Types of meditation and how to perform them...

[In Dreams]

does anyone have any prayers or mantras they would like to share while going into and out of meditation?

would be great!

:p

[Jadde44]

i do this, you can try it if it works for you.
** you do not have to use jesus's name, you can use anyone of light and love that resonates with you: buddha, or who ever you want.

here it goes:
i "om" for about a minute or two.

then i say this prayer:
st. francis of assisi prayer
lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury,pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
o divine master, grant that i may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
for it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. amen

"i thank you for giving me this opportunity for being of service, i dedicate this meditation to the light, and the love of the one infinite creator and the service of humanity."
i ask for the highest and best possible contact possible i can receive with the vibration and conscioness of jesus the christ of unconditional love. i ask that all those in the inner planes who come in the name of jesus the christ come and be part of this meditation and circle of seeking and help protect the circle, and those who do not come in the name of jesus the christ from the unseen realms may listen to the circle but may not enter. "
"i surround myself in a circle of the light and love of the one infinite creator, i ask that through this meditation i can reach higher states of consciousness, higher levels of awareness, and the light and the love of the one infinite creator so for the service of humanity. "

then i meditate.....

[efields]

does anyone have any prayers or mantras they would like to share while going into and out of meditation?

would be great!

:p

i have a few gems from tich nhat hanah the bhuddest who has written many books on of which is [please pm for title]


a few miracles of meditation are these 3, two word gems

in breath

flower

out breath

fresh

also

in

solid

out

mountain

or

in - water

out - reflecting

and lastly from [please pm]

you are safe

bless us all

gene

[PamelaK]

i think that is the beautiful prayer to be said before we come before our lord in meditation. it is a prayer of peace but also a prayer of service. thank you for sharing it.
pamelak

[JennyM]

someone turned me on to the aramaic-to-english version of the "lord's prayer". i like it much, much better than the one that most people know (which is apparently translated several times, from aramaic to greek to latin to english):

"o cosmic birther of all radiance and vibration!
soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your presence can abide.
fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission.
let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire.
endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish.
untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes.
do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment.
for you are the round and the fruitful vision, the birth-power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again."

i like this one, too from http://www.thenazareneway.com/lords_prayer.htm,
translated by neil douglas-klotz in prayers of the cosmos:

"o birther! father- mother of the cosmos
focus your light within us - make it useful.
create your reign of unity now-
through our fiery hearts and willing hands
help us love beyond our ideals
and sprout acts of compassion for all creatures.
animate the earth within us: we then
feel the wisdom underneath supporting all.
untangle the knots within
so that we can mend our hearts' simple ties to each other.
don't let surface things delude us,
but free us from what holds us back from our true purpose.
out of you, the astonishing fire,
returning light and sound to the cosmos.
amen."

love,
j

[Dragon_Hacker]

hello, first of all, i was wondering what and how many different kinds of mediation there are, how to perform them, and what they accomplish. i know that many people here who are new and inexperienced are looking looking for help (myself included), and i feel that meditation is the best place to start. if you could share your knowledge on meditation to make this thread a sort-of "encyclopedia" on meditation, it would be very helpful to everyone here. thank you...

[btsumm]

hello, first of all, i was wondering what and how many different kinds of mediation there are, how to perform them, and what they accomplish. i know that many people here who are new and inexperienced are looking looking for help (myself included), and i feel that meditation is the best place to start. if you could share your knowledge on meditation to make this thread a sort-of "encyclopedia" on meditation, it would be very helpful to everyone here. thank you...

google, or any other search engine can give you tons of information on meditation. truly the internet is a wonderful tool to use in knowledge gain. use your inner self to find a technique that works for you.

know yourself.

