How to Meditate...

[believer]

I've read different books, tried different techniques and now I am asking the experts out there what is the easiest method for learning to meditate.  I have an active mind that never seems to stop.  I've tried holding crystals and counting. Thank you for your input!

Believer

[Prof. Akers]

Breath is the key ( for me anyway).
Apologies for those who already know this, when a baby is born they breathe naturally - through the diaphragm, watch a newborn laying on it's back and it's tummy goes up and down.
When kids go to school they have to grab in the the first few days and control them - otherwise they would chaos.
The way they do this is by making them breathe un-naturally.
"Now them children form a crocodile, stand up straight, tummies in chest out." They've got them - same with the military "Stand to attention you 'orrible little man."
as soon as you stop using your diaphragm they have you.

So 1st exercise. Put both hands on your stomach, just above your belly button. Breath out, then breath in and push your stomach against your hands, when you breathe out push your hands into your stomach (try to push hard in and up).
Help yourself this way until you can get into the rhythm and then just concentrate on this breathing.
It could well make you light headed. I'm not going into the physiology of diaphragms and lungs but do this first.
When you can do this come back and ask again.

[eidhneán ini]

This is something I really need to work on.  For some reason, when I'm not "trying" I'm able to  let my mind go blank, and all sorts of oddness occurs.    But if I TRY to meditate in any form, all that happens is that all my worries come flooding into my brain.  To me, it takes great control, and I have not mastered that yet.  I will try your breathing exercises.  I have tried many things  but they never seem to succeed.  I think it is a problem that cannot be helped on the outside, but something I need to hone from within me.

[Prof. Akers]

part of your problem is the breathing, get this soted and the mind starts to calm down, leave this bit out and your mind might as well try to herd cats.

[believer]

Prof. Akers,

I will try the breathing exercise and your descriptions make me smile  :smt003  - a Good Thing!  Is there a number or amount of time required to be effective?

[eidhneán ini]

part of your problem is the breathing, get this soted and the mind starts to calm down, leave this bit out and your mind might as well try to herd cats.

lol, herding cats. Yes!  That's precisely it.  I need to really concentrate on the breathing.  I am a nervous, mental (take that as you will!  :smt002 ) person and I get so worked up when I try to do this. I know it is mind over matter and control, but it's a difficult thing for me to achieve.  I will work on it more though.  I am trying to do this on my own because it takes so much money to find someone to help you learn this through instructors and experts.  (If I knew how to do these things, I would like to believe I would help people without charging for my knowledge...I know people must make their livings from this, but the people most in need, often don't have the money to pay for this knowledge and interaction.)  

Plus, I learn things better on my own.    :smt003 Thank you, Prof. Akers for responding to my post.  

[Prof. Akers]

Do the breathing until it becomes part of you.
he tricky part is next - are you a moving meditator or a seated meditator - people assume you have to sit - untrue.
I started at the Buddhist monastery and the seated meditation was hell!!!
They used to come round and hit you with a paddle shaped stick - to make sure you were awake. My trouble was about the guy holding the paddle - it came between me and the meditation, it became personal.
Try sitting and breathing - don't worry about thinking - just sit and let the thoughts come as they will.
Then try moving and breathing - same thing about the thoughts.
Which suits your nature?

[Sachit]

I agree with Prof. Akers
I remember a spiritual guru mentioning that the inhalation should be such, as that of a new born child and the exhalation should be that of a human breathing his last.
In fact, when one breathes in, it should reach the navel, that's how deep the inhalation should be

[believer]

Prof. Akers,

I can't imagine that after being hit with a paddle that one would be able to meditate.  Your story reminded me of Catholic grade school where the nuns would smack you for multiple reasons .

[Prof. Akers]

You had to get up at some unearthly hour and start your meditation (usually chanting one of the sutras) because it was so easy to drift off to sleep they smacked you, not an easy thing to take being an angry little sod and that anger drove me away. I aways say I'll take the saffron robe when i want to go into the hills but now I'm older I'm not so sure I could do it, I feel inside I want to but I'm still very tied to this existance.

[eidhneán ini]

Thank you for your advice Prof.  :)  I will try to do this.  I feel like such a...novice/newbie/mental patient where FOCUS is concerned.  I like this site because I feel like I can be open about my shortcomings on this subject with only a modicum of true embarrassment.

My brain just doesn't always know how to let go.  Actually a very close friend of mind, years ago, suggested Buddhist meditation to help me through a medical condition I had a long time ago.....and things happen, and I stupidly didn't follow through.  The major part of the medical problem went away, so I ignored it.  Stupid, though.  

As for your question.  I am not sure how to answer it.  I am notorious for being one of those people that paces - my father noticed it, he does it, too.  I am always the person in class with their legs bobbing up and down underneath the desk.  I thought only boys were supposed to have that energy, but I'm pretty gurly-gurly, I can't help myself.   (I thought this was a Gemini trait -- but I'm merely a Libra.  Where does this nervousness come from, I wonder.)

So, maybe, I'm not a sitter.  

I also think, maybe the paddle would help.     I simply have no focus.  :smt018

Prof. Akers, may I ask you.......did you study in Asia?  

Anyway, I don't mean to ignore the other posts, of course.  I appreciate everyone's insight and replies!  :smt008 This is just something I need to do and I can use all the help I can get.

[Prof. Akers]

We have a great Buddhist Monastery about 40 miles from my house, I first went there over 30 years ago so it's been there a long time. The monks were all Tibetan when I first went there but quite a few/if not most are now European.
Get the breathing sorted first before you even try to do anything else.

[eidhneán ini]

We have a great Buddhist Monastery about 40 miles from my house, I first went there over 30 years ago so it's been there a long time. The monks were all Tibetan when I first went there but quite a few/if not most are now European.
Get the breathing sorted first before you even try to do anything else.

Well, I think I will start this morning on the breathing.  I have to start somewhere after all.  In my area there are many Buddhist temples but I wouldn't know how to approach them really, nor do I know what they offer.  I am unsure about an actual monastery.  The only Buddhist monks I ever knew were from university.  

Thanks again.  Hopefully, I can make some progress with a little bit of quiet.  

[Prof. Akers]

Plug your ipod in with something soothing - use technology, make life easy.

[eidhneán ini]

Yep, that's what I'm now off to do.  Irish music and Gregorian chants really help me on that.     I love ALL kinds of music (and I mean ALL music) but if it's got too many words in it I get distracted for these specific purposes.