Practical Meditation Techniques

[SalixIncendium]

I would like to poll RF members here who meditate and learn what meditation techniques/practices they use and how it benefits them. I am intentionally not posting this in a specific DIR because I would like input from those of all faiths as well as those who do not subscribe to a faith.

A brief glimpse of my meditation practices: Back my pagan days I used to meditate daily, but never came to the conclusion of what time of day was the most beneficial for me. I began my practice either in the morning before work or in the evening prior to turning in (which wasn't always the best time as I found myself dozing off) utilizing incense and a blue candle dressed in an essential oil with no audio enhancement, not mental enhancers, which worked for me at the time. An average meditation session for me would last roughly 20-30 minutes with 3-5 minutes added on at the end to ground. These session would open me to new thought, reduce stress/anxiety, and give me a more focused state of consciousness. I've moved away from meditation over the last few years due to lifestyle changes and feel the need to get back to it. Old techniques do not appear to be as effective as they once were, but this is likely due to changes in my life that have affected my stress/anxiety level, as well as how I have developed spiritually since I practiced. I am seeking new ideas that will make my meditation practice more effective/beneficial. Currently, I am utilizing guided meditations found on YouTube such as these with acceptable results:

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What I would like to learn from you is the following:

• What posture do you assume?
• What environmental enhancers do you use such as...
  • incense/oils?
  • lighting?
  • audio - guided or unguided?
  • visual?
  • any special attire?
• How frequently?
• What time of day?
• How long do you meditate per session?
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
• How does your meditation benefit you?

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

 

[Kirran]

Nice thread

Personally, I sit in padmasana (lotus) and do two things - one is to mentally meditate on a mantra while counting on a japa mala (Hindu prayer beads) and the other is to meditate on the Self, to be inquiring into 'Who am I?', realising what it is that I identify with that is not actually who I am.

At the end of the day though, your life is a deepening meditation, and as a society we are in an ongoing meditation.

 

[Geoff-Allen]

Thanks for the videos!

I meditate in short bursts throughout the day rather than one long sitting.

I don't sit cross-legged - too uncomfortable for me.

I try to generate a feeling of kindness & unconditional compassion for my fellow-beings. Sometimes it is easier than others.

The main benefit is enhanced peace-of-mind. When I forget 2 practice things can go downhill very fast!

Here is one of my favourite sites -

http://www.mindful.org/lets-get-curious/

Namaste

 

[SalixIncendium]

Nice thread

Personally, I sit in padmasana (lotus) and do two things - one is to mentally meditate on a mantra while counting on a japa mala (Hindu prayer beads) and the other is to meditate on the Self, to be inquiring into 'Who am I?', realising what it is that I identify with that is not actually who I am.

Thanks for sharing Kirran.

If you're wiling to share more, what time of day do you meditate, how often (daily, weekly?) and do you use any environmental enhancements?

 

[Kirran]

Thanks for sharing Kirran.

If you're wiling to share more, what time of day do you meditate, how often (daily, weekly?) and do you use any environmental enhancements?

To be honest, I haven't been doing it the last few months, but I did for years and will probably return to it. For most of the period, I meditated for as long as I was comfortable in the late morning before lunch and in the early evening. I later switched to doing it first thing in the morning at about six. Every day. That started out as about 25 minutes, and gradually got to 1.5 hours. This includes time following the meditation processing the experience and praying.

Environmental enhancements, generally not. If I am at home I do it in front of my shrine.

 

[Serpent Child]

In my faith we HAVE to have a meditation program and do this program every single day.
I also do yoga, but with yoga you must enter a trance first, then do each pose for 60 seconds then afterwards you MUST meditate on the energy you raised.

