• 🛑Hello, this board in now turned off and no new posting.
    Please REGISTER at Anabolic Steroid Forums, and become a member of our NEW community! 💪
  • 💪Muscle Gelz® 30% Off Easter Sale👉www.musclegelz.com Coupon code: EASTER30🐰

Meditation?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Bakerboy

cat burglar
Registered
Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
3,826
Reaction score
6
Points
0
Location
the city of champions
IML Gear Cream!
Does anyone on this site do seated meditation? If so, how long do you sit for, when do you do it and how often (every day, 3 times a week etc.)? Also, what position do you sit in? And how has meditation helped you in your life, if at all. How long have you been involved in a meditation practice? DO you do it in a group or by yourself?
 
Does anyone on this site do seated meditation? If so, how long do you sit for, when do you do it and how often (every day, 3 times a week etc.)? Also, what position do you sit in? And how has meditation helped you in your life, if at all. How long have you been involved in a meditation practice? DO you do it in a group or by yourself?

Have tried it a few times, but my mind just cannot tune out to nothingness.
No matter what i have tried i cannot achieve the level of focus required.

I have heard (sic) that 45-60 mins of true medatation has the benefits of 8 hours sleep - to the mind. Surely if that were true, 3 x a week would have numerous positive effects on your life. :hmmm:
 
I have tried it a number of times. I can't get my mind to tune out and I can't sit still for long enough.
 
Pre-Meditation: Breathing Correction and Relaxation

A Simple Relaxation Technique for the Body

The best way to relax the body is to tense it first, and thereby to equalize the flow of tension all over the body. Then, with relaxation, you will find tensions being released that you didn't even know existed.

Inhale, tense the whole body, then throw the breath out and relax. Doing this three to six times will help rid the body of unconscious tensions. Now, consciously relax the various body parts, starting with your feet and working your way gradually to the head and brain. It may help you to visualize space or light filling each area as you relax it. Physical relaxation is the first step necessary for deep meditation.


Regular Breathing to Relax the Mind

The breath is intimately linked with the mind. By controlling and relaxing the breath, we influence the mind to become calm. Inhale slowly counting one to twelve, hold your breath for the same number of counts, then exhale for the same count. This is one round of "regular breathing." Do six to nine rounds. Your may either lengthen or shorten the number of counts according to what is comfortable, but keep the inhalation, retention and exhalation equal.


Releasing Emotional Tension

This practice can also help us to achieve release from mental and emotional pain. The stress that accompanies such pain usually produces physical tension. By relaxing the body, as outlined above, then extending the thought of physical relaxation to the release of tension in the mind and in the emotions, we can achieve mental and emotional tranquility with the release of tension in the body.

Whenever you feel anxious or fearful about anything, or distressed over the way someone has treated you, or upset for any reason, inhale and tense the body. Bring your emotions to a focus in the body with that act of tension. Hold the tension briefly, vibrating your emotions along with the body. Throw the breath out, and, keeping the breath exhaled as long as you can do so comfortably, enjoy the feeling of inner peace. Remain for a time without thought.

When the breath returns, or when thoughts once again bestir themselves in your mind, fill your brain with some happy memory that will provide an antidote to your emotions. Concentrate for several minutes on the happiness of that memory.

Throughout this process, look upward, and mentally offer yourself, like a kite, into the winds of inner freedom. Let them sweep you into the skies of superconsciousness.


Meditation Practice (A stepwise listing of the practice can be found in the last post in this thread)

Make yourself comfortable, sitting upright, with a straight spine. With your eyes closed, look at the point midway between the eyebrows on your forehead.

Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for the same eight counts while concentrating your attention at the point between the eyebrows. Now exhale slowly to the same count of eight. Repeat three to six times.

