This is going to sound crazy for the ones who's never tried it but has anyone ever tried using various crystals to medtate with as I use certain ones to help in certain area's. I had a couple of pieces of merlinite and they were good for the shamanic side of meditation and I have others which seen to work as well. I hope that I'm not the only one in here who does this. lisa xx
no crystals here... heheh I'm sure they work, I just can't seem to get past the new-age stigma and take stones/gems seriously in meditation. (if it's any consolation, I have had some very spiritual experiences involving tiger's eye... It seems to show up every time I have a major life change (no idea why)) Though I do practice Ki, empty mind, and various weapon meditations, depending on what I need. I had a very very cool sword meditation yesterday. It was a cool day (~75 degrees, F), it was drizzling outside but I decided to go out and practice my staff, sword, and empty hand forms next to the lake by my apartments. I started, and went through all of my staff spinning and hyung. By then I was soaked but still comfortable. When I started my sword form, we usually go through four "prep" meditations: mind into the sword ki into the sword align the joints prepare for draw As I was doing "mind into the sword", I noticed that I could see my breath. (It seemed strange to me with it being warm outside). I continued ki breathing and everything; my visible breath, the water on the lake, the rain, the temperature, really seemed to calm my mind, more than it ever has before. It felt so good, I stretched the meditation out much longer than we normally do it. When I went into my second meditation, my body began steaming... a lot (as if you held a steaming hot rag out into a freezer)!!! I'm sure it was a product of coincidence (temperature of the water in my clothes, temp of my body after my staff training?), but the whole feel of it and everything else around me seemed to melt away most of my conscious thought. my mind zoomed in on my breathing and left the rest of me with nothing but what felt to me like peripheral senses. It was a very spiritual experience. It was very cool. I hope to experience it again some day! Just thought I’d share, Taylor
I also heard when you meditate it is a good idea to keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Its good for a good cycle of chi energy.
I used to be stressed out all the time. it was like a state of being for me (if that makes any sense). I got so stressed out all the time, i ended up going to a counselor for help. Well, to make a long story short, my counselor introduced me to tons of different ways to relax which included yoga and meditation. she taught me a few different types. try looking up progressive muscle relaxation. it is a great way to lift your spirits. especially if you try it with someone. its really fun. also, try thematic imagery. that one is my favorite.
I meditate now again - before school exams/karate gradings/important events/interviews/etc. - and it makes me more aware of my surroundings and situation. This helps calm my nerves and helps me achieve what I want. I once meditated for 2 hours - you don't realise the time that passes till you stop.
i do ki breathing and meditation in the evening before i go to bed, and sometimes in the morning before work (If i get up in time) but do find it hard to concentrate. I think i do better in the evening or at night, seems i can calm myself more then. i did have a strange experience recenlty, i've been able to control my body temperature to cool myself or warm up. That feels really strange.
Hello Rhea! I think you had the first glimpse of stage 1 Samadhi ( per Chan buddhism method). If you are experiencing any one of these symptoms, I suggest that you see a good meditation teacher. here are the few symptoms 1. dreamless sleep, 2. Hearing a constant buzzing sound. And gets louder every day. 3. Sometimes feels like a presence of a person looking over your shoulder. 4. All through out the day people seems to trying hard to get you upset with very unimportant issues. Including cutting you off when you are driving, and having close calls of traffic accidents daily. which makes you feel like to stay home. I also think that you are one of the few gifted ones with light karmic obstruction. if what you wrote is constantly taking place. My advice is, never, never to get attached to any good or bad unusal experiences that you are having. let it go. Attachment will hold back your progress. Furthermore, try to stretch your session up to an hour. Now about me. I teach silent illumination method of CHAN. Thanks to Martial Arts. It guided me to becoming a full fledge Chan practitioner. We follow Master Sheng Yen , based in Taiwan & New York. He is the only living Chan master now. I hope you will continue to share your experiences. Cloudhermit With joined Palms.
The instructors at my dojang make us medidate before class for about 5 minutes. Never seems to help me in any way. I think it doesn't help because I don't do it for long enough.
Meditation does not have to take a long time to be effective. The important part is regularity of practice. If you focus on your breath, that can help clear your mind of the other random thoughts.
Way cool!!! Thanks for sharing!!! A couple of months ago, I was working with a couple of the juniors on Cho Geup Hyung, the yellow belt form, and suddenly the breathing started melding with the motions, expansion & contraction, that was way cool. For the next day or so, it seemed like some part of my mind was going through cho geup hyung over and over again with every breath. That was cool, but unfortunately distracting from my job.
