meditation???????

[stewart]

i see many people here use this, and for some it works, but how does one do it?
my mind is always going in a million places, its like they say counting sheep jumping to get to sleep. are they jumping a fence, a hedge, a ditch, what color is the hedge, what color are the sheep, have they got their coats or been shawn, what wood is the fence made of, is it broken or new.... etc etc,
how the heck can i just hit the pause button and clear the mind??????????

[Got]

Its great. If I can meditate than anyone can. I highly recommend it, but are too tired at the moment to post instruction. Either myself or Zaf can help though.

[mat]

not so much meditation but i tried this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0o0kNeOyH98   

and i have to say it completely relaxed me, i am not that flexible but to be honest you can work you way around it

[Zaf]

Meditation can be very useful mat, it certainly helps me, there are several different methods, if you need any tips pm me.  Some people find tai chi more useful as its easier to quieten your thoughts.

Z xxx

[stewart]

laying on the floor would be very uncomfortable for my back, and legs wont bent like that

[Zaf]

It isnt necessary to adopt any particular posture stewart, although most sit cross legged.   I have two elderly friends (late 80's and early 90's) who both meditate daily for 2-3 hours despite having some seriously painful physical conditions, both simply sit in a comfortable chair and do their best

Z xx

[stewart]

sit there i can do Zaf, but thats about it.... i cant just think of nothing

[Zaf]

You could try a mantra, visialisation, candle meditation, sound meditation, contemplation,there are lots of ways to still the mind and at first it may seem an impossible task but eventually the results come and I find it very worthwhile

Z xx

[Jon]

Mindfulness is currently working for me. I still have my dark days but the Mindfulness meditations have been enormously beneficial. You can do the meditations in any position - you don't need to lie on your back.
This book offers the perfect introduction and comes with audio CD which talks you through the simple meditation practices.
"Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world" by Prof. Mark Williams and Dr. Danny Penman
Available from Amazon.
Best of luck with it, pal.

[Zaf]

Mindfulness is definitely very helpful too :0)

[Jon]

Stewart, Mindfulness is not about sitting and thinking of nothing. It's about training yourself to live more in the present moment by focussing your thoughts on your breathing.

[stewart]

i'll give that a try jon, let you know how it goes

[Jon]

Please do, Stewart.
All good things, Jon

[stewart]

well, over the past week or 2 i have tried to think of my breathing, when laying in bed as it is most comfy place, and it just doesnt do anything for me

[Got]

There is a little bit more to it than that.