Meditation

8 basic kinds of meditation:

1. Mindfulness , also called Vipassana, comes from the Buddhist tradition. Id say mindfulness is the most popular form of meditation in the western world. Its all about being present, letting your mind run, and accepting whatever thoughts come up, while practicing detachment from each thought. Mindfulness is taught along with an awareness on the breath, though the breathing is often considered to be just one sensation among many others, not a particular focus. There is no attempt to change the breathing pattern, which limits this practice and makes it observational rather than active. Changing your breathing changes the energy; just watching what your breathing is doing (particularly if your breathing is shallow, as it generally is) means you are stuck in a low-energy state.

2. Zazen is the generic term for seated meditation in the Buddhist tradition, but in the modern Zen tradition, it is often referred to as just sitting. It is a minimal kind of meditation, done for long periods of time, with little instruction beyond the basics of posture (sit with your back straight). There is no particular attention to the breath, nor an attempt to change the breath. Zazen is the anti-method approach to meditation, but it is often done in conjunction with a concentration on a certain aspect of Buddhist scripture, or a paradoxical sentence, story or question, called a koan. Zazen is very difficult to learn, and it is very difficult to make progress with this method, because of the lack of guidance on how to do the practice. Also, it was developed for a monastic setting, making it difficult to adapt to an active life in the world.

3. Transcendental Meditation is a simplified practice that emerges from Vedanta, the meditative tradition within Hinduism. In TM, you sit with your back straight (ideally in the Lotus or half-Lotus posture), and use a mantra, a sacred word that is repeated. Your focus is on rising above all that is impermanent. TM is a more involved method than either mindfulness or zazen. At the more advanced levels, TM focuses on the breath and changes the breath to change ones state of being. TM often leads to leaving the body (indeed, that is the aim of the practice). That is problematic because the energy of the body (and the mind) can be disrupted. Also, the practice is not focused on your life and your purpose, and indeed the philosophy that goes with it is harmful to the heart, considering desires to be egoic and materialistic.

4. Kundalini is another practice that comes from Vedanta. Kundalini is the name for the rising stream of energy that exists in a human being (there is also a downward stream, not emphasized in Kundalini). The aim of Kundalini meditation is to become aware of that rising stream, and to ride the stream to infinity. The practitioner concentrates on their breath flowing through each of the energy centers of the body, always moving upward, toward the energy center just above the top of the head. Kundalini makes active use of the breath, using breath to move energy upward. Like TM, Kundalini is not heart-based in either its method or philosophy, and it can have unpleasant side-effects, which happen often enough to have been given a name: Kundalini syndrome.

5. Qi gong is a form of Taoist meditation that uses the breath to circulate energy through the organs and energy centers of the body in a oval pattern called the microcosmic orbit. Attention is focused on the breath and the circulation of energy (called qi or chi). Attention is also focused on the three major centers used in Taoist meditation: a point about two inches below the navel, the center of the chest, and the center of the forehead. Qi gong uses the breath to direct energy, and circulate energy in the body and spirit, but it is not heart-based. There is little sense of how the heart changes and develops, and no connection between the circulation of energy and emotional states, and no core set of teachings on how to work with emotion.

6. Guided visualization is a popular form of meditation that involves concentration upon an image or imaginary environment. It is usually done while listening to a recording. An example would be to imagine you are in a grassy field, with a clear sky overhead. There is sometimes a focus on the breath, but generally no attempt to use or control the breath, and because the sensation is imaginary, and the impetus for it comes from outside, the practice tends to be rather passive. This kind of meditation does not come from an established meditative tradition like the others listed above, and so it is untested as a method of spiritual development.Not every recorded meditation is an example of guided visualization; the key is whether it contains elements of hypnotic suggestion or the creation of fantasies under the guidance of someone else. If you are listening to a recording where the guide lays out a method for you to do yourself, or calls attention to sensation and energy already occurring within you, that is not guided visualization, but rather meditation instruction. The key is whether you are practicing a method that will enable you to do a practice by yourself or not.

