Meditation is the sh*t (srs) (no hippy) (strong informative thread)

[Thread Bomber]

does it matter if u do this in the morning or evening btw

Depends on the meditation. Some yes, others no.

My daily ritual (morning and night) is Clean my aura and Chakra meditation Plus Affirmation of Protection. Takes me about 5-10 mins.

Sometimes I do a merkaba meditation and that is one I would want to do during the day as it raises your energy greatly. As well as Pranayama breathing meditations. Some of them Relax, some of them amp you up so to speak.

I sometimes do runic meditations (depending on what the working is) or Elemental meditation. Just depends. There are so many types of meditation.

[yaFeelMe]

If you're having trouble waking up in the morning, try doing some cobra breathing while in the shower.

hspacettp://www.ehow.com/how_2322034_do-cobra-breathing-exercise.html

remove the space

[powahshake]

Found some brilliant standing meditations on the yootoobs.

Here's the channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/StandStillBeFit
It's a 10 day program.


The best thing about standing meditation is that you can do it everywhere when you're outside.

[yup123]

Ya dude I watched these videos before and see strong correlation with meditation.
It also blends nicely with Dr. E. Sarno's book on Tension Myositis Syndrome, good read if you have weird pains in your postural chain muscles.

hmmmm I don't really, but I'll give it a look. I was gonna pick up a couple of Alexander Lowen's books

[yaFeelMe]

any one else notice a huge boost in their immune system? The past couple days my throat was incredibly sore and felt like I might have gotten some kind of strep throat or at least a heavy cold. Woke up this morning and it was completely gone and my nose was 100% cleared up. Never took any meds for it or got any treatment.

Also the people living around me get sick and I will catch their cold but it will go away in a day.

[Metalhead44]

To miscers interested in ego death/unlearning years of social conditioning,check out this link. You pretty much go somewhere in the countryside and mediate with others for 10 days,12 hours a day and you're not allowed to talk

http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/na/

[Kaiser Sose]

This is the best resource on meditation on the net IMO. Taught me a lot.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html

[hickorysmoked1]

To miscers interested in ego death/unlearning years of social conditioning,check out this link. You pretty much go somewhere in the countryside and mediate with others for 10 days,12 hours a day and you're not allowed to talk

http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/na/

I think those should be reserved for the advanced meditators. RIead reportsof people having psychotic episodes on those retreats. Losing grip on reality and hallucinating. Some people tried to kill themselves. For westerners, and people who live our lifestyle, 12 hours for 10 days is overkill. Depending on your mindstate, its best to build up to a length of time like 12 hours on your own first to see if you can handle it. I'll try to find the link.

Edit: http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/MaryGarden.html

http://psychscoop.wordpress.com/2011...s-darker-side/

[Blackanetics]

Does it matter how you sit or what position your in?

[iwrestlebears22]

Tried this just chilled lying down and listened to first track in OP.

Feels fukkin good man.

[Metalhead44]

I think those should be reserved for the advanced meditators. RIead reportsof people having psychotic episodes on those retreats. Losing grip on reality and hallucinating. Some people tried to kill themselves. For westerners, and people who live our lifestyle, 12 hours for 10 days is overkill. Depending on your mindstate, its best to build up to a length of time like 12 hours on your own first to see if you can handle it. I'll try to find the link.

Edit: http://www.thehumanist.org/humanist/MaryGarden.html

http://psychscoop.wordpress.com/2011...s-darker-side/

Well obviously some people are predispositioned to such stressors which is why they don't advise people with severe psychiatric issues to come.But i've heard reviews from alot of people and most of them are positive.The people who have bad experiences are a minority,just like how if 5000 people attend a concert at least a couple dozen people are going to view the event in a negative light.


"in recent years neuroscientists have been examining the effects of meditation on the brain. Professor Richard Davidson of Wisconsin, a long-term Buddhist meditator himself, claims that meditation can "change neural states in circuits that may be important for compassionate behavior and attentional and emotional regulation." However, other scientists argue that Davidson's claims are unsubstantiated and that his studies have serious flaws ranging from experimental design to conclusions. Dr. Nancy Hayes, a neurobiologist at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, says that Davidson and his supporters promote research before it has been replicated. And what is really interesting, but never highlighted, is that Davidson himself points out that, for psychologists using meditation to treat their patients, "Meditation is not going to be good for all patients with emotional disorders and it may even be bad for certain types of patients."