After inhaling and exhaling completely, as the next breath comes in, mentally say Hong (rhymes with song). Then, as you exhale, mentally say Sau (rhymes with saw). Hong Sau means 'I am He' or 'I am Spirit'. Make no attempt to control your breathing, just let its flow be completely natural. Try to feel that your breath itself is silently making the sounds of Hong and Sau. Initially try to feel the breath at the point where it enters the nostrils.

Be as attentive as possible. If you have difficulty feeling the breath, you can concentrate, for a while, on the breathing process itself, feeling your diaphragm and chest expanding and contracting.

Gradually as you become more calm, try to feel the breath higher and higher in the nose. Be sure that your gaze is kept steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

As you become calmer, be more aware of the breath itself, higher and higher in the nose. Be sure to keep your gaze steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don't allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, simply bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

By concentration on the breath, the breath actually diminishes; its gradual refinement leads naturally to an interiorized meditative state. Practice this technique as long as you feel to.


Some Tips to Help Your Meditation

Controlling Your Breath At no time during the practice of this technique should you make any effort to control the breath. Let it flow naturally. Gradually, you may notice that the pauses between the inhalation and exhalation are becoming longer. Enjoy these pauses, for they are a glimpse of the deep peace state of advanced meditation. As you grow very calm you may notice that the breath is becoming so shallow (or the pauses so prolonged) that it hardly seems necessary to breathe at all.

How Long to Practice: The amount of time you practice is entirely up to you but end your practice of the technique by taking a deep breath, and exhaling three times. Then, keeping your mind focused and your energy completely internalized and try to feel peace, love and joy within your self. Sit for at least five minutes enjoying the deeply relaxed state you are in.

Where to Meditate: If possible, set aside an area that is used only to meditate. This will create a meditative mood. A small room or closet is ideal as long as it can be well ventilated. Your area can be kept very simple???all you really need is a chair or small cushion to sit on.

Posture for Meditation: There are many ways of sitting that are equally good. You can sit either in a straight-backed chair or on the floor in any of several poses. Two things, however, are essential: Your spine must be straight, and you must be able to relax completely.

Eye Position: Focus your attention at the point between the eyebrows. This area, called "the spiritual eye," is a center of great spiritual energy. Your eyes should be closed and held steady, and looking slightly upwards, as if looking at a point about an arm's length away and level with the top of your head.
 
Concentration on the Breath Leads to Inner Stillness

On every level of mental activity, it is concentration that is the key to success. The student taking an exam, but plagued with a popular song running through his head; the businessman trying to write an important contract, but worried over an argument that he had that morning with his wife; the judge, distracted by the fact that a teenager to whose defense he is trying to listen bears a striking resemblance to his own son: All of these persons could tell us something of the disadvantages of poor concentration. But I don't suppose anyone really needs to be told that lack of concentration means inefficiency.

What is not generally known is that a concentrated mind succeeds not only because it can solve problems with greater dispatch, but also because problems have a way of somehow vanishing before its focused energies, without even requiring to be solved. A concentrated mind often attracts opportunities for success that, to less focused (and therefore less successful) individuals, appear to come by sheer luck.

A person whose mind is concentrated receives inspirations in his work and in his thinking that, to duller minds, may often seem the proof of special divine favor. Yet such seeming "favors" are due simply to the power of concentration. Concentration it is that awakens our powers and channels them, dissolving obstacles in our path, literally attracting opportunities, insights, and inspirations. In many ways, subtle as well as obvious, concentration is the single most important key to success.

This is particularly true in yoga practice. The mind, in meditation especially, must be so perfectly still that not a ripple of thought enters it. The Universal, the subtlest reality, cannot be perceived except in utter silence. Much of the teaching of yoga, therefore, centers on techniques designed specially for developing concentration.

Of these techniques considered the most effective, the one which involves attentiveness to the natural process of breathing is recommended. The simplicity of this technique causes many a beginner to ignore it. Yet in its very simplicity lies much of its greatness.

