Meditation Styles

[Druidus]

For those of us who meditate, list a method that you use to do this. For those of us who don't, for whatever reason, I highly reccomend that you try a few of the methods that might be posted here. I'll start with one of my earlier methods; I don't use it as much now though:

Burning Flame of the Mind

Sit and calm yourself. Lying down is good, but don't fall asleep. Try to have little or no noise for this meditation. Think of your mind as a flame. Picture that flame in your mind. Make it a small one, little more then a spark, really. Hold the image, don't let it go. Finally, when it becomes easy enough to hold the image there, make it bigger. Hold it, until you feel that you can make it bigger. Continue this, until the flame consumes your thoughts, and your mind. Hold this, and think of nothing but the flame. Watch it's dance. If you keep this flame as it is for a while, you should feel that you can make it bigger. Try. If you succeed, you should enter into true meditation. Your mind will go blank, and sometimes the flame will dissipate. If it doesn't, and your mind stays blank, it almost gains a mind of it's own. Your subconscious is controlling it now. Stay with this meditation for a while, and try not to think, just be. Be warned, however, that some meditations can distort your perception of time, leading to you spending hours in this meditative state. While very good, it is not helpful when you have to be somewhere, say, a meeting, so be careful.

 

[Master Vigil]

I do both taoist meditation and zazen. Taoist meditating is much more diffucult than zazen. But in both, picturing a flame is the exact opposite of what you should do. (Not saying your way is bad, it is just not the eastern way.)

Taoist - The tao must be followed. The spine must be straight for chi to flow correctly. Legs are crossed to keep the body grounded and firm. No lying down, sleep will most likely occur. All thoughts must exist, and then fall away. No personal ideas or conceptions exist in true tao. Basically taoist meditation is designed to help a personal fit more into the natural flow of nature. While a hindu yogi or a zen priest may sit and sit for hours in full lotus positions, a taoist may for a while, but when he feels that the tao moves him. He will get up and do something else. The most important is chi. Allowing that energy to vitalize the body, mind, and spirit through taoist meditation is very difficult.

Zazen - sitting. cross legged, back straight, hands in an oval. fingers in fingers, thumb tip on thumb tip. When a thought comes into the mind, let it arise and let it drop. (So thinking of a flame is the exact opposite of what one should do). In zazen, ideas are illusions to the true nature of things. We can see the flame, we can call it "flame", but we do not know what it is exactly. So we do not worry about it. We just let it drop. It takes more energy to pick something up, than to let it go. Instead of trying to know things, or see things, or try to be in a blissful state. We just let them drop.

 

[robtex]

1)I use the 1/2 lotus position.

2)it straight with head neck and stomach veritically aligned.

3) in through nose out through mouth breathing

3) intake timing slighly longer than exhale

4) hands on knees to open chest (instead of in lap)

5) eyes closed

6) use alarm clock sometimes set for 30 mintues to an hour

7) eat veggies before hand no alcohol day before ( i dont do drugs so not in equation)

8) no music or candles just me in my head

9) stretch and do breathing exercises meany times before hand.

 

[nightwolf]

Types of meditation I have used.

Steps to meditation
Sit or lye down what ever is confortable to the person doing it. The goal would be to remain in a fine line between sleep and awake. Close your eyes concentrate on breathing. Count the breaths you take slowly and starting with the toes relax and let all the stress flow from them, work up the body not missing a part till you have finished. Then I like to ground myself, picture a rope/light whatever works for you fallin from you lower spine into the earth below. Next consume yourself in light, picture yourself in a protective light and see it as a shield. Now you are ready to meditate.

Guide contact meditation
Complete steps to meditation. Now take your mind to a place that brings peace to you nad where you can hear the birds and the sounds of nature. I like to use a seashore on a island for this, alot of peaceful sounds. Keep this image in your mind and when the time is right you will be aproached by someone/thing that will speak to you. Remember the details and ask questions this will be your guide and they are here to help us and to build us on our spiritual paths.