Dr. Solomon Snyder, head of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, warns that during meditation the brain releases serotonin. This may help those with mild depression but too much serotonin can cause, in some, a paradoxical relaxation-induced anxiety. Instead of relaxing during meditation, these people become distressed and may even have panic attacks. Snyder says that in some cases of schizophrenia, meditation can launch a person straight into psychosis. "

[hickorysmoked1]

Well obviously some people are predispositioned to such stressors which is why they don't advise people with severe psychiatric issues to come.But i've heard reviews from alot of people and most of them are positive.The people who have bad experiences are a minority,just like how if 5000 people attend a concert at least a couple dozen people are going to view the event in a negative light.


"in recent years neuroscientists have been examining the effects of meditation on the brain. Professor Richard Davidson of Wisconsin, a long-term Buddhist meditator himself, claims that meditation can "change neural states in circuits that may be important for compassionate behavior and attentional and emotional regulation." However, other scientists argue that Davidson's claims are unsubstantiated and that his studies have serious flaws ranging from experimental design to conclusions. Dr. Nancy Hayes, a neurobiologist at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey, says that Davidson and his supporters promote research before it has been replicated. And what is really interesting, but never highlighted, is that Davidson himself points out that, for psychologists using meditation to treat their patients, "Meditation is not going to be good for all patients with emotional disorders and it may even be bad for certain types of patients."

Dr. Solomon Snyder, head of neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University, warns that during meditation the brain releases serotonin. This may help those with mild depression but too much serotonin can cause, in some, a paradoxical relaxation-induced anxiety. Instead of relaxing during meditation, these people become distressed and may even have panic attacks. Snyder says that in some cases of schizophrenia, meditation can launch a person straight into psychosis. "

Yea bro, just awaring people in case they did not know. Not saying it's inherently bad, just that it's always good to watch for overdoing it. When I started earlier this year, actually because of this thread, I didn't know any of this and I had somewhat of a breakdown myself. It had a lot to do with outside stressors, and I do have a personality/emotional disorder, but I sort of became obsessed with being mindful and present in the moment which defeated the purpose. I overdid it way too much and had an OCD-like breakdown. I'm trying to start back slowly with it now, not putting too much pressure on myself.

[yg7s7]

off-topic but I like to drink vanilla chai tea mixed a little bit of milk cuz it tastes good and is very relaxing

by the way anyone wanna recommend me a good binaural beats/isochronic tones I can have fun with?

[powahshake]

Does it matter how you sit or what position your in?

Not really, what matters is that you are a. comfortable and able to totally relax and b. you have a straight back, letting you breathe with maximum capacity.


Keep taking deep slow breaths and aligning your spine until you find the most comfortable position that also lets you take the deepest breaths and hold that pose.

[Chaoticia]

One of the best Western meditation teachers: http://www.headless.org/

I can only speak from my experience. I am agnostic, I do not believe in chakras, auras, or anything supernatural. However I do believe in religious ecstasy, samadhi, and kundalini syndrome as related things somewhere within the realm of science.

When most people get into meditation they get into objectless awareness/emptiness/detachment from or absence of thought. According to real Tantra, the emptiness is only one side of the coin. There is emptiness and energy within consciousness, which are considered interchangeable, energy being more related to objects and phenomena. Traditionally in Hinduism the emptiness is masculine and the energy is feminine. The energy aspect or bliss happens within the entire nervous system, as a result of the perception of oneness/being/phenomena as a whole overtaking the feeling "I am the body" or alternatively the feeling of "within" and "outside" (which still can only exist within the nervous system).