7. Trance-based practices . This is my category for a whole set of reflective practices that generate a trance state. The hallmarks of a trance are: awareness of the self and the environment is limited, conscious control of the experience is absent, rational thinking is absent, and memory of the experience is very limited. Often these kinds of practices involve drugs, music, shallow, rapid breathing (which produces an intoxicating effect), or a form of hypnotic suggestion. Because self-control is so limited, and because of the passivity involved in having a state induced by someone else, a trance state is both potentially dangerous and not helpful for spiritual development. I couldve easily not included this as meditation, because it isnt really meditation, but I included it because these kinds of practices are commonly thought to be meditation. The idea that meditation involves a trance-state is actually a common myth about meditation.

8. Heart Rhythm Meditation focuses on the breath and heartbeat, making the breath full, deep, rich, rhythmic, and balanced. Attention is focused on the heart as the center of the energetic system. One tries to identify oneself with the heart. By focusing on the breath, you make your breath powerful. And then learning to direct the breath, to feel the circulation of breath as your pulse in different parts of your body, then on your magnetic field, you learn to direct and circulate energy. You are in control of yourself at all times, and you become both more powerful and more sensitive. Further, your power and sensitivity are always in service of your heart, so you become compassionate.

So as this list shows, there are some basic differences between meditative methods. I could get into these differences at length, but this is intended just to establish that there are differences and briefly sketch them. Its important not to denigrate any traditions or practices; each meditative tradition has been developed through the dedication of many thousands of hours, lifetimes of accumulated experience. I have deep respect for all these traditions. This post merely seeks to illuminate some of the differences so that you can have a better understanding of the kinds of meditation that exist in relation to heart-based forms of meditation like HRM.

Because HRM directs your full, deep, rhythmic breath toward your heart, it has all kinds of positive health effects. HRM is also an incredibly powerful and rapid way of healing the wounds of your heart. HRM is also a powerful way of accessing the state of unity, which is the goal of every kind of meditation. When you meditate on your heartbeat, you access the state of unity in a very unique way: you feel that your heartbeat is the universal heartbeat, the heartbeat of the all life, the heartbeat of God.

source: http://www.iam-u.org/index.php/8-basic-kinds-of-meditation-and-why-you-should-meditate-on-your-heart

Excellent post Moony! Meditation is often a fundemental task that many struggle with at first. A thread with tips and questions about meditation is a great idea. Thank you :)

thanks bragi! :D

Discovering What Medtiation Is all About

Meditation is simply the practice of focusing your attention on a particular object generally something simple, like a word or phrase, a candle flame or geometrical figure, or the coming and going of your breath. In everyday life, your mind is constantly processing a barrage of sensations, visual impressions, emotions, and thoughts. When you meditate, you narrow your focus, limit the stimuli bombarding your nervous system and calm your mind in the process. The reason meditation works so effectively is that it connects you with a spiritual dimension, which different commentators give different names, but many people simply call it "being."

Embark on a journey

The journey of meditation has a great deal in common with climbing a mountain. When you reach the summit of the meditation mountain, what do you see? If we can trust the reports of the meditators and mystics who have climbed the mountain before us, we can declare with some confidence that the top of the mountain harbors the source of all love, wisdom, happiness, and joy. Some people call it spirit or soul, true nature or true self, the ultimate truth or the ground of being (or just being itself). Others call it God or the Divine or the Holy Mystery, or simply the One. There are nearly as many names for it as people who experience it. And some spiritual traditions consider it so sacred and powerful that they hesitate to give it a name.

As for the experience of reaching the summit, seasoned meditators use words like enlightenment (from ignorance), awakening (from a dream), liberation (from bondage), freedom (from limitation), and union (with God or being).

Although many ordinary folks are meditating these days, the practice wasn't always so readily available. For centuries, monks, nuns, mystics, and wandering ascetics preserved it in secret, using it to enter higher states of consciousness and ultimately to achieve the pinnacle of their particular path. Highly motivated laypeople with time on their hands uncovered a few techniques. However, the rigorous practice of meditation remained a sacred pursuit limited to an elite few who were willing to renounce the world and devote their lives to it. How times have changed! From Beat Zen in the 1950s and the influx of Indian yogis and swamis in the 1960s to the more recent fascination with Buddhism, meditation has definitely become mainstream, and its practical benefits are applauded.

