It's not that I try hard. but, i do want to meditate. each time I try to do it, odd thoughts come to my mind. the first things that occurs to me is "what am i doing? and why? then i start making myself understand, this is an exercise that restores mind, controls thought and brings peace. I light a cigarette and again think do I really need these? before I can find the answer out, something or the other happens, and i forget what I was doing. hours later I remember that I started doing meditation and left it as soon as it started.
what to do?
I can't mditate
Moderators: eye_of_tiger, shalimar123
What is meditation (to you)?
It is not stopping the mind, it is controlling the mind. As it is about our own experiences, we all can do it.
Do not try to stop the mind. Use some breathing exercises to quiet the body. Then visualize a place of peace (a scene from nature, or a simple flower) and keep your focus on this subject. When it wanders, and it will, blow a gentle breeze to allow the thought to come in and go out, then return the concentration to your place of peace.
Meditation is refocusing of the mind. One definition of meditation is....to think upon. So any time you are concentrating on a single thought, even a sort of wool gathering mode, is a meditation.
It is not stopping the mind, it is controlling the mind. As it is about our own experiences, we all can do it.
Do not try to stop the mind. Use some breathing exercises to quiet the body. Then visualize a place of peace (a scene from nature, or a simple flower) and keep your focus on this subject. When it wanders, and it will, blow a gentle breeze to allow the thought to come in and go out, then return the concentration to your place of peace.
Meditation is refocusing of the mind. One definition of meditation is....to think upon. So any time you are concentrating on a single thought, even a sort of wool gathering mode, is a meditation.
Im new to this to but one thing that kinda helped me get the idea of it was lisening to a guided meditation. Now you dont want to only practice with that because you need to try and discover the inner you. But it helps you keep focused I find i do the same thing when trying to do the meditation on my own. But now im a little better at focusing. You can find guided meditations all over the internet.
The problem with guided meditation CDs is that they are hypnotic. The voice used is trying for hypnosis rather than meditation. There is a difference. You may want to decide which you want.
As hypnosis is led by someone else's voice, it might be well to consider your mind's activities.
As hypnosis is led by someone else's voice, it might be well to consider your mind's activities.
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ConfusedMind
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thank you
I thank both of you for your opinions. I agree with spiritalk that meditation CDs are hypnotic. though they help in mind control, take note that you are not controlling your mind. it is the voice that's controlling you. and, I react very negatively to such things.
spiritalk, I can't stop mind mind and thoughts even if I try. nobody can, perhaps. I don't need a cool breeze to to remember something pleasant. even in the midst of the road, i get lost in memories of some long past rain drenched August evening. and the thought goes on till I'm brought back to reality by a shrill screech of a car that applies emergency breaks to save me. if this is meditation, i gain no control over my mind.
And if I arrange an atmosphere at home - silent, quiet and peaceful, I feel tremendously irritated. the silence seems to blast me off. My breathe chokes, I feel throttled. I never tried meditation before. and when I tried, I found these things happening to me. its horrible.
spiritalk, I can't stop mind mind and thoughts even if I try. nobody can, perhaps. I don't need a cool breeze to to remember something pleasant. even in the midst of the road, i get lost in memories of some long past rain drenched August evening. and the thought goes on till I'm brought back to reality by a shrill screech of a car that applies emergency breaks to save me. if this is meditation, i gain no control over my mind.
And if I arrange an atmosphere at home - silent, quiet and peaceful, I feel tremendously irritated. the silence seems to blast me off. My breathe chokes, I feel throttled. I never tried meditation before. and when I tried, I found these things happening to me. its horrible.
You keep your mind busy because it distracts you. When create a calm environment your mind compensates for this by being noisy so to speak. Why? Because there is something in your consciousness that you haven't dealt with and have been subconsciously avoiding. Avoiding it by keeping your self busy, and when not busy keeping your mind busy.
For it to be having these effects then it must be something deep, and serious. So take time, and care. Do not rush your self. You have a long way to go and going to fast you only exhaust you, so pace your self.
You are becoming aware of this issue, and that is a start. Now when you try and meditate it may be overwhelming, but if you keep at it this will improve. When you allow time and space for this issue to work it's self out then it will do so naturally. You have experienced this already when you try and quiet your mind how the things you need to deal with come up on their own.