[KassandraLoves]

i find that no matter what i read or how hard i try to meditate in certain ways for certain reason, my will or my creating will always get me there, rather than reading about how to do it. i have my most profound experiences when i am not taking others' direction, but just simply believeing that i can do it and that what i am postulating will work will.

since each of us are different, you truly must find your own techniques and methods. advice is always helpful, but even then, you are the one making the decision that "this will work" or "that will work," right? you could try something that thousands of people say works for them, but if you tell yourself the hwole time that it wont work, it usually wont. get my drift?

you are ultimately the key here. you decide what works and what doesnt.

isnt that beautiful? being a creator rocks. ;)

[Alloura]

dragon_hacker - i too am new to meditation and have found some threads here at dc that have helped me during my meditations, (or somedays - attempts at meditation!):o

one thread, posted just below yours, "prayers & positive affirmations for meditation" had some great ideas.

try typing "meditation/ meditating" into the search box, or try the quick links button too.

also, one of the links that david has listed is for ll/research. they have some really positive ideas on their site for meditating.

i've sort of done what kassandraloves mentions; reading about different types and going with ideas that feel right. if they didn't work out, i tried something different.

i'm beginning to think meditation is a process... just like progression....:cool:

love & light

alloura

[geesenc]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csyshlma7jo

[KassandraLoves]

yeah! this popped into my head a couple days ago that 11/11 was coming up and "wouldnt it be weird if it were 11/11 @ 11:11?" what a crazy time and date synchro.

i might be down for a mass meditiation during that.

[FIIISH]

focusing and directing our intent are indeed powerful tools to manifest things.

having actively campaigned for the fire the grid mass meditation, i can attest that these types of coordiated activities can be a wonderful experience for those involved. they can also benefit the planet by raising the collective vibration, if only a little bit, and if only for a little while.

i now believe that living the change that we want to see is the most effective way to manifest the differences desired in the world today.

i think actively making everyday choices and treating our surroundings and those in them the way we would like to be is an even more powerful way to bring about change. daily prayer could definitely be a part of this.

[clayfield]

the law of one and course in miracles talk about the power of forgiveness of others and one's self. i would like to offer the following mantra which i believe is very powerful in eliminating karma:

i ask to be forgiven and released by all those whom i have hurt or harmed;
i forgive and release all those who have hurt and harmed me;
i forgive and release myself.

light and love
noeline

[clayfield]

the law of one states that guided visualisation or meditation is the tool of the adept. the following is adapted from an orin meditation and it is very beautiful.i have recorded the following mediation on my little recorder and play it as a guided meditation to give me focus and inspiration :


