Meditation anyone?

[wisteriawoman]

Does anyone want to have a group meditation sometime ?I used to meditate regularly and have fallen off the wagon recently (or should that be meditation cushion?) and I fancy getting into the routine again.

It would be nice if anyone wants to join me.

WW

I'll join you - I'm trying to get into a nightly meditation routine but something always comes up to prevent me from doing it...

When/how often do you want to meditate?

I will give it a go...

I need some encouragement from people who won't laugh at the very idea of meditation!

I'd like to but keep forgetting and coming on here instead. I've done it a bit on and off for a few years but never really felt like I've got anywhere. Also I work some evenings and look after dc during the day. When's a good time?

I'm in, although my meditation time is late at night - don't know if that works for most people?

I'm in if it can be in the evenings.
I am so poor at keeping up my spiritual practice!
This will help I'm sure
Blessings EM x

Yes evenings / nights.

Where did you want it to lead, nowherewoman?

I wanted to achieve nirvana. Was that being too ambitious?
No, I suppose I wanted to feel like I was meditation IYSWIM? I have had flashes of that feeling, but not for long. I need more practice, but here I am yet again and I forgot about it until I read this thread again.
Evenings/nights are good for me too.

I need to renew my practice too, lucky to get one or two sessions in a week at the mo :(

I would settle for being able to clear my mind of the constant shite chatter for just a second or two! Nirvana can wait!

Thanks for replying everyone- how about 9pm on Monday night? Maybe once or twice a week? I'm open to suggestions. Generally I do about 10 minutes which is just about long enough to clear the mind of mindless crap but not long enough to reach nirvana!

If anyone wants inspiration / info look at this website:
www.tricycle.com/
You can register for a daily reading from an article on meditation / buddhism and they're generally really interesting,

Here's a recent example:

The Dalai Lama on "The Real Enemy"

When your mind is trained in self-discipline, even if you are surrounded by hostile forces, your peace of mind will hardly be disturbed. On the other hand, your mental peace and calm can easily be disrupted by your own negative thoughts and emotions. So I repeat, the real enemy is within, not outside. Usually we define our enemy as a person, an external agent, whom we believe is causing harm to us or to someone we hold dear. But such an enemy is relative and impermanent. One moment, the person may act as an enemy; at yet another moment, he or she may become your best friend. This is a truth that we often experience in our own lives. But negative thoughts and emotions, the inner enemy, will always remain the enemy.

The Dalai Lama, "Loving the Enemy" (Summer 2002)

9pm tomorrow? I can do that.

Ok Nemo - I'll "see" you on the meditation cushions at 9pm tomorrow

Hey Nemo, no worries. I managed 10 mins which I probably wouldn't have done had I not thought others were joining in! Would you like to suggest another day / time to suit you.

WW

I was good - 3 sessions this week (but short ones - 10-15 mins)

Ah maybe I need to stop trying to start off with an hours session then

An hour is quite a long session Nemo - 'quality is better than quantity' I have been told by a couple of teachers ! I don't think I have every managed more than half an hour comfortably !

Typical me - setting unrealistic goals and then berating myself when I inevitibly fail...

Do you use ordinary plinky plonky music or a specific meditation CD?

Hi Nemo - don't beat yourself up over it - I keep meaning to sit every day and often don't !

I don't use music or guided CDs - been meditating a while - I use two methods: (1) is basic breath counting - buddhist tradition; (2) is christian traditional chanting (maranatha mainly)

My buddhist teacher is of the opinion that awareness and mindfulness is the aim of meditation and that we achieve that during everyday tasks as well as with sitting! Takes a while to get into though :)

Interesting, I did (1) during labour...

ouch - something I have seen, but obviously cannot experience !

Hi Nemo, I've never done more than 20/30 min meditation and thats been in a group- so I'm impressed at anyone who even thinks of doing an hour! At home I struggle to do 10 mins but something is better than nothing.

I don't use any meditation cds but just sit on my meditation cushion and try and empty my mind of distracting thoughts (easier said than done).

• Cockney Dad - what are these chants that you do, I'm interested.

Somebody suggested to me that I should do group meditation as it's v different from doing it individually. So, I went along to a Buddhist group and really enjoyed it.

There are lots of websites giving advice about meditation. Just google. I've found lots of useful info and talks on the London Buddhist Centre website.

Here's a useful quote from Lama Shenpen for those of us that struggle with " monkey brain":

"""If when you sit to meditate you are trying to do anything at all...........you will experience tension until you stop trying. Meditation is about being, not trying"""

Wisteria - the main christian chant is'maranatha' - aramaic for 'come master' or 'come Lord'. The other ones are prayers, such as the Jesus prayer (aka prayer of the heart). Maranatha was made popular by Fr John Main, the Jesus prayer is an eastern orthodox tradition (usually chanted using a knotted prayer rope - bit like beads).

I started as a buddhist meditator (never took refuge, so not a fully paid-up buddhist) and recently started to go to Quaker meetings. I find aspects the bible very useful (from a mystic-point of view) and I find a lot of the practical aspects of buddhism to be great. The good thing about Quakers is that there is little dogma (in fact you can get away with calling yourself a 'buddhist quaker'.

Nemo - good advice from Wisteria - there are loads of meditation websites, some good, others not! LBC has a lot of stuff that a beginner may find useful.

Happy sitting !!

CockneyD - thanks for info about maranatha. I'd not heard of this before or John Main. I looked him up on Wikipedia - very interesting. I've just tried a maranatha meditation and it is hard to focus on the word rather your breathing. BUt as with all these things I'm sure with practice it gets better. I like the fact that John Main suggested meditating for 20 mins but no more than 30 mins - which is very "do-able".
Yes I also like going to Quaker meetings and the lack of dogma is very attractive.
Out of interest what Buddhist tradition did you practise with?

Nemo - have you had another go at meditating?

I have started small with sitting in the garden and listening to all the different counds I can hear, then focussing on them one at a time to the exclusion of the others.

I find it quite difficult and 'fiddly' like trying to thread a needle when drunk, but I'm getting there...