As you discover how to meditate, you are likely to gain the following:

• Stronger focus and concentration
• Reduced tension, anxiety, and stress
• Clearer thinking and less emotional turmoil
• Lower blood pressure and cholesterol
• Support in kicking addictions and other self-defeating behaviors
• Greater creativity and enhanced performance in work and play
• Increased self-understanding and self-acceptance
• More joy, love, and spontaneity
• Greater intimacy with friends and family members
• Deeper sense of meaning and purpose
• Glimpses of a spiritual dimension of being

Develop awareness: The secret to meditation

If, as the old saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, then the journey of meditation begins with the cultivation of awareness, or attention. In fact, awareness is the mental muscle that carries you along and sustains you on your journey, not only at the start but every step of the way. No matter which path or technique you choose, the secret of meditation lies in developing, focusing, and directing your awareness. (Incidentally, attention is just slightly focused awareness.)

In meditation, you can do the following:

• Increase your powers of awareness by developing concentration on a particular object.
• Through the practice of receptive awareness, expand your awareness to illuminate the full range of your experience.
• Cultivate positive emotions and mind-states.
• Investigate your inner experience and contemplate the nature of existence itself.

These four conditions concentration, receptive awareness, contemplation, and cultivation constitute the major uses of awareness throughout the world's great meditative traditions. "Meditation techniques are just different paths up the same mountain."

You can use a variety of techniques to sharpen your sense of awareness. Here are a few of the many techniques that have been developed over the centuries:

• Repeating a meaningful word or phrase, known as a mantra
• Being mindfully aware of the present moment
• following or counting your breath
• Paying attention to the flow of sensations in your body
• Cultivating loving, kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and other healing emotions
• Concentrating on a geometric shape or other simple visual object
• Visualizing a peaceful place or a healing energy or entity
• Reading and reflection upon inspirational or sacred writings
• Gazing at a picture of a holy being or saint
• Contemplating nature
• Chanting praises to the Divine

Unmask meditation poseurs

Some paths superficially resemble meditation but lead you in an altogether different direction. Of course, every activity can become a meditation if you do it with awareness or concentration. But certain activities become confused with meditation in the popular imagination, whereas they may have a very different intent. Some people claim that reading the newspaper or watching their favorite sitcom qualifies as meditation!

Consider the following list of ersatz meditations that certainly have their place in the repertory of leisure pursuits but don't generally offer the benefits of meditation:

• thinking: In the West, the term "meditation" has frequently been used to refer to a kind of focused reflection on a particular theme, as when you say, "I'm going to meditate on this problem for a while." Although higher-order contemplation or inquiry plays a part in some meditation techniques, it bears little resemblance to the often tortured, conflicted process that usually passes for thinking. Besides, thinking tires you out, whereas meditation refreshes you and perks you up.
• daydreaming: Daydreaming and fantasy offer their own unique pleasures and rewards, including occasional problem-solving and a momentary escape from difficult or tedious circumstances. But rather than leaving you feeling more spacious and more connected with being, as meditation does, daydreaming often embroils you more actively in the drama of your life.
• repeating affirmations: This common new-age practice a contemporary version of what used to be called positive thinking purports to provide an antidote to your negative beliefs by replacing them with positive alternatives. Generally, however, the negativity is so deeply rooted that the affirmations merely skim the surface like froth on the ocean and never really penetrate to the depths, where your core beliefs reside.
• Praying: Ordinary or petitionary prayer, which calls on God for help or asks for something, can be performed meditatively but has little in common with meditation. However, contemplative prayer, also known as orison the yearning of the soul for union with the Divine is actually a form of concentrated contemplation whose focus is God.

Hope it helped :)

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/discovering-what-meditation-is-all-about.html

Thank you Moony for posting this. It is more helpfut for all of us. I have one question. I want to know about alpha , beta , theta , delta ,gama meditation. So can you tell me that?

