Meditation ideas?

Looking for any meditation ideas? I've been trying to work on inner communication/inner peace/inner acceptance and such and a huge obstacle I am coming across is I am no good at meditating at all. Any meditating tips on how to be better at it? How to keep your mind clear and focused at the same time and such?

Thanks for any tips

A friend of mine teaches a meditation class, so I have been attending that. I find it impossible to keep my mind clear, so I am also interested in any ideas you get!

I downloaded the CD "The Mindful way through Depression". Probably right up your alley.

http://www.filestube.com/cGKgpgHSFvU...-abook-ws.html

It's 200MB +

I like Jon Kabat-Zinn's mindfullness meditation CD's.

splitimage

Meditation is like house keeping, it is taking what you have in your 'house' and
slowly reducing it one item at a time. Eventually you end up with
a house that is minimalistic and bare.

Visualize that you are on a river bank, each thought is like a passing cloud or
leaf on the river. You are not the thought, the thought or feeling is just
something you think, feel experience; and like the leaf and the spot on the
river bank, let the thought pass as unattached to you as the leaf or the passing
cloud is unattached to the image of itself in the water of the river.
SW

Thank you for all the replies, I will look into the audio downloads when I am on my laptop.

Thank you Sandworm for your tip, it's similar to a technique I read about where you imagine a large tree in front of a stream. Then you imagine every leaf that falls off that tree represents a characteristic or atribute of yourself that you don't want and watch them flow down the stream and leave you. I think I actually picked that up here on pc. But I will try yours tonight, I need something to help clear my mind!

Thanks again for all of the help!

Purpleflyingmonkeys, some times it helps me to focus on my breathing and count as I breathe. Slowly inhale counting to 8 (or whatever number is comfortable to you) - pause - slowly exhale to the count of 8 - pause slowly inhale ect.

A useful tip I heard was to just let thoughts go when you have them. Meditation is a learned skill like anything else. It takes practice and we aren't very good at it when we start.

I take my own blood pressure, record a series of a couple weeks to take to my doctor as the arm cuff of the sphygmomanometer hurts my arm such that it sends my blood pressure into orbit so is unusable.

Last year I did a month-long study of how my blood pressure reacted to various stimuli, including meditating for 5 minutes and then taking it. I did not try to get it "right" I just closed my eyes and tried to sense my posture, breathe deeply (follow my breaths) and be "quiet". I made it for a time period I knew would not drive me crazy and decided every little bit helps and, like any new skill you have to start small and work your way up; one doesn't decide to go out tomorrow and run a marathon, no, one practices first.

Anyway, just sitting as quietly as I could for 5 minutes helped my blood pressure but what seemed to help it more was if I "held" myself. Being aware of my hand on my knee, lightly fondling my knee as I took my blood pressure (the computerized monitor I have takes it 3 times, a minute apart and averages the numbers to get a more "accurate" reading) and thinking positive thoughts about my body self, how appreciative I was of my legs for carrying my overweight self, how appreciative I was of my body for taking on the weight so I could more easily deal with emotional problems, how I was working hard for us (body, mind, spirit, emotions, my whole Self) and was proud we were a team, etc.

With a minute between tests and the test taking 20-30 seconds for each of the three, it comes to about the same 5 minutes, just taking my blood pressure. Maybe you could "do" something with your mind instead of just trying to empty it, think positive thoughts or be aware of your body, your posture, your physical self and do that for 5-10 minutes and when you have that so you can do it "naturally" when you want, then try the meditation again?

Too, I took some yoga and had a great teacher who did guided imagery before and after (cool down), 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the yoga exercises we did for an hour (so an hour and a half class, total) and I found that very helpful; maybe get a guided imagery tape, lay on the floor completely relaxed with eyes closed, etc.?

something I must always, always remind myself, there is no mind, there is no self. only appearance of these.

but, I find that does not have much practical help in my program or practice.

Hi Lizardlady.
not to contradict, but my "T" recommended your same thing, I
think she choose 10 but a really quick count is what she was
using. Being a student of meditation for 35 years, I
modified it many times to see what would work better.
I came up with a moderate speed count of 4 as I breathe in naturally
and deeply, then I begin counting again, with one,two, three,
and either with 1-3 or 1-4 I hold the breathe in; then breathe out
for the rest of the count to 10/ten.

I found it very centering to use that 'formatt'.
the slowing of the count, also helpes the mind 'slow' also.

I would say, experiement around until you find what works best for
you. Everyone is different.

Repeat after me, "WE are all individuals, unique and independent
and self-determined"

HA HA HA.

)

"S"

Many thanks for posting this. I bought the book several years ago at amazon and thought it was a great purchase. Free is even better !

Here are some more meditation related links if anyone cares to check them out.
http://www.wisebrain.org/
http://www.rickhanson.net/writings/buddhas-brain
http://www.mindfulselfcompassion.org/
http://www.self-compassion.org/
http://www.mindfulness-solution.com/
http://drdansiegel.com/
http://counsellingresource.com/lib/r...gh-depression/

keep a lighted candle before of you. at the height where your eyes watch it horizontally.
It is suggested that the back ground be in a mono color.

try to see and focuss the red flame on the candle

This should help

cheers !!!

I've been reading the Mindfulness Solution and I feel like it gives you a different approach to meditation. Mind you, it is focused on mindfulness meditation, and there are different types with different goals. So I will give you a couple of points that have helped me so far (I'm not done the book)
-Saying in your head "inhale" and "exhale" as you breathe in and out. Saying only "inhale" is supposed to help energize you while saying only "exhale" should calm you
-Don't get mad at yourself if you feel like you are doing it wrong, many of us have never learned to concentrate or meditate so getting upset over it is like yelling at a young, untrained puppy
-Don't expect that concentrating will equal calmness
-If you get distracted, congratulate yourself for being aware of it and refocus

It's a really good book, and the website has the meditations you can download or play for free

Very good point, thanks for making it.

"S"

Hiya PurpleFlyingMonkeys!

Here's what I do if and when I meditate.

I start by imagining myself in a green field with a stream running nearby. I have a seed in my hand. Gently I bend over and plant the seed. I water it, sit by it, watch it as it grows into a beautiful tree. As Fall comes I notice one leaf drop from the tree and fall into the water of the stream. I instinctively place all of my anxiety on that leaf and watch as it floats away. The next leaf falls and I place my depression on it. As the leafs fall one at a time I place whatever feels right until there are no more leaves. Exhausted emotionally, I lay down by the now barren tree and fall asleep satisfied with life.

Love and Hugs,
Tara

My mom is actually attending a 3 day meditation next week, it is different because she is Buddhist and probably has a traditional or cultural way of meditating but the best thing is to be in peaceful environment, the state of serenity, like a beach, a rainy day outside on the balcony, your bathtub, a quiet forest. Or you can do this all from soundtracks and guides to relaxation and meditation.

Check out Forestmood or Rainymood, it is some good stuff.