Meditation Question! (experience, catholic, God, religions)

[Doktormartini]

Hey everyone! I am very sorry if this is in the wrong spot, but I couldn't find another place to put it and since these religions usually involve meditations, I thought I would ask here.

Basically I am interested in Meditation and would like to start doing it sometime soon...like maybe in the Spring and Summer. I do not know how to go about it and I always picture someone Meditating with a guy/girl cross-legged with his hands on his legs and his eyes closed...but that is how it is portrayed a lot in movies and stuff.

I feel that Meditation will make me feel better about myself and hope that this is true. The thing is...I don't know how to go about doing it? I would greatly appreciate any help from you, like tips and such! I know meditation is a time of silence and peace, but does listening to soft music help at all? Also, where should this be done...because I would like to do it outside? And my last question for you all: What are the benefits of Meditation? Thank you all so much for your help!

[fromthe heart]

Hi my friend I moved your thread to the meditation area so all versions of meditation could assist you in whatever form of meditation you'd chose.

[Doktormartini]

Thank you very much! I am sorry for not seeing this section on the forum...I thougt I looked through it all but I guess I didn't do it good enouhg. Next time I will pay more attention...again, I am sorry!

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by Doktormartini

Basically I am interested in Meditation and would like to start doing it sometime soon...like maybe in the Spring and Summer. I do not know how to go about it and I always picture someone Meditating with a guy/girl cross-legged with his hands on his legs and his eyes closed...but that is how it is portrayed a lot in movies and stuff.

so long as you are comfortable, that is what is important

I feel that Meditation will make me feel better about myself and hope that this is true. The thing is...I don't know how to go about doing it? I would greatly appreciate any help from you, like tips and such! I know meditation is a time of silence and peace, but does listening to soft music help at all? Also, where should this be done...because I would like to do it outside? And my last question for you all: What are the benefits of Meditation? Thank you all so much for your help!

i do some simple meditation most nights, before i go to bed, i close my eyes, and thoughts from the day coem into my head, i concentrate on one for a bit, then i picture a wooden chest, and i picture the thought going into the wooden chest, then i concentrate on the next though for a bit, then put that one into the box

after i have no more thoughts, i just wait, see where my mind takes me

i won't go into the details of the things i have discoverd during these times, but its deffinatley a time i look forwards to each day

[Scarlett Wampus]

Mike182 I liked your exercise. It reminded me of a Jesuit meditation a Catholic friend told me she practices each night. She goes back through the day event by event and notices what happened and asks what God was showing her through them. I've not tried something like what you do or that woman does before but I'm being won over.

Doctormartini this week many people at the forum are trying meditation or something new to their meditation practice. There are a couple of relevant threads you might like to read: -

Here are some basic instructions on Mindfulness of Breathing and notes by members

Here are people's experiences and comments so far this week

Soft music can help you relax and be part of a guided meditation. I recommend trying the silent type also, no harm in doing both

If you would like to practice outside keep in mind that if it is cold, noisy or windy that can be distracting. Even so, when conditions are good it is an excellent excuse to get out Some find natural light (i.e. sun light or moon light), fresh air and natural beauty are wonderful for meditation.

Try getting hold of a non-denominational and well written book on meditation for beginners. There might also be meditation classes in your area.

Btw, the benefits of meditation are best left for you to discover for yourself. Its helpful to approach meditation without too many preconceptions about what it's about and what it will do. Good luck.

[Doktormartini]

Thanks all so much for your help! I really don't think there are any meditation classes in my area but I will have to look further into it and see what I find. As for a book, I will go and check some out whenever I get the chance. Thanks again!

[Mike182]

Originally Posted by Scarlett Wampus

Mike182 I liked your exercise. It reminded me of a Jesuit meditation a Catholic friend told me she practices each night. She goes back through the day event by event and notices what happened and asks what God was showing her through them. I've not tried something like what you do or that woman does before but I'm being won over.

imk glad it helped someone

[Aupmanyav]

My prescription for Meditation: I believe that the best is to try it yourself, because if you take instructions from somebody else, you also have to buy his/her philosophy. You loose your independence, and that is not acceptable at least to me. What is meditation? It is simply a bio-feedback procedure to calm down your galloping mind for just the pleasure of that or to focus it on one question to think about. The procedure is to regulate your breathing (slow), chant something (any saying that you like) with sound, then chant the samething in your mind, then slow the chanting, then give random breaks to chanting, then to increase the duration of breaks, then enjoy that state or think about the question that troubles you more clearly. Watch or feel, take notice. Meditation will not - make you fly, make you stronger than you are, make your soul enter the body of some other person (because there is no soul). The eight siddhis mentioned in Hinduism are a sham. They were mentioned because the sages wanted you to take up meditation (sort of a carrot). I am a Hindu, the our word for Meditation is 'Dhyana', which means to concentrate on something.