where I am now. And it is worth it.

Peace

https://www.vipassanaforum.net/meditation/Shamatha.pdf