Meditation Routines

[Orbit]

I have come to really value meditation, and feel "off my game" if I miss a day. But in addition, unexpectedly during the course of meditation experiences arise that are mystical. I mean specifically feelings of unity, love, and oneness. I therefore see meditation as the practice of mysticism.

I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines.

For me, daily, I light a candle and incense, ring a bell, and put on whatever I am using as sound. That is most often a recording of Tibetan singing bowls, but sometimes mantras of Saraswati and White Tara/Avelokiteshtevara. I seem to be unusual in that I don't meditate in the morning, but in the early afternoon. The session lasts an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

I focus on the breath, and say a few oms or mantras to get into the zone. I spend some time letting thoughts float in and out, acknowledging and dismissing them. Then I enter a deeper meditative state and just witness whatever happens, go with whatever occurs. I keep a notebook by my side to write down any insights and then go back into the meditation.

I try to enter each session without expectations, but that is not always easy. I have had experiences that made me afraid to meditate again (from feeling negative emotions) but evidently those experiences are ends unto themselves, as I have learned they don't carry over to the next session. I think meditation has a lot to do with insight into our own psychology as well as being a mystic practice. I think the negative feelings that I have experienced in meditations were feelings and anxieties that needed to be expressed and acknowledged to clear the mental way for progress into deeper states.

PS- I'd like to plug the two mysticism episodes of Radio RF that can be found here: Radio RF Online Radio | BlogTalkRadio

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I focus on the breath, and say a few oms or mantras to get into the zone. I spend some time letting thoughts float in and out, acknowledging and dismissing them. Then I enter a deeper meditative state and just witness whatever happens, go with whatever occurs. I keep a notebook by my side to write down any insights and then go back into the meditation.

I get what you mean about getting into the zone, but could you say some more about what you mean by entering into a deeper meditative state? Do you mean the mind calming down, stillness?

 

[Orbit]

I get what you mean about getting into the zone, but could you say some more about what you mean by entering into a deeper meditative state? Do you mean the mind calming down, stillness?

Well, I suppose technically it's called entering altered states of consciousness. It is increased calmness, increased stillness, yes. But at some points there is also a qualitative change in mental processing, accompanied by greater or lesser awareness of the body (proprioception, which is a human sense), sometimes a feeling that the body is rising (probably the source of ridiculous claims about actual levitation), sometimes a feeling of connection and focus--that's the hardest to describe. I've been in states where I am a conduit for white light that feels like water flowing through me, for example. What is that in science-speak? I don't know.

I've never tried to map it out, but if you've read Ken Wilber, he has identified different levels of meditation, based on Hindu models. I haven't tried to map my experiences onto his typology of subtle, causal, and nondual states so I can't really speak to his model.

 

[Windwalker]

I have come to really value meditation, and feel "off my game" if I miss a day.

I am finding that if I miss some days I don't feel that out of sorts now. At first, maybe some, but I think it begins to accumulate over time. I think I may have hit a particular plateau right now, a certain permanent state. I wasn't able to have the space to meditate for over a week recently and didn't notice any sense of being off. That doesn't mean I'm going to quit by any means however! There is much more to go. It's all about growing. Not getting off the wheel. So when I sat down the other day, it's just like riding a bike. There wasn't any feeling setback. I do recommend being disciplined about it though whenever possible. I see it as drinking clean water. Cleansing the soul.

I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines.

I have a morning routine of meditating before work. It usually is around 60 to 90 minutes, depending. I have a space set aside in my home that I create a sacred space by lighting candles and putting on some appropriate meditation music. Music is an important part of meditation for me. I have and assortment of hand beaten antique Tibetan Singing Bowls I have collected from that came from Nepal via a former Tibetan Buddhist monk friend of mine, as well as various gongs. I usually only have a few out in front of me as I meditate, sitting on a meditation cushion on the floor.

