Meditation A simple guide to practice and do.

[M Kirkpatrick]

My name is Michael, and i have been practising meditation for over the past forty years, i was twenty nine years old when i started, and now i am seventy
three years young. I have been given so much from meditation and it has enriched my life beyond measure, therefore because of this richness that I have
experienced, i thought about sharing that here, and offering my experience as a way of giving something back, from what I have so greatly received over
these past four decades.
Meditation is basically the science of knowing yourself, and like yoga(which means union) so that through the practice of meditating we begin co-joining
all the fragmented parts of us, into eventually becoming a whole and well inter-grated human being.
So how do we start this off? What do we need to do? And how long shall we sit quietly at the beginning? All these questions will be answered, plus the way
to start of, which I consider the most simple and uncomplicated way to meditate, in fact this is the way I use today after forty years and more.
Meditation is also about expansion, expansion of consciousness, perception, awareness, and an increase in sensitivity and understanding, it opens the door
to our inner intuitive faculties.
Will begin with this more tomorrow, hope there are some of you out there that are interested in this, if so then please let me know here.

warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

There are I am sure about a thousand and one different ways to meditate, and we can all choose which one suits us best, this was the dilemma that presented itself to me, over forty years ago, I really felt the need to meditate but which sort of meditation shall I choose? I had heard about then in 1975 that a popular form of meditation was called Transcendental Meditation founded by the Maharishi Yogi, and that the Beatles pop group at that time were learning this form of meditation, and being personally instructed in how to do it by the Maharishi himself. I decided this form of meditation was not for me, and of course it cost money to learn it then,and money was tight with me then. So I found a way to meditate that was absolutely free of charge, and whats more easy to learn.
All this method requires is for you to sit comfortably you can cross your legs if you want to and find that position east to adopt, or if that is difficult, just cross your ankles together, your hands can be placed on your lap, palms facing upwards, and just touching the thumb and forefinger together, try and sit with your back as straight as is comfortable to you, then when you have done all this, close your eyes, take a big breath in, and exhale, then all you need to do is breathe in through and out through your nose and just observe your breath, just focus your attention on your breathing in and out, that is all you need to do! If you are an absolute beginner at this, then I suggest starting this for just five or maybe ten minutes at a time. What we will be gradually aiming for, is for a reduction in the number of thoughts that enter our heads, at the start of this many will feel almost overwhelmed by the onslaught of so many thoughts, which will seem at first very magnified, because we are sitting still and relaxing. This intensity of thoughts will gradually get less, the more we practice this discipline.
Will post more on this later, if anyone is interested in this meditation learning posts, please feel free to ask any questions here on this forum, or send me an email at [email protected]
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

I have basically used the same method of meditation for the past forty years, and this is the one that i will always refer to here in this thread. It is i feel the easiest way to
practice meditation, all you have to do after sitting in a comfortable position with your legs either crossed, or just crossed at the ankles, close your eyes, try and keep your back and spine erect as is comfortable for you, and with your eyes closed and just looking focusing your gaze at the point where the eye lids meet, then breath in deeply, and exhale, then
just focus on your breathing, just let your breathing slowly establish a steady rhythm , in and out, breathing through your nose, and just paying attention and focused of your breath
ignore all the thoughts that will arise in your mind, just let them go, imagine that your thoughts are like the credits that roll up the screen at the end of a film, just let the
thoughts roll up and out of your mind. This will take much practice before all thoughts falter and fade out, do not be worried by this, we have spent our entire lives thinking
thoughts every waking second of every day. It will improve the more you practice it. i suggest that if you are just beginning to use meditation, then start of with just five or
ten minutes, sitting quietly and observing your breath, as that get easier for you with practice, then add another five minutes, and see how that goes.
That's enough for today, i hope someone out there has an interest in this.
warmest regards Michael.

[little-self]

Your method of 'teaching' is superb! Carry on brother.lov&regards

[M Kirkpatrick]

Your method of 'teaching' is superb! Carry on brother.lov®ards

Thank you brother for your vote of confidence, hope it can be of some use to any reader.
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