• I keep a good, straight posture and mostly lay down when I do it.
• I don't use any special anything, just my body and me..or I go outside if I'm using the Sun or Moon's energy to protect, heal, etc me.
• Well I must cleanse my chakras and meditate when I wake up and before I go to bed. But every second I try to be either studying or meditating, so throughout the day I'm paying attention to my chakras and aligning them, paying attention to them empowers them somewhat.
• In the morning, night and during the day.
• It can be anywhere from hours to minutes depending how dirty my aura is, empowering and cleansing Chakras takes a lot of time...
• Other Magi's do this but since drugs / psychedelics creates holes in your aura, can make you emotionally dependent on them, etc I don't use any.
• Yes! Visualization is extremely powerful especially if you believe it works. I visualize my chakras glowing with white-gold light, blue Satanic flames engulfing me, etc.
• Meditation makes me mature faster, clears my mind, feeds my soul, etc but in my faith its how we gain spiritual knowledge/power and become an Immortal and a God.

One meditation that clears your mind, heals and cleanses you (there are studies that prove vibrating SATANAMA encourages Immortality, reduces stress levels, prevents Alzheimers, etc) is vibrating the mantra SATANAMA (longer version of Satan, it holds the Divine name Satan in it) while using hand mudras and visualization but I'll post that info in another thread...

P.S. Vibrating AUM silents your mind if you have trouble with that

 

[ADigitalArtist]

I'm a materialist atheist but I enjoy meditation because my job entails a lot of patient-therapist transference and grounding is an essential part of health. And I just like the opportunity for some quiet work re-orientating my thoughts for the day. I admit I haven't been as good about it as I have been in the past lately, since my normal routeing has been disrupted as of late. But this thread is a good reminder to work on reincorporating it into my day.

• What posture do you assume?
  Depends on where I am. I prefer unfolded poses, either standing or laying flat, almost like an anatomical chart. It's easier to visualize my body for breathing exercises that way.
• What environmental enhancers do you use such as...
  Other than some relaxed fit clothes I don't feel like I need other environmental adjustment.
• How frequently?
  At least once a day with more as I thought I needed.
• What time of day?
  Tends to be more in the afternoon or evening.
• How long do you meditate per session?
  Varies, but no longer than a half hour.
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
  No. Though I feel like I am better able to focus if I've eaten recently.
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
  Yes, I'm a very visual/spacial thinker anyway, so I tend to incorporate it for breathing exercises especially. Sometimes I make visual symbols or objects for disruptive thoughts and feelings so I can mentally do something with the visual symbol or object.
• How does your meditation benefit you?
  Grounding keeps me from feeling mentally drained after work and lets me keep the patient-therapist relationship with proper boundaries. It also has been good in the past for pain management and thought re-orientating. Especially after trauma.

 

[buddhist]

I practice according to the early Buddhist texts, primarly focusing on samatha meditation using mainly anapanasati, with the current goal of reaching the various jhanas. I meditate in full lotus, half lotus, walking, or lying down. Jhanic achievement requires seclusion from the physical senses, so no envinmental enhancers.

 

[wizanda]

Play Runescape, it is that monotonous you can switch off, and think about deep matters.

Yet found the best is just to switch everything off, lie in bed, and because the brain is doing nothing, it allows you to hear your own thoughts for once....

Fair enough you might fall asleep; yet even in that deep power sleep, the brain is often working things out.

Learning that mindfulness meditation, isn't to do silly mantras, breathing, etc; it is to allow your self to catch every bus journey, regardless if it scares us...

Eventually once all the buses have been caught and explored, there is then just this beautiful open space in the bus station.

Whereas many people seem to think you've got to do the opposite, and send the buses away frantically, and wonder why they keep coming back again, because no one really knows where they go.

Also recognizing that the brain is like an older PC, it needs defragmenting occasionally, so it can process all the things that have become fragmented, the only way to do this when it is so overloaded, is to stop doing everything, and allow it to sort its self....

If we listen, it tells us what things are bothering it, and we shouldn't fight them, else it slows the whole process.

 

[Windwalker]

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

What posture do you assume?

Crossed legged, on meditation cushion.

What environmental enhancers do you use such as...incense/oils?
lighting?

Always candles, dimmed lights in room.

audio - guided or unguided?

Always appropriate music. Never spoken guided. Sometimes mantras set to music.

visual?