God/Goddess meditation
Do steps to meditation described above. Now clear your mind and concentrate on the reason you are doing this. I like to imagine myself sitting in a room or in nature with the mighty ones around me. Hold the reason and a picture of the reason if it applies until you feel you have willed the point enough something will be done. If you lose the picture/thought it's ok, this sometimes takes some work.

OBE (out of body experience)
Do steps to meditation outlined above. This one to me is the most fun and at the same time can be scary when done for the first time. I like to hold a image of the things around me in great detail. Concentrate on anything of choice. Now hold it and really feel it, wander around your room/place in your minds eye and "feel" things. When you feel you are at one with everything around you in you mind then try to "push" your soul out through your head (or let it just float). This was very scary the first time I done it, but I have learned to love it since then. You will feel your body go almost like a numb, you will feel as if you are floating because you are. I have actually stepped outside and seen and felt things while doing this.

Hope these where the kinda things you were looking for.

 

[Druidus]

Some Druidic terms, and a meditation:

This exercise is best done if one possesses full functional knowledge of the heartbeat meditation and is adept in achieving a deep meditative state by means of this method. I will use the example of a tree here, but you can easily adapt this exercise to many other things—animals, plants, the ground, rocks, the wind...whatever works.

Go to a place outside where you can be at ease and will not be disturbed. For this lesson, find a tree you like and sit down alongside it, rather with part of your body touching the tree. Make still your mind and body, relax everything and clear your mind, breathe deeply, and practice your heartbeat meditation for a few minutes. Try to become in tune with the energy flows in your body. TAKE YOUR TIME! This exercise will not come easy at first and should not be forced nor rushed. When the time feels right, increase your awareness to all the specific energy flows within yourself. Feel them all individually and then as a whole, flowing in and out, feel their connection to one another. Contemplate on this as you continue to sense your heartbeat and personal energies.

Next, when you are ready, expand your awareness to the energy flows in the immediate area around your body. Become aware of the tree you sit against. Know that it too has a unique set of energies. While keeping in tune with your own energy, slowly try to sense the tree's numerous energy flows. Do not expect anything. Do not let your mind become clouded with what a tree "should" feel like. Simply relax, open yourself, and be receptive to whatever you might sense from the tree. If you are having difficulties or feel blocked then stop, calm yourself, and try again later. If you push too hard when you are not ready, you could block your sensing abilities until it becomes exceedingly difficult to be successful in this exercise. It will come eventually—some sooner than others.

There are ways in which one can determine whether you are succeeding or not. You may feel a pulse that is not your own heartbeat. This sensation can be very uncomfortable until you allow yourself to adjust to it. Don't panic or try to shut it out, it will make it much more difficult to sense anything the next attempt. You might also become more aware of the parts of a tree on an intuitive level; what roots feel like, how branches feel, the animals that live in the tree, what the wind moving the branches feels like, it could be anything. (I am purposely trying to be general so as not to influence you to expect to feel something that I specifically stated but rather to merely sense what YOU feel.) You may begin to experience "thoughts" or emotions that are not your own, but seem to suggest a tree's perspective on the world, or general tree philosophy or a sense of communing with the tree. You may feel nothing at the time and come away frustrated, only to have a significant dream later in which you receive spiritual union or empathy from the tree. Or afterwards you might be able to sense a tree's energies just by passing near it. Or you could experience various combinations of the feelings or communing detailed above, or something that is not even discussed here.

Of course, the more you practice this, the more you will hone your skills. This is the first step towards attaining a deeper understanding of the world around you, as well as beginning communication with various entities in Nature.A note of caution: as with many Druidic things, this contains an element of danger. Be careful in choosing your first tree (or whatever) to sense. There are plants, animals, and places that for various reasons have become tainted or corrupted, as well as beings and spirits that and been maltreated and do not take kindly to humans. If you make yourself receptive to one of these, you can experience anything from mild discomfort to intense injury. There are also beings and spirits that do not care to be responsive nor are open to any communication—if you have repeated failures attempting to work with a specific subject then it might be wise to try another, which might be more receptive and approachable. Once you begin to experience positive results with this task, any extended exposure to the new found awareness it brings could be euphoric and intoxicating, so please practice caution in your exercises.

