NEBULABUFF's Forum Posts

A cushion (Zafu) on the floor.  I've tried using chairs but, for me, the position just didn't feel right.  Guess I've been using the cushion for too many years.  Right now, it's the only thing that feels right even with this 74 year old body.

Sometimes open; sometimes closed.  I always start with closed eyes but I'll occasionally open my eyes and look out into the trees and flowers in my back yard and allow myself to be awed by the splendor of creation.  It is important to have one's awareness awestruck as often as possible.  As Max Ehrmann points out in his "Desiderata",  "With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it's still a beautiful world.  Be careful.  Strive to be happy."

Hey, BrightSmile;  I think most meditators would say, that depends on how new you might be to the practice.  As I remember from years ago, it was suggested that a good session of meditation should be at least 15 minutes.  Other folks would suggest at least 20 minutes.  I would say, if you're really new to the practice, start with 10 minutes and gradually (say at 5 minute intervals) try to get to 20 minutes, then thirty.  You don't want to do too much too soon as you may begin to feel like it's a chore and that would undermine your good intentions.  Good Luck!  Oh, and by the way, I said, ". . .a good meditation session. . . ."  Important to remember that there is no such thing as a 'bad' meditation session.  It's just that some are better than others.  Blessings!

I suppose I ought to further define 'Really Great' (8).  That would be that I maintained complete awareness on my breathing throughout the session and complete detatchment from all intrusive thoughts.  Hope this clarifies my rating system a bit more.  Blessings!

     Well, my ratings start first with the fact of making it through my thirty minute session.  If I do it's automatically a 6.  Beyond that, 7 is pretty average, 8 is really great; 9 is catching a boat on this side of the river, and 10 is crossing over and leaving the boat behind.  As you might expect, a 9 is on the verge of 'enlightenment' and 10 is 'gone beyond'.  For me, an 8 is really a great session.  Hope this helps.  Blessings!

     Welcome to our little family of meditators, David.  You have probably received an automatic welcome from the founders of this web-site; but they seem to have moved on to bigger and better things quite a few years ago.  You will find our little group (which has grown by a few more people  of late) rather reserved in making posts to the various 'Discussion Groups', but there are many helpful pieces of information in there just the same.  Do enjoy Medivate as it's the best site dedicated to the practice that I've found so far.  Have fun!

Good for you!  And, thank you.  Blessings.

     I've just begun to enter a new phase of practice where I meditate for thirty minutes twice a day on Mondays through Fridays and then thirty minutes in the mornings only on  Saturdays and Sundays.  These breaks are an effort to eliminate that nagging feeling that, "I have to meditate" that begins to creep into my practice over time.  Simple as that.  I think it's important to do whatever it takes to eliminate that nagging feeling which, over time, tends to insidiously infect our overall pleasure and commitment to practice.
     I suppose that some would feel that this shows a lack of discipline in my commitment to practice: but, then again, why should our practice take on the semblance of a disciplinary function or activity rather than a pleasurable one?  Just a thought.

Fascinating!  I think I'll try your Box Breathing method.  In the mean time, you hang in there jimi.  Blessings to you.  Oh, yeah, do check out the 'Compassion Poetry' listings.  Good stuff in there.

It can, particularly when I use Silent Prayer (Contemplative or Centering Prayer:  see books by Thomas Keating) in my practice.

     In addition to the books I mentioned in the Question of The Week asking what methods I use in my practice, I would also recommend any books by Thomas Moore ("Care of The Soul" and others), Gary Zukav ("Seat of The Soul" and others) and Thomas Merton ("The Seven Story Mountain" and others).  The truth is, there are so many great books to choose from dealing directly with meditation and especially spirituality in general, a complete list would be enormously long.  Have fun finding your favorites!  Just search "meditation" or "spirituality" in Amazon or Google and you'll be overwhelmed with possibilities.

     Right now I'm quite content to meditate thirty minutes, twice per day and I have the time and freedom from worldly cares to do so.  I will stay with this schedule probably for many months and at some point, I will probably feel the desire to meditate for a longer period of time. Such has been the case throughout my many years of meditation.   But that will come in it's own time.  No pressure.  Blessings!

