How does one meditate?

Oh, I see, so overall, it's within the persons mind there opinion on what "Meditating" is. This has really helped, it's all clear now. Thanks for everybodys reply, everyone has made it clear now.

Thanks,
-James

Mhmm.

And, remember, Meditation does not have to be goal oriented.

Sometimes, it can be enough to just enjoy the moment. How great would life be if we could enjoy every single moment of it?!

As someone once said, "Meditation is both the Means and the End."

Indeed.

Why do we listen to a good song?

Or relax on the beach?

Why do we laugh at a good joke?

Why do we cry?

Why do we read our favorite fiction novel for the 12th time?

Why do we bother to play that awesome video game?




My idea of meditation used to be the traditional "set aside time to go sit still and concentrate your butt off so that you will eventually have a more 'focused' mind"... but then I realized something. After a lot of doing that... doing that is all I became good at. My mind wasn't anymore focused during the day. I was only good at it when I sat down during my meditation time. It didn't really transfer over to anything outside of that time. Why? Because the practice didn't implement anything consisting of what my typical day consists of.

So I began practicing meditation among the normal hours and events of the day - practicing being mindful and aware of what I was doing at any given moment... and then I found how much I really enjoyed it, how much it calmed me and how much more focused and clear-headed I was from day to day...

But the thing is, that did not matter. I was getting so much benefit from doing it not because I was doing it, but because I simply enjoyed doing it so much. The more I did it simply for the sake of doing it, the more it positively affected me. Letting go of the concern for an "after-reward" and deciding the reward is in the action itself is what changed it for me. It wasn't in the meditating itself that I was becoming more focused and aware of myself, it was simply letting myself become present and trusting myself in the present. It was no longer a ritual, but just a naturally occurring habit. And it occurs for me when I take a walk, when I wash dishes, when I'm fixing the lawnmower or cleaning the lawn, when I'm filling out paperwork, when I'm coding a website or putting together a logo, and even when I'm posting and chatting on here. It's not constant though. It comes and goes, but I can control it more and more as I bring my mind to what I'm doing right now - paying attention to the keys under my fingers and their movements, my sitting posture, and the temperature in the room. It's a really nice feeling.

I can't say I've ever been a good meditator - I'm working at it, though. My biggest "enemy" during meditation? The fact that I can't sit comfortably on a meditation pillow for more than 5 minutes without my legs falling asleep or my butt starting to hurt.

In the end, this website helped me a lot:

http://www.ananda.org/meditation/learn-to-meditate/how-to-sit-comfortably-for-meditation/

I've now started meditating while sitting on a chair - and it really makes all the difference to me.

So if you choose that traditional sitting meditation is the way you'd like to explore, it might be worth checking out the website before you end up having back pain and give up in frustration.

I wrote a thing the last time I addressed this question, but please note that the advice i give is only one of many, many possible methods.

I have recently started trying out meditation. I too fond it difficult to sit comfortably for 15 to 20 minutes ing the traditional legs crossed position. Then I try clearing my mind and let the thoughts flow through. Funny thing is that I find this to be almost work. When I try to clear my mind then my thoughts are filled with the thought of clearing my mind so my mind is not relaxed.
Then when I go working out in the morning I run a track to warm up. When running I find that I can completely empty my mind. I do som eof my best thinking and problem solving while I run. I know when I am reaching this point because I no longer feel as though I am running against gravity or my muscle restrictions, but I feel as though I am just moving with the earth not moving through it. If that makes any sense.I see the other people around me but it makes no difference. I am no longer on the same "plane" as they are. my mind is everywhere. I don't mean that thought wise. I have no thoughts I just feel that my mind,(spirit) is connected to everything. It is the most wonderful thing I have ever felt.
Could this be considered a form of meditaion?

If you, like me, find it difficult to keep the mind from wandering, especially in the initial phase of your meditations, try this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03nifVj9pqI

I've only just begun using it and find it very helpful.


Cyan

ps: the guy's really good at explaining meditation practice - his other videos are also worth watching

Mediation comes in many different forms, but it depends on the person. Every person is different and unique in their own ways. They think differently and interpret things differently, but Mediation is the one thing that can help us move closer to each other and start a family. It just depends on what works for you, if you feel comfortable doing it, and does it help.

I have a few different meditation techniques that I use, depending on my mood and how tired I am. Usually I engage in a variant of zazen. You can sit cross-legged, kneel, or sit in a chair; personally I go cross-legged (I'll do it in full-lotus if I can ever become flexible enough haha). Place your left hand on top of your right hand and touch your thumbs, holding your hands around your naval. Breathe in and count one. Breath out and count two. Continue like this until you reach ten and then return to one. Eventually when you're proficient at this (and I'm not quite there yet) you start counting one count per inhalation and exhalation. If you encounter a thought, just think it without dwelling on it and let it pass. If you ever lose count, just start over at one again. I am astounded at how calm I become after a few minutes of zazen, or any other meditation. It's like a weight gets lifted from my mind and I can actually think.

Here is the article where I first learned of zazen
http://zmm.mro.org/teachings/meditation-instructions/