Meditation (ritual, spiritual, Zen, cross)

[cfer]

I've read about lots of different ways of meditating. But now I'm curious:

For those that meditate, what technique do you use?

[Feathers in Hair]

Guided meditation works well for me, as well as staring at a candle.

[Bright-ness' Shadow]

Originally Posted by FeathersinHair

Guided meditation works well for me, as well as staring at a candle.

I've used guided meditation before with good results. Today, I use a concentration on breathing with a background blanket of classical music.

[Fluffy]

Hehe staring at a candle just makes me sneeze . Whenever I meditate I have to have complete silence (normally requiring ear plugs) and a soft surface to sit on (like my bed). I sit cross legged mostly because I can sit that way for a long while without getting pins and needles. Then I begin by first steadying and then slowing down my breathing.

[michel]

I find soothing music, with a focus - like your candle Feathers-works well indoors. Outdoors, I can just stroll through the trees in the park, and listen to nature.....

[Master Vigil]

Meditating is a very big fad these days. But alot of people don't do it right. All they are basically doing are relaxing. But meditation in the past has always been seen to be a very serious spiritual endeavor. A zen buddhist meditates to achieve enlightenment, not to get rid of stress. I use taoist meditation and chi gung. But I also use drumming and moving meditation. The key to any meditation is rigid comfort, this means that one needs to be comfortable but not too comfortable. Alot of people like to lay down, well if you can do that without falling asleep then be my guest. But the majority do fall asleep. Another key to meditation is focus, not just focusing on a candle, but focusing the mind without objective perception. Focus is necessary for the mind to be able to be controlled. Alot of people also think meditation is just quieting the mind, or thinking of nothing. Well either way is impossible unless you can focus and control your mind. Taoist meditation focuses on chi, and the way it moves throughout your body and your environment. And you can manipulate it to make you healthier, stress free, more energetic, etc... This is called chi gung. There are many ways to meditate, but they all take MUCH practice and discipline. Its not something that is easily learned. But once it is learned, it can be the greatest achievement in a spiritual field.

[robtex]

Meditation

[cfer]

Originally Posted by Master Vigil

Another key to meditation is focus, not just focusing on a candle, but focusing the mind without objective perception. Focus is necessary for the mind to be able to be controlled. Alot of people also think meditation is just quieting the mind, or thinking of nothing. Well either way is impossible unless you can focus and control your mind. Taoist meditation focuses on chi, and the way it moves throughout your body and your environment. And you can manipulate it to make you healthier, stress free, more energetic, etc... This is called chi gung.

Isn't chi gung often referred to as "moving meditation"? How do you focus on chi?

Okay. I've often heard that about thinking of nothing, but never understood it. Is there something in particular that you're supposed to be focusing on? I know that there is a Buddhist technique that concentrates on a mantra. Are there other meditation techniques of focusing your mind?

I know it sounds funny, but I don't really know what I'm supposed to be focusing on while I'm meditating.

Thank you, everyone, for your help and sharing your stories.

[Master Vigil]

Chi gung is the practice of manipulating chi throughout your body. It can be done while doing moving meditation, but that isn't the norm. You focus on chi by first detecting it. Learning to recognize it and how it moves. Then you can begin to focus on its movement, and then be able to control it. Its of course harder than that, but that is basically how it works.

The thinking about nothing part is kind of a misunderstanding. Its more along the lines of letting your thoughts rise, and just letting them drop. You don't want to suppress any thoughts because that will cause stress. There are many ways of practicing focus. The mantras which you talked about are one way, focusing on your breathing is another. Focusing on the candle is another, focusing on a beat to a song, (or yourself drumming) is another, if your in the woods: focusing on all the sounds you hear, or all the smells, feelings etc... Focusing on your emotions, on others emotions, etc... There are many many ways. I suppose it depends on where you are, what you have at your disposal, and what you want to accomplish by your meditation.

[cfer]

How do you detect chi? Can you actually feel it flowing throughout you? What does it feel like?