peace meditation
as you breathe in, imagine you are breathing in light, calling light to yourself./ with the peace that you have, imagine that in front of you is an angel of peace, a being of peace, one who is here to work with you. /
feel yourself growing even more peaceful, as if the burdens and cares are being lifted from your shoulders./ your soular angel is with you, the angel of your soul. / you feel yourself, with this peace, attuned to the angelic kingdom /-- the beautiful music, the rare and refined atmosphere, such love, harmony, joy, ease, play. / waves of this energy are all about you that you can attune to when you are in a state of peace. / you are very magnetic to all the light and the angelic beings. /
and this angel of peace in front of you looks you in the eyes and asks if you are ready to sustain a new level of peace and harmony in your life, /to play with the angels and the beings of light more often. / if you are ready, this being holds in his or her hand a flame of peace, a peace that comforts, that lifts. /
you make take this flame of peace in your hand and bring it into your heart,/ or let it grow large and surround your body, /an emanation from the highest of levels, this flame of peace, from the all that is, from the oneness. / this is the flame that joins where there has been separation. / so let it feel as if all the parts of yourself are coming together into one, unified whole;/ all the places where you have been divided against yourself, in battle with yourself./ you are releasing the inner battle. /
you can put this flame of peace into any area of your life where there has been a sense of disharmony,/ imagining as you do that you are bringing all into harmony with this higher vibration of peace. / so put this flame of peace anywhere you would like. / you might say to yourself, “there is no problem. there is only peace and harmony.”/
from this state of peace you see in front of you your soular angel, the angel of your soul. / this angel is offering you a vibration of peace, an experience of peace that is deeper, more profound, and more palpable, more tangible at every level, from your physical, to your emotional, to your mental. / begin to feel this resonance of peace as your soular angel works with you to take you to a new state of peace within yourself, now and in the future./
something at a very core level of your being is being realigned,/ reattuned to an even larger vibration,/ to the spirit of peace, a very real entity,/ who holds peace and the potential of peace for every single person and for the planet./ with the help of this angel of peace and your soular angel, and all the beings of light,/ you are being realigned, reattuned, refocused to this vibration of peace that is always available, /so that you do not have to search so hard for it, /so that it will be more immediately available,/ and you can be a conduit for this peace. /
all right, let this begin to happen, let the alignment start taking place. / you might notice it as a feeling of increased harmony, more resonance, a great expansion, deep, deep peace,/ almost as if there is no thought, no need to do./
and let the spirit of peace flow through you and out into your environment,/ into the molecules and atoms of your home and your furniture,/ into all the life forms around you./ you as a conduit;/ a conduit of energy where everything exists in its perfect relationship to everything else,/ where you are in harmony with the universe,/ and the rhythm of the universe,/ and the higher beings,/ where manifesting is easy,/ where your peace puts you in the flow of a greater life, /that of the divine self, of all life./
and let your peace flow into your bodies, first into your physical body; an ease, a peace./ all the atoms, all the cells (in your body) beginning to realign with the spirit of peace./ releasing all the misalignments, all the patterns that have been out of harmony and flow. / attuning at a cellular level, like antennae on the cells finding a new vibration, /a vibration that is very stable, very harmonious,/ a vibration that brings light and energy, vitality and well being./
let this energy of peace flow into your emotional body to still the waters and the vibration,/ to free the breath and the breathing,/ to cleanse and purify the adrenals, so you can to face the world with a sense of security,/ a sense of trust, of surrender, of openness, and joy, through your increasing peace. /
this spirit of peace, and the angel of peace, and your soular angel, and many other beings of light are working with you at a very profound level (since you have set your intention to reach a new level of peace),/ let this vibration flow into your mental body to release all mental concepts that have kept you bound to the battle, to the fight, to the struggle. / just feeling these being loosened, like balloons that are let fly away./
all the places where you have been tied to mass beliefs and mass consciousness being freed in this energy, /so that you can believe that it is possible to live all the time in a state of harmony and peace with the universe, yourself, and others./
you begin to harmonize with, to resonate with those thoughts and beliefs that make it easier to sustain this peace./ you know that you deserve peace and harmony, and that you can stay in this state no matter what the energies are around you. / in fact, as you stay in this state of peace, you offer it to everyone around you./
you are being given more consciousness so that you can observe and know instantly when anything has disturbed your peace, when anything might disturb your peace./ you now release any reaction./ you turn away from all temptation to be out of the flow,/ and you are being supported in every way by all the beings of light who are cheering for you, /who want this with you, and divine will that wants this for you as well./
now open the top of your head, just with your imagination, to be a conduit of peace. / from the spirit of peace let it flow into you like a river of light, /surrounding you with a beautiful light, a river of qualified, pure, perfect light./ filling up your aura with its beautiful, organized, snowflake, diamond-like patterns of light that bring the consciousness of peace, and harmony, and well being. /
and sense your aura becoming magnetic and larger and larger as you join together with everyone else who is holding this same intention./ building a reservoir of peace and the consciousness of peace and harmony within you that you can share with others,/ and an increasing ability to turn away from anything that would take you out of this state of peace. /
you are being strengthened now, realigned, given this beautiful substance of light that carries peace, that has been qualified and imprinted with the patterns of peace from the spirit of peace,/ to draw to you all that is magnetic to peace, abundance, well being, joy, harmony, purity, freedom, vision./
so with this light pouring through you and through everyone in the world, in every place that is holding the intention for peace, see a unified field being created, energized by many beings of light. / the more peace you radiate, the more you will bring in./ so begin to radiate this peace to everyone in your life, to all your friends, loved ones, coworkers, clients, and students. / sense what it feels like to become a radiating center of peace, holding that resonance with the spirit of peace. /
and let this circles expand. / what might it feel like to be so powerful, such a conduit of peace that you could hold peace for your city, and that you could actually make a difference. / your peace is so profound, so stable, that you could make a difference for your city. / join with all the beings of light and all the people in your city who are also holding this intention. /
sense the peace that you are creating for the animals and the plants in your city,/ and the interactions between people, and their thought forms, and their emotions./ look with your inner eyes at all the levels you can work with in this way./
and notice as you do, that you begin to expand into an even larger awareness, that of the beings who are holding peace for your country,/ who are acting as conduits for the spirit of peace into everyone who wants this vibration./ become a part of this group work, and notice how it also enhances your ability to hold and sustain peace in your own life. /
and let this expand you into an awareness of the beings who are holding peace, steadily, stably, and without any wavering for all of humanity, all the planet./ open up to sense these beings now. / all of you who are in this light, join with them, let us add to their power your peace, the peace of the group./ all that you have ever learned about peace and every moment you have radiated peace, every decision you have made to turn away from disharmony,/ let this be added to the group light that is focusing peace on humanity./
know that your presence,/ every ounce of energy you add at every level to the contribution of peace,/ is recorded and noted. / your presence has been felt and noted by all of these beings. /
a conduit is now opened from them to you,/ to have the power to create more peace, more harmony, more flow in your life,/ to be a greater conduit for all of these light patterns that are magnetic to good,/ that put you in the flow, in the synchronicity./ you do not have to work hard,/ you only need to be open to all the opportunity that is being presented to you in every moment,/ like picking the flowers in a field all around you. /
as you resonate with the light of peace, and flow, and harmony,/ look around you as all the opportunities for you in their potential, in their manifest, are as a field of flowers, of beautiful flowers, lotuses beginning to open up in the light of the sun. /
and there is one flower for you to pick, /the gift back to you,/ a flower that you may put in your heart that will unfold as a new vibration of peace within you./

