Comments on: Meditation Practice: Preparation for Beginners

By: Twitted by Kopepasah

Twitted by Kopepasah — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:11:08 +0000

[...] This post was Twitted by Kopepasah [...]

By: timethief

timethief — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:24:13 +0000

@Lana
The two obstacles to meditating are monkey mind and sloth mind. One leads one into being distracted by the seemingly never ending stream of visuals and information that just keep going on and on and presenting fantasy after scenario after fantasy. The other is quietly sliding into a somnambulent state nigh onto sleep. To be honest I have never experienced the sloth state. Yep, monkey mind is my obstacle.

It’s a myth that you need to be able to get into lotus position in order to meditate effectively. In fact you can meditate while sitting in a chair. It’s even possible to meditate while lying down, although the results are not usually very good for this particular posture if you tend to nod off.

Here are the basics with regard to posture:
1. Your spine should be upright. You should neither be slumped nor have an exaggerated hollow in your lower spine.

2. Your spine should be relaxed.

3. Your shoulders should be relaxed, and slightly rolled back and down.

4. Your hands should be supported, either resting on a cushion or on your lap, so that your arms are relaxed.

5. Your head should be balanced evenly, with your chin slightly tucked in. The back of your neck should be relaxed, long, and open.

6. Your face should be relaxed, with your brow smooth, your eyes relaxed, your jaw relaxed, and your tongue relaxed and just touching the back of your teeth.

By: Lana

Lana — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:48:46 +0000

My problem is that I used some meditation practices to help me sleep when I was younger. Trying to do those things now has the same effect...unless I'm sitting up in a chair. I haven't done it in a while now. I need to get to it again. Particularly now that the weather here's so nice. .-= Lana´s last blog ..Lake Ramsay & New Painting =-.

By: timethief

timethief — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:25:37 +0000

Hi Karlil,
I smiled when I read your comment because my husband is a napper. He can take a 20 minute nap while I meditate and awake refreshed. He’s never learned the many different kinds of meditation practice. He naps, does walking meditations (mindfulness), he sometimes sits and follows his breath, and he’s happy with that. Thanks for the visit and the comment too.

By: timethief

timethief — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:05:01 +0000

@Jonathan,
Yes, you are quite right. When we learn how to meditate and establish a practice eventually our brainwave frequencies are altered and do create new neural pathways. We spend most of our daytime hours in the beta state. Our brain is constantly experiencing four brainwave states throughout the day and night:
Beta : normal awakened state of mind
Alpha : day dreaming state or drifting prior to sleep
Theta : dreaming sleep
Delta : dreamless, deep sleep

The physiological, psychological, and spiritual benefits of meditation are well known and have been documented over and over again in numerous medical and clinical studies. Yet, there is great resistance within those, who have been raised in the kind of religious milieu I was raised in.

Contrary to the deceptive Christian evangelical fundamentalist nonsense that I was brainwashed with as a child, to the effect of emptying my mind was dangerous and doing so would allow “the devil” to move into it, I discovered that meditation has no negative side effects whatsoever.

At first I used positive affirmations to substitute for the negative self-talk I had been inculcated with (ie. you are a helpless sinner in need of a savior) , and I still use them today as reminders of my true nature when I feel “imbalanced,” but over time, I have learned to detach from self-talk.

I spent 10 days in silent retreat – vipassana, or cessation-contemplation practice on three separate occasions. I learned that meditation was not about emptying my mind or blocking any of the thoughts arising there, and eventually the negative thoughts ceased arising. By not engaging in inner dialog at all I began to benefit from the practice and was able to effect real changes in my behavior and begin to live consciously.

method + time + effort + discipline = result

Thank you for providing me with an opportunity to share my experience of the benefits of meditation.

By: timethief

timethief — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:03:53 +0000

@Jay
Your experience is very much like those of some others I know. Just remaining physically still was an enormous undertaking for them and while they slowly mastered it they experienced what you have described ie. “monkey mind”. The busy mind that continuously projects scenarios and fantasies and will not be still. I witnessed the beauty of their Buddha smiles in the moment they became for the very first time observers, who were finally able to focus and begin to follow their breath. Thanks for reminding me of what I had forgotten, the struggle to remain physically still.