Meditation tips

Hello, everyone! I've recently started attempting to meditate. I was just wondering if there's anyone who has any tips? I've been doing martial arts with meditation like rituals for years, but this is the first time I've started to actually just meditate. I'm hoping that it will help relieve some stress

Rid your mind of any "empty head" nonsense you may have heard, and just be aware. Don't try to shut out your thoughts, or laser-focus on any of them at first, just notice them and let them do what they want. Don't try to shut out noise, just listen to it while its there, and don't when its not. A lot of people get really frustrated with meditation because they assume it's all this quiet, empty-minded nonsense. It's really just becoming more aware of how aware you can be.

Yeah, That's what I've been attempting and it's very challenging. It's nice to know that meditation can be achieved without that. Actually, I sort of always thought if it as an extreme connection to yourself and self awarness. Rather than shutting down.

Winston wrote: Yeah, That's what I've been attempting and it's very challenging. It's nice to know that meditation can be achieved without that. Actually, I sort of always thought if it as an extreme connection to yourself and self awarness. Rather than shutting down.

Definitely. When I wrote on meditation for my IP studies (and posted that copy to my personal blog), one of the things I mentioned was simple things. Some of my favorite meditations are packing my Gandalf-style pipe full of moist tobacco, or washing the dishes by hand. Meditation in the mundane is something that I believe is the perfect "gateway drug" to deeper meditation, and a great pick-me-up between longer sessions.

Another thing you might try is a meditation app or program. I know we (TOTJO) have a group on Insight Timer , and some of our members have made guided medtiations for YouTube before. I'm just not sure where to locate the latter.

Winston wrote: Hello, everyone! I've recently started attempting to meditate. I was just wondering if there's anyone who has any tips? I've been doing martial arts with meditation like rituals for years, but this is the first time I've started to actually just meditate. I'm hoping that it will help relieve some stress

that is a form of zen meditation....active meditation can be just as beneficial as passive meditation...or transcendental meditation...

just be....

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---- This is just my own personal method and not accredited to Totjo or meant to teach, merely to inform ---

* Proper Breathing - Lower or Circular
* Proper Posture - Posture is important no matter what you are doing. Spine straightened, shoulders pulled back, chin held up slightly.....all these allow for proper circulation of blood, oxygen, The Force.
* Eliminate distractions - Until your comfortable with the basics.
* Blissfully Abiding - Which means to simply be aware....peacefully Focus on your breathing and the rest will fall into place.
* Drink Lots of Water - Meditation raises your energy levels and circulation. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate (this is more important for Yang elements IE: Those that emit alot of heat when energy is elevated)

Kitsu Tails wrote: ---- This is just my own personal method and not accredited to Totjo or meant to teach, merely to inform ---

* Proper Breathing - Lower or Circular
* Proper Posture - Posture is important no matter what you are doing. Spine straightened, shoulders pulled back, chin held up slightly.....all these allow for proper circulation of blood, oxygen, The Force.
* Eliminate distractions - Until your comfortable with the basics.
* Blissfully Abiding - Which means to simply be aware....peacefully Focus on your breathing and the rest will fall into place.
* Drink Lots of Water - Meditation raises your energy levels and circulation. Hydrate Hydrate Hydrate (this is more important for Yang elements IE: Those that emit alot of heat when energy is elevated)[/color

i'm like a blast furnace when my energy level rises....everything i touch becomes hot enough to make others sweat just from contact....in the navy none of my office mates would touch my workspace....

i have to drink so much all day (1 - 1 1/2 gallons a day, 2-3 gallons if i'm doing anything outside)...on the plus side i always have energy to spare...and if i push myself to exhaustion i always recover quickly....

I so understand. I get hot just sleeping, my husband would complain about it I remember once...a long time ago, I had pulled my shoulder out handling a yearling horse. (Darn thing reared up and dragged me across the yard) Took 2 years to heal and in that process I tried many things to help with the pain including a Power Point massage. Which is basically pushing really hard on key/triggers spots and knots. My energy level rose so high she had to open the windows, turn on the fan and drink water herself...

Funny thing is.....I can't take cold showers....they have to be boiling hot. My husband can't even handle the splash off of the shower... Yet....I also can't handle summer heat and I am actually a very Yin individual/person :dry:

for sleep i focus on lowering my energy...which works until i enter rem sleep...then at some point my energy shoots up and when i eventually wake up everything is sweaty....i don't take cold showers...they feel too uncomfortable...always hot showers.....likewise i'm not fond of the temperature going up...i run hot enough as it is...i like to keep the ac at 62...makes it easier to sleep...