what is meditation?

Subject: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:17 pm

Have u ever practised meditation?

what u felt?

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:13 pm

Yes, I had. Smile

But there are lots of different meditations and each of them has its own purpose. Razz

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:16 pm

Quote :: there are lots of different meditations

Work is also a form of meditation.

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:21 pm

If the purpose of a meditation is to teach a person to be "here and now" anything could be a meditation as long as u r "here and now"... hihi

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:37 pm

so, can u please tell about different meditations?

eg the one which helps to relax. and let your mind wonder

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:11 pm

Usually the purpose of a meditation is NOT to let your mind wonder... Wink

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:26 pm

If you want to know about the method then the simplest form would be just to sit relaxed in any position and pull yourself out of the daily chores...normal thoughts of life...while trying to concentrate upon any symbol or icon. Your mind shouldnt have anything except the focus on your symbol or icon.

Something I believe - I dont meditate, I practice meditation!

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:50 am

Owlet wrote:: Usually the purpose of a meditation is NOT to let your mind wonder...

really?

I think there is meditation when we think about river, then sea then ocean..... so mind goes from one to another

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:47 am

Ohhhhhhh...u mean guided meditation... Wink

It's different... Razz

Meditation is a discipline in which the mind is focused on an awareness. It usually involves turning attention to a single point of reference. The practice may engender a higher state of consciousness. Meditation is recognized as a component of almost all religions, and has been practiced for over 5,000 years. Meditative disciplines encompass a wide range of spiritual and/or psychophysical practices which can emphasize development of either a high degree of mental concentration, or the apparent converse, mental quiescence.

The word meditation comes from the Latin meditatio, which originally indicated every type of physical or intellectual exercise, then later evolved into the more specific meaning "contemplation."

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:39 am

practical tips for MEDITATION

Meditation, for most of us, is a silent and calming process. Which is why the spoken instructions in guided meditation often seem disturbing. But this is a misconception. Guided meditation makes you look deeply into your mind, face your suffering and be free of its bondage.

The function of meditation is to heal and transform. The energy that is used in meditation is mindfulness. To look deeply is to use mindfulness to see the true nature of things. The given mindfulness meditations, taken from the basic dhyana sutras of Source Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism, can help you discover your true nature. These exercises work best when done with a teacher. But you can also practice them alone. Be aware of each stage when you meditate. The meditation should begin by making a 'waking-up' sound on the rim of a bell. The guide should speak out each step followed by its key image.

MEDITATE IN JOY
1. Breathing in, I know I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.
2. Breathing in, my breath grows deep. Breathing out, my breath goes slowly.
3. Aware of my body, I breathe in. Relaxing my body, I breathe out.
4. Calming my body, I breathe in. Caring for my body, I breathe out.
5. Smiling to my body, I breathe in. Easing my body, I breathe out.
6. Smiling to my body, I breathe in. Releasing the tensions in my body, I breathe out.
7. Feeling the joy of being alive, I breathe in. Feeling happy, I breathe out.
8. Dwelling in the now, I breathe in. Enjoying the present moment, I breathe out.
9. Aware of my stable posture, I breathe in. Enjoying the stability, I breathe out. "
Through this exercise, you can taste the pure joy of being that meditation brings. Those who have already been meditating can use this exercise to nourish their body and mind and continue further on the path of meditation.

The first stage is to identify the breath. If this is an in-breath, the practitioner must know that it is an in-breath and vice versa.

The second stage is to see that the in-breath is growing deeper and the out-breath has slowed down. When this happens, the practitioner feels peace in body and mind.

The third stage brings the mind home to the body with the in-breath. While breathing out, the meditator allows the muscles in the shoulders, in the arms, and then in the whole body to relax, so that a feeling of comfort is apparent in the whole body.

The fourth stage calms the functions of the body with the in-breath. With the out-breath, the meditator expresses a heartfelt compassion for all the needs of the body.

The fifth stage brings relaxation to all the facial muscles. The meditator sends the half smile to the whole body, as if it were a fresh, cool stream of water.

The sixth stage is a continuation of the fifth stage. Here the breathing helps remove all the tension that still remains in the body.

The seventh stage brings awareness of the feeling of joy when the meditator breathes in. This is the joy of being alive, of being in good health, of being able to nourish the body at the same time as the soul.