When we begin the practice of meditation it is best not to rush things, that way we will not be disappointed by what we might see as failures. If we have never tried this before
and are not used to just sitting quietly and doing nothing, it is best then that we begin by just sitting quietly for say five or ten minutes, no longer than that at first.
We find a comfortable place to sit, then sit down, we can either cross our legs, or if that is uncomfortable for us, then just cross your ankles, it does not actually make any
difference, place your hands palms up, holding onto your thumb and forefinger resting your hands either on your lap, or the arm of the chair. Keep your back as straight as is
comfortable for you, an erect spine is best, but we need also to be comfortable and relaxed. If some of you find it difficult to relax easily, then before starting to meditate,
relax each part of your body by flexing then releasing each muscle,starting from your feet up through to the crown of your head,this way your body will be relaxed and
floppy. close your eyes, and look directly into the point where your eyelids meet, focus your gaze there all the time you are meditating, inhale with a deep breath, then exhale
with some force, then just begin breathing gently and naturally with a steady rhythm, and while doing this listen and just observe your breath, ignore all thoughts that will
arise, and there will be very many of those in the beginning,this is perfectly normal, after all you have been thinking billions of thought all your life. Imagine that all those
thoughts are credits rolling up on a screen at the end of a film,just ignore them totally, and just let them roll on up, do not even attempt to stop this process, as this will
lead to failure every time, just let them roll on, and do nothing about them at all. let go of them as best you can. The more you practice meditation the easier it will become
I would suggest that you try and do this every day, and please do not resist this suggestion with the reason of not having the time to do this every day! We are talking about
five or ten minutes per day here!
Thats is enough for today. warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

The more we practice meditation the easier it becomes, when we first start meditating it is best to start with just five or ten minutes at a time, do this for a while
until it becomes very easy for you to do, then simply add another five minutes, it is best to do this every day if at all possible, if you think you have not got that
time to spare each day, then get up half an hour earlier! That will solve your shortage of time situation. Try and make your meditation practice a part of your daily
routine, that way it will gradually fit into your life seamlessly. If any of you reading this, have any questions at all, then either ask them here on this thread, or send me an
email or private message, my email address is [email protected] I am retired and have plenty of spare time to answer any queries so please ask anything
that occurs to you, and I will do my best to answer it. Will post more later.
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

The more we practice meditation the more we settle into the act, relaxing is most important, and before you actually start meditating, it is a good idea to relax your whole
body, starting from your feet and working up to your head, flexing and then relaxing all the muscles as you go up the body. By the time you reach your head, you should
feel deeply relaxed and heavy in the chair or cushion your sat on. Then close your eyes, cross your legs, or ankles if the other is difficult for you, rest your palms facing upwards
on your lap, focus your eyes on the point where your eye lids meet, take a deep in breath, then exhale loudly, then just breath in a normal way in and out through your nose.
build up a steady and rhythmic flow of in and out breaths,just observe your breath, and ignore any rising thoughts, pay no attention to them at all, what you are eventually
aiming for is a no-thought state, complete inner silence, it is only when we arrive at this state does real meditation begin. But do not despair, it takes time to eventually quell
those thoughts, we have been continually thinking none stop all of our lives, so we will not stop this practice overnight. Just be patient and do the best you can each day, as the
saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you are just beginning this then please sit for no longer than five or ten minutes at a time, then when you find this easy, add another five minutes, and so on.
more later/
warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

Meditation can be seen as the science of knowing, which is another phase further into reality than just believing, by setting aside five or ten minutes per day and sitting in
the silence of quiet meditation, it is really important to make this a daily discipline, please do not say you cannot do this for lack of time in your busy day, that is just not so
if necessary get up half an hour earlier than usual, we can always find the time, if we really want to. The more we practice this discipline, the greater clarity will present itself to our consciousness, and this will lead to deeper relaxation and a gradual expansion of consciousness and awareness.
Later
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

I feel as though am justing talking to myself with this thread, but you never know, someone might just say, Hey! I have always wanted to learn how to meditate and this thread is the way forward for me, I know for myself that I never thought about meditation until i was confronted with a major crisis and life threatening situation, then when i was recovering the idea of meditation as a way to keep relaxed and focused seemed like a good Idea, so I started practicing and am still meditating over forty three years later.The main thing we all need to know, is the answer to the question, who am "I"? If we take up the practice of regular daily meditation, we will all eventually find the answer to that most vital question, who am "I".
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

I feel as though am justing talking to myself with this thread, but you never know, someone might just say, Hey! I have always wanted to learn how to meditate and this thread is the way forward for me, I know for myself that I never thought about meditation until i was confronted with a major crisis and life threatening situation, then when i was recovering the idea of meditation as a way to keep relaxed and focused seemed like a good Idea, so I started practicing and am still meditating over forty three years later.The main thing we all need to know, is the answer to the question, who am "I"? If we take up the practice of regular daily meditation, we will all eventually find the answer to that most vital question, who am "I".
Warmest regards Michael.

[tailor STATELY]

Been enjoying your thoughts.

I meditate after a fashion and have received personal revelation from the pursuit, including a poem or two or three... It is by virtue of my faith that I know who I am. An audio discussion/example on Christ based meditation: https://www.mormonchannel.org/listen/series/mormon-channel-daily-audio/christ-centered-meditation-continued-december-29-2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[M Kirkpatrick]

Been enjoying your thoughts.