I use the sounds of the music and my bowls to help create a space where I enter into, offering up myself as it were to the practice. My thoughts ascend with the sound as I let go of my thoughts into a focus on what opens and arises within me. This happens rather quickly now as setting aside thoughts and opening to this is a familiar thing and normally happens within just a few moments or so. As I move further into this opening, there is a deepening of myself into this expanding space. It becomes as if I am seeing the room while my eyes are closed. As I give myself to this "energy" that move through me I feel it raising me into itself, and there becomes a merger, a transformation of my mind and body. This then moves into simple awareness. Often my eyes are now open and there is just awareness. There is a deep luminosity felt within and surrounding in the room. This is followed by grounding what is opened to, bringing into into the body, bring it back one layer at a time until fully present in the body filled with this Light.

Now, there are lots of variation to this. That's just a super high-level overview. The key is simply being open, trusting, inviting, surrendering, and so forth. All the "hard lessons' are those learning how to just simple "be" as I described. You really don't "do" anything, other than letting go. That's the hard part. Once you let go and allow, then the rest is learning how to be in that, and allow it to transform you into itself. There are various techniques that one can do, focus on breath, mantra practice, mudra's, etc. and they change from day to day depending on what works that day. The longer you practice this, the more you are familiar with what works and go there much more easily. A great deal is learned about yourself along the way as you engage yourself in cooperation. You learn to accept yourself. You learn to love yourself. You learn humor about yourself. All of this with the higher knowledge that is opened to you transforms you as a person. It is not just a matter of "relaxing" for 15 minutes out of your day, even though that's a good start.

As far as trying different things, I found this sometime ago that keys in on this.

7 Factors of Enlightenment

When the mind is sluggish, it is not the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment:
tranquility, concentration, and equanimity,
because a sluggish mind can hardly be aroused by them.

When the mind is sluggish, it is the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment:
investigation of phenomena (dhammavicaya), energy (viriya) and rapture (piti),
because a sluggish mind can easily be aroused by them.

When the mind is restless, it is not the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment:
investigation of the phenomena, energy and rapture,
because an agitated mind can hardly be quietened by them.

When the mind is restless, it is the proper time for cultivating the following factors of enlightenment:
tranquility (passaddhi), concentration (samadhi) and equanimity (upekkha),
because an agitated mind can easily be quietened by them.

"But as for mindfulness (sati), monks, I declare that it is always useful."
(SN 46:53)

Descriptions in order from above:
dhammavicaya: Dhamma vicaya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
viriya: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C4%ABrya
piti: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C4%ABti
passaddhi: Passaddhi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
samadhi: Samadhi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
upekkha: Upekkha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia​

 

[YmirGF]

I'll be back.... I'm old so I need this placeholder to find my way back...

 

[YmirGF]

Just have a minute or two at this time, but I'll start with the basics.

I'm a bit of a purist in that I don't use candles, incense or music etc. I like my meditation straight up, as it were.

Depending on my physical state, I might do 5 min of very light stretching exercise in order to calm the body down to a favorable state of relaxation. After this, I sit with my back to the wall, in 1/2 lotus position. I'm getting a bit too old to manage full lotus for very long. 1/2 Lotus works fine.
I prefer to have a darkened room, but I could just as easily do this in a sunlit field. It doesn't really matter, as I'm not going to be hanging around long to worry about it the local conditions.

Next, I slow my breathing, rhythmically, and with eyes fully closed, focus my "sight" on an invisible spec in the centre of my field of vision. In seconds I become aware of the sound of transcending, that I was taught to recognize when I adopted Transcendental Marination. It is a pleasant metallic sound, a very soft ringing, or pinging or something, but not unlike a seltzer sound, like that of a fizzy drink.

I use the sound to cushion my personal mantra which I begin after I am hearing the sound. When I find myself mingling with my thoughts I either softly reintroduce the mantra or simply focus on the sound of transcending. It's not that you stop thoughts, they are still whirling around, you just move outside of them and into a calm zone. Consciousness is much more flexible than most imagine.

Quickly, I'm immersed in the different meditative states and shift between them with little notice. As instructed, way back when, I normally only meditate for about 20 minutes with a 5 minute buffer on either side of the meditation for liftoff and re-entry.

