Meditation

[DanielBenoit]

Does anybody here meditate?

What techniques do you use?

What have been your experiences?

[Maximilianus]

I have practised yoga for some time and there was a period of my life, not so long ago, when I began studying Aikido. I obtained physical benefits of course, but haven't been able to master meditation techniques, probably because the classes I took from both disciplines were more concentrated on physical matters than on spiritual or mental development. I can't melt the snow by increasing my inner heat with mental power, as Tibet monks are reputed of being capable of. Nor can I shut my mind off completely from everyday routine.

I have heard what some people claim to do in order to meditate. Some say they just stop thinking, because meditation is supposed to be the act of not thinking at all, and they say they do it by gradually reducing the amount of thoughts they have in mind at one single moment, for example by reducing all you have in your head to just one picture or moving scene. They say you can picture yourself doing something you like a lot, thinking only about that and getting rid of all other thoughts gradually. Some others say they form in their minds the image of a sheet of white paper and think only about it. Others claim to use the image of a cloud which they use as an eraser of all other thoughts, until only the cloud remains and nothing else.

I have tried all of these methods and none of them has worked for me to a 100%, but surely it has to do with my problem of indiscipline. I can't quite find a way to be a disciplined practitioner of anything, so very likely one or all of these methods will have a good effect on others. As for me, I content myself with listening to certain types of music, to horses neighing and to birds chirping, and smelling flowers or the scent of a meal, if such relaxing activities can be regarded as a form of meditation.

[LitNetIsGreat]

I flirted with it a little last year, but it was just a very brief affair. As I said before somewhere else I can't go 5 minutes without wanting to read or drink something (or eat cheese) so it won't work for me. I do think that it is a good idea though to let the mind rest a little, especially if we have had a hectic day, for this I just take a bath or a little nap sometimes...and that works just as well for me. :as-sleep: