Quieting the mind: Some advice needed

Hi everyone
I'm starting up a daily routine of 30 min meditation, mostly early evening.
My problem is with focus, be it my breath, or a single image of whatever my mind
can conjure up. I've put some select Binaural beats on the iPod & I'm trying to
focus only on the beats as some have suggested. But my mind seems to be a
little "louder" so to speak.

Any advice?

Just gotta practice. The saying 'persistence is key' has a lot of value in that way. Over time they'll get less and less. If you do nothing but just sit there with closed eyes, the ego is bound to slowly shrivel up because it cannot taste, see, touch etc. It can't get the sensations if all you do is.. sit there meditating. I myself haven't started that process yet but that is how ya do it. Enjoy it.

Tell your thoughts to shut the hell Up! aaahhh see nice and quite you have to firm with the thoughts they get carried away like a cowd of people all yapping at the same time.

reply to post by don rumsfeld


Hi Don, love those stand-up desks.

To the point, there are things we know, and things we don't know...

One of the things you don't know is MANTRA, not the military acronym but a phrase you repeat out loud or in your mind to drown out the things you don't know that you don't know.

A mantra does not have to make sense, in fact, like justification for warfare it's probably better if it doesn't.

just throwing suggestions out... not an expert but I've been told that reading books help reign in control of thinking...and stay away from a lot of talking from others and entertainment media.

Why don't you meditate in total quiet, or in sort of quiet natural environment and look for "natural rhythms" for a bit if you feel your mind is too busy. perhaps the other stuff is helping you, just not in that way. Maybe some of it is elevating your mood or something which might not necessarily ease the flow of thoughts.

reply to post by don rumsfeld


Try ditching the electronics first, then go outside and sit somewhere in the shade.

Then get comfortable and just relax. Don't look at anything in particular. Let your breathing become regular and steady and calm your body into utter stillness.

Breathe in the aromas, feel the wind, the ground, the shade, see the landscape, but don't think about them: it will be hard at first, but with luck they will soon simply be there.

Keep doing it until it you realize you don't now how long you've sat there or when you last had a conscious thought.

That's part of the training I was put through as a child by my Apache grandmother. It worked pretty well for me.

You might as well download Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and put it on your ipod.

It's good for learning to quiet the mind...



When you start making changes to your belief systems and especially learning to meditate, some resistance is going to come up. It's natural and perseverance will pay off.

Originally posted by apacheman
reply to post by don rumsfeld

 

Try ditching the electronics first, then go outside and sit somewhere in the shade.

Then get comfortable and just relax. Don't look at anything in particular. Let your breathing become regular and steady and calm your body into utter stillness.

Breathe in the aromas, feel the wind, the ground, the shade, see the landscape, but don't think about them: it will be hard at first, but with luck they will soon simply be there.

Keep doing it until it you realize you don't now how long you've sat there or when you last had a conscious thought.

That's part of the training I was put through as a child by my Apache grandmother. It worked pretty well for me.

that sounds a lot like blending in to the natural rhythms in nature. Like you describe you get lost in them...you become a part of them and it's no longer as if you are looking at nature but being nature. The natural rhythms in nature are actually pretty strong... and with them there is no need to emulate. Not saying that modern things can't help with some things... but when in doubt or in the event of problems, it's often good to go back to basics. The earth is your greatest long term foothold in this life.

I'm with those who say ditch the electronics.

I'd go with something real old and traditional...a technique at least 500 years old, say. Why? Well, simply because if its still around after that much time, it suggests it has value.

There are also many sub-classes of mediation and they are all different. You should develop your own regimin or program eventually...some will say you need a qualified teacher and probably you do for some forms of meditation, but I'm a great DIY'er and, rightly or wrongly, I am not so keen on "teachers" and "gurus" and whatnot.

Some basic forms of mediatation to think about...not a comprehensive list by any means, but just something to explore, to give you an idea of the scope:
Hindu/Vedic one-pointed meditation
Hindu devotional meditation (devostion to a particular diety)
Hindu Tantric meditation
Theravada Buddhist meditation
Zen Buddhist meditation
Mahayana visualizations: and contemplations (Amida Buddha, etc.)
Buddhist or Hindu chanting-based meditation
Buddhist Tantric/Vajrayana meditation (pretty technical...you have to go sit in a Himalayan cave for a few decades to get the real swing of this stufff...)
Western/European traditions: Kaballistic meditation, esoteric exercises, Christian mysticism, Lectio Divina ("Divin Reading), Russian/Greek Orthodox meditation and "prayer of the heart," Contemplative prayer, etc...there are many rich traditions here to be mined for those put off by the cultural "flavor" of Eastern techniques.

