Thread: Meditation

befor one can observe on the inside one must first concentrate on the outside and this is what the previous posters have been elaborated on. when there is no disturbance from the body one may look to the mind.

Originally Posted by Dajai

Breathing is key: Equal counts. So maybe start with 2 seconds, breathe in; 2 seconds, hold; 2 seconds, breathe out; 2 seconds, hold.

Holding the breath without air in the lungs for an equal amount of time is just as important. Then increase time after a couple of weeks: 4/4/4/4 - 8/8/8/8 -16/16/16/16 -and so on. Obviously, the longer the count the more controlled the breath will have to be whilst breathing out and in.

Certainly once the breath can be held with no air in the lungs for a prolonged period of time, the rush and oscillation of oxygen to the brain will bring about a deepened state of meditation. And practical benefits do include holding one's breath for several minutes under water and not needing to breathe to function for up to the time one becomes accustomed to -which can be useful when having to deal with a fire, for example.

I agree. Breathing is the most important and it's definitely a prerequisite to further successful meditation.

I find that many breathing techniques become meditation, while in progress.

Actually . . . good breathing is a prerequisite for many things . . . .

A very easy but effective way to meditate is to mentally recite raa ma--which is the "rah" syllable twice as long as the "mah" syllable. Do it simply in a very relaxed and effortless manner. Don't use forceful concentration. Just gently return to the mantra whenever you notice you are distracted. Do it at one to two times a day for 15 minutes. A good set of instructions is here: http://aypsite.com/MainDirectory.html That site recomments the mantra ayam which sounds like "I am". I prefer to use raa ma. Using raa ma clears the body's energy channels, especially the solar plexus center, according to Vedic tradition. I once mentally recited raa ma for an hour just to see what would happen. After about 45 minutes I actually did feel a soft vibration in my solar plexus. Anyway, all the physical and mental health benefits of Transcendental Meditation apply to this way of meditating. I used the ayam mantra a year before switching to raa ma which I've used for 2 years now. An interesting side effect is that i'
ve become more intuitive and can sense other people's thoughts verbatim sometimes.

There is a form of meditation where you walk.
Meditation does not always have to be in a sitting position or lying down.