i have others if you are interested that i can send to you.

love and light
noeline

[Vermillion]

i prefer to meditate in silence but i also have a few tracks on my ipod which are theta binaural (spelling?) beats.

are these recommended? do they really even help?

i have seen so many audio tracks stating dna activation, astral projection freqs, and really i have always had deep questions about these.

do these work?

[Berry Chastain]

dear vermillion
i don't have any experience with these recording you speak of, but i have found that with consistant meditation, you will automatically switch into theta state. at first i though that i was merely falling asleep during meditation, but the situation was that i was in some state of awareness during that time, processed whatever intentions that i had set and was aware also that i had intended to meditate for x amount of time. i found myself coming totally into consciousness around that paticular time. it is sort of releasing the conscious ego to the higher self and allowing it to do what was intended.

i have listened to some of the hemisync recordings and to give you an answer, they are effective in altering the vibrational state of mind. but it remains your intentions as to what occurs during that time. don't just expect the sound to direct your purpose, use your power of intention when you are listening to the recordings. don't give away your power of creation and intention.

[Vermillion]

thank you for the reply. i have hemisync also and that is what i use. what i tend to do though is just keep my mind completely clear and allow deep meditation to set in.

i meditate almost 3 hours a day, and was wondering if those would even have an effect after that.

you know whats funny, is that i have never even tried to put my intention on leaving my body while listening to these... i think this will be my next venture. i don't know why i have not tried this yet.

thank you!

[ayadew]

i used hemi sync for a while, when i first begun my interest in meditation.
they were a great catalyst for me at that time, really convincing me of that there's much more than physical reality. but they haven't been much more. i stopped using them after a while and worked with quiet meditation and intention instead.

[JT1]

noeline, thank you for sharing. it is truly a very beautiful meditation.

[pnewcomb]

i've been using a program called [please pm for name] for the past couple years (similar to [please pm]), and it has really helped nurse me into deeper states; partly from the binaural beats, and partly because having the headphones on blocks out all external noises. when i try to meditate without it i really struggle. it's like i've become addicted to having noise in the background. when i don't use it, there are just so many distractions (living in an apartment where there are neighbors, doors slamming, traffic outside, random noises, etc.) i just can't seem to keep my focus on my meditation. i would really like to stop using audio tracks with my meditation, but can't seem to get past the many distractions. any thoughts on this? is it just something i need to learn to block out, or do i need to invest in some good earplugs or something similar?

[odiseo]

there are headphones that eliminate all background noises they are very useful if we need silence .

[pnewcomb]

there are headphones that eliminate all background noises they are very useful if we need silence .

odiseo, are you talking about noise cancelling headphones, or are they headphones specially made for white noise production?