Quite often, I am seeing wherever I am as if my eyes are wide open and it used to be a bit startling when I realize that my eyes are firmly shut. That is, I see the room I am in, or whatever local. After awhile, you just smile and don't give it much attention, though it is a fairly neat perspective. Likewise, I often get strong blasts of light, sort of like being caught in the headlights of a car. Very intense. Then the is the orb of light phenomena that is pretty dazzling... and "you" are at the centre of that light.

From my perspective, meditation is no longer essential, but it is always enjoyable. One thing I have taken out of the realm of meditation is that when I am around my packs of roving deer I will expand my awareness and reach out to them. They seem to respond, but that could be my imagination.

 

[Windwalker]

I'm a bit of a purist in that I don't use candles, incense or music etc. I like my meditation straight up, as it were.

This brings up an interesting point for people new to meditation. There are "purists" as you call this which prefer sitting in a corner and staring at a blank wall, as one example in the Zen approach. In reality this is actually a style that is more appealing to those with more predominantly masculine traits. Zen for instance is predominantly male-oriented and this approach is very effective.

But there are other approaches that are equally effective that appeal more to those with more "feminine" traits, the more emotional, compassionate feeling center of gravity. Those approaches typically involve more movement, dance, chant, or visualizations of deity forms and so forth. In the Tantric approach which I fit into much more neatly, for instance you move into a state of pure compassion and visualize pure Emptiness. This moves one into the condition of the nondual. It's the marriage of Shiva and Shakti. It engages the energies of the body and mind, and in my practice there is typically a lot of spontaneous movement of my arms and hands in various gestures; opening, receiving, offering, controlling, centering, grounding, expanding, etc. The body becomes and extension of what is being opened to and experienced in the mind, soul, and body. In this sense, as I have slightly more predominantly feminine characteristics (artistic, poetic, feeling, emotional, as opposed to controlling, power-centered, protective masculine traits), this brings me into the moment greater than the more masculines approach which may resemble more a sort of brute force.

So the point is, I think it's better not to understand one approach as "pure" versus the other. I know that newbies to meditation often worry, "Am I doing it wrong?" The answer is quite simple. There are many different approaches that work equally as effective for the practitioners, depending on who they are and many other surrounding factors. If the technique you are using isn't working, then try something else. The only "wrong" way is the way that doesn't work for you. It's a temptation in traditions to consider their way as correct, and that if someone trying it isn't getting results, they aren't doing it right, that the problem lies with them, not with the technique. This is a mistake where the traditions fail to recognize the differences in people. They make assumptions what works well for many, which it does, will work for everyone, which it won't.

In other words, try different things, be open, but do try to stick with something long enough to work with yourself. There can in fact be jumping around in an avoidance to take note of. As one example, someone I talked with not long ago was telling me how he has been practicing a Buddhist meditation approach for 8 years now. I asked him if he has ever had any subtle-state experiences, such as the light you described, and he said he has never experienced anything, not in the sense of Emptiness as No-thing'ness, but nothing in the sense of no results! Now here is a clear case that it's not working for him and he should try something else! That's sad to me actually one would continue for 8 solid years with something that isn't working for them. It's so simple to try something else.

It's not that you stop thoughts, they are still whirling around, you just move outside of them and into a calm zone. Consciousness is much more flexible than most imagine.

This is a good point. I describe it that the level of engagement with the thoughts is what becomes relaxed and/or released. Thoughts don't suddenly go blank and you are staring off mindlessly into space as if struck on the head with a steel rod. Rather thoughts become undistracting, floating by like objects, like clouds in the sky you calmly observe. The brain produces thoughts, just like the body produces a pulse. The difference is where you are in awareness shifts out of being in the center of those. And that's what you mean by consciousness being more flexible than most imagine. Most people identify with the thoughts. They ARE the thoughts. It's a stunning realization after the fact when you realize you are not your thoughts, that they are a part of you like the body is.