Good luck!

You want to quiet your mind? Go for a walk in the evening. A jog or run would be much better though.

Walk and take in the sights and sounds. Focus on your breathing and your heartrate.

After jogging, I notice my mind really quiets down and I can enjoy the rest of my night with a clear mind.

From this point, meditative states will be easier to attain.

reply to post by apacheman


You know, I go to Laguna Beach often & I've seen the same woman
on several occasions who sits on a bench in a very touristy area & meditates
unmoved for long periods. I don't know how she does it.

Sometimes the things that screech through our heads are just day to day worries and things that we didn't quite finish thinking about or handle earlier OR it it sometimes things that we are worried that we will forget. I found one remedy to this problem. Take a few minutes and write down all the things that are either bothering you just won't let your mind rest. Leave all of them there on the paper and perhaps maybe even write down a few solutions. This will give you a sense of relief and accomplishment in regards to these thoughts. Then, soak in a nice warm bath with some tea and soft music.

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah


Walking through some neighborhoods in the evening may not help to lower stress.

Here's a technique I use.

Get comfortable, close your eyes, then take two deep breaths. Then, slowly inhale for four seconds while counting off in your mind, one one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand, four one-thousand. Then hold your breath for the same count, again counting it off in you mind. After that count, exhale to the backward count of eight; eight one-thousand, seven one-thousand, etc. The key point is to continue inhaling to the full count, even if you feel you can't fit any more air into your lungs, and keep exhaling to the full count, even if you feel you have no air left in your lungs. After the last count on the exhale, mentally say your keyword and repeat as often as needed. Usually once or twice works for me.

At the end of the backwards eight-count I say "focus" in my mind because this is a technique I use clear my head and concentrate for serious pool games. You can change the word you say at the end for your own purpose. Trust me, this works well. Give it a try.

Originally posted by VictorVonDoom
reply to post by SolarE-Souljah

 

Walking through some neighborhoods in the evening may not help to lower stress.

Ha! Sounds like my neighborhood.
I'll give the counting a shot. There's a fountain in front of my apartment so maybe
both will help.

Try viewing your thoughts as a river flowing through your mind, or like an old fashioned wall street ticker tape. Observe them, if you get attached to one and begin to follow it (ie think about it), as soon as you become aware, detach and go back to watching the flow. Sounds easy, isn't.

Keep trying, eventually you will be able to do it.

It's pretty simple really:

The less outer stimuli, the more noise in your head. That's normal. That's the way you get to know your thoughts and yourself. It's a process you'll have to go though. Analyzing your mind and thoughts brings clarity and insight. It raises awareness. You may start to notice things you haven't noticed before.

But if you want to empty your head i suggest: working. Activity. Be it cleaning up the house, whatever. I find sports and gaming a fine way to zero the brain. Too much meditation/quieting can definitely lead to overanalyzing which leads to doubt. It's about balance of the two.

I hope this made sense

reply to post by don rumsfeld


Silence will reveal itself when the danger in thought is seen.
Only when thought is seen through, seen for what it is, will you stop investing time and energy in it.
Peace and stillness is what you are. When peace and quiet is seen and known as preferable to violence and noise, the thinking mind will become redundant.
The apparent world can be as noisy as it wants, yet, you are the silent, stillness upon which it all appears.
Feel only, feel the colors, the sounds, the sensations. Just be.
All thoughts will take you away from what is real. You are the only reality, the ever present presence awareness.
Everything else is just passing. All experience is impermanent. You are not, you are that that is the silent witness of all things.
Meditation is not a practice, it is what you are.

reply to post by don rumsfeld


Give this old thread a read, there is some great ideas/info in it.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I remember that my mind became exponentially clear when I developed a fear that other beings would try to read it and use the contents of my mind against me.

I forgot to mention an important point. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.