How do you meditate?

I need help to learn how to meditate. Could someone please link to a good guide or explain. I know you're supposed to concentrate, and that is part of my problem. I can't really control my thoughts, I'm always thinking about something. Also if I meet some being, I don't want to think something stupid or insulting that I don't really mean.

Thanks in advance, I know it might sound dumb but we all start somewhere.

Well i would suggest using the search function on this site, it has alot of good info. Also has alot of not so good info.

also consider visiting : www.astraldynamics.com...

also look up Ingo Swann, there's some good info about him which will lead you to remote viewing. Although its not meditation it teaches concentration, which is very important in meditation.

Also a good thing to keep in mind is to work at it slowly. For example, before you begin things such as energy work ( read astral dynamics for an explanation ) you should get the breathing and concentration down. Work your way up slowly, make sure you fully master all parts of meditation before moving on.

Also try not to fall asleep, i recommend doing it during the day if you can find time.

Also if you search edgar cayce, you will find alot of good tips he has given about meditation. Just google "edgar cayce on meditation" or replace "meditation" with something like trance.

Basically in the end you will need to figure out your own method for meditation as everyone does it differently. Take some tips from other people here and there, but in the end use your own unique way.

I'll look at this tomorrow, since I'm getting sleepy. Thanks for helping me out!

Concentration is a product of meditation and not a prerequisite.
The aim of meditation is not to control your thoughts but to be aware of them.
The basics are really simple: relax and observe.

Note that to observe is different than to judge.
Example: You can meditate by sitting on the backyard and listening to birds. But don't start judging the birds singing as annoying or beautiful. Just be aware that it is there and that it is reaching you. Let it soak you but do not take conclusions about the soaking!

Important observation: To try to meditate is to meditate. Don't get frustrated by thinking you are not doing it right because there is no right way to do it.

You will notice that it is really hard to not be distracted by your thoughts. That is totally normal. Just remember that you are there to meditate, let go of your thoughts and focus your attention on whatever you were focusing before your thoughts distracted you.

I'd agree with Geladinhu. Letting go (easier said than done!) of thoughts and emotions and focusing on breathing/a mantra/an object/whatever is a much better way to put it than "concentration."

I'd also add that in my case I've found that meditation starts feeling more rewarding after a few days of consecutive practice. (Hence the term "practice!")

It's usually relaxing right away, but achieving deeper states seems to require some regularity. I also find it useful to remember that the practice is its own reward.

Also you may want to try starting with a shorter length of time, like 10 minutes or so, and then increase it gradually as you adjust to it.

Best of luck!

Release expectations.

Understand that your subconscious does a different, more complex task than your conscious mind. While you are meditating with intention, your subconscious is working on whatever work you have given it, however your conscious mind doesn't "think" the thoughts or "do" the work.

Your reality is a result of your subconscious mind, more so than your conscious, planning mind.

You may not believe this work by the subconscious is being done because you're not aware of those thoughts. They're like the actions of a company board of directors that will effect you but the meeting is being held in another city, and you don't know anything about it. . Whether you believe the subconscious works independently or not doesn't matter. It will continue its work whether you believe in it or not.

Put simply, meditation is the conscious deployment of this role of the subconscious mind.

To do this work in buddhist vipassana - otherwise known as mindfulness meditation - is to stay still, and rest the thoughts exclusively on the breath.

The Vipassana meditator uses his concentration as a tool by which his awareness can chip away at the wall of illusion which cuts him off from the living light of reality. It is a gradual process of ever-increasing awareness and into the inner workings of reality itself. It takes years, but one day the meditator chisels through that wall and tumbles nto the presence of light. The transformation is complete. It's called liberation, and it's permanent. Liberation is the goal of all buddhist systems of practice. But the routes to attainment of the end are quite diverse.

www.urbandharma.org...


[edit on 20-7-2009 by undermind]

[edit on 20-7-2009 by undermind]

Meditation has as much variety as the variety of the beings who meditate.

For me, meditation is activity. Do you have something that gets you into the "zone"? That's meditation right there.

Any activity where your creative thoughts are required to operate your body with no input from your conscious, your mind is then free to be clear.

Yeah, sitting meditation is good, and is a part of what i'm saying, but that can only take one so far. You gotta be good at something or there will be no canvas on which to paint your life's picture.

For me, I use a variety of activities. Skateboarding, hardcore biking(BMX,MTB,freeride,biketrials, and motocross), adventure race style hiking and running, painting, graffiti arts (legal) and also freestyle lyricism. I used to shoot pool at a pretty ridiculous level, owning tournaments, getting paid for it for a bit. These, and all the above activities require an exceptional amount of skill to perform to a level where all aspects of focus come into place.

Any of these activities, and a whole range of other stuff can help you learn to direct focus. You could write, sing, dance, surf, tie flies, play guitar, or engage in martial arts and weaponry.

When you find your thing, what you're good at, actively use it for meditation. It's an excuse to control your breathing, on focusing on the real now, and occupying your brain with the immediate need to process a single complex task. At this point you're 90% there. Just let go. Abandon everything when you reach that point. The zone, when you're flawless and formless in your expression, you can't miss, your mind is empty, you're on autopilot. That's what you want to reach if you're able to do active meditation.

For sitting meditation, surround yourself with a harmonious setting, nature is best, under a tree away from the world gets you away from the "hum". You don't have to sit, just be still in a comfortable position where breathing is unrestricted.

My method, I'll use sitting meditation to prepare for my active meditation.

Try not to use words in your thoughts, words are limits and barriers, judgements, assessments, and calculations, especially in english, where there's so many alternate and meaningless words. Words are shallow, don't allow them to constrain you. What you seek is not something there is a word or a gajillion words for.

I find the best meditation is nature and thought meditation.

When i meditate i dont erase my thoughts i think its the wrong thing to do. As our thoughts create things. If your thoughts are positive it allows your dreams and future aspects to come into fruition. I recommend reading "The ringing cedars" for more insight to this.

Thought is a gift to man by Creator. Creator used his thoughts to create our world and this universe and gave us the gift to do this also. So if you meditate in nature your talking to creator.

Speed of positive thought brings about its manifestation.

Besides what people said to you above, try to not drink so much drinks that contain too much caffeine (Coffey, cola, pepsi, and others).Also, careful at what you eat.Eat stuff that doesn't make you agitated.