[Firewalker]

i used this meditation today with very positive effect,

it is said to be the meditation that allowed cayce to get into his trances, although it will doubtfully work for anyone else in precisely the same way.

http://www.edgarcayce.org/ps/deep_meditation_j_van_auken.html

of the many meditation techniques available, the best for deep meditation is one that edgar cayce taught and used himself. it has been the most successful method that i have found for getting into a truly attuned-to-god state. and the side effects of this method are clearer dreams and more intuitive “knowings.”

the method is simple. sitting or lying down (if lying down cayce wanted you to cover your solar plexus with your hands), you use your “imaginative forces” (cayce’s term) to “see, feel, and know” that you are making your way through three stages of transition:



wouldn't it be interesting if david wilcock tried it? !!!

lol.

enjoy!

[Sam Womelsdorf]

hello and thanks to all for sharing their meditation techniques.

does anyone have experience or insight they could share regarding the merkabah meditation?

thanks in advance!

[John12358]

i use to spin pyramid, add another pyramid to it and stop and spin and inspect it etc. i also like spinning and balancing spirals like tornado and trying to imagine all energy that affects it and realise its in balance of negative and positive energies between them is harmony and they dance with each other, and the faster it acts the faster time moves. and sometimes i might "create" lots of balls inside bigger shape object and try to realize how they all affect each other when they spin. then i might imagine water going trough a hole and while it spins i imagine it staying in place in universe and everything around it spinning. i also use random objects like a pen and try to keep it all same. clearing the mind im bad on that one, if im not focusing on something my head starts to travel pretty easy so i should practise on that one i quess. i remember few days ago daydreaming many hours for huge bell with smaller bells inside of it and spiral kind of walls between the bells and the outer line was to spill out and then absorb and then spill and there were space in the middle of bells triangle shaped area which caused underpressure spot cause the spinning and materia tries to replace the space but it spins and the spinning movement acceleration is into the center so it only spins faster and i try understand the three dimensional measures of it to keep it in balance. hard to explain :d

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

i try to single out an idea.
i say:

i have one goal
i have one question
i have one purpose
i have one thought


love and light,
ec

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

hello,
i just wanted to share this wonderful article i found by dr. pablo sender. although it is of a theosophical nature it is full of ideas that we have in common with the theosophists, thus i hope that no one ponders too long on our differences and gives this piece a try!

http://www.katinkahesselink.net/other/pablo-sender-meditation.html

much love an light,
et

(always trying to draw parallels for everything is a reflection of everything else)

[espre]

give thanks...have faith... stay in the present.

when your trying to meditate and your ego mind is jumping from thought to thought it can be frustrating. a way to settle your ego mind is to do this little exercise. think of something your thankful for, give thanks to it... then something you have faith in, think of that... then think of the here and now of what you are actually doing... this little exercise will help to quite your ego mind.

[Light Worker]

hi. if you read "the law of one - the ra material" series books there´s some very good hints about meditation. also if you read the "the friendship case" documents, they also have very good and simple hints about meditation. namaste,

[SpiralCycle]

first off sorry to interrupt but it seems like there are a million definitions of meditation these days just like there is a million different kinds of enlightenment....... so before we know the method to do something wouldn't we first have to know and or define what is meant by the term meditation in this context?

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

well yes, of course. i think it`s pretty much the point of this thread. i presume people would provide the title and description of the meditation they want to discuss. and if someone doesn`t provide one of the two elements, we can always ask for clarification, correct?

love,
ra ma


first off sorry to interrupt but it seems like there are a million definitions of meditation these days just like there is a million different kinds of enlightenment....... so before we know the method to do something wouldn't we first have to know and or define what is meant by the term meditation in this context?