I'm still working on getting it to work with a bird, but I have an easy enough job with trees. Unfortunately, the only time I have a chance to do this with a tree, is when I am down south for the summer...

 

[Master Vigil]

I also do walking meditation. And calligraphy (which can be used as moving meditation). This is very difficult because you aren't grounded when moving. So your balance should always be focused on. It is much harder than when sitting because if you fall asleep you fall over. So it is a much better way to keep your mind constantly in the Now moment. Dreams are not very good for meditation.

The one Druidus talked about with the tree, is much like taoist meditation. Except the terms are different, instead of being aware of the tree's energy, a taoist would call it chi. And since a tree's chi would better follow the tao, the taoist would try to learn from the tree's chi in hopes of helping his own chi.

 

[Watcher]

Meditation
First, I lie down flat on my back (head slighly elevated)---usually I light incense to.
Then, I place a crystal on my body (most of the time this is an amysthyst on my forehead to symbolize the third eye chakra)
I start breathing in and out, concentrating on nothing but my breaths and breathing pattern. As my breathing slows down, I imagine that the spot on my forehead on which the crystal sits it becoming a spot of white light. I then visualize an Indigo colored ball of light floating above my head (indigo is the 3rd eye's color)---the ball begins to desced to my forehead as I get deeper and deeper into a state of meditation. If I get distracted, the ball of light moves upward, and I have to coax it back down. When the ball of light finally reaches my head and moves into the open chakra, I imagine that I am transported. I appear on a grassy plain, with a slight hill in the middle. I am wearing a white robe thing similiar to what people who take Karate lessons wear (I did for a year in like 3rd grade before I moved). I take my position on the hill and sit cross-legged and meditate. My mind focus on different topics and meditate upon them. Sometimes, about dreams and how I can take control of them, or I try to convince my mind to remember any past lives. When I am done ( I have no clue how long I am last in this posistion) I slowly fade away from my special meditating spot and back into my bedroom.
Note to self and others: Do not try and listen to Nikelback or Bon Jovi in an attempt to drown out other noises. I need to buy some kind of New Age Cd.

 

[Doc]

I prefer the regular cross legged style since my flexibility is limited but I hope I can perform the Buhddist half lotus some time. Quiet music and dim lights i prefer in meditations.

 

[Master Vigil]

"I prefer the regular cross legged style since my flexibility is limited but I hope I can perform the Buhddist half lotus some time."

A good cushion or zafu will help with the lotus style positions. The pelvis must always be above the knees, or else you are not stable and your back will take alot longer to strengthen. Try instead of putting your one foot on the opposite thigh, try the opposite calf. It is still stable and better on the knee. You can also put a cushion under your knee so to have it rested (if you cannot put both on the floor). Remember, meditation is not meant to be easy. Just like anything worth while, it takes diligence and practice.

 

[ayani]

Druidus- interesting practice. i'd like to try it sometime.

my meditation tends to be the quiet recitation of a phrase with special meaning to me. i don't really schedule a time for it, but let it come to me when i need it. it's a nice way to open up to the world.

 

[michel]

Druidus- interesting practice. i'd like to try it sometime.

my meditation tends to be the quiet recitation of a phrase with special meaning to me. i don't really schedule a time for it, but let it come to me when i need it. it's a nice way to open up to the world.

I think that is how it happens for me now; your quiet recitation of a phrase, for me seems to be a prayer, during which I find myself going off on a tangential thought that is something I need help with, or something that I need to concentrate on (for some reason).

 

[ayani]

i'm not even totally sure what that means, michel, but you're gettin' frubals!

 

[zenzero]

Friends,
Meditations means [wikipedia]
a state that is experienced when the mind dissolves and is free of all thoughts
so being a state it is a noun but still we use it as a verb too.
Are we all clear about the above? this basic differences will later take each other miles apart.

Next, the methods of meditation are many and could be adjusted to individual suitability depending on his/her comfort label but keep the goal of freeing the mind of thoughts should be of prime importance.
Methods are therefore only a tool to reach the goal and should be used like a ladder whioch after reaching would have no use.
Love & rgds