I want a type of meditation for a beginner, I just need something to help me get away and relax. Any suggestions?
Start by sitting, or lying, and just do nothing. You may or may not close your eyes. Allow yourself to just be, things, thoughts emotions might come to the surface, greet them without reserve or judjement, welcome them like you would welcome a friend, because the purpose of this is actually to welcome yourself, to be completly relax just by yourself. Then, when you're more comfortable with this, you may observe life in a another way, a more sensual way, hopefully. While you were doing nothing, there propably were some things that felt good. Your breath? Thoughts of a loved one? Your eyes moving around? Sounds of the birds outside? Music? Tastes? Etc... Pick some that inspire you, and observe it, let it be, play with it. It will developp your awareness of it, your enjoyment of it, and soon enought your enjoyment of life.
Hi Lizmarie, Do some searches for breath meditation - the are simple ones that can be quite effective. To relax down (although the breath in itself will relax) here is a simple sequence Move your awareness slowly (focus on) : Thumb an fingers in the right hand The whole right hand The wrist The forearm The Upper Arm The Shoulder The Right side of the body Right Thigh Knee Back of the knee Shin Calf muscle Top of the foot The Heel Ball of the foot Big toe 2nd toe etc. Repeat using the left side Lower back Middle back Upper back Shoulders Neck Back of the head Top of the head Eyes Nose Mouth Chest Abdomen Feel you right leg melting away Left Leg Right arm Left arm Torso Neck Head Just observe the smooth flow of breath for a while. Now start on a breath meditation. A simple one is: Imagine you are breathing in through the left nostril - count 1 Imagine you are breathing out through the right nostril - count 2 Imagine you are breathing in through the right nostril - count 3 Imagine you are breathing out through the left nostril - count 5 etc. If you get to 100 (which is awesome) go back to 1 Finish of with just listening to the breath Good luck! ================================================== “The ultimate truth cannot be challenged” www.acceleratedstates.com
I guess what I've written is a less structured version of what is written above. Focusing on the breathing is good. Counting the breaths helps to stay focused and avoid distractions, pick a number and count up to that number and start over again. It sounds boring, and it is, however, soon you will build up steam and things will happen, the counting is just a means to an end. Or you can focus on your whole body, all of the sensations, don't get involved in them, just feel them as the arise and depart, apply this to your thoughts and emotions too. Just being aware of things is often enough to change them into a more natural state, like smoothing things out with a feather, as in the Tao Te Ching "the soft overcomes the hard" our awareness is like a drop of water that contains a tidal wave, and as we become more natural meditation just happens by itself.
Thanks for all the suggestions, but I really like this one, I have tried it many times and I suddenly feel calm It is great. What is your favorite yoga or meditation position?
I do two simple meditations that are very intense. First meditaiton i do for 20 minutes. I lay down some where with my back completely straight (no pillow) you can do this sitting up too. I focus on the mantra "I Am" and i feel the mantras power in side of me. This mantra Reaveals the real self, the source of consciousness within you. If you add a word after "I am", whatever that word is, the resulting statement is false. "I am happy" "i am sad" are all false. Emotions come and go. you cannot be an emotion that you were not feeling yesterday. "I am my body" false. every seven years, all the molecules in your body become replaced. that is a scientific fact. "I am my mind" You cannot be thoughts since the change so often. You are the identity that combines all your expiriences into one. you are gods eye. better put, you just are. Second meditation i also do for 20 minutes and i also lay down with out a pillow. I call it the love meditation. I fill my body and world with love. You can do this many different ways, as long as you are focusing on love it will work. see the love already in you and feel it. See it surround you. see it everywhere. Both meditations become stronger the more you practice them. the i am meditation you will feel your first and if not your second time and get stronger. The love meditation, you might start feeling the love a week after you start, depending on how closed your heart might be. Sometimes you will feel it and maybe the day after you wont feel it. Genreally tho, the feeling of love will be increasing.
Its not about getting "away". Thats what drugs are for, thats what tv is for. Its about finding yourself.
Yeah, watching your breath is good but I don't like the counting idea because there is a tendency to get caught up in the number aspect of it. Be aware of your breathing is a more accurate description. A fabulous book to start with is The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn.
A little trick that may help called the pranayama square. Have a mental picture of a square or follow a window frame. Breath in and with your mind follow the LHS up, retain breath follow the top, breath out follow the RHS down, retention follow bottom. Yhe speed you 'travel' the lines is matched to your breath. Equal in,hold,out,hold sections is a good start. It is good to be aware of the breath and follow it. I hate counting numbers as well. Too much brain energy needed so I fight against it instead of being relaxed. The square provides a mind picture. If you want to extend breath retention to twice the in and out breath then make the square a rectangle top and bottom twice the length. One the initial geometry is sorted out no more calculus!
Re-reading the OP's signature an active mediatation may suit. Walk out into the mountains. Feel connected with mother earth and father sky. Feel that all below the manipura chakra is going down into the supporting earth and all that is above is reaching up to the sky energy. A salute to the four directions sequence would energise you and the result of this energisation is a profound relaxation when you have finished. Use the senses to feel eg: feel the wind against the skin, hear the sound of the wind, smell the trees. Wonder at the creation of all living things and feel you are part of it. Take in the water energy of that clear mountain stream. Do not fear mother nature but learn to accept her protection. Native Americans were good at this and there is plenty to google here. Drums being the heartbeat of mother earth. Flutes being the air or spirit. The marathon monks of India are well worth a google. They do a walking meditation as well as wearing that silly hat Edit: video on salute to the four directions second half @ 3.10 is the sequence.
Not altogether silly - They try to walk with no foot impact (like grasshopper on the movie Kung Fu) and the hat accentuates the up and down movement which they try to minimise. Here is a picture to save a google.
Sahaja Yoga Meditation is very simple and gives really good results. I have been doing it for eight years and it has totally changed everything about me. I would recommend it to everyone. Here is a website to guide you through the meditation: http://www.freemeditation.ca/
Chakra meditation can be done with crystals or with the respective stones for the Chakras. Let's begin with Chakra meditation for beginners.