I'll add one point to this that there are states in deeper meditation where those thoughts become very distant, like a cloudless sky. It is really more a case of what I would call absorption in Stillness. A wisp of a thought may arise briefly, but you are sitting as the center of the universe, and the thought sounds more like the gentle noise of an infant in the other room as you are at One with everything that arises. There is no judgment of anything, and you love your own mind as you love all minds and hearts everywhere. It's hard to put this into words, but I like "free from all judgment" to describe it. It is a state of just simply Pure Being. It is control, compassion, non-judgment, just seeing free of all valuations. I struggle for words.

I normally only meditate for about 20 minutes with a 5 minute buffer on either side of the meditation for liftoff and re-entry.

I like these metaphors of liftoff and re-entry. The terms I use are the "pure" terms in ritual language of raising the energy and grounding. For those unfamiliar with this common practice in all ritual forms, which meditation falls into, all ritual breaks out into these five main stages in this order:

1. Closing the circle
2. Raising the energy
3. Doing the work
4. Grounding the energy
5. Opening the circle

So in all meditation practices, individually or in a group, it follows this order above and looks like this:

1. Create the meditation space, pull out pillow, light candles, sit in position (this creates mental intention towards the practice)
2. Practice breathing techniques, chanting mantras, begin visualization, enter into meditative states of consciousness
3. Explore the inner territory, settle into the energy, open to the light, etc. You are doing the work of moving beyond the ego-self identification, realizing insights, and so forth
4. Take the energy that was raised and the insights in the work and bring them back into the body, grounding them and taking the work that was done and bring it into the present waking state of consciousness
5. Open the space by rising from meditation, putting away the symbols of your practice, your mat, raise the dimmed lights, etc. This takes the practice as whole with you as you re-enter the world.

I will add something important to understand. If you skip steps 4 and 5, this is not good to do. The results of failing to ground properly will leave you disjointed, disconnected. You will feel jittery, scattered, nervous, anxious, and so forth. These are all indications you failed to ground properly.

From my perspective, meditation is no longer essential, but it is always enjoyable. One thing I have taken out of the realm of meditation is that when I am around my packs of roving deer I will expand my awareness and reach out to them. They seem to respond, but that could be my imagination.

I know what you are referring to. There are times I wouldn't be surprised to see deer and bunnies all gathering around me as birds land on my arms like a statue of St. Francis in the garden.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

Most people identify with the thoughts. They ARE the thoughts. It's a stunning realization after the fact when you realize you are not your thoughts, that they are a part of you like the body is.

Yes, one of the things I find useful about the Buddhist model is that there are 6 aspects of consciousness, one for each sense and one for the mind. So mind-consciousness is aware of mind-objects like thoughts and emotions, in the same way that eye-consciousness is aware of visual objects. I find that the mind becomes more spacious as it calms, so thoughts appear "smaller" and less significant. It's actually quite liberating not to identify with one's thoughts so strongly.

 

[Rick O'Shez]

So the point is, I think it's better not to understand one approach as "pure" versus the other. I know that newbies to meditation often worry, "Am I doing it wrong?" The answer is quite simple. There are many different approaches that work equally as effective for the practitioners, depending on who they are and many other surrounding factors. If the technique you are using isn't working, then try something else. The only "wrong" way is the way that doesn't work for you.

The problem is that a lot of people now learn meditation from the internet rather than getting face-to-face instruction, which I think increases the risk of "doing it wrong", or more accurately not applying a technique correctly. And some people try to go it alone without advice and support from other meditators, which can also create difficulties.
I've had some experience of teaching Buddhist meditation, and have found it's very important to cover the basics and not assume that people understand.

 

[mystic64]

I have come to really value meditation, and feel "off my game" if I miss a day. But in addition, unexpectedly during the course of meditation experiences arise that are mystical. I mean specifically feelings of unity, love, and oneness. I therefore see meditation as the practice of mysticism.

I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines.

