Re: Meditation anyone?
Reply #21 - August 27, 2011, 12:04 AM
What I usually do is:
- Sit in a comfortable position, uncrossed legs, arms.
- Make sure there are no interruptions, noises etc. for at least 10-15 minutes.
- Close my eyes.
- Focus my attention on my breath.
- Usually thoughts pop up, my sense of hearing gets enhanced right away, but I keep bringing my attention back to my breathing.
- Breathe deliberately; deep inhalation into both the stomach and the chest. Hold the breath for a couple of seconds, then slowly exhale.
- Repeat above at least 5 times deliberately (no need to count, just keep doing it).
- As I breathe deliberately, I start to notice where there is any tension, pain or soreness in my body.
- Try and relax muscles in my face, jaw, neck, shoulders, stomach, legs, feet. With every breath, deliberately relax muscles more.
- As my mind wanders, I notice it, and bring my attention back to the breathing.
- Eventually, my whole body is very relaxed.
- I keep breathing deeply and slowly.
- When thoughts arise again, I don't berate myself for having them, but just notice them like they are bubbles floating up and away. Then bring my attention back to my breathing.
- Mostly I just meditate to relax my mind and get in touch with my body on a deep level.
- Sometimes, if I have a particular issue I want to focus on, it is then when I am most relaxed and breathing deeply that I will deliberately bring it up in my mind.
- Since my mind is clearer then, I can look at the issue from a more relaxed perspective. Sometimes, I get an answer as to what I should do about the issue. Other times, I realize that the issue is not what I thought it was, but something else entirely. In all cases, when I do this deliberately, I gain insights.
- I've also worked with affirmations or messages to my unconscious, as I refer to them. That's not something I've done in a while, but it does help when I do that. Focusing the mind and allowing your attention to remain on your breath lets you see how much you control your own thoughts.
- The deepest kind of meditation, in my experience, is to try and get in touch with the part of "you" that is doing the thinking, that is focusing the attention, etc. Your raw consciousness.
You'll know when you are ready to return to your everyday world. And if you meditate regularly, it will change how you experience, perceive and process the stimuli of that world.
Music, mantras, and all that can be very useful too. I have used them, and still do at times. I agree that Om is a pretty good one, but you can use any word or sound. Ultimately, the point is to completely relax your body, clarify your mind of the thought machine it constantly is, and learn to be in control of your thoughts, and thus, your feelings, not superficially, but really, deeply. Also, meditation allows you to confront your own subjectivity, and gain compassion for others since everyone is always operating out of their subjectivity, and most people are unaware of their own and other people's subjectivity.
"Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused."
Topic: Meditation anyone?