What I do is self-guided, what just arises. No deliberate visualizations, but they arise/appear naturally.

any special attire?

Just loose and comfortable. Nothing ritual related with clothing.

How frequently?
What time of day?
How long do you meditate per session?

Daily.
Morning
60 - 90 minutes

Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?

Not during morning meditation. (I go to work after meditating, for one thing! Can't do that high, you know. )

Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?

As above, not deliberately. The just arise naturally and I listen to what they say, so to speak, and go from them to where it will. All of course without that becoming a distraction. It has to have purpose for the meditation.

How does your meditation benefit you?

In every possible imaginable way. Every aspect of my life. I think I could write a whole book on it. In fact, I may.

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

One thing I wish to share from something you said about taking a break, then coming back and what worked before did not. As you probably know, but may not remember, what worked one day may not work the next. The biggest trap for me is expectation. If I had great success yesterday, I'll just do that again today! It always proves out to the the wrong idea.

Where you are at today is probably requiring you to re-approach yourself, to know who you've become, and to learn to work with those new features. My advice? Simply be open and don't look around. Be transparent, be spacious, and simply allow the discovery to unfold and happen. Good luck to you!

 

[Geoff-Allen]

I forgot 2 mention I really love reading. The right book can definitely improve your state of mind!

Thich Nhat Hanh is one author I enjoy. Here's a sample -

http://www.lionsroar.com/mindful-living-thich-nhat-hanh-on-the-practice-of-mindfulness-march-2010/

It's great site!

Cheers

 

[Twilight Hue]

I would like to poll RF members here who meditate and learn what meditation techniques/practices they use and how it benefits them. I am intentionally not posting this in a specific DIR because I would like input from those of all faiths as well as those who do not subscribe to a faith.

A brief glimpse of my meditation practices: Back my pagan days I used to meditate daily, but never came to the conclusion of what time of day was the most beneficial for me. I began my practice either in the morning before work or in the evening prior to turning in (which wasn't always the best time as I found myself dozing off) utilizing incense and a blue candle dressed in an essential oil with no audio enhancement, not mental enhancers, which worked for me at the time. An average meditation session for me would last roughly 20-30 minutes with 3-5 minutes added on at the end to ground. These session would open me to new thought, reduce stress/anxiety, and give me a more focused state of consciousness. I've moved away from meditation over the last few years due to lifestyle changes and feel the need to get back to it. Old techniques do not appear to be as effective as they once were, but this is likely due to changes in my life that have affected my stress/anxiety level, as well as how I have developed spiritually since I practiced. I am seeking new ideas that will make my meditation practice more effective/beneficial. Currently, I am utilizing guided meditations found on YouTube such as these with acceptable results:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

• What posture do you assume?
• What environmental enhancers do you use such as...
  • incense/oils?
  • lighting?
  • audio - guided or unguided?
  • visual?
  • any special attire?
• How frequently?
• What time of day?
• How long do you meditate per session?
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
• How does your meditation benefit you?

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

Half lotus for posture for the most part. Full at times, but pain arises now and then.

Loose clothing for attire.

Incense

15 to 30 minute sessions timed by automated bell. Once Daily is recommended at any time.

No drugs used whatsoever. Experiencing mayko is enough.

Technique is Zazen.

The benefit comes through direct realisation of whatever comes out of the woodwork, using a tamer, less intrusive and quieter mind unobscured by a tendency for embellishment and fabrication.

 

[Guy Threepwood]

I would like to poll RF members here who meditate and learn what meditation techniques/practices they use and how it benefits them. I am intentionally not posting this in a specific DIR because I would like input from those of all faiths as well as those who do not subscribe to a faith.

