Share Your Meditation Technique!

[pubbles]

There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of meditation techniques out there. I'm sure you get it...

[ColtEtish]

I lay down arms at sides and breath in and out slowly, I do 10 breaths then I start over, the longest I have ever meditated was 1 hour 45 minutes (give or take a few minutes), man I was in a deep trance there

[ColtEtish]

Well not a trance, but my mind was actually clear, I wasn't thinking of anything, I didn't fall asleep but the time seemed to go by fast

[LewisM]

Wow! 1 hour 45 mins IS a long time! I usually go four about twenty minutes, similar method to yours. I try to slow down my breathing (and with it comes the rest of my body) with various exercises which anyone can make up. Then I try and explore what is different about being in this relaxed state to being awake.

[jlambie]

I usually just meditate before bed, i just concentrate on my breathing, but while i'm doing that i try to picture either a setting, object or person that i find to be relaxing at that moment.

[Je33ica]

I used to mediate everyday before bed but now its more like every week (I really need to get in the habit of doing it everyday!) I sometimes just count my breaths, close my eyes, relax, blablabla... I have several meditation cds (not the guided meditations) that help with relaxing the mind (which I sometimes play). I also have insense and a oil burner (I'm addicted to the smell =P) Theres also a healing meditation where you concentrate on blue light flowing through your entire body, from the top of your head to the soles of your feet. Plus, another meditation is focusing on being in a forest and using all your five senses (and if you have the sixth sense ). There are relaxation techniques, where you focus on points of the body or you tense that point in your body.... blabla... I could go on, don't wanna bore ya

[nightowl]

i've always wanted to try meditation effectively, but i never have the time. and now i do. So i was wondering would staring blankly at a candle fire work for meditation work?

[Aneas]

I practice mindful meditation. I try to remain in a state of precise perception.

[gameover]

Breathe in through your nose, and our through your mouth, but really slowly as if you're breathing thorugh a straw. Feel the tips of your fingertips. And think of a word that means nothing. And Im serious. THis works like magic. YOur fingertips will feel an amzing ebergy and your thoughts will be emptied form your head.

[imported_Berserk_Exodus]

I know Vipyassana (Spelling?) meditation, breathing meditation, but that is about it. Usually, I like to take 20 minutes to clear my head by meditating, and then I spend the rest of my meditation induced state thinking about things. I find a better clarity of thought in the trance state than in the awake mind.

[intent]

i do quite a few different kinds. 1. sit on a futon, bottoms of feet touching each other and my head resting on a pillow leaning over, my hands grabbing my ankles. works amazing, try it, thoughts disappear, often times I fall asleep but its all good. 2. regular cross-legged sitting meditation, breathe in nose (visualize energy coming UP back of the spine), hold tongue on the roof of your mouth, breathe out (energy going down front into your stomach). 3. Gazing meditation, just look at anything totally and completely, focus on one or two things (rock, leaf, trees, whatever) for at least 20 minutes. after awhile you're eyes might cross and you might cross over into seeing something quite different. Lots more, but these are the good ones that I've found work well.

[loose id]

Pretty much what everyone has said here. I lay on my back and I don't try to control my breathing, I just concentrate on it. One thing I've noticed is that I get much more pronounced effects when my breathing isn't a constant up and down thing, when there are pauses between breaths. Sometimes, without realizing it, I've gotten to the point where my breathing has stopped for almost three seconds between breaths. for real.

[Scwigglie]

Nightowl, yeah.. and after a while you're supposed to close your eyes and imagine that you can still see the flame, and concentrate on that. Loose id, ooh weird, huh? If I do these breathing techniques, I'll find that after a handful of minutes, I'm barely breathing.. as if I was asleep.

[salamnder]

try this, you picture a tv screen and playing on the screen is a dream you once had. accually i did this and then shouted Enhance Dream and wosh i went WILD. What I also do is picture my thoughts being placed in a box, one thought at a time. that seems to work rather well. Evan

[pubbles]

My technique is a fairly unique one. I begin with deep breathing (in 1 2, out 3 4) and continue that until I am relaxed. I set up a little altar in my house with a few candles, some insense, an a Sumi-e Board (you probably haven't heard of it. you paint on it with water, and the water leaves marks on the board until it dries.) After I am relaxed, I close my eyes and think of a symbol. I just think and POP theres a picture in my head. I then proceed to paint the symbol on the board, and then I sit back and look at the board in the candle light with half-closed eyes. I concentrate on the symbol, its curves and lines, and I match emotions with them. I saturate myself in the emotions-- anger, love, peace, guilt, whatever-- and then I let them go, like tension and release. By the time the symbol has faded from the board, I am in a very bizar, emotionless, trance-like state. I usually dont realize where I am for a number of minutes, and then I resume my deep breathing again. I might repeat this whole process 2 or 3 times a night, and it always leaves me in great spirits; a very healthy experience. Sorry about the length. Thanks if you really read it all!

[Scwigglie]

Pubbles, that sounds really cool. Can't you use pretty much any type of board for that?

[pubbles]

Not quite; the image fades away with a sumi-e board after the water dries, so I usually gauge my cycles that way. I suppose you could use something else if you don't have one, if that's what you mean.