For me, daily, I light a candle and incense, ring a bell, and put on whatever I am using as sound. That is most often a recording of Tibetan singing bowls, but sometimes mantras of Saraswati and White Tara/Avelokiteshtevara. I seem to be unusual in that I don't meditate in the morning, but in the early afternoon. The session lasts an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

I focus on the breath, and say a few oms or mantras to get into the zone. I spend some time letting thoughts float in and out, acknowledging and dismissing them. Then I enter a deeper meditative state and just witness whatever happens, go with whatever occurs. I keep a notebook by my side to write down any insights and then go back into the meditation.

I try to enter each session without expectations, but that is not always easy. I have had experiences that made me afraid to meditate again (from feeling negative emotions) but evidently those experiences are ends unto themselves, as I have learned they don't carry over to the next session. I think meditation has a lot to do with insight into our own psychology as well as being a mystic practice. I think the negative feelings that I have experienced in meditations were feelings and anxieties that needed to be expressed and acknowledged to clear the mental way for progress into deeper states.

PS- I'd like to plug the two mysticism episodes of Radio RF that can be found here: Radio RF Online Radio | BlogTalkRadio

Quote=Orbit
"I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines."

Thank you Orbit for presenting this topic for discussion! It is something that I am both interested in and have been involved in for most of my life. And an inside look at the meditation techniques and routines of experienced, intermediate, and beginning mystics is an awesome gift to everyone that is interested in the topic of meditation and meditation routines. Most of that stuff you have to pay money to find out about it and it is all pretty secret because of that. Orbit you have created a reality where this information can be shared for free, I like that !

Meditation routines? I have been doing this for so long that I am in a constant meditation state waking and sleeping. And the meditation routines that I follow are all based on the the first law of yoga science: "What you put active thought into wakes up and is activated." And because thought movement in a visual sense creates more bang for your buck, all of my meditations have visual movement in them. An example would be the meditation routine that I use to activate my heart center and the thymus gland part of my immune system: Visualize a thermonuclear explosion going off in the center of the chest and then visualize the tremendous energy created radiating outward in all directions in "very slow" motion. That meditation routine really turns things on and gives one a very powerful immune system. That is one of the standard meditation routines that I do all of the time both waking and sleeping. I have tried other ones that activate the heart center but they just do not have the kick that that one does.

 

[YmirGF]

Orbit you have created a reality where this information can be shared for free, I like that !

What? Are you saying we aren't getting paid for all this? I'm out.

 

[YmirGF]

This brings up an interesting point for people new to meditation. There are "purists" as you call this which prefer sitting in a corner and staring at a blank wall, as one example in the Zen approach. In reality this is actually a style that is more appealing to those with more predominantly masculine traits. Zen for instance is predominantly male-oriented and this approach is very effective

I should have used quotes with the "purists" label, as it was not meant literally. I guess "minimalist" might have been a better descriptor in retrospect.

So the point is, I think it's better not to understand one approach as "pure" versus the other. I know that newbies to meditation often worry, "Am I doing it wrong?" The answer is quite simple. There are many different approaches that work equally as effective for the practitioners, depending on who they are and many other surrounding factors. If the technique you are using isn't working, then try something else. The only "wrong" way is the way that doesn't work for you. It's a temptation in traditions to consider their way as correct, and that if someone trying it isn't getting results, they aren't doing it right, that the problem lies with them, not with the technique. This is a mistake where the traditions fail to recognize the differences in people. They make assumptions what works well for many, which it does, will work for everyone, which it won't.

Agreed. There is no "right way" though as Spiny Norman points out "face to face" initiation is definitely desirable as opposed to reading it in the "Dummies Guide to Enlightenment".

In other words, try different things, be open, but do try to stick with something long enough to work with yourself. There can in fact be jumping around in an avoidance to take note of. As one example, someone I talked with not long ago was telling me how he has been practicing a Buddhist meditation approach for 8 years now. I asked him if he has ever had any subtle-state experiences, such as the light you described, and he said he has never experienced anything, not in the sense of Emptiness as No-thing'ness, but nothing in the sense of no results! Now here is a clear case that it's not working for him and he should try something else! That's sad to me actually one would continue for 8 solid years with something that isn't working for them. It's so simple to try something else.