The eighth stage brings the meditator back to the present moment with the in-breath. Both the in-breath and the out-breath help the meditator be in touch with the happiness of the present.

The ninth stage steadies the meditator in his sitting position. The meditator becomes master of his body and mind.

BREATHE, CONNECT
1. Aware of my eyes, I breathe in. Aware of light, I breathe out.
2. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of sound, I breathe out.
3. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of a cry of pain, I breathe out.
4. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of singing, I breathe out.
5. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of the sound of rain, I breathe out.
6. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of laughter, I breathe out.
7. Aware of my ears, I breathe in. Aware of silence, I breathe out.
8. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of touch, I breathe out.
9. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of the sun on my skin, I breathe out.
10. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of cool water on my skin, I breathe out.
11. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of ice there, I breathe out.
12. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of touching the bark of a tree, I breathe out.
13. Aware of my skin, I breathe in. Aware of touching an earthworm, I breathe out.
14. Aware of my teeth, I breathe in. Aware of an apple, I breathe out.
15. Aware of my teeth, I breathe in. Aware of a toothache, I breathe out.
16. Aware of my teeth, I breathe in. Aware of lemon juice, I breathe out.
17. Aware of my teeth, I breathe in. Aware of the dentist's drill, I breathe out.
18. Aware of my tongue, I breathe in. Aware of the taste of orange juice, I breathe out.
19. Aware of my tongue, I breathe in. Aware of the taste of lemon, I breathe out.
20. Aware of my tongue, I breathe in. Aware of the taste of salt water, I breathe out.
21. Aware of my tongue, I breathe in. Aware of the taste of hot pepper, I breathe out.
22. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of smell, I breathe out.
23. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of the scent of fresh grass, I breathe out.
24. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of the scent of roses, I breathe out.
25. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of the smell of dung, I breathe out.
26. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of tobacco smoke, I breathe out.
27. Aware of my lungs, I breathe in. Aware of the smell of the sea, I breathe out.
28. Aware of my liver, I breathe in. Aware of wine, I breathe out.
29. Aware of my liver, I breathe in. Aware of greasy food, I breathe out.
30. Aware of my liver, I breathe in. Aware of yellow skin caused by a sick liver, I breathe out.
31. Aware of my feet, I breathe in. Aware of shoes, I breathe out.
32. Aware of my feet, I breathe in. Aware of young grass, I breathe out.
33. Aware of my feet, I breathe in. Aware of sand on the beach, I breathe out.
34. Aware of my feet, I breathe in. Aware of a thorn, I breathe out.

This exercise helps us to be in contact with healing, wholesome and fresh things. After practicing these exercises, you can go outside and continue making connections with your six senses. The outside world will seem brighter and more beautiful.

IN TOUCH WITH FEELINGS
1. Aware of my body, I breathe in. Smiling to my body, I breathe out.
2. Experiencing the pain in my body, I breathe in. Smiling to the pain, I breathe out.
3. Recognizing that this is a physical pain, I breathe in. Knowing that this is no more than a physical pain, I breathe out.
4. Aware of the contents of my mind, I breathe in. Smiling to the contents of my mind, I breathe out.
5. Experiencing the pain in my mind, I breathe in. Smiling to pain, I breathe out.
6. Experiencing the pain of fear in me, I breathe in. Smiling to the pain of fear, I breathe out.
7. Experiencing the feeling of insecurity in me, I breathe in. Smiling to insecurity, I breathe out.
8. Experiencing the feeling of sadness in me, I breathe in. Smiling to sadness, I breathe out.
9. Experiencing the feeling of anger in me, I breathe in. Smiling to anger, I breathe out.
10. Experiencing the feeling of jealousy in me, I breathe in. Smiling to jealousy, I breathe out.
11. Experiencing the feeling of attachment in me, I breathe in. Smiling to attachment, I breathe out.
12. Experiencing the feeling of joy in me, I breathe in. Smiling to joy, I breathe out.
13. Experiencing the joy of liberty in me, I breathe in. Smiling to the joy of liberty, I breathe out.
14. Experiencing the joy of release in me, I breathe in. Smiling to the joy of release, I breathe out.
15. Experiencing the joy of abandoning in me, I breathe in. Smiling to the joy of abandoning, I breathe out.
16. Experiencing the neutral within all feelings in me, I breathe in. Smiling to the neutral within all feelings, I breathe out.

