Meditation for dummies

[Mr Cheese]

Originally Posted by YmirGF

you should endeavor to keep your spinal column as straight as possible.

............

[Mr Cheese]

Originally Posted by stephenw

I'm bad at meditation.
But I'd like to be better
If anyone had any advice for a meditation dummy like me I'd like to hear it.
I was thinking of buying one of those meditation cushions on eBay. Are they a good idea?

I'd say noise too....

its easy to meditate in a dark room, in silence

buy some ear plugs

go meditate in public....

[Mr Cheese]

Meditations « Prayers and Reflections



Today we explore walking meditation. This can be done in a number of ways. Here we explore the Wu Wei walking meditation.

A Kabbalistic version can be done by the following exercise also.


The Taoist practice of “aimless wandering” through places of great natural beauty is a wonderful way to cultivate Wu Wei. As we practice, little by little we revive our capacity to move in the world with the kind of joyful ease and spontaneity that we see in young children. At the same time, we are nourished deeply by the elemental energies – by the plants, minerals and animals, the earth and the sky.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 30-45 minutes, or longer if you’d like
Here’s How:
1. Choose a place to practice. This might be your neighborhood park, the courtyard of an apartment complex, a mountain meadow, or a forest with a gentle stream flowing through it. What’s important is that it be a place where you can connect with the elements of the natural world, and a place that you feel inspired by.
2. Sit or lie down directly on the earth. (You can use a blanket underneath, if you’d prefer.) Close your eyes. Take a couple of deep slow breaths, and feel your connection to the earth beneath you. Feel the breath moving into and out of your body. Let go of any thoughts of past or future, as though there were no past or future – only this delicious moment, here and now.
3. Now open your eyes, and let your gaze gently scan your surroundings, noticing and appreciating the beauty of this place. Notice also what you’re hearing (birdsong perhaps), smelling (the scent of pine needles) and feeling (a gentle breeze on your face).
4. Next, let yourself begin to wander – to stroll about in this beautiful place, without an agenda of any sort. Be guided by what catches your eye, or perhaps a mysterious sound, or perhaps just your intuition saying: “let’s see what lies in this direction.”
5. Feel free to pause whenever you’d like, to sit or lie down again, or to examine something in great detail: to notice the texture of lichen on a rock, or the innermost folds of a blossoming rose. As you explore in this way, do your best to remain at a feeling and sensing level, without a lot of mental analysis.
6. If you notice that you’ve gotten lost in thoughts of the past or the future, no problem – simply bring yourself back to the practice: to wandering about, carefree as a child, in this beautiful place, letting your curiosity and gratitude guide you.
7. When your allotted time for the practice is up, or when your intuition tells you it’s time to end the session, sit down once again, and take a couple of deep slow breaths. Generate a feeling of gratitude for having the opportunity to spend time in such a beautiful place. Notice how you feel, in your body.
8. Then bring that energy with you, though the rest of your day!
Tips:
1. Don’t worry if this feels a bit awkward at first. Many of us are so used to structuring our days with agendas and schedules and check-lists, that moving in a more spontaneous way can feel a bit odd at first. But you’ll soon remember how wonderful it is!
2. Be clear about the difference between this practice of “aimless wandering” and simply spacing out! Spacing out is what happens when we are drawn into thoughts of the past or future – when we get sucked into a “movie” being created by our thoughts. Aimless wandering brings us into the fields of our senses, and into a direct relationship with the elements of the natural world.
3. Notice the difference between honoring your own intuitive desire to move in one direction or another, and engaging in judgment. The sweetness of the “aimless wandering” practice is that there is no absolute “right” or “wrong” way to do it. Each of us discovers what’s right for us!
4. As you become more adept at the practice, your sensitivity to the energies of the place will increase. Enjoy this!
What You Need:
· a precious human body
· a place of great natural beauty
· a blanket to lie on, if you’d like
Suggested Reading
“A Guide To Walking Meditation” by Thich Nhat Hanh

….

