Anyone meditate?

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by Fujimoru, May 25, 2014.

  1. Fujimoru

    Fujimoru Valued Member

    Is anyone here into meditation? I have been in the past and am going to try and take it up again. Theres alot of health, and mental benifits to meditation and its a great discipline once you get the hang of it. Although I've been having trouble with it lately.

    not sure if this is the right sub forum, but it certainly can apply to the martial arts. :meditate:
     
  2. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    It's a pretty generic term, meditation. When you meditate, what are you doing exactly?

    We talking contemplating oneness with the universe?
    Basic visualization exercises?

    I don't do this regularly, but would like to start. My take on meditation isn't terribly mystical though. More of a psychology bent to it. You?
     
  3. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Yes.

    What is your problem?
     
  4. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    What's YOUR problem, man?!

    ...

    Oh. I see. My bad. ;)
     
  5. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    i'm confused about my gender!?!

    Yeah, sorry - didn't mean to be so abrupt...Thai take away was just being brought into the house. I'll suffer for the next few days....but it's worth it! :)
     
  6. ap Oweyn

    ap Oweyn Ret. Supporter

    Nah, I was just mucking about. Slow at the office. Or rather, I'm not the slightest bit interested in doing what's actually on my agenda for today. :)
     
  7. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    I thought you were deadly serious! :p
     
  8. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    I don't meditate very often but I do have a mindfulness practice. It has been a huge help with my PTSD.
     
  9. Wooden Hare

    Wooden Hare Banned Banned

    The worst thing for meditation is posting on the Internet.

    The best thing for meditation is not posting on the Internet.

    Meditation should be like the butter on your daily bread.
     
  10. YouKnowWho

    YouKnowWho Valued Member

    When my friend told me that when she meditated, her soul could separate away from her body, floated in the air, and looked back at her physical body, I didn't know that was her problem or her meditation problem.
     
  11. hardball

    hardball Valued Member

    Meditation = letting mind go blank with breathing exercises. Visualization= working on specific ideas or concepts in your mind. I like to meditate in a dark room with candlelight and soft flute music. Haven't really visualized in a long time but try to find time for meditation several times a week.
     
  12. Dan Bian

    Dan Bian Neither Dan, nor Brian

    Sitting in a quiet room, with gentle music playing is great for a beginner - but if you never progress beyond that, then I wouldn't say you're able to meditate at all; only practice meditation.

    At some point, you have to be able to apply the same skills that you practice in your 'quiet space' in the real world, walking down the street, driving your car, at work etc.

    Meditation is a vital part of our neigong system, but I don't teach it as 'meditation'.
    In 'Tracing the Bloodlines' - we visualise connections running through the body, all stemming from the center, and we work to maintain these connections whilst moving, whether practicing form, or push hands, applications or free sparring.
     
  13. Johnno

    Johnno Valued Member

    I've never consciously tried to meditate. When I practise my Taiji empty-hand form I sort of 'empty my mind', which I imagine is something like meditation. (When I practise my sabre form I'm generally too busy thinking about what comes next to be able to empty my mind!)

    I've used visualisation quite a bit in the past when doing distance running. Never thought of it as a type of meditation though.
     
  14. Lad_Gorg

    Lad_Gorg Valued Member

    Sigh, I meditate. Although every fibre of my being hates that word due to it's connection with hippies, and new agers.

    I stumbled upon it by accident since I had to take an hour long train ride to work, I would load up on new albums and try to discern the drum beats, and what the guitars and bass were doing for each song. Essentially I would end up performing a variation of Transcendental Meditation.
    I really have found that it makes a huge difference both psychologically and physically. Psychologically in that it helps to oil the gears of the brain a bit better; becoming more "mindful". And physically because I suspect that it lows inflammation (there is research to support the idea), which I have always suspected to be behind my hyperhidrosis (uh, sweaty hands on an extreme level) which becomes a rarity when I "meditate" and quickly comes back when I stop for a few days.

    Lately there has been a fair amount of research on meditation, and slowly it's gaining more and more validity. Although I would add the caveat that taking a break where you close your eyes and relax will, quite obviously, have a positive effect, and therefore there's still no point in attaching anything metaphysical to the practice.


    Actually it's been a weird year for science. A lot of research into alternative therapies have shown some really interesting results. From yoga in the hospital and prisons, to acupuncture boosting the immune system (in mice though), to meditation for lowing stress.
     
  15. Wooden Hare

    Wooden Hare Banned Banned

    I am no expert or instructor on Zen meditation, but am a practitioner. There is a neat little series of ten classic illustrations charting the path of enlightenment through zazen (meditation).

    I won't even attempt to discourse on what these mean, although the URL here gives a pretty good synopsis: http://www.san-shin.org/TenOx.html

    The stages are generally translated as:

    Starting the Search for the Ox

    Finding the Footprints of the Ox

    Catching a Glimpse of the Ox

    Catching the Ox

    Taming the Ox

    Riding the Ox Home

    Ox Forgotten, Man Remains

    Ox Forgotten, Man Forgotten

    Returning to the Source

    In Town with Helping Hands
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2014
  16. Bozza Bostik

    Bozza Bostik Antichrist on Button Moon

    Then again, a lot of Zen practitioners might tell you to ignore all that and just get on with meditating.
     
  17. Wooden Hare

    Wooden Hare Banned Banned

    The ones who've at least glimpsed or even caught and tamed the Ox might!

    The ones with helping hands might not say a single word.
     
  18. Tom bayley

    Tom bayley Valued Member

    Learning meditation on your own is a bit like learning a martial art from videos.

    You can go through the motions but they will frequently be empty.

    There are loads of different types of meditation. There are also loads of different people who will teach you mediation. There are those who will teach you, have sex with your girlfriend, take all your money, and collect Rolls Royces - like the Maharishi or the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh.

    However whatever type of meditation that you want to do, you will be able to find someone who will not rip you off or brainwash you if you take your time and look.
    Also whatever religion you practice you will find meditation within that religion if you want it.

    Many traditional forms of martial art are, in addition, sophisticated forms of meditative practice. So many people on this forum do practice meditation.

    Also to address a misconception. Meditation will not of itself, lead you to the answers to any questions or solve any issues for you. Meditation is simply a tool for living in the now. Through living in the now one can de-clutter ones mind and arguably become more in tune with ones soul or spirit ( if such a thing exists)

    A de-clutered mind may help in resolving problems, but for majority of people meditation is not about solving problems is it simply about being a more joyful individual. The majority of meditaters follow the way of the householder. They fit meditation in around every day life because most people in the world are householders.
     
    Last edited: Jun 5, 2014
  19. m1k3jobs

    m1k3jobs Dudeist Priest

    Good Post. My mindfulness practice is based on Pure Land Buddhism. I say the Namu Amida Buddha in my head to keep me centered and to keep from jumping on the hamster wheel in my head. I don't follow the 8 fold path, the 4 noble truths or believe in any of the karma and rebirth stuff though.

    I have been doing it for over 3 years now and for me it really works. It always brings me back to the now, well at least most of the time. Sometimes when I am hopping back on the crazy train I find that I am chanting (mentally) without even realizing I am doing it. It was a great way for me to rewire my brain and learn how to respond rather than react.
     
  20. Infesticon #1

    Infesticon #1 Majesticon

    I realise this is an old thread but I have been practicing "Mindfulness" for a few months now. It's from a psychology point of view and I think it has been developed from meditation. I find it useful for being in the moment while practicing exercises or for changing my focus in the moment if it's an unpleasant moment.
     

Share This Page