Currently Meditating?

Are any of you meditating regularly at the moment?

*hands up* Me, I am! I meditate every evening. Not for a long time mind you and it seems I spend most of the time focusing on letting my thoughts go.

Hi Kaere, that's why i'm not doing it at the moment, can't seem to still those thoughts, hopefully soon i'll get back into it. I should try harder actually.

I'm a firm believer in the idea that if something doesn't feel right to you, leave it be until it does. If being more disciplined feels right, then yes try harder but if it's just because of the feeling of "I should..." then I say wait for bit. There's no rush on it.

This happens with me a lot - certain subjects I just cannot wrap my head around, I seem to flit past them or slide by them like they're glass. I've given up trying to make it work in those cases - eventually the time comes up when it feels better to have a look and try again - but what's the point of expending all that energy and such when I could put more of it towards what is really drawing me close?

I did a meditation the other day it was great I think i'm through my quiet spell now.

I am slowly trying to get back into it! The non-stop thoughts and chatter seem to be slowing with me also....

I think approaching meditation with the attitude that you have to banish all thoughts is very difficult. The mind is nearly always on with something or another. Bearing in mind that I sat circle for a good while the meditations were mostly guided and always involved imagining a meeting place in a variety settings, They also always started with a deepening of the breath.

In fact when I first started the practice of deep breathing and closing my eyes, my physical body would conspire against me with an itch somewhere or a tickle in the throat, anything to stop me drifting into an altered and more relaxed mental state.

I am guessing the object of creating a mental picture of an idyllic environment using your imagination during these periods of relaxation/day dreaming/meditation are designed to actually replace the intrusive thoughts of the waking mind. which to be fair is one way round it.

Another way is to fix your open eyes in a soft gaze (not stare) on a spot in the ceiling above you because that is usually plain and comparatively featureless, and watch it until your eyes begin to close. you can also introduce your thoughts to be monitoring the rythm of your deep relaxed breathing at the same time, when you notice your thoughts wandering remember that spot on the ceiling is meant to be your focus of attention, that spot on the ceiling is your entire world for the duration of your meditation.You will of course start to see things after a while of looking at the ceiling, it will go in and out of focus some areas will become shady or fade in and out of forms. just look at them and go with it. Who knows what you might see.

My most favourite and alas most short lived form of meditation is getting to the state just before sleep and not awake, because its then that the clairaudience and clairvoyance is at it's clearest, I am as yet not sufficiently discplined enough to maintain this state for very long before I fall asleep and wake up suddenly to my own snoring alas, but I do scribble down all that I can remember.

The thing is , if it is fight to clear your mind because it always usually filled. fill it with something. like consentrating on your breathing and getting to know it's rythm and nuances, you may even be able to hear your own heart beat in your ear if it's quiet enough.

Please don't give up though because meditation has many health benefits too.

Best wishes Neville

What usually works for me is allowing the thoughts to come and go, a simple and brief acknowledgement of them is usually enough, I agree with Lightseeker it is impossible to totally still or blank the mind.

As for itches and tickles i've had my share of those they do pass if left unscratched, but if you get desperate try to keep your mind where it is and scratch, it doesn't need to disturb the med unless you allow it to by becoming agitated, there's no law against moving your arm/hand.

I understand,girls exactly what you mean.
My biggest deterrent is.....I fall asleep!

Joanie

Lol, I do that at times also Joanie

hmm........... new thread idea

Visualize , in your minds eye , A spiral... It could be a Seashell or a Galaxy.

I have no idea what is going on.. But the Golden Ratio seems to be a Seashell. The Golden Ratio, and I hope I do not lose any one here seems to incorporate the Fibonacci sequence.. OK I lost me there...

Back to  basics... Many of your petroglyphs..Like those at Newgrange, In native Indian, Aboriginal and Maori sacred sites seem to be Spirals...Conclusion : Something significant regarding us and Spirals. Something we are connected to.  So go on, stick a Spiral in your head as a meditation mandala... The results, I think, you will find are quiet integrating.(If not astounding)

As an aside, and maybe quiet relevant. A clockwise spiral will be taking you forward into the future of evolution where as a counterclockwise spiral appears to take you back in time to the ancestors.

As ever, please don't take my word for it. give it a go yourself and see what happens.

One point to note, relevant or otherwise is that your Chakras/Energy Centers are also often considered to be vortices ..Spirals.

Have a go ...