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Meditation I've heard a lot of you talk about how meditation is a crucial part of your day. I've always envied people who could meditate, which is why I'm posting this thread. Every time I have tried to meditate, my thoughts race... I seem to be unable to just be still and zone out. Am I doing something wrong? Is that normal? Any tips about meditation would be helpful... |
Yeah, that's perfectly normal. It's a skill - you have to learn how to sit and just be there, and not engage with your thoughts. A worthy venture for sure, despite being a bit difficult at first ;) |
I've always had a hard time sitting still. Sat at the computer one night and kept hearing a creaking sound. Took me a few minutes to realize I wasn't sitting still and it was my chair! Practice. Practice. Practice. Sit still and be quiet and listen. I'm further along than I had been, but always struggling. There are meditation tapes available to begin with, some with words, some just music. |
I like to just sit outside in my Chair with Chance next to me, looking into the sky, feeling the sun pound on yourself, no sounds but the birds, dogs, maybe some wind. Oh yeah and my morning coffee ;) |
Try some guided yoga from youtube to get the hang of it. This is my personal favorite: Meditation w/ Anusara Yogi Bridget Woods Kramer - omshop.com - YouTube |
what i do is just sit somewhere and focus on my breath. i don't "try to do" anything more than that. I just focus on my breath and that helps center me. i think its because when i do that i'm staying in my body rather than my head where all the crazy stuff is. when i feel the pull of the bottle or any other of the gazillion thoughts zipping through my brain, i try not to run or resist. i give them my full attention. this makes it less intense and urgent--kind of like when angry people calm down once they've said their piece and been heard. when i freak, run, or resist, the voices get louder. i've also done a "mindfulness" thing. when i'm in a really funky place, i state in my mind or out loud what i'm physically doing: "I'm washing this dish; i'm walking down the hall to get my coat; i'm putting the dog's collar on..." i find that this makes being alive more bearable in the hard times. keeps me present and in my body where i am living right now, rather than in the spin zone of my mind. hope this helps. zorah |
Hiya Saphira! Bit of an expert on this...Meditation is simply quietening the mind. Where you are now please expect you mind to race...it's called 'surface chatter'. Allow it to happen - it's an important part at the beginning. People say 'clear the mind'... dont! Clearing the mind is an act - the trick is to do nothing - if your mind races let it race, it will calm after a while. Let it happen - observe it if you can - take notice of the thoughts and feeling (kinda like third person viewing). The trick is not to act/react/respond. Try to stay in the moment - allow what is happening to happen. Try 10 mins at first - but let it happen - dont interact with the surface chatter - observe. It will calm down. And what ever you do dont TRY to clear your mind - totally counter-productive. |
Like what was said...Quiet Time...It just takes practice... |
yes. practice. I use the tips from Mel Ash: "The Zen of Recovery" . Either i count breaths or repeat a mantra ['Clear Mind. Don't Know'] it works. I have finished meditation and found coyotes sitting a few yards away. Another time, entire bluebird family resting on my deck with me... regardless- it can give me an inner place to restart my day , all day long... |
Deepak Chopra and Debbie Ford both have great books on how to start meditating. Also, meditating can be relatively short periods and you might do it several times in a day. |
In one of my yoga classes, we were taught the "Sa Ta Na Ma" meditation. It's so incredibly simple, and helps to keep your focus because you literally sit there and say "sa ta na ma" while you tap your thumb on the tip of each finger. Over and over. The first time I did it, I was like.. what the heck this is ridiculous.. but after a few minutes I found it SO relaxing and centering. If I ever get stressed or crazy feeling, I'll silently do the meditation and it's pretty powerful how quickly it clears out your mind. Here's some directions that are way better than what I just typed: (Taken from Kundaliniyoga.org): DIRECTIONS: Sit with a straight spine. Bring your mental focus to the brow point. Chant SA TA NA MA. While chanting alternately press the thumb with the four fingers. Press hard enough to keep yourself awake and aware of the pressure. Keep repeating in a stable rhythm and keep the hand motion going throughout the whole meditation. SA press the thumb and the first or Jupiter finger together with pressure. TA press the thumb and the middle or Saturn finger together. NA press the thumb and the ring or Sun finger together. MA press the thumb and the small or Mercury finger together. The Jupiter finger brings in knowledge, expands our field of possibilities and releases us from limitations. The Saturn finger gives us patience, wisdom and purity. The Sun finger gives us vitality and aliveness. The Mercury finger aids clear communication. Each time you close a mudra by joining the thumb with a finger, your ego "seals" its effect in your consciousness. Visualize or feel each individual sound come in the crown chakra at the top of the head, down through the middle of the head and out to infinity through the third eye. This is very important and must be done with each sound. It is an essential part of the cleansing process. If this part of the meditation is not done, you may experience a headache. While doing the meditation, you may experience pictures of the past come up like on a movie screen in your mind. Let them dance in front of your eyes and release them with the mantra. This is part of the cleansing of the subconscious mind. If emotions come up, you can also incorporate them in the chanting, i.e. if you feel anger then chant out the anger. Whatever you experience is OK. Do not try to avoid or control your experiences. Simply be with what is going on and go through it. It is all part of the cleansing process. |
So helpful!! Thank you!! I'll give them a try this morning! :) |
Hey saphira -- I'm not master of meditation but I have found it helpful. Something to bear in mind is that no one is perfect at mediation, we are all in the process of learning how to meditate. Keep at it and I'm sure you'll find it helpful. Best wishes, |
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