This exercise helps us be in touch with our feelings. They could be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. We must learn to recognize, acknowledge and welcome each one, and come to a deep realization of its nature. We should also acknowledge and look deeply at pleasant feelings as well as painful ones. A neutral feeling is neither pleasant nor painful. But when such feelings are recognized in mindfulness, they usually become pleasant

LOOKING DEEPLY
1. Aware of a wave on the ocean, I breathe in. Smiling to the wave, I breathe out.
2. Aware of the water in the wave, I breathe in. Smiling to the water, I breathe out.
3. Seeing the birth of a wave, I breathe in. Smiling to the birth of the wave, I breathe out.
4. Seeing the death of a wave, I breathe in. Smiling to the death of the wave, I breathe out.
5. Seeing the birthless nature of water in the wave, I breathe in. Smiling to the birthless nature of the water, I breathe out.
6. Seeing the deathless nature of water in the wave, I breathe in. Smiling to the deathless nature of the water, I breathe out.
7. Seeing the birth of my body, I breathe in. Smiling to the birth, I breathe out.
8. Seeing the death of my body, I breathe in. Smiling to the death, I breathe out.
9. Seeing the birthless nature of my body, I breathe in. Smiling to the birthless nature, I breathe out.
10. Seeing the deathless nature of my body, I breathe in. Smiling to the deathless nature, I breathe out.
11. Seeing the birthless nature of my consciousness, I breathe in. Smiling to the birthless nature, I breathe out.
12. Seeing the deathless nature of my consciousness, I breathe in. Smiling to the deathless nature, I breathe out.

The aim of this exercise is to help us look deeply into the true nature of all things. The phenomenal world seems to be marked by opposites: birth/death, one/many, defilement/purity, and so on. Mindful meditation enables us to see beyond these notions. The three seals of Buddhist teaching are impermanence, selflessness and nirvana. The reality of nirvana goes beyond all ideas of is or is not, one or many, place and no place, this and that.

This exercise uses the image of a wave and water as a metaphor for nirvana. The wave is birth and death; the water is nirvana. The wave is born and dies, rises and falls; is high and is low, comes to be and passes away, is many and is one. This is only a metaphor. Because we are able to look deeply, we discover its birthless and deathless nature and enter the world of suchness.

To practice these exercises, you can ask somebody to lead the meditation by reading out the instructions or you could record it in your own voice and play it while meditating.

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 11:40 am

"If you seek for freedom, you cannot find it. Absolute freedom itself is necessary before you can acquire absolute freedom. That is our practice."
-- Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"

"Realization is nothing to be gained afresh; it is already there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought 'I have not realized.'"
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

"There is no question of going anywhere, arriving anywhere, or doing anything; you are there already." -- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

"Your duty is TO BE, and not to be this or that. 'I am that I am' sums up the whole truth: the method is summarized in 'be still.'"
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

"Let this truth go as deep in you as possible: that life is already here, arrived. You are standing on the goal. Don't ask about the path."
--Osho

"A man who is seeking for realisation is not only going round searching for his spectacles without realising that they are on his nose all the time, but also were he not actually looking through them he would not be able to see what he is looking for!"
-- Wei Wu Wei

"Instead of searching for what you do not have, find out what it is that you have never lost."
-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

"We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before the reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now."
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

"Yet, paradoxically, it's all we really are! We are already fully Self-realized Beings. How this is possible is actually quite simple. You see, it's only our fantastic Mind that systematically, moment-to-moment, talks us out of it!"
-- F. Maiello

"We want money, or more sex or a bigger house or a better position, and finally we think we've gone beyond all that, because now we want enlightenment. It's just another ambition. It's no different from wanting any of the rest of it. It's just another egoic dream. If you let go of that, things are as they are."
-- Arjuna

"Getting rid of dualism is like undressing in order to know one is born naked. Striving for eternal truth is like a fish in the ocean searching for wet water. Nothing leads to the Absolute, nothing leads from the Absolute and nothing can change that."
-- Jan Barendrecht

"One may seek a teacher or spiritual path, but such will only provide more sensation, thought, and experience. One may seek to let go, but this activity will always depend on there being something to let go."
-- Dan Berkow