While I agree, I can't help but think the person is getting something out of it, unless he or she is an exceedingly dull bugger and content with very little. As you yourself point out, different strokes for different folks.

That said, I never did have much difficulty wafting up all sorts of interesting experiences via meditation. That wonderful silence leads to so many paths in so many non-dual directions. It's a bit like a cosmic smorgasbord.

This is a good point. I describe it that the level of engagement with the thoughts is what becomes relaxed and/or released. Thoughts don't suddenly go blank and you are staring off mindlessly into space as if struck on the head with a steel rod. Rather thoughts become undistracting, floating by like objects, like clouds in the sky you calmly observe. The brain produces thoughts, just like the body produces a pulse. The difference is where you are in awareness shifts out of being in the center of those. And that's what you mean by consciousness being more flexible than most imagine. Most people identify with the thoughts. They ARE the thoughts. It's a stunning realization after the fact when you realize you are not your thoughts, that they are a part of you like the body is

Agreed. Again, one quickly understands that they are not their thoughts per se, but that thoughts are precipitated by consciousness. It's not something you can actually stop, but you do learn to tune them out and focus in a different direction.

I'll add one point to this that there are states in deeper meditation where those thoughts become very distant, like a cloudless sky. It is really more a case of what I would call absorption in Stillness. A wisp of a thought may arise briefly, but you are sitting as the center of the universe, and the thought sounds more like the gentle noise of an infant in the other room as you are at One with everything that arises. There is no judgment of anything, and you love your own mind as you love all minds and hearts everywhere. It's hard to put this into words, but I like "free from all judgment" to describe it. It is a state of just simply Pure Being. It is control, compassion, non-judgment, just seeing free of all valuations. I struggle for words.

This is where we run into great difficulties rendering the multifaceted experience into somewhat dry linguistic terms. The words never approach the actual experience.

I like these metaphors of liftoff and re-entry. The terms I use are the "pure" terms in ritual language of raising the energy and grounding. For those unfamiliar with this common practice in all ritual forms, which meditation falls into, all ritual breaks out into these five main stages in this order:

1. Closing the circle
2. Raising the energy
3. Doing the work
4. Grounding the energy
5. Opening the circle

So in all meditation practices, individually or in a group, it follows this order above and looks like this:

1. Create the meditation space, pull out pillow, light candles, sit in position (this creates mental intention towards the practice)
2. Practice breathing techniques, chanting mantras, begin visualization, enter into meditative states of consciousness
3. Explore the inner territory, settle into the energy, open to the light, etc. You are doing the work of moving beyond the ego-self identification, realizing insights, and so forth
4. Take the energy that was raised and the insights in the work and bring them back into the body, grounding them and taking the work that was done and bring it into the present waking state of consciousness
5. Open the space by rising from meditation, putting away the symbols of your practice, your mat, raise the dimmed lights, etc. This takes the practice as whole with you as you re-enter the world.

I will add something important to understand. If you skip steps 4 and 5, this is not good to do. The results of failing to ground properly will leave you disjointed, disconnected. You will feel jittery, scattered, nervous, anxious, and so forth. These are all indications you failed to ground properly.

Indeed. If the steps are not adhered to, problems and dissociative states can occur. Just as one needs a bit of time to disassociate from their physical senses, there is also a period after meditation where it is strongly advised to slowly reawaken to the physical body and the reality it lives in. It's like decompressing from a deep sea dive.

 

[Baladas]

I have come to really value meditation, and feel "off my game" if I miss a day. But in addition, unexpectedly during the course of meditation experiences arise that are mystical. I mean specifically feelings of unity, love, and oneness. I therefore see meditation as the practice of mysticism.

I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines.