[Mr Cheese]

Kabbalistic form:

As you are walking place your eyesight and awareness on the horizon, or whatever is close if you are in an urban area. The idea here is to focus your attention upward and forward, instead of looking down and skulking.
Calm yourself, breathe rhythmically or however you achieve a serene state
As you walk focus your attention on the four kabbalistic “power points.” The feet, the groin, the heart (or solar plexus) and the forehead (or just above the head).

As you walk focus on those points in your mind. Feel your connection to the earth, the feet
Then the groin
Then the heart or solar plexus
Finally the head (or just above the head).

This can be done by focusing on the energies of the sefirot,
Malkuth, yesod, tifferet, Kether
Variations of this:
Focus on the images, of
Malkuth:Earth
Yesod:Moon
Tifferet:Sun
Kether: Stars

Naturally we can go upwards or downwards, obviously the energy here has differing connotations.
This is of course related to the middle pillar exercise.
Another variation is to add the daath emanation, or Gnosis.
Here at the throat, or if you are male, the adam’s apple we can picture the Gnostic “power” center. Find a symbol of image or something to help you visualize this energy center. I personally use the grail symbol of one upward triangle, with a down facing triangle on top of another.

A further variation would be of course to use “energy balls” instead of kabbalistic emanations or imagery.

Feel free to change things to how you would like.

http://yogateacher.com/text/meditation/on-line/walking.html
http://www.wildmind.org/walking/introduction
http://www.dharma-talks.com/walking_meditation.htm
http://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/subnav/walking.htm
http://www.innerself.com/Meditation/walking_10102.htm
etc.

[Herr Heinrich]

Originally Posted by Mr Cheese

Meditations « Prayers and Reflections



Today we explore walking meditation. This can be done in a number of ways. Here we explore the Wu Wei walking meditation.

A Kabbalistic version can be done by the following exercise also.


The Taoist practice of “aimless wandering” through places of great natural beauty is a wonderful way to cultivate Wu Wei. As we practice, little by little we revive our capacity to move in the world with the kind of joyful ease and spontaneity that we see in young children. At the same time, we are nourished deeply by the elemental energies – by the plants, minerals and animals, the earth and the sky.


….

This was cool. Thanks for posting it Mr.Cheese.

[zenzero]

Friends,

Meditation : Its all about *waking* state.
How to be awake is the first step.
You be awake as when you get up from sleep and lie still in bed, just being aware. Its a fine start, posture too even buddha used sleeping meditation at night lying onhis right side using the palm of his hand as a pillow. BUT totally awake. He even told Ananda that he never sleeps, only his body takes rest.
Meditation is all about being *AWAKE*

When one is fully awake postures come on its own. Posture is important as the individual energy that merges with the universal energy has to rise from the base up to the crown and only a straight line makes the transition easy.
So one can either start with keeping his straight posture by lying down sitting straight up on a chair or on the floor on a mat in a comfortable posture o ensure a straight backbone or first try and connect somehow and then work backwards.
Buddha even used Walking meditation in fact his every act was a meditation as he was fully awake at all times be it eating, sleeping talking, walking etc.

so, one has to just find a way to be comfortably *AWAKE*.

Love & rgds

[Nowhere Man]

Originally Posted by atotalstranger

If you find discomfort a problem, try lying down. What position you're in while meditating is irrelevant.

Actually position is not irrelevant. But it is true that there should not be too much discomfort present so as to unduly cause distractions. Alternate positions should be used only if there are real problems or physical issues.

[Hevenly Heathen]

How does physical posture lead to proper meditation?

[Nowhere Man]

Originally Posted by Hevenly Heathen

How does physical posture lead to proper meditation?

I cant speak for other forms of meditation like Vipassana (insight meditation) but in Zazen and Kinhin it is the practice of body and mind as one. To overdo it either way with incorrect posture whereas there is too much pain and discomfort, or too little pain and discomfort causes a deprivation of body and mind, or perhaps more accurately, an unbalance of body/mind and essentially cheats a person out of experiencing body and mind wholly as one. Having a correct posture is paramount to fully experiencing oneness of body/mind.

[Hevenly Heathen]

So it depends on the style of meditation, not meditation in general? I have studied different meditation styles, and have found that posture isn't very important, but perhaps I have a different grasp. People develop on their own. I don't disagree that posture could help, I just don't believe it is paramount to successful meditation.