Behappy1

Any specific podcasts or you tubes, authors or names to google? I spent a few hours last night and there are a zillion. Most that I found are about an hour long. Many times, I don't have that long. I had a sleep meditation picked out for last night and fell asleep before I got the headphones in. Lol.

Ananda

For me meditation is simply about sitting down, not moving, paying attention to my body, and watching my thoughts come and go without hanging on to them or pushing them away.

I highly recommend listening to Ajan Sumedo (available on y-tube and other places as well) because it helps me to keep to the practice of "just sit" and helps me to keep some sort of perspective (not exactly the right word) on my meditation practice.

There are many different meditation technics available, and I am sure they are all helpful. I have found that the practice of Zazen from Buddhist practice is the most beneficial for me.

I never really quite get how listening to something is meditation.... but I know that works for many

Explore, explore, and explore some more! You will find what works for you!

Gottalife

AAA have a great system. Works a treat. Get out of bed one hour early. The do twenty minutes reading (spiritual material like the AA big Book) then twenty minutes meditation, then twenty minutes exercise - talk the dog for a walk. Sound simple but it is quite a tough discipline to stick to. If you do stick to it, the benefits a quite amazing. AAA also have specific ideas on how to meditate.

Inchworm

If you're interested in meditation the best way is to merely start. No expectations, no striving to be other than what you are. Be present. That's it. It's very helpful. Jack Kornfield and Jon Kabat Zinn books help with mindset and attitudes to cultivate as you practice.

ElleDee

I get up about an hour and a half before I have to leave for work and spend a good half hour just sitting in the quiet of my living room (with a cup of coffee) and reading devotionals, including AA material and saying my morning prayers, thanking God and asking for his help. It's really helped me a lot. Now that the weather is improving I'd like to start going outside for a bit and walking too.

Soberwolf

How To Meditate: A 10 Step Beginner?s Guide

Meditation for Beginners: 20 Practical Tips for Understanding the Mind : zen habits

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...-podcasts.html

Learn Passage Meditation | Blue Mountain Center of Meditation & Nilgiri Press (Courtesy of FlynBuy)

Breathing Meditations ? Meditation Oasis

With YouTube guided meditations you can enter 20 minute or an hour or 2,3 and so on

Nowadays I prefer just background ambient music as it helps to clear my mind in fact Im going to do an afternoon meditation shortly

buk1000

I found that guided meditations helped me at first. When I tried to just start meditating in silence, I wound up thinking about all kinds of things in depth. These guided meditations helped me understand what the goal and point of mindfulness meditation is.

Free Guided Meditations | UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center

Anna

I think Jon Kabat-Zinn is an amazing teacher of meditation and mindfulness. Just google his name if you're interested.

Turtle76

I just started using an app called Headspace. It starts you off with 10 days of 10 minute meditation and gives you little pointers everyday on how to cultivate a practice. After that you can subscribe to different meditation series based on what aspects of your life you are trying to focus on. So far, I love this app. I need structure, so this is very beneficial for me. I just started meditating in the last couple months an i am finding it essential for my well being. I stopped for about 10 days and got pretty squirrelly when I did. So now I am making it as important as my morning breakfast.

The Honest Guys on You Tube have a series of guided meditations I like too. I use these when I need serious relief from anxiety and stress.

fantail

I like to go to a meditation center; cities usually have a Shambhala Center, a Zen Center, or another, and they offer free meditations and paid classes.

FreeOwl

apps are a great option.... for simple, guided meditations.

guided meditations are a wonderful option for those who've never meditated before.

also bear in mind that anything which promotes "mindfulness" - a need to be clear and present - is an effective way to gain a lot of the benefits of meditation..... trail running, surfing, rock climbing, archery, calligraphy, anything that takes your focus into the moment and allows for a concentrated effort in the NOW - is like a meditation and a way to incorporate meditation with activity in ways that don't have to feel like work, and in ways that can be more approachable for some who feel like they "can't meditate".

Upward2Enlightenment

Saw a free book on Amazon (for kindle) on Meditation and thought I'd share. I have not read it yet so I don't know if it is any good.
Not sure how long it will be free.

Meditation: 30 Day Challenge to Relieve Anxiety, Stress and Depression + BONUS BOOK! (Meditation, meditation for beginners, meditation techniques, meditation books, how to meditate)
by Jordan Koma

Delizadee

This was how I did my meditation today: (first time)
Sat comfortably. Closed my eyes. Focused on my breathing. Focused on parts of my body. If thoughts arose I'd acknowledge them without engaging them. If I felt an emotion attached to it I'd focus on where in my body I felt it, until the thought drifted away again.
I did that until I felt done.
It felt like a good place to start. Simple with no expectations of an end result. Left me feeling a little more calm and centred and helped me to detach those thoughts from the emotional hamster wheel I like to run on all day long.

I'm looking forward to doing this more often. I often try and distract my way through the day so sitting and just being present in my body was a good experience.