Is there one way of meditating or is there many ways?
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just close your eyes…
Hint the easiest way to meditate is to be in a calm setting and breath slowly and count your breaths to 10 many times
There are hundreds of meditation methods from many different traditions. Personally I practice in the Theravada Buddhist tradition.
The basic practice is simple but not easy. Sit quietly and follow your breath. Do not attempt to control or modify your breathing in any way, simply watch it. This can be done many ways but two are (1) pay attention to the sensation of the breath as it touches the edge of your nostrils, or (2) pay attention to the rising and falling of your abdomen. You begin this way, then at some point you’ll notice that you are thinking of dinner or work or something else and that you are not watching your breath. When this happens, gently and without self-criticism, let go of the thoughts and return your attention to the breath. This process repeats itself over and over during a meditation.
This is a very brief and incomplete description but it is enough to get you started if you wish, also check out the links below. With dedicated practice you will begin to gain long periods of quiet awareness without thought. This is extremely pleasant and it is just the beginning.
For a comprehensive discription of all the stages of meditation whithin this tradition, from the very beginning all the way up to full enlightenment, see ” Mindfullness, Bliss and Beyond” by Ajahn Brahm – here’s a pdf of the first part of the book: https://www.bswa.org/PDF/MindfulnessBlissAndBeyondChapters1-5.pdf
You just close your eyes, sit or lie down, stay still and focus on nothing apart from your deep breathing for about 20 minuets. After you will feel super relaxed.
the purpose of meditating is to clear your thoughts
to free your mind of clutter
some people do this with a secondary reason … to clear their mind , then focus on something in particular
this isnt very easy at first
so the answer to ” how do they know they are meditating ”
I would say is when you have perfected it to the extent of being able to have silence in your mind
https://www.allaboutspirituality.org/meditation.htm
Meditation: What Is It?
Meditation is a popular subject these days. With a renewed emphasis on spiritualism and alternative medicine, meditation has gained popularity. Yet, depending on the context, meditation can be defined in a variety of ways. Quite simply, meditation is defined as reflecting and contemplating. It makes no value statement any more than thinking or dreaming does. The subject of a person’s meditation is what brings value to the act of meditating.
Meditation: Who Does It?
Meditation is generally seen as a practice of the New Age movement. This comes primarily from the movement’s association with Transcendental Meditation. Transcendental Meditation (TM) was developed by the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi of the Hindu religion. On their website, TM is described as “a simple, natural, effortless procedure…. During this technique, the individual’s awareness settles down and experiences a unique state of restful alertness. As the body becomes deeply relaxed, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness, where consciousness is open to itself” (www.tm.org). The site touts the benefits of TM as enhancing creativity, effectiveness, and success. The site goes on to say that people from any age, background, or religion can practice TM.
However, TM is steeped in Hindu philosophy. The “yogi” in the TM founder’s name indicates his status in Hinduism. The philosophy and benefits behind TM are similar with Hinduism’s practice that seeks to bring people into union with one’s “higher self.” Additionally, courts in the U.S. have ruled that TM is not a secular discipline; it is Hindu religion (U.S. District Court, Newark, NJ, on October 29, 1977, and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Philadelphia, PA February 2, 1979.)
Meditation: Is It Biblical?
Not all meditation is Transcendental Meditation. In fact, the Bible commands us to meditate. In Joshua 1:8, God tells us to meditate on His word day and night so we will obey it. The words, “meditate” or “meditation” are mentioned 20 times. But meditation’s association with New Age philosophy and Eastern mysticism has frightened off many Christians.
In the Old Testament there are two primary Hebrew words for meditation. Haga, which means to utter, groan, meditate, or ponder. Sihach, which means to muse, rehearse in one’s mind, or contemplate. These words can also be translated as dwell, diligently consider, and heed.
Meditation: A History
One form of meditation that has been used by Christians since at least the 4th century is the lectio divina. It has been traditionally used in monastic religious orders and is enjoying a resurgence today. Lectio divina means “sacred reading” and has four stages: lectio (reading), meditatio (discursive meditation), oratio (effective prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation). In the lectio (reading) stage, one finds a passage and reads it deliberately. The next stage, meditatio (discursive meditation), is where one ponders the text. In the oratio (effective prayer) stage, one talks to God about the reading, asking Him to reveal the truth. In the final, contemplatio (contemplation) stage, one simply rests in God’s presence.
As we can see, meditation is simply pondering or thinking over something. The subject of a person’s meditation, and the purpose of the meditation, is what differentiates one kind of meditation from another.
What we choose to dwell on and focus our thoughts on make a profound difference in our outlook on life. To find out more on how to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things” (Philippians 4:8, NASB), keep searching below.
Keep Reading Now!
Meditation is a form of stilling the mind and is done consciously, you do know when you do it.
There are many ways to meditate. Many, many ways. Google/wikipedia/Yahoo search.
Do look up Vipissana. I find it the easiest and most beneficial for me. You may find one that works better for you. Good luck in your search, meditation is worth it!
I do Mantra Meditation. Chanting the “Hare Krishna” maha mantra. We are suppose to pronounce the words clearly and listen to them carefully. That’s our meditation. “Hare Krishna” manta is a spiritual sound vibration, it means we never get board by repeating again and again those 16 words, but we become free from anxiety and stress and become happy and peaceful.
To meditate: To reflect, have mind set on( I will think of godly things and chew over), ( think about over and over).
There are many
1. Pray
2. Read the bible
3. Fast
4. Answer questions on Yahoo answers.
5.Think of god and all his goodness and what he has delivered you out of.
6. Memorize scripture.
7. Do silent self talk using the word; I am a daughter of the king; I am the head and not the tail.
8. When someone does you wrong, forgive them silently. Because it honors god to forgive.
9.
10.
11.
12.
You can write yours on the rest of the numbers.
Much success.
If you’re REALLY meditating, you turn down the lights, light candles, light incense, and whatever else makes you comfortable. Then you lie down, do NOT sit up and sit like a pretzel. That actually does not help.
After you lie down, close your eyes and do nothing but listen to the sound of your breathing for about 2 minutes. It helps clear your mind. Then imagine yourself at a beach at twilight, when the sun has just set. Picture yourself going under the water and breathing just fine. Keep this one up for a while.
After that, picture yourself walking down a staircase with fuzzy, comfy carpet that feels nice on your toes. When you reach the bottom you see an elevator. Go inside, and let it take you where ever. If you’re really meditating, you’ll feel a wonderful floating sensation, like you’re a spirit looking in on yourself.