[Chris Hamilton]

from spiralcycle:

so before we know the method to do something wouldn't we first have to know and or define what is meant by the term meditation in this context?

as a very simple answer to that, i would say that meditation is a personal contemplation, normally performed individually, but sometimes in groups. the type of contemplation is what this thread is about. chris

[SpiralCycle]

jeia ra manuk: "i presume people would provide the title and description of the meditation they want to discuss. "

i am guessing by naming and describing any type of method for -?- is a meditation. i am just curious what it is they are trying to get to by the method and type or what the focal point is.

chris hamilton: "as a very simple answer to that, i would say that meditation is a personal contemplation, normally performed individually, but sometimes in groups. the type of contemplation is what this thread is about. "

so in your opinion meditation by definition is contemplation. so this thread is a conversation of types of contemplation? i am curious why they wouldn't replace the word contemplation with meditation or visca-versa. i thought part of meditating was to clear the mind from thoughts but i guess that has been my own experience from classes and teachings from people such as osho but as i have mentioned there are many types it seems (this is not the same as methods or ways to meditate, many meanings to the same word which many methods try to prevail to). i guess i am still a bit confused. :p

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

well, if we are gonna go into this... isn't not thinking actually thinking? ha. but i know what you mean.
in western philosophy, meditate/meditation means to contemplate and overall stress your brain to produce incredible insight.
in eastern philosophy, meditate/meditation means to empty your mind of thoughts, which is usually achieved by singling out thoughts. (relax your brain to produce insight)

if you are interested in what meditation is in the eastern understanding i recommend you watch this video (being interested in osho, and if you haven't seen this yet and if you have, watch it again and listen closely, this is it):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pevqtdi3yg&feature=player_embedded

love and light,
ra ma

[MarkM]

jeia ra manuk: "i presume people would provide the title and description of the meditation they want to discuss. "

i am guessing by naming and describing any type of method for -?- is a meditation. i am just curious what it is they are trying to get to by the method and type or what the focal point is.

chris hamilton: "as a very simple answer to that, i would say that meditation is a personal contemplation, normally performed individually, but sometimes in groups. the type of contemplation is what this thread is about. "

so in your opinion meditation by definition is contemplation. so this thread is a conversation of types of contemplation? i am curious why they wouldn't replace the word contemplation with meditation or visca-versa. i thought part of meditating was to clear the mind from thoughts but i guess that has been my own experience from classes and teachings from people such as osho but as i have mentioned there are many types it seems (this is not the same as methods or ways to meditate, many meanings to the same word which many methods try to prevail to). i guess i am still a bit confused. :p

my take on meditation is as my take on 'fun'... many different types, or does it go beyond an attempt to catalog/enumerate? to me meditation can mean something as basic as attempting to get behind the chattering mindstreaming with its concerns of normal life, trying to discern what may lie beneath. this assumes that the mind is not me, yet a discussion of what is me and whether 'i' can be apprehended beneath my mind could be fun!

contemplating seems a passive, inward and pensive thing, perhaps experiencing without struggling to apply logic or reasoning - but that's just me - contemplation could involve reviewing the events of the day, for example, and trying to figure stuff out. meditation can be thusly defined, why not? it's like trying to find the dividing line between fun and exhilaration... good luck with that, in terms of definitive distinction!

its maybe the mind which seeks distinction, or comparative differences and evaluating in a relative sense through constant effort, but whatever you call it, there's the concept of stilling the mind enough so that a stiller, smaller voice can be discerned... a place where relaxation can apply to the mind to the point of letting go of mental effort. it would seem to me that, uh,... never mind, i don't want to think anymore... ;)

just feel it. mark

[Chris Hamilton]

well, seeeee :) i thought spiral's question was really good, because had we ever thought exactly what was meditation? the best question, spiral, and started us thinking beyond our own ideas of what exactly meditation is from different perspectives. look at religions-they call it prayer, although i personally think the approach is different, as prayer generally gives thanks or asks for help from a deity considered outside our selves. meditation on the other hand is accessing our god within and getting our own answers from inside. thank you spiral for asking this question. chris

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

chris,
so true about religion and prayer, thanks for raising that point. and thank you spiral from me as well!
i always have problems when it comes to defining certain things, mostly due to the fact that for 15 +/- years i was self teaching myself about all this stuff and had formed a lot of the same concepts as we discuss here, just in a bit of a different light.
i guess from now on, when discussing the mechanics of mediation we shouldn't mix it with philosophical though, be it ours or someone else's. it would be besides the point if someone was teaching you a physical activity and giving you a lecture at the same time. hehe.

love and light,
ra ma

[EcyaC]

does anyone have any prayers or mantras they would like to share while going into and out of meditation?

would be great!