Even if you don't want to practice self-inquiry, Ramana Maharshi's quotes or books are good in holistically explaining meditation. Seeing "I", "me", thought, and the ego as totally abstract (only for the purpose of realization) or seeing their source which is being-realization-joy, which is the real meaning of Tantra. There is also advanced texts like the Avadhut Gita and Ashtavakra Gita. This isn't about changing thought or identity, or pushing away thought, or consequently the body and the world. This is about realization that is apart from thought, that thought can help in somewhat, because this realization is the foundation of thought. To paraphrase David Spero, "Ego is 100%, Self is 100%."

[Tovixz]

in4 medtitating

[Mikelh]

To miscers interested in ego death/unlearning years of social conditioning,check out this link. You pretty much go somewhere in the countryside and mediate with others for 10 days,12 hours a day and you're not allowed to talk

http://www.dhamma.org/en/bycountry/na/

My coworker has done this the past 2 years, sounds like a pretty great experience

[svartberg]

You don't just need to have designated time to meditate. Treat all the menial things you do in a day as meditation.

Immerse yourself in whatever it is that you are doing. Instead of thinking and worrying and running simulations in your mind while you tend to your chores, focus solely on the task at hand.
Completely give yourself over to the task and experience it using all of your senses.

Meditation isn't just sitting still with your eyes closed, its so much deeper.

Strong post bruh, agree on those simulators, meditation is a great way to break those which I honestly find useless and catabolic in a body/mind sense.

[theolelo]

IN on results, cheers brah

[Yutes]

Meditated without music 3 times already, just tried with the wave sound you provided and it went well, it felt like I blacked out and was completely clear of thought.

I feel good.

[powahshake]

Does anyone here practise Qi Gong or anything similar? Been meaning to do it all year but now I saw the shaolin thread I'm getting my arse off to a lesson or two. All I really wanna do is feel my blood rushing through my veins.

[Juicetin]

in.

will try this when I'm at home

[cman1787]

Does it matter how you sit or what position your in?

spine needs to be erect and straight. you don't need to sit in lotus, sitting in an armless chair is just fine.

[copypast0r]

You don't just need to have designated time to meditate. Treat all the menial things you do in a day as meditation.

Immerse yourself in whatever it is that you are doing. Instead of thinking and worrying and running simulations in your mind while you tend to your chores, focus solely on the task at hand.
Completely give yourself over to the task and experience it using all of your senses.

Meditation isn't just sitting still with your eyes closed, its so much deeper.

Agree. The power of now is a good xample of this.

[629]

what are your guys views on meditating after smoking weed? is that usually looked down upon?

[yaFeelMe]

what are your guys views on meditating after smoking weed? is that usually looked down upon?

As long as it's not something you rely upon to meditate. There's many substances that aid in spiritual practices.

[ajn]

what are your guys views on meditating after smoking weed? is that usually looked down upon?

i do it all the time. the only people who look down on it are those who have a bunch of spooky misconceptions about weed.

marijuana, is completely natural for us humans to use and it expands our capacities of awareness. in many ancient cultures the elders were high all the time.

[CBitez]

amidoingitrite?

I was laying down and I closed my eyes listened to the first track.. It took around 5 minutes for me to be able to concentrate. I had bad thoughts still circling my head. Throughout the first tracK I got a few headaches. Towards the end I started feeling better. Like my mind was erasing bad thoughts.

I listened to the Theta Wave for 4 loops and I felt my body change, physically in my legs I felt them get stiff.

I then listened to the first music video thing. And closed my eyes and focused on breathing like the first track. After a few minutes, my leg muscles started twitching. And my eyes got heavy with tears.. and some voice in my head said I LOVE MY LIFE..

I listened to the second video. I dont feel the high anymore, but I still feel good. Can do you do this multiple times a day?

[CopyPasteBrah]

12 hours a day for 10 days? Damn... That sounds like a challenge, you would surely learn a lot about yourself though.

[Dexter3000]

Been meditating for a few months on and off, can't seem to do it daily though. Maybe I should just take 10 min. every evening before bed and commit to it then.

Thoughts?




Also, this book has been great for me: Wherever you go, there you are. Simple about mindfulness, written by Jon Kabat Zinn: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinn

http://www.amazon.com/Wherever-You-T.../dp/1401307787