Your meditation routine

I'm interested to discover what routines others here have for meditation. I'll start with mine.

I try to meditate about 3 times a week (would like that to be more). I sit on a small, round meditation cushion, and I only meditate in the evenings. I always listen to something as I meditate, and it varies between guided meditations and music. I generally choose guided meditations if I feel more pre-occupied and need the constant reminders that they bring. My favorite guides are Jon Kabat-Zinn, Shakti Gawain & Jack Kornfield. With music, I listen mostly to Lou Reed's 'Hudson River Wind Meditations' or other various new-agey stuff I've found on YouTube and have converted to Mp3s. (There are 8 'Jedi Meditations' that I found recently, which I've been going through.) My preference is for chants and/or nature. I usually meditate for about 15 minutes. Up to thirty minutes if I have more time or really feel I need it.

Evening meditation usually gives me a second wind, and I will stop the meditation if I begin to feel drowsy. Invariably, I sleep better on nights when I have meditated.

If there are any guided meditations you particularly like, or music you would recommend, I would be interested in learning about them. Also, any techniques that help you either during meditation or motivate you to meditate regularly.

As far as motivation to meditate regularly, i sit in a casual sacred place and eventually things start to happen maybe not that same day or week but eventually.

I don't really have a routine. I'll meditate when I feel I'm stressed out, when my guide feels like it's a good idea (I'll start catching glimpses of him around, he'll become more prominent the more he feels I need to visit him) or simply whenever I feel like I want to. Usually I do it in the shower. I love water and it's nice and warm

I've enjoyed nature music but I really found I love drumming. I enjoy listening to chants but I can't say I've tried meditating to them before.

I like to do short guided meditations during my lunch break at work after I'm done eating. I find that it calms me and helps me get on with the second half of my work day. Otherwise my meditations are sporadic. Typically when I'm stressed about something or if I haven't meditated in the last few days. I'd like to meditate every day but that just doesn't happen. But if I aim for everyday it's going to happen a lot more than if I aimed for less frequent.

I've come to the conclusion that meditation, simply sitting in silence or with music, doesn't really work for me.

I do yoga every day (almost) and I can find the focus for meditation in the movement there, whereas I find it very difficult to find it in traditional meditative positions.

Is it cause you can't be still? Edan.

Kamizu, if I may ask, what do you mean of when you say have a guide. Not to intrude or misunderstand.

Hitira38 wrote: Is it cause you can't be still? Edan.

I can be still, however I used to have a non-stop voice in my head that it took a long time for me to control... while it's much more under control now, it is more likely to be silent in movement.

Hitira38 wrote: Kamizu, if I may ask, what do you mean of when you say have a guide. Not to intrude or misunderstand.

I practice some shamanism, where it is believed that every person has an animal spirit who guides them whether they know it or not. I do shamanic journeys for most of my meditations. When I say I catch glimpses of him it's sort of like that idea that people see ghosts out of the corner of their eyes. I'll see and sense what I assume is one of my own pets until I look and no one is there, so I usually attribute that to my guide either visiting or wanting me to come and have a chat.

If you're curious and want to know more, feel free to send me a PM I don't want to derail Staav's post too much

Kamizu wrote:

Hitira38 wrote: Kamizu, if I may ask, what do you mean of when you say have a guide. Not to intrude or misunderstand.

I practice some shamanism, where it is believed that every person has an animal spirit who guides them whether they know it or not. I do shamanic journeys for most of my meditations. When I say I catch glimpses of him it's sort of like that idea that people see ghosts out of the corner of their eyes. I'll see and sense what I assume is one of my own pets until I look and no one is there, so I usually attribute that to my guide either visiting or wanting me to come and have a chat.

If you're curious and want to know more, feel free to send me a PM I don't want to derail Staav's post too much

Don't worry. I'd be interested to learn more too, if you are willing to share here.