How do you meditate?

[zazed]

Hey,

I was just curious how other people meditate and how often. Which techniques are used. 
And also, as i choose to meditate without music, if people like with music better? Partly because i was wondering about starting to use music more myself.

Anyway, its multiple choice, so you can select more than one answer. 
I am also curious to see an explanation into why a certain practice.

However, i don't want to start a debate on what is best. I only want to know what you think is best, works for you, and why.

 

----
I guess i'll kick it off...

I meditate daily, about 30m to an hour, trying to build it up doing more in the new year.
When i have time i meditate multiple times a day for longer time, like in the weekends.
Mostly in ambient silence, sometimes with ear plugs when i can't tolerate my fridge buzzing. I use silence because i've once read over 15 years ago that music would be too distracting/pleasurable, and this stuck with that for some reason.
I don't really think of anything special, rather just sit doing nothing, being aware of what is. If this doesn't work i focus on the breath and/or my heartbeat, until i can do nothing again.

[star ark]

I can't use music for meditation. I'm a music teacher and before that a musical instruments salesman, I like music too much to be able to listen to it and drift off. I'm very envious of people who can use it to meditate.

Most days once or twice I sit and do nothing and usually breathe into my aches and pains. That might be vipassana style. I also walk every day and use a few meditations tricks: I try and feel the exact moment my feet leave the ground and that starts me off on a whole string of ideas. Eventually I can become a floating camera and everything happens on instinct, I watch myself look both ways before crossing the road even on roads that are dead ends with no cars, basically I can end up watching myself as I go into auto pilot. And for almost a month I have done yoga most days for about 15 minutes. Books recommend an hour a day but I find even 15 minutes is great but it is more for aches and pains. It does calm the mind but right now I am still focusing on getting the poses right. It's harder than it looks.

Also the shower is a great place for a short meditative moment.

[pluto]

I do not meditate, I just be, this way Meditation comes to me

 

[Faceless]

Real meditation is an all day affair. Not a technique. 

[Wind]

I practice mostly Anapana right now, which is the same as concentration practice with breath as meditation object. I sometimes would just "do nothing", and recently started experimenting with different guided and visualized meditations/self-inquiry to familiarize with different methods and styles out there, and find the most powerful ones. Guided meditations also come handy when I resist to meditate as it gives more 'novelty'. In terms of self-inquiry it's pretty much 24/7 on.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Wind

[SFRL]

This version of me just started meditating again after years, where I almost lost the concept if it existing at some point in my life. So in a away it's new to me. 

I have only started daily meditation this week. I had to do a lot of other self-development before I legitimately got to the point where I feel like I want to meditate. 

I really do put time aside now. I like to do it in silence. Also I like to do it in front of the fireplace. The smell/sound/sight/feeling of the fire has a calming effect on me. 

I use meditation to relax my body, make it stop from moving, and stop my mind from racing. 

I go in and out of meditative state sometimes for longer or shorter times. In between I do do self-inquiry and contemplation about the things that come up in me. And also just sitting, working in my posture. The insights that come to me I write down on a  piece of paper. 

[zazed]

Thanks for the replies and voting. It's interesting to see some diversity.

@star ark That feeling of the feet leaving the ground is weird right? Sometimes i feel like something disconnects, and then there is almost nothing there, but at the same time no need for anything, it's just being. It's very hard to describe. Then my mind notices it and tries to figure it out. That kills it. I can be in that state for a couple minutes now, until my mind realizes what is happening and breaks it.

I also meditate  in the bathtub, i like the weightlessness  

 

@pluto You do this all day? Or you do sit from time to time, but do not label it as meditation?

@Faceless Are you able to be mindful the whole day? Is it sometimes easier? Do you never sit to meditate, or even remove distractions? Like do you take walks in silence, or do chores around the house in a meditative state? Or are able to do it all the time doing your daily job/hobbies and whatnot?
Obviously you are right, we should not just sit once a day, and then forget about it. I find meditation helpful for short periods of heightened being, to help put me in a "higher state"(whatever that means) for the rest of the day. 

 

6 hours ago, Wind said:

In terms of self-inquiry it's pretty much 24/7 on.

Thats quite some dedication! 
What is a visualized meditation, do you visualize something in specific?

 

6 hours ago, SFRL said:

I had to do a lot of other self-development before I legitimately got to the point where I feel like I want to meditate. 

Yeah, i had this to for the longest time. Now i realize, it is likely better than watching another TV series, or doing other mindless consumerism.

In fact, i often find my self totally bored these days. I'll do my chores, visit family, go to work. But when all that is done, i watch some spiritual teachers on youtube, and often browse these forums. But i quickly get "bored". As I don't want to watch TV shows, or do anything else mindless. There is nothing left to do, and i still have 2 hours before going to bed. So i sit...
 

