Beginners Meditation

[Phoenix Within]

I keep hearing the health benefits of this and would like to try it, but where do you start? It seems like a multitude of different styles out there it's hard to figure which one is a good one st start with. For those of you who do practice meditation, where would you suggest beginning? For how long do you start with?

[Volkh]

I keep hearing the health benefits of this and would like to try it, but where do you start? It seems like a multitude of different styles out there it's hard to figure which one is a good one st start with. For those of you who do practice meditation, where would you suggest beginning? For how long do you start with?

Start with breathing exercises and observe how energies flow in your body. Make sure you are not on any medications, especially anti-depressants. Mix drugs and meditation and you could cause severe brain damage. Always breathe in clean air. You're going to be modifying how your mind and body operate. Diet is also important, but there's more leeway here. Yoga helps. Cannabis is bad because it causes a mental fog, same with other herbs and drugs.


Here's a good link with some beginning exercises. If you're interested in Aquarianism, that's the link's host site's spiritual path. Otherwise, just study the beginner's meditations part way down the page. Meditation is a pretty broad system, so this information is available in many other places.

http://www.enkiea.org/index/meditations



Cheers.

[Volkh]

The most important thing is to never overdo it. Usually ten to fifteen minutes a day is more than enough. Long, drawn-out meditative states don't work, but they certainly do teach patience. Depending on the exercise, brain damage can happen. Just be careful. There is a lot of misinformation out there, no thanks to mainstream publishers and 'experts'.

[Jo]

The main thing is to go into meditation without expectations. There's no such thing as a 'good' session or 'bad' session, just let it be a time of quiet for you, and the rest will come in time. Be patient, enjoy the quiet.

Get comfortable (sitting cross-legged with a straight back is good, using small cushions under your knees if sitting cross-legged is uncomfortable). Put your hands in the mudra position (or rather, that is what I do - just google it).

Breathe normally. Let your mind be quiet. At first it won't be, you'll have thoughts all over the place, but just count in your mind to four, then count to four again (if you get past four, or ten, or whatever number you've chosen, just go back to the count of one again). When you realize that you've spent the entire session thinking about your shopping list, that's okay, just meditate again next day. Never waste a second being bothered by a 'failure' to keep your mind quiet. Each time you meditate, just count. Eventually you won't need to count.

To clear your mind at the onset, have a mantra, just a short sentence that reminds you to stop thinking of the future and stop thinking of the past. One day just saying the words will immediately put your mind at rest.

There are meditation apps to start and end your meditation session with chimes, although you don't really need them. Incense, if you like it, can be lit just as you start, it can act as a trigger to the brain that it is time for a session (same with the chimes).

Start with five minutes of meditation, then work up. I find that 1/2 hour is ideal. It takes months before it feels as though it is changing your life, but it really is doing just that. It changes the way your brain works, and it will change how you face any situation in your life.

It's all good.

[daria]

Now we know Jo's secret for not nuking the forum and destroying us all! <3

These are a couple of songs from the Kundalini tradition that Mr. Daria and I enjoy:





I find Snatam Kaur's music helpful for creating a peaceful mood, and it can be to hear mantras pronounced correctly if one wants to use them for meditation.

[Phoenix Within]

Make sure you are not on any medications, especially anti-depressants. Mix drugs and meditation and you could cause severe brain damage.

What fringe website are you pulling this information from? That makes absolutely no sense, especially since I've heard it recommended for those with mental health issues.

[Jo]

Make sure you are not on any medications, especially anti-depressants. Mix drugs and meditation and you could cause severe brain damage.

There's absolutely no danger of any kind of brain damage with meditation.

[Volkh]

You both are inexperienced, then. This isn't fringe information, it's what I've gathered from over a decade of hard work. Medication alters how your brain operates. When you introduce meditation, this messes with the medication's processes. Just breathing in bad air during a meditation is enough to cause brain damage.

I'm sorry (and of course, I don't mean to offend you. Do whatever you wish.), but I can't endorse methods which, from my experience, either don't work or use unneeded time. One can go a quite a distance, providing the regimen is kept every day throughout.

[Jo]

You both are inexperienced, then. This isn't fringe information, it's what I've gathered from over a decade of hard work. Medication alters how your brain operates. When you introduce meditation, this messes with the medication's processes. Just breathing in bad air during a meditation is enough to cause brain damage.

Yet you offer nothing to support your opinion. An opinion, I might add, that runs contrary everything written about meditation. Links?

[daria]

Breath Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation

Persons with ABIs/TBIs (Acquired Brain Injuries/Traumatic Brain Injuries) can benefit from meditation. These same persons can also be on anti-convulsant and a whole host of other medications. I have never heard of meditation as contraindicated for those on medication. EVER.

Please provide links.

[Volkh]

Yet you offer nothing to support your opinion. An opinion, I might add, that runs contrary everything written about meditation. Links?

It's not an opinion, and it is not contrary to everything ever written on meditation.

I posted a link. See my disclaimer on it. I'll get back to you people with more later.


Cheers.

[Phoenix Within]

It's not an opinion, and it is not contrary to everything ever written on meditation.

Saw the link. Vague writing with no backing. Any schmuck can make their own disclaimer on a website.

[normaM]

I find sitting on a patio eating a yummy burger with fries, onion rings and gravy -
works Well PW. You can become one with the universe
I took a few courses - I can't clear my mind so it doesn't work
The deep breathing, great

[Jo]

I think everybody feels at first that they can't clear their mind - I know I did. The trick is just doing the meditation anyway, and gently bringing your mind back to the number count each time it strays. Eventually, you can clear your mind, and that's when it can be a restful endeavour to achieve peace of mind. There were times when I did an entire day's worth of shopping while sitting there cross-legged on the floor, lol, and that was okay too. That's the ghing, just letting it be whatever it is, but always going back to your count to four or ten or whatever. The whole reason for the short count is so you can be reminded, when you get to 384 that you've lost track, lol.

[prismsea]

Tuja Wellness did a 30 day meditation challenge earlier in the year. Everyday an audio file link was sent to your inbox. It started with 5 mins and gradually increasted to 20 minutes.

Here's the link to the first day http://www.tujawellness.com/articles/events2/30-day-meditation-challenge/day-1-5-minute-meditation.html. The next days can be found at the bottom of the page. Its not ideal as it was meant to be emailed out to all challenge takers, but it might give you a place to start.