I meditate after a fashion and have received personal revelation from the pursuit, including a poem or two or three... It is by virtue of my faith that I know who I am. An audio discussion/example on Christ based meditation: https://www.mormonchannel.org/listen/series/mormon-channel-daily-audio/christ-centered-meditation-continued-december-29-2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

Thank you for your input here tailor STATELY, I was beginning to think i was talking to myself! And thanks for the link you sent will listen to that later.
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

Been enjoying your thoughts.

I meditate after a fashion and have received personal revelation from the pursuit, including a poem or two or three... It is by virtue of my faith that I know who I am. An audio discussion/example on Christ based meditation: https://www.mormonchannel.org/listen/series/mormon-channel-daily-audio/christ-centered-meditation-continued-december-29-2015

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

Thank you for your input here tailor STATELY, I was beginning to think i was talking to myself! And thanks for the link you sent will listen to that later.
Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

The music of the spheres is played out in our everyday life, largely completely unknown to us, all life by its nature of "being alive" has a tonal signature note, a musical note
in fact, these notes are played out in rhythmic harmonies, and disharmonies each day of our life here on earth, it is all part of the universal Divine harmonics that plays
out the tune and symphony of expressed life-ful-ness. What has all this to do with meditation you may well ask? Well if we take up the practice of meditation, and have a regular time set aside for this daily activities, we will in fact be "tuning in" to inner harmonies, which will in turn improve your living note balance, which in turn will reflect back better health
and mental and emotional cohesion. To put it bluntly, if we are "out of tune" we become ill. our life tonal sound will become discordant and instead of dancing through life, we will stumble and fall, tuning in to life's note, is to remain healthy, and expand your consciousness level
warmest regards, Michael.

[tailor STATELY]

Nice post.

Soft music alone helps me to center. I enjoyed singing in our choir (taking a short break while ministering to my wife) because our hymns help to invite the Spirit by utilizing the Universal Divine Harmonics you mentioned. On the flip side I notice a withdrawing of the Spirit when listening to rock music.

I've been using meditative music on YouTube for some time for relaxation and sleep:
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njHvGxZgTPk&t=14531s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGCtEPnYzM8&t=9s

I also use similar music utilizing Binaural Beats at various frequencies - which do have some detrimental side effects for children and pregnant women that should be taken into account, and may cause headaches in others.

... and I also use natural sounds to help me sleep - especially a loop of ocean waves I access on my Kindle (no birds/instruments/etc); and less frequently rain/forest/babbling brook sounds.

I like your phrase "tuning in" to inner harmonies which I try to tune into when I get a chance to completely block out all sound and reflect.

A few poems I've written on the subject:


Of "Hymns" I Sing (pg. ix)

Though I sing out of time
and sing out of tune
My Heavenly Father
fills me with
His perfect love
and His spirit... when
I sing from hymns
divine

11/25/2012 r.11/26/2012



Gem in the Rough

I'd been in reflection
After reading my scriptures
In meditation listening
To a selection of random soft music
Concentrating mostly on my breathing
My heart beating its interminable beat
When I heard a sweet melody
From, most appropriately,
"Notes From the Tree of Life"
Accompanied by a still quiet voice
Beyond doubt by the Holy Spirit
I then realized
His simple Heavenly message
A spiritual gem to declare:

Christ Lives !
Then was prompted to share it with you

12/12/2010





I Meditate


A mandala has imprinted upon my mind -

truly a wheel of fortune - one eternal round

Center - the tree of life with all its purity

Lehi's vision made manifest welcomes my thought

I reflect upon my burial in water -

upon my gift of fire - a reluctant saint

no longer I would aspire to the innocence

the faith of the humble man from Cupertino -

to feast upon His perfect love - life eternal

8/17/2017

Ta ! (short for tarradiddle),
tailor STATELY

[M Kirkpatrick]

Many thanks, Tailor STATELY for the post you made, will look at the links you also posted, thanks. I usually sleep like a log, but on occasions do have trouble nodding off, so those links you sent me will be very handy in that case. I usually meditate every morning and evening.

Warmest regards Michael.

[M Kirkpatrick]

A stranger unto yourself, that is what I was, until the opportunity to practice meditation entered into my consciousness over forty years ago, due to a life-threatening illness is seen by me as a major crisis. I have since pondered on the idea and the internal inkling that i was not alone in being a stranger to myself. I have since seen many who did not know who they were, imagine living within your body for say seventy or eighty years, and just as you are about to die, think who the hell am I really? It is a sad state that there are literally billions of us, who have not got a clue about their real immortal idenitity, many are not interested, many are just ignorant. and seem content to stay that way, and there are others who are keen and have experienced things within themselves, that have caused them to question, who am I really? These few are torch bearers that will lighten the way for their kin folk when they are ready to take that next step into the unknown. Meditation is the science of knowing, rather than believing.
Warmest regards Michael.