A wonderful mantra with deep roots and all the potential of cosmic/universal forces within it.  Keep up the good work, Patrick.  Blessings.

     I have been avoiding this question because I use so many variations on my basic training in meditation that I fear it may be more confusing than helpful to those of my family of meditators here on Medivate than it would be helpful.  But, let me give it a try anyway.
      My basic training in meditation happened during my first years as a student at the University of Oregon back in 1972.  At that time there were several movements going around that claimed to provide some training in various aspects of spirituality as there was a that time, a mood among young people of my age of searching for a greater depth of spirituality in their everyday lives.  It was the age of Anti-War, Anti-Draft, and Civil Rights protests and demonstrations; and the age of Paramahansa Yogananda ("Autobiography Of A Yogi"), Shunryu Suzuki ("Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind"), Herman Hesse ("Siddhartha"), Peter Matthiessen ("The Snow Leopard"), Alan Watts ("The Book: On The Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" and "Beyond Theology" among many others), and Thich Nhat Hanh ("Being Peace" among many others) and almost too many more personages and books on spirituality in one's daily life to name.  Most of those books are still out there for other seekers to study though many of those personages have since passed on.
     One of the largest movements going around university campuses all over the country at that time was "Transcendental Meditation" (TM) as taught by a cadre of practitioners/teachers of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and his followers.  Among these, of course, were The Beatles, with George Harrison probably being the one most deeply invested in TM.  When I saw the announcement that there would be teachers in TM at Oregon in the near future, I signed up for instruction.  At that time I think there was somewhere around a $100.00 fee for the course.
     So, TM was my basic training way back then.  In the many years which have passed since then, I have added a number of variations to my practice.  These have come about to deal with the various states of my mind when entering my 30 minute morning and evening meditation sessions; and, I vary the type of process I use depending on that and how my mind and the session evolve in the course of that particular 30 minute session.  These include:
                             A.  Regular TM Practice with Mantra
                             B.  Focus on breathing through nose only with or without Mantra
                             C.  Focus on breathing; in through nose; out through mouth, with or
                                   without Mantra
                             D.   Focus on breathing, in through nose, out through mouth with the 
                                   addition of mental visualization and/or affirmation
                              E.  Circular Breathing (will probably require some explanation)
                              F.   Silent prayer
I think that pretty much covers my variations.  Now to try to explain how these are put into play.
     As I said before, I vary my 'method' depending upon my state of mind before and during a session.  Each of the methods proceed (A - F) from a quiet and calm state of mind (A&B) through a very 'chatty' state of mind (C&D) to a 'chaotic' state of mind (E&F): and each, in its own way, serves to take advantage of a calmer state of mind or to deal with a more restless one.  The reason is that each requires a greater degree of mental focus to follow the process as I proceed from A through F.
     Now, A, B, and C are self explanatory.  Starting with D, it gets a bit more tricky, though really, not that difficult.  My favorite 'visualization' is to imagine myself drawing energy directly from the torrent of Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos which bombard our bodies every second of every day, and using that energy to effect some change in, say, my physiology or mental state.  Now; I know this sounds a little crazy - but hang with me here!  Here's an example:  I visualize that energy entering my body from every direction. Breathing in (through my nose) I visualize the colors white and blue and say, "Healing and regenerating energy in."  Breathing out (though my mouth), "Toxic Vapors out."
Get it?  I just repeat that 'visualization' like a mantra.  You could use any kind if similar visualization you need in that moment.  And, it effectively focuses your mind on the visualization and completely excludes intrusive thoughts.
     We're all familiar with affirmations.  I just repeat the affirmation like a mantra.  My favorite at the moment is, "I love to meditate."  Hey, works for me!  Now, on to circular breathing.
     This process requires an even greater degree of mental focus.  I'm not sure exactly how to explain it.  Let me just start by noting that, normally, when we breathe, there is a rather abrupt stop between breathing in and breathing out.  In circular breathing, breathing in flows smoothly into breathing out, and breathing out flows smoothly into breathing in: no abrupt stop in the direction of the flow of breath.  Perhaps a little visualization will help here too.  It's like I have an old fashioned 'water wheel' with air instead of water, and the wheel goes into my nose and comes out through my mouth.  It's a gentle, constant flow.  I think that's the best I can do by way of explanation.  Hope it makes sense to my readers.
     Finally there is silent prayer; that device used by so many of our mystics from three of the world's great religions: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.  This one is pretty straightforward too.  What's your favorite prayer?  Mine is 'The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi'.  You can find it posted in the 'Compassionate Poetry' forum.  Just repeat your favorite prayer like a mantra, but slowly, giving deep awareness to each of the words.  Again, this practice excludes any possibility of intrusive thoughts:  'too many minds' and 'mental chatter'.
     O.K. my friends.  It has only taken me an hour and a half to get through this posting.  I hope someone, anyone will benefit from it.  Do let me know what you think or if you have some other kinds of variation in methods you think I might benefit from.  I dedicate this posting, "For the sake of all sentient beings."  Blessings

