I've tried to meditate many times now. Guided meditation, relaxing music, beating sounds, everything... I just can't relax enough. I don't know how to do it.
Do you try to meditate for a specified amount of time? Meditation isn't merely relaxing your body and mind, it is a disciplined skill and it requires what is essentially training. One of the more helpful things I've found (and I found it by way of Dr. David Shoemaker) is to set it firmly in your mind that you are going to meditate for a specified amount of time (15 minutes, lets say), and you persist in the attempt to meditate for the entire 15 minutes no matter how badly it goes. When your mind wanders you pull it back. When your mind starts with idle chatter or playing music or whatever else, do your best to ignore it - it won't go away immediately, but it will eventually subside. These are just the mental version of how once you start meditating you'll suddenly start itching or need to fidget because no position is quite comfortable. The body and mind are like spoiled children and when we ignore them for the sake of meditation they begin to act out and demand our attention - do not give in to them.
If you set and stick to a meditation regimen the body and mind will slowly let go of their need to constantly act out against you when you try to still yourself. Choose a single type of meditation, decide to do it for a set amount of time every time you meditate, and set a clear schedule of when you'll do it during the week and do not let yourself be moved from it.
If the problem also includes physical relaxation be sure to examine and address anything which may be causing it - are you breathing deeply enough? Are you sitting in a position which makes breathing deeply and comfortably difficult? Is your position straining your joints? If you're sitting upright it should feel like your vertebrae are stacked and balanced one atop each other, and if you're having to tense to keep in the position you are likely not balanced (I have this problem in that I keep wanting to lean forward just a tiny bit - it's only a little, but it makes my back sore near my shoulders). If you're sitting in something like the lotus position you should sit on something so that your butt is actually elevated a few inches above the floor where you're resting your knees as this will put less strain on you.
I find an interesting method on medtiation on the book "A Meditator S handbook"-Ajahn Brahm.Ajahn Brahm is a Buddhist so this meditation is more for Buddisths.
Abandon your past.
When you meditate you abandon all past experiences.During meditation you are a person which don't have a history.You don't know where you live,who are your parents etc.
You released even the memory of what happened a moment ago.You don't care about the past.
Slient-Present Moments
You visualize a tennis match at TV.You may notice that two matches are occurring simultaneously :the match that you see on the screen and the match that you hear being described by the commentator.
You must realize that you are closer to truth when you watch without commentary,when you experience just the slient awareness of the present moment.
Awareness of the breath
If you start to breath when your mind is jumping betwenn past and present the breath meditation will become hard,maybe impossible. Y ou must focus on the experience of thebreath happening now.
If you have problem in controling the breathimagine that you are a passenger in a car looking through the window at your breath.You are not the driver, nor a backseat driver.
Full Sustained Attention on the Breath
You must experience every part of the breath continuously for many hundrets breath in a row.Here the mind recognizes that this peaceful breath is extraordinarily beautiful.
Full Sustained Attention on the Beautiful Breath
If you try to do something at this stage,you will disturb the whole process, the beauty will be lost.Here we are simplifying the object of meditation. We experience breath in the moment, stripped of all unnecessary details.
Do absolutely nothing and see how beautiful and timeless is the breath.See how calm you allow it to be. Take time to savor the sweetness of the beautiful breathever calmer, ever sweeter.
Experiencing the Beautiful Nimitta
Nimitta is a mental sign.
This mental sign is a real object is the landscape of the mind and when it appears for the first time,is very strange.
Some meditator see a white light or a golden star.Another meditators see a blue parl etc.
The important fact is that they are all describing the same phenomenon.They experience the same pure mental object.
Jhana
The more likely obstacle is the fear.
Inside theJhana, however, the doer is completely gone.
The will is frozen,and this can be scary for beginners,who have never had the experience of being so stripped of control and yet so fully awake.The fear is of surrendering an essential part of ones identity.
You can overcome the fear by confidence in the Buddha's teachings.
Yes I am, relaxation music, 'nature sounds', my favorite music... I've tried most of it. But I have received some good tips now. So I'll try it out and see if I can relax and zone out.
Re: Meditation, I just can't By: ronakd1973 / Novice
Post # 10 Nov 23, 2014
I meditate the same time every morning. All is quite then. Only the ticking of the clock on the wall. I find when my mind starts to wander I let the ticking bring me back. I sit up straight in a chair. Burn sage and walk it in a circle around me first. As soon as I put my bare feet on the floor they start to vibrate. I can easily meditate. Just suggesting the clock and sage. Breathing deep also needed.