:p

after much meditation, both contemplative and silent, i've concluded to "officially meditate" is to put yourself in time-out. i rarely have to be in time-out these days, thanks be to god. ammmen...

:)

[SpiralCycle]

i am glad you guys were open to the conversation. sometimes it saddens me to see such important words made to fit every occasion. i know that it is hard not to get words to have different meanings but some words to me are important and when everyone uses it for any reason it can really harm original texts and it's intentional use. i even went on a trip yesterday myself because it said the root word was dhyai and i tried to find the origins of dhyai and sometimes it went to ancient buddhism and sometimes it went back to zoroastrianism.

the scholars trying to find the origins mentioned even they weren't sure sometimes it's original use and thought it could be the energy observing thought or contemplation on thoughts or contemplation itself. just from what i have learned most of the great teachers who taught meditation said it lead to great extended periods of experience that they could not describe in words or brought their entire consciousness into what seemed a whole new reality waiting to be discovered, such words were used like nirvana, enlightenment or samadhi which are now even obscured :(.

i am not trying to bash on people here i just think generally speaking using or pointing out a certain dialect can be very helpful in many ways so it is not obscured to others and gives them a chance to understand so they can find different contexts of the word in case they need to fit a different parameter intended. many great people pushed these words originally and when it gets translated so many times the relevance is greatly diluted. one easy example is all the translations of the bible haha. thank you guys for considering this i think the direction the conversation went was in a way which i couldn't have asked for better myself! :d

to keep this thread on topic i will give a type of meditation i like. for me meditation is an act of silencing the mind (especially the ego; please research the ego more if you are not sure exactly what i mean) or experiencing reality without any intentional or subconscious influence. i find one of the best methods for thoughts to stop surfacing more and more is to keep a safeguard running in the back of your mind to notice the thoughts continually coming up so it drops the identity that your mind subjugates itself to constantly making biased forms of the present moment by allowing the thoughts to fall away.

when you can see how much your mind (ego in this case) surfaces to judge or make opinions or just wander off will see how cluttered and biased the ego can be. my favorite action to allow this is taking deep breathes through the nose and just paying attention to breath only as a bonus sometimes you can feel your heart beating! buddha after much of his time trying to open others up to this experience started to mention this often. also as many know and pointed out in an edgar cayce reading (i believe) that crossing your legs and sitting upright comfortably can set the tone to help you focus more and was described as "somewhat helpful" in the reading.

i think meditation is very very important especially in this context. it can help you live outside of the self inflicted pain we feel day to day. also you start to feel more comfortable leaving the bounds of space and time which is only a perception that we have been constantly force-fed to see since early childhood. many people are starting to understand that space and time are an illusion but it is a whole different ballpark to experience it for extended amounts of time. it can definitely be scary because it is the ego that thinks it keeps you alive by over scheduling, worrying, seeing how much you do and do not have, what you can do in the future, who you are, if you are loved, if you understand things or not, if you will have enough money, ect ect.

now regular mind functions are a-okay such as; counting change, wondering where you left your keys, balancing a budget, learning how to do something new, but a lot of the things we have learned to do come natural and will come natural which is a much more relaxing life scenario. just remember one of the biggest indicators that the ego is under control is when you have negative emotions surfacing often. usually we experience emotion based on the thoughts that feed them but sometimes feeling things such as frustration and sadness are inevitable because it very en grained into our biological makeup the key is to know when it is being self inflicted.

i am also open to the methods of perceptual reality expansion or relaxation you guys posted here and have actually looked into some, thanks.