Become aware of these things as they come up, but do not judge them. Treat them like a child an upset child. How is this? You make the child feel like it is ok to be upset, this way it can express and release what it needs to without feelings ashamed. In this way negative emotions, and thoughts are brought out of the shadow and into awareness without being cast under the shadow of shame which ultimately leads them back to the dark.
As you become aware of these aspects of self, you integrate them, and understand your self better, and in so doing understand better how to work with what you've got.
For it to be having these effects then it must be something deep, and serious. So take time, and care. Do not rush your self. You have a long way to go and going to fast you only exhaust you, so pace your self.
You are becoming aware of this issue, and that is a start. Now when you try and meditate it may be overwhelming, but if you keep at it this will improve. When you allow time and space for this issue to work it's self out then it will do so naturally. You have experienced this already when you try and quiet your mind how the things you need to deal with come up on their own.
Become aware of these things as they come up, but do not judge them. Treat them like a child an upset child. How is this? You make the child feel like it is ok to be upset, this way it can express and release what it needs to without feelings ashamed. In this way negative emotions, and thoughts are brought out of the shadow and into awareness without being cast under the shadow of shame which ultimately leads them back to the dark.
As you become aware of these aspects of self, you integrate them, and understand your self better, and in so doing understand better how to work with what you've got.
So common to how our mind works! Our minds are ever thinking. It is how we process life.
So what is meditation? - it is putting these thoughts to work to calm our inner being instead of enlivening us. Your mind wants to think - do so. Your mind wants to remember - make it a scene of peace - not something that happened to disrupt your inner peace.
The scene I use for meditation purposes is a garden. I don't know that I have ever seen this garden in reality of my life. It is just a beautiful, colorful, active garden. There are insects flying, birds chirping, water running, and all kinds of distractions that keep the mind examining it. And I have used the same garden for years and find something new every time.
Sometimes once I have gone to the peaceful garden, a bird will take flight and I can go on a journey with it. It is still peaceful and restful as you see life from this higher perspective. And then back to the garden.
The mind is never still. But it must be focused to peaceful things, not disruptive memories. The gentle breeze is merely to take you back to your peace centre for gaining that inner being.
BTW I enjoy soft music - no words - while I meditate. I have music that almost immediately sends me to my calm place. It took a long time of meditating to get to that stage - so practice makes it easier. I don't think my CD has a name - I don't even remember who gave it to me - but it just works for me.
So what is meditation? - it is putting these thoughts to work to calm our inner being instead of enlivening us. Your mind wants to think - do so. Your mind wants to remember - make it a scene of peace - not something that happened to disrupt your inner peace.
The scene I use for meditation purposes is a garden. I don't know that I have ever seen this garden in reality of my life. It is just a beautiful, colorful, active garden. There are insects flying, birds chirping, water running, and all kinds of distractions that keep the mind examining it. And I have used the same garden for years and find something new every time.
Sometimes once I have gone to the peaceful garden, a bird will take flight and I can go on a journey with it. It is still peaceful and restful as you see life from this higher perspective. And then back to the garden.
The mind is never still. But it must be focused to peaceful things, not disruptive memories. The gentle breeze is merely to take you back to your peace centre for gaining that inner being.
BTW I enjoy soft music - no words - while I meditate. I have music that almost immediately sends me to my calm place. It took a long time of meditating to get to that stage - so practice makes it easier. I don't think my CD has a name - I don't even remember who gave it to me - but it just works for me.
It seems confusedmind, that you have gone a long time without taking the time and space to process your experiences, and so a lot has built up. I imagine you now realize or are reminded of the need for finding a quite place to digest you experiences. But since so much has built up from so long it won't be easy at first. But it will get better with practice.