You're very welcome, Patrick.  Blessings.

You got it, Patrick!  Your 'no idea' approach is the younger brother of, 'expect nothing'.  Keep up the good work.  Blessings.

     Never have served as an instructor in meditation.  Closest I've come to that is when I was a guide for people wanting to try LSD for the first time and wanted someone hanging with them to help them through some of the sharper curves in the road on their trips.  But, that was over fifty years ago.
     For anyone trying meditation for the first time I would have only three basic instructions.
     First, put yourself into a comfortable sitting position.  That may be cross-legged on a cushion on the floor, or in some relatively comfortable chair with your back straight but not stiff or ridged; hands resting gently in your lap.
     Second, start by taking three slow, deep breaths and then allow your breathing to return to a slow, steady pace, upon which you will set your awareness.
     Finally, be aware how your thoughts rise and fall through your mind without allowing yourself to be captured by them.  Just sit.  Just watch.  Just breath.  And, as you become aware of being carried away by a thought, gently, without anxiousness, bring your awareness back to watching their rise and fall; their coming and going; the appearance and disappearance: without attachment.  That is all there is to it.  That is the beginning . . . . . and end.  That is the heart . .  . of zen.  Blessings!

     Well, that's kind of a trick question.  Why?  Because one of the most basic understandings one must have is the 'purposelessness' of practice.  If there be a purpose at all, it is to just sit.  Expectations of benefits or 'why I do it' will undermine one's intent.  Especially for new meditators, expectations of  benefits or rewards will lead to disappointment as benefits of consequence only begin to appear after at least many months if not years.
     But for the patient one, there are these:  increased patience, more easily directed intense focus, less affected by stress, increased ability to actively listen to others, a greater ability to empathize with others' problems, a larger ability to be compassionate toward our fellow human beings, and indeed, "All sentient beings", as well as the physiological benefits which are many,  to name just a few.  The list goes on.  Still, the most important thing is to just sit.  Blessings.

     I think the best impact meditation has had on my relations with other people is that I believe it has made me far more patient with others  and less reactionary to stressful situations.  Also, I think I spend more time actively listening to others and respond only when I have something possibly useful to say.

Oooops!  The above words are actually those of Chuang Tzu.  Shantideva has another good piece of Compassion Advice which I will post later.  Sorry about that folks!

     Sure.  Obstacles both minor and major impact meditation.  I suppose the most common is missing a session, or just feeling unable to make it through your time goal for each session.  Other times, householder duties make it really difficult to meet one's goal of meditating twice, or even once each day.
     I like Shantideva's advice on obstacles.  He was an 8th century Buddhist Monk.  He said when talking about the problems of being human, "Don't worry about it!  Let it be  How can we understand it all in one day?"
     The point is that, things will come up that impact our lives and our intent to meditate.  It's only natural.  But, don't worry about it.  Forget about it and carry on doing as best you can.  Certainly don't beat yourself up about it.  That only serves to make our 
meditation, when we can do it more of a dreaded chore.  Don't worry about it!  Let it be.
Blessings to you.

     I have a little meditation alter in my office.  It is equipped with a large Christmas Cactus, a little seated Buddha sitting in front of a copy of the cover of Ram Das' book, "Be Here Now", statuettes of other holy personages, a couple of votive candles, an incense burner and a meditation cushion (zafu I think they're called).  The whole thing looks out over my back yard.  A good place to meditate.  Blessings.

