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Techniques for Meditation?

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    Techniques for Meditation?

    Hi there! As you'll soon learn, I am a complete and utter noob at all things Pagan and/or spiritual and will probably show up from time to time to ask all you wonderful people some questions!

    First things first, I would like to know how you folks begin your meditation - If you do at all.

    I have tried recently, but I really can't lose myself in thought and end up being EXTREMELY aware that I am indeed trying and failing to meditate. So, long story short, what do you do when you meditate? Do you listen to anything? Do you think of anything in-particular? Just general questions like that! :^^:

    #2
    Re: Techniques for Meditation?

    It depends - what is the object of meditating for you?

    You can't actually "fail" at meditation - there are types of meditation that involve simply letting your mind wonder - but it is possible to have problems with certain types of meditation.
    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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      #3
      Re: Techniques for Meditation?

      Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
      It depends - what is the object of meditating for you?

      You can't actually "fail" at meditation - there are types of meditation that involve simply letting your mind wonder - but it is possible to have problems with certain types of meditation.
      My reason for meditation is mostly for calming myself and general relaxation. I used to go with guided visualisation but it felt very constricted and I felt it was difficult to concentrate. However, every time I try to go into a relaxed state (That isn't really just dozing off) I become 'aware' -If that's a good word for it- that I am trying to become relaxed and my mind instantly seizes up. It's very odd to explain without sounding very weird but, its how It is haha

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        #4
        Re: Techniques for Meditation?

        It's not hard to understand, I'm with you here...

        For what you want to do, there are a couple of things you need to understand first.

        1. If you are trying to "make your mind go blank," forget that idea completely. Unless you enter a fugue state, it just is not possible, and entering a fugue state is very undesirable (in a fugue state your mind goes blank because your conscious mind has been shut down leaving you to run on autopilot).

        2. Without entering a fugue state, you can not stop thoughts. Thoughts are generated by the unconscious mind, over which you have absolutely no control (you can only control that over which you are conscious. If you could control your unconscious it would stop being unconscious and become conscious - EXTREMELY undesirable. Doing so would render you entirely incapable of doing anything, including breathing).

        3. The goal relaxation meditation is to learn to "let go" of thoughts. If you try too hard to let go of thoughts your brain seizes up in the manner you have described. It's like trying to let go of a hot coal by squeezing harder. It burns more, so you squeeze even harder... You get the picture?

        I tell you these things because I want you to understand that what you want to accomplish can not be accomplished be "will power" (mental squeezing). They can only be accomplished by "not-will power" (releasing).

        Fortunately, the basic breath-counting meditation is exactly what you need. It is usually the first form of meditation taught in a well-considered meditation program, and, with a little practice, is easily learned.

        Remember, the key is "don't try hard, try not-hard."

        Here's what you do:

        1. Sit in a comfortable position. If you tend to fall asleep, don't do this lying down... Although doing this lying down is great if you have trouble falling asleep because of troubling thoughts. Sit, instead, in a chair with your back straight and your feet flat on the floor.

        2. Close your eyes, but direct your eyes so that, if they were open you'd be looking down your nose.

        3. Put your teeth together, and place your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This will prevent you from mouth breathing and/or getting a dry mouth.

        4. Breath in through your nose strongly, but not strongly enough to hear yourself breathing. Inflate your lungs from the diaphragm (your belly gets larger when you do this, along with you chest) to their full capacity.

        5. Exhale, emptying your lungs completely with the same degree of force (forcefully, but not forcefully enough to hear your own breath).

        6. Mentally count each exhalation (inhale - exhale - one. Inhale - exhale - two). When you get to seven, go back to one and begin again.

        7. While doing this, pay attention only to your breathing/counting.

        8. Here is the critical part! You will get distracted. Random thoughts will pop into your mind. You will forget to count, or discover that you have counted to 27. Believe it or not, this is what is supposed to happen.

        9. When the inevitable happens, go back to your breathing and begin again with one. Do not worry about it. Do not think you are failing. Do not try harder. Remember! Let it go!

        10. Over time you will go longer and longer periods during which you remain focused on your breaths, but ONLY if you learn to try without trying.

        Best wishes!
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #5
          Re: Techniques for Meditation?

          I've found that focusing on breath like what Corbin has described but also staring just past the flame of a candle helps me to stay awake.

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