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ConfusedMind
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- Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 11:55 am
"I don't think my CD has a name - I don't even remember who gave it to me - but it just works for me."
spiritalk: you have mastered the art of not thinking that the CD has a name, and not remembering who had given it to you. perhaps this is why you can meditate. But how is it that it won't occur to you who gave it to you, or how you bought it after ransacking the stores. you think of a garden. if you have ever been there, how can you forget the experience? and, if you haven't been there, how can you resist yourself from thinking/wondering how pleasant it would have been had you been there - alone or with company?
which is the effect and which is the cause? Not thinking and not remembering can help you meditate with concentration. is it so? Or, if you know how to meditate, you automatically learn the art of not thinking and not remembering things that exist in your conscious mind. which one is right? :smt017
Aegeus: yes, your assumptions are right, though not absolutely. it is not that I am keen on meditating. I've lived life in units of moments. years are alien to me. ask me if I am free for a party on Sunday next. I have to scratch my head and then mumble, I'm not so sure. the only reason is Sunday seems too far. I tried meditation just for the sake of trying how peaceful it can make life. what i experienced in the process was horrible. you can see that.
spiritalk: you have mastered the art of not thinking that the CD has a name, and not remembering who had given it to you. perhaps this is why you can meditate. But how is it that it won't occur to you who gave it to you, or how you bought it after ransacking the stores. you think of a garden. if you have ever been there, how can you forget the experience? and, if you haven't been there, how can you resist yourself from thinking/wondering how pleasant it would have been had you been there - alone or with company?
which is the effect and which is the cause? Not thinking and not remembering can help you meditate with concentration. is it so? Or, if you know how to meditate, you automatically learn the art of not thinking and not remembering things that exist in your conscious mind. which one is right? :smt017
Aegeus: yes, your assumptions are right, though not absolutely. it is not that I am keen on meditating. I've lived life in units of moments. years are alien to me. ask me if I am free for a party on Sunday next. I have to scratch my head and then mumble, I'm not so sure. the only reason is Sunday seems too far. I tried meditation just for the sake of trying how peaceful it can make life. what i experienced in the process was horrible. you can see that.
The dzog chen talks about not meditating and kind of non-doing while simply expressing our true nature or primal state. I guess it is along the lines of going with the flow, or not letting the ego get in the way by trying to do something or trying not to do another thing.
I didn't expect presumptions to be fully accurate and perhaps could have worded them as such. But the impression I get is you are dealing with something along those lines.
I didn't expect presumptions to be fully accurate and perhaps could have worded them as such. But the impression I get is you are dealing with something along those lines.
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ConfusedMind
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 11:55 am
spiritalk: you have mastered the art of not thinking that the CD has a name, and not remembering who had given it to you. perhaps this is why you can meditate. But how is it that it won't occur to you who gave it to you, or how you bought it after ransacking the stores. you think of a garden. if you have ever been there, how can you forget the experience? and, if you haven't been there, how can you resist yourself from thinking/wondering how pleasant it would have been had you been there - alone or with company?
which is the effect and which is the cause? Not thinking and not remembering can help you meditate with concentration. is it so? Or, if you know how to meditate, you automatically learn the art of not thinking and not remembering things that exist in your conscious mind. which one is right?
I have to admit to being a mind person. I live a large life in imagination (if that is what you want to call it) all in the mind. It is the Aquarian in me.
Friends have often taped music from many sources and given me CDs. I just don't recall where this one came from, but we put it to good use.
I have a meditation circle - using not only my own energies, but adding to the group dynamic. We also place some crystals in the centre (sometimes it even feels like a bonfire we are gathered around).
A friend from the circle got a box of stones for Christmas. They all have a word imprinted. Sometimes we meditate upon them and see what spirit wants to impress. (smile, harmony, peace, love, welcome, etc. are just a few of the words)
In discussing meditation with someone and suggesting they find a peaceful place to be, they used a special scene for their meditation. One time they were disrupted and rememebered something unpleasant from that particular scene. So if we use a memory we may have forgotten something that can disrupt later on.
I chose my garden. Some of it I created over time, some of it was spirit impressed as they join me there, and some of it changes over time. It is what is called my own personal peace place because when I am there it is not important to ask all the who, what, where, why, how of it all. Those questions come when spirit impresses and we want to dig deeper.
Just create a special place, just for you. Examine it as part of focusing the mind, then allow the flowers, colors, even the insects and birds be a part of your own personal peace centre.
One of the members of my circle sees a tree and a beautiful red cardinal in the tree. When it is attunement time with spirit, the cardinal comes down and rests on her lap or hand. What a beautiful connection to spirit.