     The most important thing is to just sit.  Have no expectations with respect to immediate returns on your practice.  Another commenter somewhere here said, "Expect nothing."  That's good advice.  Just sitting is reward enough.  Anything else is a blessing.  I like the idea that meditation practice is a marathon, not a sprint.  The benefits will come, but don't try to rush things.  Blessings.

As soon as I become aware that my attention has been captured by some thought, I just let it go and return to whatever process I'm using during the session such as Mantra, Prayer, Focusing on Breathing or Circular Breathing.
     In addition to this I use the Interval Timer here on Medivate and set it to chime every five minutes.  If I wander too far, the chime will bring me back to where I'm supposed to be  Blessings..

     As soon as I become aware that my attention has been captured by some thought, I just let it go and return to whatever process I'm using during the session such as Mantra, Prayer, Focusing on Breathing or Circular Breathing.
     In addition to this I use the Interval Timer here on Medivate and set it to chime every five minutes.  If I wander too far, the chime will bring me back to where I'm supposed to be.

You should fold your legs as is most comfortable for you.  If you're young and flexible you might sit Full Lotus or Half Lotus.  Master Dogen, if I remember correctly, placed a huge amount of importance on posture while meditating - so if you sat in the posture of the Buddha, you are the Buddha, whether you know it or not.
     I think (and believe it has been shown)  posture is not as important as practice.  After all, meditation is not supposed to be a torture session but rather a quiet, comfortable state of awareness.  At my age, if I tried to sit Full Lotus I'd probably pop both my knees out of joint!  So, comfortably cross-legged works fine for me.  I think nowadays TM Teachers even say sitting in a comfortable chair, or even laying down is o.k.
     So, however you choose to sit; just sit.  That's the most important thing.  Blessings.

     I suppose my cue to meditation is the routine I've established over the years.  In addition to this, I am aware that there are many benefits to regular meditation, as have been unquestionably shown by the battery of research that has been undertaken on the practice since, probably the mid '70's.  So, I strive to maintain my regular practice of meditating twice per day.
     Finally, I'm retired, so it's far easier for me to maintain my practice than it might be for a young mother and/or father with family responsibilities for children and work.  Of course, I have been there too, but I always tried to meditate daily even if only for a short time or only once per day.  I believe it's one's intention that is most important.  Maintain that intention always in the back of your mind and I promise, things will work out.  Blessings.

     There have been many times over the years when I was simply too busy to meditate for many various reasons.  I suppose that a few folks would suggest trying to make up the lost session(s) in following days.  As for me, I simply would recognize the fact of missing a session (or two or. . .) and without berating or beating myself up, would continue with my normal routine and time frame at first opportunity.  If you don't immediately forgive yourself, you turn meditation into a chore rather than a time of quiet awareness.
     Remember those lines from that 'Sanskrit Proverb' I posted a couple of days ago:                               
                                             "For yesterday is but a dream;
                                              and tomorrow only a vision.
                                              But today, well lived
                                              makes every yesterday
                                              a dream of happiness,
                                              and tomorrow a vision of hope.
                                              Look well, therefore, to this day."
Hang in there!

Oh; with regard to the last part of this question, the 'Why' part; cleanliness and orderliness of one's environment reflects directly back to the orderliness of one's mind.  I think, though I may be wrong, that if one surrounds oneself with disorder and uncleanliness, then one's thinking may well become disordered, sloppy and haphazard too.  Just a thought.

There may be no end to the answers to this question.  Those things more important than meditation?  Certainly eating and bathing oneself.  Then there's keeping a clean home environment.  And, of course, sleeping.  Finally I would add reading; particularly spiritually oriented books and at least one other area of one's personal interest.  Meditation would follow on the tail of all of these and then whatever it is that must be done after these.  Hope I'm not the only one to answer!

Meditation is a habit for me and I have come to enjoy those few minutes spent meditating each day.  I recently heard something to the effect that to form a 'habit' takes at least sixty-six days of repetitive practice.  So, I guess my 40+ years qualifies.  Of course, there have been on and off periods but I'm happy to say more on than off.  Hang in there and remember my favorite saying, "There's no such thing as a 'bad' meditation session". Love and Peace to all sentient beings.