What is concentration? Concentration implies, first, an ability to release one's mental and emotional energies from all other interests and involvements, and second, an ability to focus them on a single object or state of awareness. Concentration may assume various manifestations, from a dynamic outpouring of energy to perfectly quiescent perceptions. In its higher stages, concentration becomes so deep that there is no longer any question of its remaining merely a practice: The advanced practitioner becomes so completely identified with the object of his concentration that he and it, as well as the act of concentration itself, become one.

In this way he can even, temporarily, become one with something external to himself, gaining thereby a far deeper understanding of it than would be possible by aloof scientific objectivity, that pride of Western heritage which has the disadvantage of setting man apart from nature, not in harmony with it. But in concentration on our own higher realities, identification with them becomes lasting. For in this case there is no other, more personal, reality to come back to. We are those realities. We are the infinite light, and love, and joy, and wisdom of the Universal. Even now, our concentration should be developed with these higher directions in mind. And even now, our concentration should be so deep that the consciousness of diligent practice is refined into an effortless process of divine becoming.

Obviously, then, the most effective technique of concentration will be one which both interiorizes the mind, and permits a gradual transition from technical practice to utter stillness. The technique of watching the breath fulfills both of these requirements-better, perhaps, than any other technique possibly could. For not only is the breath one of the most natural focal points for the attention, but, as we shall see, the more deeply one concentrates on it, the more refined it becomes, until breathing is automatically and effortlessly suspended in breathlessness: Meditator, the act of concentration, and the object of concentration become one.

In the state of breathlessness, the senses themselves become automatically stilled, permitting an undisturbed continuation of the concentrated state. Once the mind is so perfectly focused, its concentrated power may be applied to any object one wishes. But because attentiveness to the breath involves the will in an act, not of doing, but of inward becoming (by concentration on the breath one acquires the consciousness of being air, or infinite space), the natural direction of the mind in this technique is toward superconsciousness. (If the will is not involved at all, the mind tends to slip downward into subconsciousness.)

Why is the breath a natural focal point for the attention? Because it is the most ubiquitous obstacle to deep attention. Notice how, when you want to concentrate deeply on something, you automatically restrain your breathing. A person holding a camera, and wishing to take a photograph with a slow exposure, must also hold his breath so as to minimize the movement of his arms. Instinctively we all understand, similarly, that the restless breath is an obstacle to holding the mind steady.

A student once complained to his teacher that he was having difficulty concentrating in meditation. His distraction was a factory whistle that kept sounding near his home "Since the whistle disturbs you," said his instructor, "why not concentrate on the whistle itself?" The student found that by doing so his concentration became one-pointed; he became, in a sense, one with the whistle, accepting it now, since that it no longer seemed a disturbance. He was able to pass easily from concentration on something outside himself to inward meditation on God.

A restless mind may be distracted by many things. In this condition, it may be necessary for one to command its attention forcefully-by yoga postures, perhaps, and loud chanting. But once the mind begins to grow still, the greatest obstacle to its becoming more so is the breath. By concentration on the breath, mental fixity is attained. Concentration on the breath, unlike other forms of concentration, leads naturally to meditation, which my guru defined as the direction of one's focused attention on God, or on one of His attributes. Concentration on the factory whistle may bring about acceptance of the whistle, but such acceptance is not in itself an inducement to meditation. The whistle remains a whistle. By concentration on the breath, on the other hand, the breath actually diminishes; its gradual refinement leads naturally to an interiorized, meditative state.

Only in breathlessness can inner quiet be fully realized; note that the breath responds instantly to different mental and emotional states. Even the way in which it flows in the nostrils indicates one's state of consciousness. The reverse also is true: As the breath flows, so flows the mind. Heavy breathing can make the mind restless. Calm breathing calms the mind. By concentration on the breath, too, the mind becomes calmer. This greater calmness is reflected in increasingly gentle breathing, which in turn induces still deeper concentration and calmness, a process that continues until mind and breathing both achieve perfect stillness.