I remember another meditator I spoke with had a beautiful waterfall they stepped under to connect with spirit.
It is such a personal journey. Enjoy!
which is the effect and which is the cause? Not thinking and not remembering can help you meditate with concentration. is it so? Or, if you know how to meditate, you automatically learn the art of not thinking and not remembering things that exist in your conscious mind. which one is right?
I have to admit to being a mind person. I live a large life in imagination (if that is what you want to call it) all in the mind. It is the Aquarian in me.
Friends have often taped music from many sources and given me CDs. I just don't recall where this one came from, but we put it to good use.
I have a meditation circle - using not only my own energies, but adding to the group dynamic. We also place some crystals in the centre (sometimes it even feels like a bonfire we are gathered around).
A friend from the circle got a box of stones for Christmas. They all have a word imprinted. Sometimes we meditate upon them and see what spirit wants to impress. (smile, harmony, peace, love, welcome, etc. are just a few of the words)
In discussing meditation with someone and suggesting they find a peaceful place to be, they used a special scene for their meditation. One time they were disrupted and rememebered something unpleasant from that particular scene. So if we use a memory we may have forgotten something that can disrupt later on.
I chose my garden. Some of it I created over time, some of it was spirit impressed as they join me there, and some of it changes over time. It is what is called my own personal peace place because when I am there it is not important to ask all the who, what, where, why, how of it all. Those questions come when spirit impresses and we want to dig deeper.
Just create a special place, just for you. Examine it as part of focusing the mind, then allow the flowers, colors, even the insects and birds be a part of your own personal peace centre.
One of the members of my circle sees a tree and a beautiful red cardinal in the tree. When it is attunement time with spirit, the cardinal comes down and rests on her lap or hand. What a beautiful connection to spirit.
I remember another meditator I spoke with had a beautiful waterfall they stepped under to connect with spirit.
It is such a personal journey. Enjoy!
I know very little about the dzog chen. I have a friend who follows it and knows more then me. I find it very interesting because a lot of ideas I already arrived at are part of the dzog chen.
Another thing it talks about is ones or unity consciousness. When you enter unity consciousness you experience less duality. When you think you are separate from anything, then you experience more duality by nature of taking part in a dualist concept or separation. For example if you see something negative and think of that as separate or outside of your self, then you experience more of it and more intensified until you realize you are one with everything.
Another thing it talks about is ones or unity consciousness. When you enter unity consciousness you experience less duality. When you think you are separate from anything, then you experience more duality by nature of taking part in a dualist concept or separation. For example if you see something negative and think of that as separate or outside of your self, then you experience more of it and more intensified until you realize you are one with everything.
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ConfusedMind
- Posts: 650
- Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 11:55 am
spiritalk: Just create a special place, just for you. Examine it as part of focusing the mind, then allow the flowers, colors, even the insects and birds be a part of your own personal peace centre.
I did it. it didn't work. i mentioned the story in the other post. may be i don't have it in me.
rather, i'm familiar with my dear dark room - smoky nd damp. and the music - yes. i go to sleep while listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyOSx62c2Ic and i sit quiet and think over something with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF4XwUu0r18 playing in the background.
Aegeus: you sound heavy. can you make it a bit easier for me?
I did it. it didn't work. i mentioned the story in the other post. may be i don't have it in me.
rather, i'm familiar with my dear dark room - smoky nd damp. and the music - yes. i go to sleep while listening to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyOSx62c2Ic and i sit quiet and think over something with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF4XwUu0r18 playing in the background.
Aegeus: you sound heavy. can you make it a bit easier for me?
You've done it! You've found your special place! You are meditating!
The more often you do it - the more often you return to the same place - the more the mind is settled and can refresh in its calm.
Where we go in mind is important to quiet the physical. That is what you do - you return refreshed? That is the secret to a peace place. Find it and enjoy!
God bless, J
The more often you do it - the more often you return to the same place - the more the mind is settled and can refresh in its calm.
Where we go in mind is important to quiet the physical. That is what you do - you return refreshed? That is the secret to a peace place. Find it and enjoy!
God bless, J
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