 

6 hours ago, SFRL said:

The insights that come to me I write down on a  piece of paper. 

This is I also try to do, sometimes it can be a distraction to me. One time i jumped up wanting to write in my one not. But i sat back down, because I realized it was defeating the point of meditating. Do you keep a paper close by?

[Faceless]

@zazed

??

I appreciate you asking friend

 

Yes I am able to be headless when I so choose. I know that the me is a means of function and that the entity I call me is just a fragment of thought itself. 

 When I first realized this as actual I was headless in a state where “I” seemed to not be there at all. But after a while one sees that balance enhances this art of living. So sometimes I am headless and other times not so much. Depends on what I need to do. But yeah I can be in a center less state say while doing something like cleaning house, work that is not to thought consuming, going to the store, and so on. The times when I really am in this state which seems to be fully is when I walk, ride bike with my son, sit in observation of a mountain and it’s beauty. 

 

I don’t meditate as in the whole siting cross legged, breathing, control or suppression of thought, and so on. And I don’t necessarily seek a higher state. I just watch or observe thought as it arises. And in this watching over time compulsive, or inner commentary, just seems to fade. It’s just once you see the truth of what and who you are that truth “perception, insight, acts directly on your being. Then you see that there is actually no self, center, or entity we call the me. So there is no reason to need this higher state because your are in a way, not. 

 

It’s crucial to see and understand the structure of thought and the me. I am ordinary, and this is not a special ability. Just takes ones full energy and interest. Anyone who really wants to can do this. Once this is grasped there is freedom from the self. And when there is freedom from the self life actually begins.

[zazed]

@Faceless Thanks. Meditation is indeed not the end goal.  You seem to have a well established practice without it.  
 

[RawJudah]

I do the Do Nothing technique.

20 minutes.

Trying not to control anything.

Staring into space.

[nightrider1435]

I mediate daily, it usually ranges from 40 minutes to an hour. Occasionally miss a day or two, mainly because of a big baggage of emotions combined with sexual energy, I just need to take a break sometimes.

I do breathe concentration with ear plugs, usually in complete darkness because I mediate at night most times. Breathe concentration is so simple yet so powerful. I've seen big results in myself just by doing this one method. I'll mediate with binaural beats about two or three times a week to reach more extreme states of stillness, which is a good balance for me. It's easy to get carried away with binaural beats, it can be very powerful shit too.

Self Inquiry? 24/7 basically.

I usually try to get 2 hours of mediation in on free days, would like to make that a daily thing at some point.

Mediation is essentially my life, I'm aware of my breathe 24/7. I pretty much watch life like a movie. I am very "still" now, which I guess can be good or bad for my ego since I feel everything... oh well lol. 

Edited January 13, 2018 by nightrider1435

[Faceless]

@RawJudah

Respectfully, ??, isnt trying not to control a subtle form of control? 

You don’t have to answer.. just shows how subtle the movement of thought can be. 

Very very subtle 

Edited January 13, 2018 by Faceless

[SFRL]

14 hours ago, zazed said:

This is I also try to do, sometimes it can be a distraction to me. One time i jumped up wanting to write in my one not. But i sat back down, because I realized it was defeating the point of meditating. Do you keep a paper close by?

Yes, right next to me.

[pluto]

@zazed Everything came naturally to me after a major spiritual awakening back in 2011-12. Everything after that was sort of an automatic flow of divine order/play. I just knew and understood how everything works and become one with nature and the universal laws of creation.

You realize by just being in the moment, who you truly are, meditation is ever-present. You can also meditate then once you get yourself into that blissful state you simply make an intention, open your eyes and carry that beingness throughout your day.

Mindfulness practices helps as well and just remembering deep conscious breaths and taking everything one step at a time or how Matt Kahn would say: Be Relaxed as if every step is you take is your feet making love to the ground, as if you don't want to disturb mother nature's deep sleep.

The more gentle and calm you are the more yourself you become and the easier it is to just be and in these states you are always meditating.

Osho had some good examples and talks on these, Hope this helps

[Monkey-man]

All the time whatever I do

being aware of being aware, watching yourself

watch thoughts arising 

be hearing not hearer

be you eyes, don't be someone who is looking through eyes

Binaural beats

 

Edited January 14, 2018 by Monkey-man

[Dodo]

I ticked all except the ones involving time segments (Longer on free days, Daily and Occasionally),  because those imply separation between the practice and life.

[Joseph Maynor]

I do 1 hour of do nothing meditation in the morning.  Then I do 2 hours of walking meditation per day on my walks to and from work (1 hour each way).