[BatsAndButterflies]

What EXACTLY do you do when you meditate?

I have recently been very intrigued by meditation. I am not exactly sure what it entails. If I wanted to light incense in my room and candles while listening to music and doing some breathing or praying... would this be considered meditation?

I am just curious because I have ADHD and anxiety. Music is a large part of my life as a double major in Music Therapy and Music Composition. It has a large impact on me. Also, an indoor percussion ensemble I love played a show called "Mantra" and they gave us incense that I loved. Now every time I smell that particular scent, I associate it with the music and how much of their souls they just put into the music.

I'm constantly tense and I don't like people touching me so I will not get a massage, but meditation might be something I can do, since it is alone in the privacy of my home.

[SoupDragon]

I have started to explore meditation (or mindfulness which is insight meditation) - I have attended a few classes and all have made it clear that the full title is mindfulness/meditation practise, as you need to keep practising it and it is not something that can be learned overnight.

I think there are different types, but the one I do is about experiencing the here and now and just sitting with how you are feeling / thinking without judging or trying to change. I think the belief is the more we try to get rid of thoughts or feelings the stronger they become, but if we just sit with them and be interested in them, then this is what helps them to disappear and not take over us. I have so much more to learn about it and would a class be hlepful to you I wonder?

But in answer to your question, I think if lighting incense and playing music and breathing / prayiing gives you some peace, then it doesn't matter what label it has.

[(JD)]

Whatever you find suits you, as to the environment... however meditation has to do with the mind. For some, clearing the mind of all thoughts is the goal. For most, it's keeping negative thoughts out of the conscious mind, and allowing all the positive ones in.

For me, I find that I do best if I read my Bible some, and then sit peacefully and allow The Almighty to speak to me while I meditate on His Words.

During spring, now, it's so peaceful in the back yard and I sit on a loveseat in the shade of the mahogany tree while the butterflies and dragonflies sprint and flutter about. Caleb is there, of course, ever the optimist, with one of his toys or tennis balls, or even his favorite--a deflated basketball--wanting to cash in on the me time.

[insightunseen]

meditation is shown to help ADD and lots of other conditions. i find it challenging as i have PTSD, but the book THE MINDFUL PATH TO SELF COMPASSION by Christopher Germer has helped me with practical, step by step explanation and exercises. best to you in practicing, and practicing....

[JeanneDoe]

I love to meditate! I dont do it as often as I like but It relaxes me when i do.

I goto www.wildmind.org

They have lots of tips and different kinds of meditations for different things.
Even mediations that are good for depression.

I hope you have fun with it!

Originally Posted by BatsAndButterflies

What EXACTLY do you do when you meditate?

I have recently been very intrigued by meditation. I am not exactly sure what it entails. If I wanted to light incense in my room and candles while listening to music and doing some breathing or praying... would this be considered meditation?

I am just curious because I have ADHD and anxiety. Music is a large part of my life as a double major in Music Therapy and Music Composition. It has a large impact on me. Also, an indoor percussion ensemble I love played a show called "Mantra" and they gave us incense that I loved. Now every time I smell that particular scent, I associate it with the music and how much of their souls they just put into the music.

I'm constantly tense and I don't like people touching me so I will not get a massage, but meditation might be something I can do, since it is alone in the privacy of my home.

[Helloanxiety]

Meditation depends on the individual really, but personally if you want to relax and make yourself fee calm and happy i'd practice some visualisation techniques. Trying to visualise breathing in a pure white light that fills your body or a golden beam falling onto you and soaking into you can make you feel relaxed, fulfilled and all round more positive. Insence and music are great if they help you too

[BatsAndButterflies]

This sounds awesome. I will definitely try this!

[abichidie]

Hello! I just started meditation classes this morning and found it really hard to concentrate! I'd like to ask for tips on how I can improve "being focused" and think less of the little things that bother me as I meditate.. I wouldn't want to waste paying for those classes for nothing! help! thanks very much!

[insightunseen]

my mind darts and wanders all over. the most helpful tool has been to use guided meditations. i get recordings online for free, and they lead me through 30 minutes of all kinds of meditation. breathing, body scan, muscle relaxation, emotion releasing, and lovingkindness tapes are all very helpful to keep me on task.
the other great tool is the binaural recordings which have a background of sounds that go to right or left ear and have been shown to relax the mind. you need to use headphones for these.
it still requires lots of practice!

Originally Posted by abichidie

Hello! I just started meditation classes this morning and found it really hard to concentrate! I'd like to ask for tips on how I can improve "being focused" and think less of the little things that bother me as I meditate.. I wouldn't want to waste paying for those classes for nothing! help! thanks very much!

[Mystical Sadhu]

Hello Bats and Butterflies,

I hope all is well for your family in every realm of life. While we all speak English here, some times some concepts we may be considering do not have contemporarily accurate English equivalent terms or concepts. Such is true for the term "meditation" when our focus is on more mystical, subtle and transcendental, transpersonal or spiritual considerations -- beyond emotionality or seeming upgrades in sensuality that the term "meditation" most often connotes in English. Centuries of anti-exploitation in English-based and English tangential cultures have also denatured us from both experiencing or even acknowledging subtler realms of our being innate to each and every being, including non-humans.

In mixed company, "meditation", in English, may mean anything from receptivity to subtler realms to contemplating a relatively positive sentiment to make it part of one's life more fully, to contemplating the most heinous actions and sentiments with presumptions of righteousness.

In transcendental, transpersonal or spiritual realms, reaching toward, accepting of, receptivity to and cultivation of subtler realms of being are the more progressively truthful meanings and practices of "meditation", which goes by more exactingly specific terms in other languages.

When you've been at your happiest, most joyful, contented and feeling safe, what was that experience?

The most valuable ingredients innate to a meditation technique, meditation methodology, intuitional discipline will include among them, sentiment, volitional engagement, rapport, the merger of subjectivity and objectivity -- of subject with object, and maximum expansion reaching toward and into infinity. The architecture of such may vary from person to person, more exacting speficities are involved. The architecture of such practices will use natural proclivities and continuities to further arriving successfully into meaningful thresholds.

Originally Posted by BatsAndButterflies

What EXACTLY do you do when you meditate?

I have recently been very intrigued by meditation. I am not exactly sure what it entails. If I wanted to light incense in my room and candles while listening to music and doing some breathing or praying... would this be considered meditation?

I am just curious because I have ADHD and anxiety. Music is a large part of my life as a double major in Music Therapy and Music Composition. It has a large impact on me. Also, an indoor percussion ensemble I love played a show called "Mantra" and they gave us incense that I loved. Now every time I smell that particular scent, I associate it with the music and how much of their souls they just put into the music.

I'm constantly tense and I don't like people touching me so I will not get a massage, but meditation might be something I can do, since it is alone in the privacy of my home.

[Kashia]

Meditation is a practice to achieve state of no mind. there are many forms of meditation, sitting walking folding clothes yoga - whatever quiets the mind from its constant chatter. some people have suddenly gone from busy mind to no mind. I think they are the lucky ones:-) if your question is more to mean what is the purpose, I would say no thing. being. no thoughts. it is not lack of consciousness, like being asleep or being hit on head. it is pure consciousness. it is only inside your body. it is not out there or up in clouds somewhere. this is where focus on breathing helps- takes you inside your body.