Periods of breathlessness may come to you, while practicing??? Don't be alarmed; they can't possibly hurt you, as long as you let the breath flow naturally, and don't try to hold it in or out of the lungs by force. When your body needs to breathe again, it will do so. By increasingly deeper calmness, however, you will find that you need less and less fresh air to sustain your body.
 
Technique Mechanics, Simplied

Preparation

1. So as to decarbonize the blood stream, and thereby to calm the body, inhale, tensing the whole body; throw the breath out and relax. Repeat two or three times.

2. Inhale and exhale slowly and deeply several times, making the period of inhalation, holding, and exhalation the same. (Suggested counts: 20-20-20, or 12-12-12.) Don't strain. Repeat six or twelve times.

3. Mentally check the body to make sure it is relaxed. Periodically, check the body again during your practice of the technique.

4. Begin your actual practice of the technique by first exhaling, slowly and deliberately.


The Basic Technique

1. When the breath flows in of its own accord, follow it mentally with the sound, (Hong). Imagine that the breath itself is making this sound.

2. When the breath flows out of its own accord, follow it mentally with, and imagine that it is itself making, the sound, Sau (to rhyme with "saw"). This is why the meditation breathing technique is also known as Hong-Sau.


3. If at any time the breathing stops naturally, accept the pause calmly, identifying yourself with it until the breath flows again of its own accord.

4. To keep your mind on the breath (or, when you are more interiorized, to differentiate between inhalation and exhalation), it may help you to bring the forefinger towards the palm as the breath flows in, and away from the palm as the breath flows out.


First Phase

1. If your breath is still restless, you may be more easily aware of the physical movement of your lungs and diaphragm than of the flow of breath in the nostrils. In this case, let the mind follow its natural inclination: Concentrate on the purely physical aspects of breathing???the movement of the rib cage, the diaphragm, or the navel.

2. Gradually, as you grow calmer, transfer your attention from the breathing process to the breath itself.


Second Phase

1. As your attention begins to focus on the breath itself, watch the breath at the point where it enters the nostrils.

2. Gradually, with the progressive calmness of the breath, center your awareness of it higher and higher in the nose. To raise this center of awareness, you may find it helpful if you make a special effort inwardly to relax your nose.

3. As it becomes natural to do so, center your awareness of the breath at the point where it enters the nasal cavity. Feel it in the upper part of this passage, and visualize its movement gently fanning and awakening the nerve nexus in the frontal lobe of the brain.


Third Phase

1. Become more and more identified with the breath, less and less with your body's need for it to flow in and out. Remember, especially as you grow very calm, that this need may be as much imaginary (the result of deeply ingrained subconscious habit) as actual. Therefore:

2. Particularly concentrate on, and enjoy, the pauses between the breaths. Dwell on the sense of freedom from the tyranny of constant breathing. Beyond enjoying this sense of calmness and freedom, however, do not try to prolong the breathless state by an act of will.

3. Direct the will, rather, toward the thought of becoming the air that is flowing in the nose, or of becoming boundless space at the front lobe nexus (point just above and between the eyes. If you hold your finger just above the point, you will feel a sharpening sensation, this is the nerve nexus we are concentrating on both quieting and focusing on, as it energizes and also calms the hypothalamus).

4. As the pauses become prolonged, you may want to engage your attention in chanting 'Aum' mentally while focusing on the nerve nexus.

Key Points

1. Throughout the practice of this technique, look upward so as gradually to raise your consciousness. Do not, however, concentrate at the nexus until it becomes natural for you to feel the flow of the breath at that point.

2. Sit very still throughout your practice of the technique. Any physical movement (and also any unrelated movement of thought or emotion) will further excite the breath.

