Does anyone have a daily meditation practice? Would anyone like one but needs motivation?

[mangolassi]

Ooh, I feel all shy

I am agnostic and generally confused about spiritual things, but after recovering from a bout of pnd found a great book - The Mindful Way Through Depression. It has a programme of daily meditation, and I've tried in the past, but it's soooo hard to stick to with no support.

The meditation style in the book is 'western insight' - basically vipassana with the Buddhism taken out - but it would be great to have a thread for anyone trying to get started with daily practice, whatever kind of meditation appeals. Even better if there's anyone who actually has a daily practice already

Erm, can I point you back to my description of my meditation yesterday?

Hello everyone, how are you all?

I try and live my life mindfully, and i fill my heart with compassion for other beings as often as i can. I have never been able to sit still and meditate since having my DD, but I fond I get the same effects if I try and be mindful for even a few seconds wherever I am.

I concentrate on my breathing in the shower, for a few breaths. In and out, in and out, i pop a few drops of essential oil into the shower floor to remind me to take a few breaths when I take a shower. And I consciously wash all thoughts, positive, neutral and negative, out of my mind when I wash my body. I "brainwash"

I concentrate on my breath when I'm brushing my teeth. Just a few seconds of mindfulness is perfect.

I am mindful when I do my little devotional pujas: when I light a candle, incense and ring my bell. I just think of the light, the smoke and the sound. And just those thoughts are in my mind, one at a time.
For me, the sound of the bell traveling into space is especially good for focusing and letting go of the mind.

I follow a Buddhist path, and I've had some amazing teachers. One of the - a Tibetan Lama - taught me that very same meditation that you did boredjustabout.
It's called Tonglen - Give and Take meditation, and it involves moving love between people. You give and take love. I love this meditation and it always leaves me feeling light and happy and connected. Sounds like you had the same result and that you did it perfectly.

In my experience of meditation, there is no point giving yourself such and such an amount of 'time' to do it 'right'. One breath is enough to allow all thoughts good, bad and neutral to flow out of your mind, and to just be.

it's lovely to meet you all.

boredjustabout, that was a lovely post, and I definitely don't take offence at any mention of God, everybody should be able to meditate within their own faith, whether that includes a God or not.

As for Om Mani Padme Hum, it is in Wikipedia here:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om_mani_padme_hum

and apparently can't be translated in a short phrase or even a few sentences, but is said to contain all the teachings of the Buddha.

I like the way it rolls off the tongue personally and from my limited knowledge of Hindi I know that Om is the most sacred word, Padme means lotus flower which is quite significant in Eastern religions and Hum means I. Not sure about Mani.

Well I have had some amazing teachers. Really amazing

I think we focus too much on time actually: 10 mins here and 15 mins there: 100 breaths here, one mississippi, two mississippi, and set ourselves up for failure if we keep getting distracted, or don't do it right.

I've never been taught to meditate for any length of time at all, as the aim of the meditation. Mostly I've been taught to be in the moment, and to transcend every moment.

As I said I've been on this path forever and I just meditate a breath at a time, and sometimes only for the in breath, and sometimes for just the out breath.

But mostly I try just to find the sweet point of the pause,

the space,

the pure love nature of the mind,

in the timeless zone, where everything and everyone is pure and light, and Buddha nature

between the breaths.

HI zazen, thank you for your post, it is really great to meet someone on here who is a Buddhist - and also a mother!!

My dh is Hindu and has a place set up for his gods with incense and candles, from what you have said I could also use that place.

I think I will also try that give and take meditation, it sounds perfect for love between a mother and child.

It is a perfect meditation Louie, and especially if they are driving you nuts all very easy to be loving etc when everyone is 'behaving' .

I visualise the love as a giant wheel, turning and turning between us. This would be perfect for your Dh as well as a Hindu, and everyone indeed!

Sometimes my wheel turns into a huge and enveloping fire and I end up doing a Tummo meditation where I get incredibly warm then my Dd wants a warm hug, but usually breaks away saying my hands are too hot! Hot mama

I love my little sacred space, and have friends who have their shrines in a kitchen cupboard. It's so lovely to look for a cup or something and find something all together different isn't it?

Also a question zazen - how do you go about getting a teacher? I would like to follow Tibetan Buddhism as I think it corresponds quite well with my dh's Hinduism. Do I contact the local temple?

Just found this thread. Is this John Kabat Zinn (sp?)Mindfulness? My neuro-psychologist recommended it and I am just starting. It looks good and my first tentative goes have been pretty good. There are a few bits on YouTube of JKZ, too, which are worth hearing.

boredjustabout - your ten minutes sound amazing! I also have no problem with you mentioning God.

zazen - wow there is so much knowledge and experience in your postings, it will take me a while to absorb - very early days for me you see! I love the idea of a sacred space in a kitchen cupboard and being mindful in the shower. I was wondering though - did you have to do a lot of 'long' meditating before being able to achieve the moment of stillness? I have always (well since being a mum) tried to just 'stop' and take a breath (when things are going crazy around me) and go inwards for a moment and it sometimes helps but only for that moment. Not sure if I am explaining myself?

