So i am a total new to meditation and the only technique i know is to focus only on breathing and trying to do nothing but just sit, what other newbie techniques are there. Where should i start? thanks for you time guys -Dis
Watching the sky Making love Drawing Singing Laughing with a friend Having a good meal Listening to good music Being grateful Being empathic Being angry Being sad Expressing what you feel Not expressing what you feel Traveling places never travelled Or Sitting down and doing nothing These can all be wonderful meditative experiences if you want them to be.
We all love to believe that there are a million meditation techniques out there. However, most of them are repeats. What varies are 1. The names, cultures, and languages 2. Point of focus during meditation 3. Integration strategy (how to infuse the meditative state into your daily activities and create a powerful momentum for your practice) 3. Warm up strategy (exercise strategy for warming up your mind and body for deeper meditation). The points of focus are: 1. Breath (air as it enters nostrils or rising and falling of the abdomen) 2. Body sensations 3. energy (or inner light and sound) 4. concept (God, infinity, a guru, love, etc) 5. mantra (short word, either meaningful or nonsense) 6. Song (song to a deity or just something inspiring) 7. Prayer (Lord make me an instrument of thy peace...) 8. A chakra Whenever the mind wanders from the point of focus, note that the mind is wandering. Allow the extraneous thoughts to do their thing without fighting them. Then, bring the mind back to the point of focus. This is pretty much the same in every meditation technique.
I agree. However, to respect these slight individual differences can make the difference. Alot of people quit because of this. Too me, it is vital that the point of focus is allowed to change freely during one meditation, sometimes there is no focus at all. However 90% of what I've read advised me too choose a point of focus. I am curious of knowing about what you call a warm up strategy. I have never heard of such thing applied to meditation. Thanks!
1) Make it a formal practice. You will only get to the next level in meditation by setting aside specific time (preferably two times a day) to be still. 2) Start with the breath. Breathing deep slows the heart rate, relaxes the muscles, focuses the mind and is an ideal way to begin practice. 3) Stretch first. Stretching loosens the muscles and tendons allowing you to sit (or lie) more comfortably. Additionally, stretching starts the process of “going inward” and brings added attention to the body. 4) Meditate with Purpose. Beginners must understand that meditation is an ACTIVE process. The art of focusing your attention to a single point is hard work, and you have to be purposefully engaged! 5) Notice frustration creep up on you. This is very common for beginners as we think “hey, what am I doing here” or “why can’t I just quiet my damn mind already”. When this happens, really focus in on your breath and let the frustrated feelings go. 6) Experiment. Although many of us think of effective meditation as a Yogi sitting cross-legged beneath a Bonzi tree, beginners should be more experimental and try different types of meditation. Try sitting, lying, eyes open, eyes closed, etc. 7) Feel your body parts. A great practice for beginning meditators is to take notice of the body when a meditative state starts to take hold. Once the mind quiets, put all your attention to the feet and then slowly move your way up the body (include your internal organs). This is very healthy and an indicator that you are on the right path. 8) Pick a specific room in your home to meditate. Make sure it is not the same room where you do work, exercise, or sleep. Place candles and other spiritual paraphernalia in the room to help you feel at ease. 9) Read a book (or two) on meditation. Preferably an instructional guide AND one that describes the benefits of deep meditative states. This will get you motivated. John Kabat-Zinn’s Wherever You Go, There You Are is terrific for beginners. 10) Commit for the long haul. Meditation is a life-long practice, and you will benefit most by NOT examining the results of your daily practice. Just do the best you can every day, and then let it go! 11) Listen to instructional tapes and CDs. 12) Generate moments of awareness during the day. Finding your breath and “being present” while not in formal practice is a wonderful way to evolve your meditation habits. 13) Make sure you will not be disturbed. One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not insuring peaceful practice conditions. If you have it in the back of your mind that the phone might ring, your kids might wake, or your coffee pot might whistle than you will not be able to attain a state of deep relaxation. 14) Notice small adjustments. For beginning meditators, the slightest physical movements can transform a meditative practice from one of frustration to one of renewal. These adjustments may be barely noticeable to an observer, but they can mean everything for your practice. 15) Use a candle. Meditating with eyes closed can be challenging for a beginner. Lighting a candle and using it as your point of focus allows you to strengthen your attention with a visual cue. This can be very powerful. 16) Do NOT Stress. This may be the most important tip for beginners, and the hardest to implement. No matter what happens during your meditation practice, do not stress about it. This includes being nervous before meditating and angry afterwards. Meditation is what it is, and just do the best you can at the time. 17) Do it together. Meditating with a partner or loved one can have many wonderful benefits, and can improve your practice. However, it is necessary to make sure that you set agreed-upon ground rules before you begin! 18) Meditate early in the morning. Without a doubt, early morning is an ideal time to practice: it is quieter, your mind is not filled with the usual clutter, and there is less chance you will be disturbed. Make it a habit to get up half an hour earlier to meditate. 19) Be Grateful at the end. Once your practice is through, spend 2-3 minutes feeling appreciative of the opportunity to practice and your mind’s ability to focus. 20) Notice when your interest in meditation begins to wane. Meditation is hard work, and you will inevitably come to a point where it seemingly does not fit into the picture anymore. THIS is when you need your practice the most and I recommend you go back to the book(s) or the CD’s you listened to and become re-invigorated with the practice. Chances are that losing the ability to focus on meditation is parallel with your inability to focus in other areas of your life! Meditation is an absolutely wonderful practice, but can be very difficult in the beginning. Use the tips described in this article to get your practice to the next level!
Loosen your clothing, take off your shoes, and get comfortable. Take a few minutes to relax, breathing in and out in slow, deep breaths. When you’re relaxed and ready to start, shift your attention to your right foot. Take a moment to focus on the way it feels. Slowly tense the muscles in your right foot, squeezing as tightly as you can. Hold for a count of 10. Relax your right foot. Focus on the tension flowing away and the way your foot feels as it becomes limp and loose. Stay in this relaxed state for a moment, breathing deeply and slowly. When you’re ready, shift your attention to your left foot. Follow the same sequence of muscle tension and release. Move slowly up through your body — legs, abdomen, back, neck, face — contracting and relaxing the muscle groups as you go.