A brief glimpse of my meditation practices: Back my pagan days I used to meditate daily, but never came to the conclusion of what time of day was the most beneficial for me. I began my practice either in the morning before work or in the evening prior to turning in (which wasn't always the best time as I found myself dozing off) utilizing incense and a blue candle dressed in an essential oil with no audio enhancement, not mental enhancers, which worked for me at the time. An average meditation session for me would last roughly 20-30 minutes with 3-5 minutes added on at the end to ground. These session would open me to new thought, reduce stress/anxiety, and give me a more focused state of consciousness. I've moved away from meditation over the last few years due to lifestyle changes and feel the need to get back to it. Old techniques do not appear to be as effective as they once were, but this is likely due to changes in my life that have affected my stress/anxiety level, as well as how I have developed spiritually since I practiced. I am seeking new ideas that will make my meditation practice more effective/beneficial. Currently, I am utilizing guided meditations found on YouTube such as these with acceptable results:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

• What posture do you assume?
• What environmental enhancers do you use such as...
  • incense/oils?
  • lighting?
  • audio - guided or unguided?
  • visual?
  • any special attire?
• How frequently?
• What time of day?
• How long do you meditate per session?
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
• How does your meditation benefit you?

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

Good topic,

The main 'environmental enhancer' for me is the natural one, if it's at all possible to get yourself out into nature, God's creation, I'd say that is the most healthy mind altering substance, call me old fashioned...

 

[YmirGF]

A great topic @SalixIncendium and one I will share my thoughts on when I have the time.
Nice to see @Windwalker and @Geoff-Allen already weighing in.

Let me go sharpen my fangs and I'll see what I can come up with.

 

[Windwalker]

A great topic @SalixIncendium and one I will share my thoughts on when I have the time.
Nice to see @Windwalker and @Geoff-Allen already weighing in.

Let me go sharpen my fangs and I'll see what I can come up with.

Yes, us seasoned old souls. Who knows what nonsense we may think next.

 

[YmirGF]

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

Okie dokie. I'm a little "off the wall", so bear with me, LOL.

What posture do you assume?

Usually seated, in half or full lotus. This is not essential, but is merely what I am used to. I do like to keep my back straight though and my centre of gravity is more balanced when in the lotus positions.

What environmental enhancers do you use such as...

• incense/oils?
• lighting?
• audio - guided or unguided?
• visual?
• any special attire?

All the above are totally unnecessary for me. I understand some might find them helpful, but I'm a little beyond such affectations.

How frequently?

Twice daily for the last 4+ decades.

What time of day?

Shortly after waking in the morning and in the middle, late afternoon before dinner. That said, I often pop into a meditative state throughout the day. It's one of the perks of being an old pro.

How long do you meditate per session?

20-30 min with 5 min intro and 5 min re-entry periods - both of which are very important. When you are going into relatively deep states you have to allow time to refocus on your body and physical reality.

Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?

Never.

Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?

Nope. My sessions are often filled with resplendent visualizations so I don't need to think anything to encourage this fringe benefit. Though often quite lovely they are simply a byproduct of expanding awareness.

How does your meditation benefit you?

Well, I don't need as much sleep, LOL. (I sleep about 3-4 hours a night and have done so for as long as I care to remember.) Then, of course, there is the undying bliss. You would have to spend a couple of hours around me to get the picture of what this is like. It never ends....

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

My best advice to novices is to not beat yourself up for doing it incorrectly. The idea is to transcend the thought process and revel in the moment in full awareness of your being. When you find yourself thinking, just ease off that gas pedal and go back to your mantra or whatever you do to acquire the stillness. What else can I say? Try listening to the silence. Go into the silence. When you find yourself thinking again... just rinse and repeat. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy...

 

[Mindmaster]

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

• What posture do you assume?
• What environmental enhancers do you use such as...
  • incense/oils?
  • lighting?
  • audio - guided or unguided?
  • visual?
  • any special attire?
• How frequently?
• What time of day?
• How long do you meditate per session?
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
• How does your meditation benefit you?

Again, I am looking for these to enhance my own meditation experience, but I feel this can be a thread that would aid beginners to meditation as well in developing their own techniques.

Thank you in advance for sharing your experiences.

I usually use musical instruments, and micro amounts of THC. (barely enough to notice really) I have a pretty bad case of ADHD, and really can't focus unless I'm "doing things" to the level where I become completely absorbed. Seriously, the only times I've experienced the void so to speak. If I sit or lie down and meditate I just fall asleep every time.