"This Grace can never be the result of a long history of spiritual practices or sadhanas, or following strict rules of conduct or does and don'ts. That is usually what strengthens the lie of an individual wanting enlightenment."
-- Carlos Lopez

"There is nothing that is to be learned. it is more of a process of letting go... you do not gain anything... how can you gain what has always been and will always be Reality...."
-- Ganga Karmokar

"Notice how painful it is, to constantly be wanting, wanting. This is our suffering."
-- Jim Gilman

"In my sadhana I realized, it's not what I do but what I stop doing that matters. There was nothing to be changed but simply my attitude, which required no conscious efforts but simple Awareness."
-- Jinendra Swami

"Do not strive for spirituality. If you do, you will block it. It will be prevented from coming into your life. That is the most difficult thing for most people to learn, not to get in their own way. It is already yours. It has always been so. Relax, be still, and you will see what I mean. It has never left you."
-- Raymond Karczewski

"It is conditioned thinking that says 'But we don't know that', because we are fully Aware of it. It is because of the conditioned thinking that we do not Realize that we are Aware of it. And so we *go* on *quests* try to 'Discover it for myself', all the time under the auspices of our conditioned thinking. So it is a conditioned quest and a conditioned discovery."
-- E.J. Light

"A friend and teacher said to me: 'At some point you must decide that you are finished. Then if you ever catch yourself in the bad habit of trying to get finished just stop it and keep quiet in the moment.'"
-- Keith Nightingale

"If you feel that you're not That, that's a thought. If you didn't have that thought where would you be? If you didn't have the thought that you are not realized, where would you be? What would your state be?"
-- A. Ramana

"If you seek for freedom, you cannot find it. Absolute freedom itself is necessary before you can acquire absolute freedom. That is our practice."
-- Shunryu Suzuki-roshi, from "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"
"Realization is nothing to be gained afresh; it is already there. All that is necessary is to get rid of the thought 'I have not realized.'"
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi
"There is no question of going anywhere, arriving anywhere, or doing anything; you are there already." -- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

"Your duty is TO BE, and not to be this or that. 'I am that I am' sums up the whole truth: the method is summarized in 'be still.'"
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

"Let this truth go as deep in you as possible: that life is already here, arrived. You are standing on the goal. Don't ask about the path."
--Osho

"A man who is seeking for realisation is not only going round searching for his spectacles without realising that they are on his nose all the time, but also were he not actually looking through them he would not be able to see what he is looking for!"
-- Wei Wu Wei

"Instead of searching for what you do not have, find out what it is that you have never lost."
-- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

"We think that there is something hiding our reality and that it must be destroyed before the reality is gained. It is ridiculous. A day will dawn when you will yourself laugh at your past efforts. That which will be on the day you laugh is also here and now."
-- Sri Ramana Maharshi

"Yet, paradoxically, it's all we really are! We are already fully Self-realized Beings. How this is possible is actually quite simple. You see, it's only our fantastic Mind that systematically, moment-to-moment, talks us out of it!"
-- F. Maiello

"We want money, or more sex or a bigger house or a better position, and finally we think we've gone beyond all that, because now we want enlightenment. It's just another ambition. It's no different from wanting any of the rest of it. It's just another egoic dream. If you let go of that, things are as they are."
-- Arjuna

"Getting rid of dualism is like undressing in order to know one is born naked. Striving for eternal truth is like a fish in the ocean searching for wet water. Nothing leads to the Absolute, nothing leads from the Absolute and nothing can change that."
-- Jan Barendrecht

"One may seek a teacher or spiritual path, but such will only provide more sensation, thought, and experience. One may seek to let go, but this activity will always depend on there being something to let go."
-- Dan Berkow

"This Grace can never be the result of a long history of spiritual practices or sadhanas, or following strict rules of conduct or does and don'ts. That is usually what strengthens the lie of an individual wanting enlightenment."
-- Carlos Lopez

"There is nothing that is to be learned. it is more of a process of letting go... you do not gain anything... how can you gain what has always been and will always be Reality...."
-- Ganga Karmokar

"Notice how painful it is, to constantly be wanting, wanting. This is our suffering."
-- Jim Gilman

"In my sadhana I realized, it's not what I do but what I stop doing that matters. There was nothing to be changed but simply my attitude, which required no conscious efforts but simple Awareness."
-- Jinendra Swami