[SpiralCycle]

well, if we are gonna go into this... isn't not thinking actually thinking? ha. but i know what you mean.
in western philosophy, meditate/meditation means to contemplate and overall stress your brain to produce incredible insight.
in eastern philosophy, meditate/meditation means to empty your mind of thoughts, which is usually achieved by singling out thoughts. (relax your brain to produce insight)

if you are interested in what meditation is in the eastern understanding i recommend you watch this video (being interested in osho, and if you haven't seen this yet and if you have, watch it again and listen closely, this is it):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pevqtdi3yg&feature=player_embedded

love and light,
ra ma

that osho video is exactly the definition of what i believe was the original concept of meditation itself. p.s. no not thinking has nothing to do with thinking and again if there was not a difference between no thought and thought there would not be an expression for no thought. just as there isn't an expression for an earth that doesn't exist. but i understand what you mean and think we have cleared it up. :)

[Jeia Ra Manuk]

well yeah, you are right. but i was saying more like when during a meditation you can't stop thinking so you start thinking the thought: "i gotta stop thinking." he-he. so i wasn't really talking about expression for no thought. o god, did you ever write a lot up there! i'll see what i can come up with for a reply, and if i fail to do so, thanks for all the info you provided!



that osho video is exactly the definition of what i believe was the original concept of meditation itself. p.s. no not thinking has nothing to do with thinking and again if there was not a difference between no thought and thought there would not be an expression for no thought. just as there isn't an expression for an earth that doesn't exist. but i understand what you mean and think we have cleared it up. :)

and ecyac,
:p

[Fatima13]

when i first started meditation over a decade ago, my particular spiritual tradition advocated for silent meditation--reaching the "still point" where one could connect to the creative life force of the universe. after spending some time in japan and after commencing a study of kundalini yoga, i've recently begun to introduce more chant into my meditations, and i find that i have a preference for this type of meditation. i've always loved to sing (i'm a chorus teacher!), and there's something about the way the voice creates vibration and resonance in and around the body that eases and facilitates my transition from my "monkey mind" into my "mountain mind."

one of my favorites is the gayatri mantra:

om bhur bhuvah suvaha
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasaya dihmahi
diyo yo naha prachodayat

here's a youtube link for one of several versions that i like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdjydpomv1s
i mainly use this one for activating and feeling the flow of energy through the chakras. if you google it you'll find an overflowing abundance of information from the scientific to the spiritual on the benefits of this particular mantra. from personal experience, when i use this chant, i get lost in the flow of the energy, the vibration of the sounds, and my mind truly disconnects from the mundane.

another chant i've taken to using lately is the very simple om mani peme hum, sometimes called the compassion mantra. i tend to want to chant this one when i have the need to forgive myself or others, or when i feel i need to understand others from the heart. i have literally gotten blissfully lost in not-time with this one, and i tend to chant it silently at random times throughout my day.

in love and light,

rachelle
(also known as fatima al zahra)

[moquiti]

for the past two years i have resonated with the teachings of john makranski, of the foundation for active compassion http://foundationforactivecompassion.org/. the meditation practice is a western adaptation of the tibetan dzogchen practice, emphasizing that the first step in the road to developing a deep compassion for, and connection to others, is to learn to receive love into one's self. there are helpful guided meditation audio recordings on the website http://foundationforactivecompassion.org/audios-videos-texts - go to the audio section and start at the top one, identifying benefactors. there are many levels to the practice, and i find myself periodically going back to the beginning step, and gaining more and more depth.

the practice involves awareness of the body, visualization, acceptance of thoughts and feelings, and release into what is termed natural wisdom. from this perspective, what one experiences is a natural state: senses wide open, mind unconfined, unrestricted, totally open. the concept of benefactor is very powerful, and is used to open up perception to the deep worth of each and every living being - including those who we would characterize as our foes. buddhists see a foe or enemy as a special opportunity to develop compassion. but this is a very small part of the dzogchen tradition. i encourage you to investigate john makranski's meditation teachings!

there are several chants which i use to help clear the mind before a meditation, or afterwards:

om mani peme hung

or

tayata on muni muni maha munaye soha


a very helpful thing to do at the end of a sit is to offer a dedication, dedicating the effort of meditation to all beings. one of these is the bodhicitta dedication:

by the power of this spiritual practice
may we swiftly realize and fully embody
the natural great perfection
and thereby bring all, without exception, to its complete realization

may the pure, brilliant sun of deepest enlightenment
dawn in each and every heart and mind
dispelling the darkness of suffering and confusion
unstoppably, until all are illumined and awakened


metta!