Alpha Meditation

Alpha meditation taps into the state of consciousness between being completely awake and early asleep . In a busy world where sleep doesn't always have the effect it is meant to, alpha meditation is a powerful method where you can refresh yourself and bring about positive changes, both in your body and your spirit. Alpha meditation is a scientific method that unleashes and then harnesses the power of the subconscious mind. It combines psychology with meditation techniques like Pranic healing and Reiki.

At the alpha level, the brain waves slow to half the normal frequency. At 7-14 pulsations per second, the brain is in a natural comfort zone, a comfortable, relaxed state that heals and refreshes the body. This is the state where a person falls into a deep sleep and then rises from it, rested, in the morning. This calm state is one that is used by alpha meditation. Instead of falling into an alpha state just by falling asleep, you can induce one and reap the benefits from this resource within yourself.

To begin alpha meditation, you must ground yourself. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale just as deeply. As you do this, release all the stress and worries that have been troubling you, focusing only on your breathing. Repeat this until your pulse slows and you are calm. Understand that this will not make those stressors go away, but that through deep thought and consideration, you will be able to take control of them. In this fashion, you can find a spiritual center and the resulting balance will give you a firm ground to stand on.

As your body relaxes and your mind and heart release the stresses that have burdened it, you will achieve an alpha meditation state. In this state, you are open but not vulnerable, powerful without being constrained. At this point, deliberation and visualization become tools where you sharpen your mind and your will.

One visualization technique that is utilized by alpha meditation is to picture the number 3 three times in your mind's eye, followed by the number 2 and then the number 1. As you visualize each number three times, your mind will activate a part of itself that does not get to stretch very often, like a group of muscles that have not seen much use.

As you continue to breathe deeply, you can visualize yourself in places where you want to be, like getting a novel published or being rewarded for excellent performance at your job. Your ruminations are more than just fantasy; in this state, they become more real, more solid to you.

Repeat affirmations out loud, and understand that you are strong and you will provide your own solutions.

When you have finished count backwards from one to five, opening your eyes as you finish.

Alpha meditation is superior to methods like drugs because it takes an existing source of power within a person and pushes it out. Through accessing this simple yet powerful technique, you can better your life and your spirit.

This article is not mine.

By Mary Jones

http://www.project-meditation.org/a_mt3/alpha_meditation.html

When practicing various meditation methods you are definately "in" alpha , or perhaps even deeper wave levels to theta. Even lower and slower, Delta is considered the sleep stage of brain wave functioning. So if you are dozing on the couch while watching tv and start snoring... yes, you're down into "delta."
Most probably YOUR brain waves right now are in a low beta level, which is a full, waking state of consciousness. Yet, as you breathe slowly and relax here... if we hooked you up to sensitive equipment that measures waves, we might discover that you are entering into a higher alpha rhythm. This is what we mean by "daydreaming."

Brain waves are measured in cycles per second -- cps, the number of cycles (brainwaves in one second), or length of brain wave. An EEG, the electroencephalogram machine, measures the electrical output of the brain through electrodes on the skin on the head (scalp). (These measurements may vary slightly.)

• Beta Waves are Normal Waking State
  16-24 cps
• Alpha Waves are Altered Consciousness (relaxed, meditative)
  8-15 cps
• Theta Waves are Deeper Altered Consciousness (creative thought, images)
  4-7 cps
• Delta Waves are Deep Sleep
  0.1-3 cps

So, the bottom line is : When you meditate you have brain waves that are in Alpha. All meditation methods feature an altered state of consciousness in Alpha, not Beta.

Alpha Waves reduce stress... therefore, so do all meditation methods.

During your meditation practice, waves may fluctuate into deeper Theta levels, which may include imagery. If you are really tired and start dozing off on your cushion, this indicates brain waves are going down to a higher Delta. Remember, meditation is not sleeping: Although both are important activities in maintaining radiant health, they are not the same.

Consider exploring this healing meditation methods website further to expand your "360" consciousness in this present moment.

Reverend Dr. Nancy Ash

http://www.doinga360.com/Alpha-State-Meditation.html

hope these was helpful to you wolfrider >.<

Wow Moony. It is Awesome information. Thank you so much. ~Namaste~