Hi Jux - will have a look at JKZ on YouTube, thanks.

Louiestrumpet, I follow a tantric path, with my main teacher being a Tantric Tulku Lama of the Gelug tradition - he also is a Bon practitioner- which is a Shaman tradition.

I found my local temple was more Theravada and more written Dharma based, with more emphasis on the emptiness (as in Hindism), which didn't suit me to be honest, as I'm more of a physical person, dance, Iyengar yoga, calming down animals (including children, as a specialty!!) etc, so I use my body to create a space for, or to find my mind.

My Root teacher and I came together out of a serendipity (but really Karma) - I contacted an old friend I had worked with out of the blue - she was on my mind -and she had been to learn from a Lama who had fled Tibet and now lives and teaches in Northern India, and he was coming to where I live on a teaching tour. When we met for the first time (this time!) we recognised each other instantly and he told me that I was a past student or chela of his. This made absolute sense to me, as I felt so strongly connected to him: like I came home. I feel connected to him every moment.

There are many types of Buddhist temples, and I would suggest that you contact them all in your area and ask what kind of Buddhism they practice: if they are greater or Lesser vehicle, and to go to everyone and practice at the one which suits you personally. There are many types of people and of Buddhism, and many ways of traveling on the path.
For me this lifetime I'm a Tantric practitioner of Vajrayana, as it suits me, and my constitution, my elemental constitution, as in Ayurveda, IYKWIM HTH!

Rebi, everything starts with the breath. One breath at a time.
It's good to practice for a few minutes if you can with a straight back if you can- so energy can flow up and down your chakras, like a wheel.
Try to think of energy turning and intensifying - think of your body as having centres of light of differnet colours and the breath fans the flames of colours and strengthens them, and the energy of the breath moves perfectly up your spine and down the front spinning your light filled chakras at the same time.

well, that's what works for me
I used, very early on in my practice, to sit and watch a lit candle and concentrate and let go thought, on the flame and take the flame into my crown chakra, to set off the other chakras. Now I do guru yoga which works by bringing energy into the lowest chakra and it rises from there.

I love Diwali and christmas for the lights, as it reminds me to ignite my chakras with light and colour and energy. And with this practice, I see lights in other people more readily.

None of this is exclusive to Buddhism though. Think of the Christian Saints with halos around their heads, and of the Holy Spirit- the pentecostal flame- the Sacred Heart with flames around the heart.

It's all about bringing energy into the body and bringing movement into the chakras, to open them.
Sitting up straight helps open the body for the breath: the breath moves the energy like a wheel.
Observing a flame of a candle, or hearing a clear sound like a bell helps open the mind.

Yoga, and pranayama - breathing in particular ways helps move the energy through the chakras, with the breath effortlessly 'lifting' it if you like.

I'm going to shut up too boredjustabout!
Sounds like you had a wonderful practice

Thank you so much zazen - I found your thoughts really helpful. Will try and put into practice later. Could you explain to me what chakras are - I have heard of them and think they are to do with energy?

Oh I'm so glad I stumbled across this thread, I need to slow down soooo much (I am always in a tis, I even talk too fast) (and too much).

I need to get back to work now so will try to read it properly later.

I have never meditated at all. I do have a bath every evening - it is the only time I am alone and can be quiet. Would it work to try and meditate in the bath?

Rebi, Chakras are energy centres.
Think of them like whirlpools. The breath coming into them starts them moving and that moves the energy through them to the rest of your body.
There are millions of chakras in your body and it's into these the acupuncturist will stick the needles, to get the energy (or Chii) flowing into them and through them.

There are 7 major chakrasthough, and they run from the groin to the top of your head, up your spine. Sitting up straight when meditating helps the energy move up and down easily.

Now, I've got to go to lunch .

Have a wonderful afternoon [wave]

HI to all the newcomers!

Zazen I am going to have to investigate the temples in my area, I live quite close to central London so there should be a few. I am into reasoned debate and studying, but I love the traditions as well - I am sure there is something for me out there.

boredjustabout - I find it great that you can combine a faith in God with meditation - I was a Christian for many years and the church I mixed in taught that meditation was very wrong, I believed that I would have to leave this church to practice meditation or anything like that - maybe I shold have just changed churches

Where I work is a great big old tower with wonderful bells at the top - they were ringing before and as I was walking I was just listening to them - it was wonderful to hear them - iykwim.

Mangolassi - thank you for starting such a wonderful post - it was exactly what I needed!

oooo, can I join? I have done meditation at various points but now with the dcs I just don't make time for it anymore.

scattyspice, you would enjoy reading books by Thich Naht Han. He talks about meditating in all sorts of places - even washing the dishes!

Thanks jabber - I'll try the library.