3. Every now and then, mentally check the body (especially the nose) to be sure it is relaxed.

4. While chanting Hong-Sau, be sure that you are chanting only mentally. Often, the mere thought of a word will produce an involuntary movement of the tongue or lips, or a slight tension in the jaw or throat. Be sure these parts of your body, too, are completely relaxed.

Questions and Answers

Q. How long should the Hong-Sau technique be practiced?

A. As long as you enjoy practicing it. This is one technique (unlike many other yoga practices) that cannot be overdone in the sense of putting a strain on the nervous system. A yogi as a boy used to practice it as much as 7-1/2 hours at a time. He once told a disciple that if one wants to become a master in this life, he should practice Hong-Sau two hours daily.

No technique, however, should be practiced to the point of boredom or fatigue. Beginners, especially, may do better to practice only half an hour at a time, perhaps even less. For others, let enjoyment be your key, lest you slip gradually into the pernicious habit of meditating mechanically, without that keen sense of blissful anticipation which is so necessary to any real meditative progress. When your enjoyment of the technique begins to lessen, cease your practice at least for that session. When your enjoyment of meditation itself lessens, stop meditating, or take a break (you might rest in Savasana (The Corpse Pose) before making another effort.

Q. Is this technique to be pracriced two hours a day, at one sitting?

A. Yes, for advanced practitioners, if possible. But if practicable, then try dividing this time int two or more shorter periods. Remember, no fixed time can guarantee success in yoga practice. Suggested times should be taken only as general guidelines.

Q. May one practice this technique in idle moments as well, apart from one's prescribed periods for meditation?

A. Yes! Anywhere, practically: sitting at your desk in the office, or in public places, or at a party when you are not involved in the conversation. Before others, however, don't be obvious about what you are doing. Sit back, and close your eyes as if you were resting them, or look straight ahead, as if reflectively.

Q. What proportion of one's meditation should be devoted to the practice of this technique?

A. It is difficult to advise in this matter, except to say that this is one of the most important tech niques of yoga. The longer and more deeply you practice any technique, the sooner you will become proficient in it. It is for you to decide how long, in proportion to other techniques, you want to watch the breath. Regardless what techniques are practiced, however, at least the last quarter of one's meditation time should be devoted to simple meditation, without any practice of techniques. Intuition is developed by prolonging and deepening the peaceful after-effects of one's practice of the meditation techniques.

Q. Should one concentrate on the breath and also at the point between the eyebrows?

A. Not until the attention focuses itself naturally on the flow of breath at the beginning of the nose???that is, the point at which the breath enters the nasal cavity in the head. To do so otherwise would constitute a division of concentration which would be self-defeating.


Q. Sometimes I find that my breath, instead of pausing longer and longer at the rest points between inhalation and exhalation, continues its normal rhythm, but becomes shallower and shallower to the point where it virtually disappears (meaning that you lose track of its progress). Is this all right?

A. Yes, it is quite all right. In any case you should let the breath follow its own course, instead of deciding for it what rhythm it ought to follow. But such extremely light breathing indicates a satisfactory state of concentration.
Online: Add to trouble's Reputation IP Edit/Delete Message
 
Thanks Trouble. There is a lot of good information in your posts. :thumbs:
 
I havn't done it in months. I'm too lazy to do it regularly. I know it would good for my health though.

Once you get into it, it's suprising what it can do. It sounds simple and dum, but until you've witness it, don't dismiss it.

There were some things that I just couldn't figure out no matter how long I thought about it. But once in meditation, it just came to me, and I realized how simple things can be once you break down all your barriers.

A great tool for self discover imo. I was once naive, believing I knew everything about me that's to know. How wrong I was. If you take the time to look deep down, you can figure out why you do certain things, and why you feel certain ways for different circumstances. Sounds cheezy, but hey, whatever, works for me.
 
My mind is way too active to meditate.

that's the point of meditation, to chill out.


a good quote from memory

"the mind is like a cup of muddy water. very hard to see things clearly. but once settled and calm, you can see things purely"

went something like that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top