For me, daily, I light a candle and incense, ring a bell, and put on whatever I am using as sound. That is most often a recording of Tibetan singing bowls, but sometimes mantras of Saraswati and White Tara/Avelokiteshtevara. I seem to be unusual in that I don't meditate in the morning, but in the early afternoon. The session lasts an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

I focus on the breath, and say a few oms or mantras to get into the zone. I spend some time letting thoughts float in and out, acknowledging and dismissing them. Then I enter a deeper meditative state and just witness whatever happens, go with whatever occurs. I keep a notebook by my side to write down any insights and then go back into the meditation.

I try to enter each session without expectations, but that is not always easy. I have had experiences that made me afraid to meditate again (from feeling negative emotions) but evidently those experiences are ends unto themselves, as I have learned they don't carry over to the next session. I think meditation has a lot to do with insight into our own psychology as well as being a mystic practice. I think the negative feelings that I have experienced in meditations were feelings and anxieties that needed to be expressed and acknowledged to clear the mental way for progress into deeper states.

PS- I'd like to plug the two mysticism episodes of Radio RF that can be found here: Radio RF Online Radio | BlogTalkRadio

One of my more common routines:
Similarly to you, I focus on my breath and I continue with this until I am in a deeply relaxed state.
Often I have listened to the sound of running water or rain (preferably actual rainfall or a stream when possible) which calms me, and seems to take me out of myself even further and more quickly.
I focus on the sound of the water, and I seem to become the water. My whole reality is the flowing river, or the pouring rain.
I remain in this state for some time, and every so often deep insights arise. I consider these individually as they come, and then flow back into the river.
I am the water, for as long as I can spare. Then, I bring myself back slowly and wake body up. Taking time to reflect on the oneness of myself and everything around me, as well as any insights I may have received and appreciating the world simply as it is.

Then, I rise and (at times reluctantly) rejoin society.

 

[SpentaMaynu]

I thought I would start this thread for people to share meditation techniques/routines.

I usually set up a small altar wherever possible - three small sculptures of Buddha, Ganesh and a Cross. I also burn some incense and sometimes lit a candle. This, for me, is however the 'not so important' part of meditation and I don't actually need it to go into meditation. The important part is sitting, in full lotus, somewhere quite (or for lack of that, somewhere where the different sounds almost merge and become one). I start with chanting the Ganapathi Prathaana, the Gayatri mantra and a prayer to Shiva. Then focus on a chosen mantra, which nowadays is either the Gayatri mantra or a Shiva mantra. After a while it's as if mind forgets about the mantra by itself and become aware of the deep breathing. As said by others above, the thoughts keep whirling around but it's like looking at a mirage. I usually meditate anything between 10 and 20 minutes. In the beginning I also thought I was doing it wrong and I jumped around between different techniques. I never had a teacher and this is one part I would like to change but haven't been able to as yet, but I do not let it bother me too much (anymore).

 

[Rick O'Shez]

I focus on the sound of the water, and I seem to become the water. My whole reality is the flowing river, or the pouring rain.

Water is a great element to focus on. I walk regularly by the sea and sometimes will just sit and watch waves breaking. Very restful, and it gives me a real sense of perpetual change.

In terms of formal meditation I do simple mindfulness of breathing with a focus on developing samatha, calming the mind and letting go of thoughts, usually a 40 minute sit. I keep my eyes open which I've found suits me best. I find the sitting meditation a useful foundation for practising mindfulness throughout the day, which these days is my main practice.

 

[Jumi]

I take some time to meditate every day. Usually before going to sleep or right after waking up. Techniques I can't tell you, it's nothing special. No requirements.

I learned the meditative state from Japanese swordplay so it was minimalistic to begin with and probably similar to what Zen Buddhist do. I no longer required the technique after I learned.

Other than that meditation just arises when enjoying the natural world.

 

[mystic64]

I should have used quotes with the "purists" label, as it was not meant literally. I guess "minimalist" might have been a better descriptor in retrospect.

Agreed. There is no "right way" though as Spiny Norman points out "face to face" initiation is definitely desirable as opposed to reading it in the "Dummies Guide to Enlightenment".

While I agree, I can't help but think the person is getting something out of it, unless he or she is an exceedingly dull bugger and content with very little. As you yourself point out, different strokes for different folks.