Hope this will help HI Very nice observatios and contributions on the subject of meditation. The way i was taught by a buddhist monk to porform the style that he learned from traditional buddhism goes as follows: f you sincerely desire to develop contemplation and attain insight in this your present life, you must give up worldly thoughts and actions during the training. This course of action is for the purification of conduct, the essential preliminary step towards the proper development of contemplation. You must also observe the rules of discipline prescribed for laymen, (or for monks as the case may be) for they are important in gaining insight. For lay people, these rules comprise the Eight Precepts which Buddhist devotees observe on the Observance Days (uposatha) and during periods of meditation. An additional rule is not to speak with contempt, in jest, or with malice to or about any of the noble ones who have attained states of sanctity. If you have done so, then personally apologize to him or her or make an apology through your meditation instructor. If in the past you have spoken contemptuously to a noble one who is at present unavailable or deceased, confess this offense to your meditation instructor or introspectively to yourself. The old masters of Buddhist tradition suggest that you entrust yourself to the Enlightened One, the Buddha, during the training period, for you may be alarmed if it happens that your own state of mind produces unwholesome or frightening visions during contemplation. Also place yourself under the guidance of your meditation instructor, for then, he can talk to you frankly about your work in contemplation and give you the guidance he thinks necessary. These are the advantages of placing trust in the Enlightened One, the Buddha, and practising under the guidance of your instructor. The aim of this practice and its greatest benefit is release from greed, hatred and delusion, which are the roots of all evil and suffering. This intensive course in insight training can lead you to such release. So work ardently with this end in view so that your training will be successfully completed. This kind of training in contemplation, based on the foundations of mindfulness (satipattana), had been taken by successive Buddhas and noble ones who attained release. You are to be congratulated on having the opportunity to take the same kind of training they had undergone. It is also important for you to begin your training with a brief contemplation on the "Four Protections" which the Enlightened One, the Buddha, offers you for reflection. It is helpful for your psychological welfare at this stage to reflect on them. The subjects of the four protective reflections are the Buddha himself, loving-kindness, the loathsome aspects of the body, and death. First, devote yourself to the Buddha by sincerely appreciating his nine chief qualities in this way: Truly, the Buddha is holy, fully enlightened, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a welfarer, world-knower, the incomparable leader of men to be tamed, teacher of gods and mankind, the awakened one and the exalted one. Secondly, reflect upon all sentient beings as the receivers of your loving-kindness and identify yourself with all sentient beings without distinction, thus: May I be free from enmity, disease and grief. As I am, so also may my parents, preceptors, teachers, intimate and indifferent and inimical beings be free from enmity, disease and grief. May they be released from suffering. Thirdly, reflect upon the repulsive nature of the body to assist you in diminishing the unwholesome attachment that so many people have for the body. Dwell on some of its impurities, such as stomach, intestines, phlegm, pus, blood. Ponder on these impurities so that the absurd fondness for the body may be eliminated. The fourth protection for your psychological benefit is to reflect on the phenomenon of ever-approaching death. Buddhist teachings stress that life is uncertain, but death is certain; life is precarious but death is sure. Life has death as its goal. There is birth, disease, suffering, old age, and eventually, death. These are all aspects of the process of existence. To begin training, take the sitting posture with the legs crossed. You might feel more comfortable if the legs are not interlocked but evenly placed on the ground, without pressing one against the other. If you find that sitting on the floor interferes with contemplation, then obtain a more comfortable way of sitting. Now proceed with each exercise in contemplation as described. Basic Exercise I Try to keep your mind (but not your eyes) on the abdomen. You will thereby come to know the movements of rising and falling of it. If these movements are not clear to you in the beginning, then place both hands on the abdomen to feel these rising and falling movements. After a short time the upward movement of exhalation will become clear. Then make a mental note of rising for the upward movement, falling for the downward movement. Your mental note of each movement must be made while it occurs. From this exercise you learn the actual manner of the upward and downward movements of the abdomen. You are not concerned with the form of the abdomen. What you actually perceive is the bodily sensation of pressure caused by the heaving movement of the abdomen. So do not dwell on the form of the abdomen but proceed with the exercise. For the beginner it is a very effective method of developing the faculties of attention, concentration of mind and insight in contemplation. As practice progresses, the manner of the movements will be clearer. The ability to know each successive occurrence of the mental and physical processes at each of the six sense organs is acquired only when insight contemplation is fully developed. Since you are only a beginner whose attentiveness and power of concentration are still weak, you may find it difficult to keep the mind on each successive rising movement and falling movement as it occurs. In view of this difficulty, you may be inclined to think, "I just don't know how to keep my mind on each of these movement." Then simply remember that this is a learning process. The rising and falling movements of the abdomen are always present and therefore there is no need to look for them. Actually it is easy for a beginner to keep his or her mind on these two simple movements. Continue with this exercise in full awareness of the abdomen's rising and falling movements. Never verbally repeat the words, rising, falling, and do not think of rising and falling as words. Be aware only of the actual process of the rising and falling movements of the abdomen. Avoid deep or rapid breathing for the purpose of making the abdominal movements more distinct, because this procedure causes fatigue that interferes with the practice. Just be totally aware of the movements of rising and falling as they occur in the course of normal breathing. Basic Exercise II While occupied with the exercise of observing each of the abdominal movements, other mental activities may occur between the noting of each rising and falling. Thoughts or other mental functions, such as intentions, ideas, imaginings, are likely to occur between each mental note of rising and falling. They cannot be disregarded. A mental note must be made of each as it occurs. If you imagine something, you must know that you have done so and make a mental note, imagining. If you simply think of something, mentally note, thinking. If you reflect, reflecting. If you intend to do something, intending. When the mind wanders from the object of meditation which is the rising and falling of the abdomen, mentally note, wandering. Should you imagine you are going to a certain place, note going. When you arrive, arriving. When, in your thoughts, you meet a person, note meeting. Should you speak to him or her, speaking. If you imaginarily argue with that person, note arguing. If you envision or imagine a light or colour, be sure to note seeing. A mental vision must be noted on each occurrence of its appearance until it passes away. After its disappearance continue with Basic Exercise I, by being fully aware of each movement of the rising and falling abdomen. Proceed carefully, without slackening. If you intend to swallow saliva while thus engaged, make a mental note intending. While in the act of swallowing, swallowing. If you spit, spitting. Then return to the exercise of noting rising and falling. Suppose you intend to bend the neck, note intending. In the act of bending, bending. When you intend to straighten the neck, intending. In the act of straightening the neck, straightening. The neck movements of bending and straightening must be done slowly. After mentally making a note of each of these actions, proceed in full awareness with noticing the movements of the rising and falling abdomen.