The rest of that stuff seems pretty useless to me, but different strokes for different folks. I guess in a past life I was a shaman, or something... lol

 

[Jedster]

Formal meditation, for me, is about turning my senses inwards.

Light: I look at the light I see when I close my eyes. I ususally sit cross-legged in a dark room I close my eyes and focus in the center of my 'inner' vision and simply look at the light. If my eyes are moving, I gently touch my lids to stop the eye-movement.

Sound: I place my thumbs in my ear sockets and rotate the thumbs so that they fit without forcing. I then focus on any inner sound(s) and go with it.

Taste & smell: reverse my tongue as far as I can(without straining) and focus on the tip of my tongue. A fluid comes into my mouth with all sorts of tastes as well as fragrences(sometimes).

Feelings(emotion?): Just sitting and following the movement of my breath, slows down mental activity and makes me lovey-dovey :>)

These methods can all be done at the same time.
The experiences have varied over the years, yet never fail to surpise me.

Presently I meditate formally in the early morning until the session ends. I don't time it. It's a bit like eating a meal until I'm satisfied. (I'm retired :>))
When I was a working person(9-5er), I did an hour in the morning and evenings.

Also the formal mediation does help alleviate my acute tinnitus and I have been doing them as a theist, atheist and apatheist.

BTW I didn't invent these methods, they can be found in many religions/cultures.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Currently, I am utilizing guided meditations found on YouTube such as these with acceptable results.

If it i working, then continue.

What I would like to learn from you is the following:

• What posture do you assume? Sitting cross legged, not necessarily in 'padmasana'
• What environmental enhancers do you use: No.
• How frequently?: Don't need it now. Have found my answers. Can concentrate in a blink of an eyelid.
• What time of day?: Any time, but prefer a fixed time for others.
• How long do you meditate per session?: I will meditate (thinking) for a reason.If I find the answer quickly then OK, otherwise, I might postpone it for some other time.
• Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?: Never.
• Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?: No. My preferred method is singing.
• How does your meditation benefit you?: It has taken away my anger and anxiety. Given me clear vision on life.

 

[Quintessence]

What posture do you assume?
None in particular, provided it is comfortable and makes sense for the type of meditation I'm doing. Typically I just sit comfortably in a butterfly chair I have in my sacred space, but I could be sitting, standing, lying down, standing up, or dancing.

What environmental enhancers do you use such as...incense/oils?
It varies, but none in particular. The only general requirement is, again, that I am able to feel comfortable. I don't typically sit down to just meditate - it's a basic prep stage for other ritual workings. Thus the other environmental considerations are a function of what ritual I am doing, not the meditation. If I were to just sit down and meditate, anything and everything can (and has) worked for me. Using my designated sacred space is, of course, helpful but not necessary.

How frequently?
As I said, I don't really just meditate - it's part of other rituals. So it depends on how often I do ritual, which lately, hasn't been that frequent. But when I'm not on my rear end about this stuff, once a week or so.

What time of day?
Whenever.

How long do you meditate per session?
Again, just meditation for me is rare, but when I have done that, I don't really pay attention to the "how long." It lasts for as long as it needs to, and I can't say I actually track the time at all.

Do you use mental enhancers (mind altering substances)?
You mean drugs? Considering that's illegal this is not a fair question to ask on the forums. Besides, one of the points of meditation is to learn to alter your state of consciousness at will without being dependent on such garbage.

Do you incorporate practices such as visualization into your sessions?
I consider visualization part of a separate discipline, but it's pretty routine that I do this. I can't not do it, probably. Also, this is in part symptomatic of me rarely doing just meditation - ritual openers nearly always include working with the otherworlds for me. For just meditations, I might or might not. Depends on the aim.

How does your meditation benefit you?
Mainly two things: (1) cultivates the ability to shift one's state of consciousness at will, which in turn allows for (2) sound preparation for religious ritual that gets you into the right state of mind for the workings. I suppose there's the added benefit of being able to zone out and find a calm space in any and all environments or circumstances.