That said, I never did have much difficulty wafting up all sorts of interesting experiences via meditation. That wonderful silence leads to so many paths in so many non-dual directions. It's a bit like a cosmic smorgasbord.

Agreed. Again, one quickly understands that they are not their thoughts per se, but that thoughts are precipitated by consciousness. It's not something you can actually stop, but you do learn to tune them out and focus in a different direction.

This is where we run into great difficulties rendering the multifaceted experience into somewhat dry linguistic terms. The words never approach the actual experience.


Indeed. If the steps are not adhered to, problems and dissociative states can occur. Just as one needs a bit of time to disassociate from their physical senses, there is also a period after meditation where it is strongly advised to slowly reawaken to the physical body and the reality it lives in. It's like decompressing from a deep sea dive.

When I first started exploring meditation, over forty years ago, I asked God, "How do I get started with this meditation stuff?" He said, "You have to be able to focus your mind for longer than fifteen seconds." He then told me to spend hours staring into a candle flame. I did this and no other meditation for several or more hours a day for two years. After two years He said that I was ready for the next stuff.

YmirGF, "Mystic Enlightenment for Idiots" is a really good idea , if of course it was written by somebody or somebodies that knew what they were doing and it had "a lot" of nice pictures . Guys, I wonder where one could find a computer graphics artist that would work for a percentage, 70% to 30% and they get the seventy persent.? YmirGF, your idea is a winner and it would fit this topic.

 

[Orbit]

This moves one into the condition of the nondual.

I'm not sure I understand Wilber's typology of subtle, causal, and nondual. How do you know which one you are experiencing?

 

[Windwalker]

I'm not sure I understand Wilber's typology of subtle, causal, and nondual. How do you know which one you are experiencing?

I thought I've shared this link previously. I gives general descriptions of what the psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual are experienced like. Stages of Meditation | Integral Life

Here's a brief excerpt describing the Subtle State:

It’s a very concrete realization, and usually brings much laughter or much tears. The subtle Deity form or Light or Higher Self—those are all just archetypes of your own Being. You are encountering, via meditative development, and beginning a direct encounter with Spirit, with your own essence. So it shows up as light, as a being of light, as nada, as shabd, as clarity, numinosity, and so on. And sometimes it just shows up as a simple and clear awareness of what is—very simple, very clear. The point is that it is aware of all the dots on the wall. It is clearly aware of what is happening moment to moment, and therefore transcends the moment. It transcends this world, and starts to partake of the Divine. It has sacred outlook, however it might be expressed. That’s the subtle—a face to face introduction to the Divine. You actually participate in Divinity, and in the awareness and wisdom of Divinity. It is a practice. It can be done. It has been done, many times.​

 

[Orbit]

I thought I've shared this link previously. I gives general descriptions of what the psychic, subtle, causal, and nondual are experienced like. Stages of Meditation | Integral Life

Here's a brief excerpt describing the Subtle State:

It’s a very concrete realization, and usually brings much laughter or much tears. The subtle Deity form or Light or Higher Self—those are all just archetypes of your own Being. You are encountering, via meditative development, and beginning a direct encounter with Spirit, with your own essence. So it shows up as light, as a being of light, as nada, as shabd, as clarity, numinosity, and so on. And sometimes it just shows up as a simple and clear awareness of what is—very simple, very clear. The point is that it is aware of all the dots on the wall. It is clearly aware of what is happening moment to moment, and therefore transcends the moment. It transcends this world, and starts to partake of the Divine. It has sacred outlook, however it might be expressed. That’s the subtle—a face to face introduction to the Divine. You actually participate in Divinity, and in the awareness and wisdom of Divinity. It is a practice. It can be done. It has been done, many times.​

You have shared the link before, and it's the link itself that I find unclear. It's described so generally that I can't really map my experiences onto it. What kinds of things indicate a causal experience, for example? When I feel water running through me but it's really white light, is that subtle level? I'd never know by Wilber's description.