"Do not strive for spirituality. If you do, you will block it. It will be prevented from coming into your life. That is the most difficult thing for most people to learn, not to get in their own way. It is already yours. It has always been so. Relax, be still, and you will see what I mean. It has never left you."
-- Raymond Karczewski

"It is conditioned thinking that says 'But we don't know that', because we are fully Aware of it. It is because of the conditioned thinking that we do not Realize that we are Aware of it. And so we *go* on *quests* try to 'Discover it for myself', all the time under the auspices of our conditioned thinking. So it is a conditioned quest and a conditioned discovery."
-- E.J. Light

"A friend and teacher said to me: 'At some point you must decide that you are finished. Then if you ever catch yourself in the bad habit of trying to get finished just stop it and keep quiet in the moment.'"
-- Keith Nightingale

"If you feel that you're not That, that's a thought. If you didn't have that thought where would you be? If you didn't have the thought that you are not realized, where would you be? What would your state be?"
-- A. Ramana

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:36 pm

MG_ wrote:: Have u ever practised meditation?

what u felt?

The perfect man : by Osho

Man is not only head and heart. There is something more than both in him: his being. So you have to understand three things: the head, the heart and the being.

I have said religion is of the heart, because religion is the bridge between head and being. The head cannot jump to the being directly unless it goes through the heart.

Science is confined to the head, reason, logic. The heart is confined to feelings, emotions, sensitivities. But the being is beyond both. It is pure silence — no thinking, no feeling. And only the man who knows his being, is authentically religious. The heart is only a stopover.

Your head will not be able to communicate with your being. For the head there is no being; that’s why scientists go on denying the soul. So I have to talk to you about the heart, which is midway.

It is possible for head to understand a little bit of the heart, because even the greatest scientist falls in love. His head cannot conceive what is happening. He cannot prove it rationally but he cannot deny it either. It is there, and it is possessing his whole life. That’s why I say religion is of the heart. That is only a temporary statement.

Once I can persuade you from thinking into feeling, then I can tell you that religion is of the being. Religion is neither thinking nor feeling. It is neither logic nor emotion. It is just pure silence. In one sense, utterly empty because there is no feeling, no thinking, and in another sense overflowing with bliss, with benediction.

Meditation is the way from the head to the heart, from the heart to the being. I would like all scientists to listen to the heart. That will change the very character of science. It won’t be in the service of death. It won’t create more and more destructive weapons. It will be in the service of life. It will create better roses, more fragrant roses. It will create better plants, better animals, better birds, better human beings.

The ultimate goal is to move from feeling to being. My vision of the new man is of a perfect man — perfect in the sense that all his three dimensions are functioning without contradicting each other but on the contrary, complementing each other. The perfect man will create a perfect world. The perfect man will create a world of scientists, a world of poets, a world of meditators.

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:54 pm

This is called upside down meditation
hihi

what is meditation? 839830901zjpnbf36hpim43oq3

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:54 pm

Try Vajrasana... for longer Meditation..!!

If you are a fan of meditation and want to prolong the time you dedicate to de-stressing try Vajrasana. This asana apart from being simple helps you sit and meditate for a long duration. In fact it’s the next best asana to the Padmasana.

Here’s how you can practice Vajrasana:

Method :

1. Sit in Dandasana (legs should be extended). Bend the left knee and put the sole of the foot under the buttocks, with toes pointing inwards. The right sole is similarly arranged under the right buttock.

2. Place your palms on the knees or you can make mudras with fingers. Knees should be close together and sit comfortably. Keep the spine erect, eyes closed and relax the body.

3. Concentrate on your breathing or count backwards from 20 to 1.

Dos and Don’ts:

1. Draw the heels out of the buttocks. Never sit on the heels.

2. Always keep the trunk erect, never bend forward. Many people find it difficult in the beginning. They complain of ankle pain. In such a case, you can place some towels rolled under the ankles.

Benefits:

This asana is very relaxing, and is very good for the thigh muscles and calves. Though it is a good form of exercise to strengthen knee joints, never practice it if you are suffering from arthritis.

By Dr K Manikyeswara Rao
Ayurvedic physician and a yoga expert

Subject: Re: what is meditation? Wed May 14, 2008 12:23 am

nic tips, Lena. Thanks a lot