Help!

Gemini · March 11th, 2011, 06:04

Hi Everyone! Just new to the site...very excited to be here! I have been working on meditation for awhile now - i have a yoga class that I go to every week that begins with a 30 minute meditation. I seem to have trouble finding a comfortable position for this 30 minutes, and I find myself unable most of the time to keep my mind off of the tightness in my neck and shoulders, and therefore can't seem to go as deep as I should. Any suggestions?

GilesC · March 11th, 2011, 14:18

Hi Gemini,

From what little I know of yoga, whilst it's good to just push a little past your limits gradually to increase flexibility, when it comes to doing meditation during yoga, you should be in a comfortable position. If the position isn't comfortable during the yoga session then your instructor should be able to help you find a correct posture to use instead.

Have you tried meditating whilst just sitting comfortably (i.e. without doing yoga)?

Hugs

Giles

Gemini · March 12th, 2011, 06:53

I have done meditation without yoga, and the most comfortable position i can find is laying down. I just can't seem to keep from reacting to my body when it resists! Is it bad to lie down for meditation? Or I thought sitting with my back against a wall...

Edwin · March 13th, 2011, 00:47

Originally Posted by Gemini

I have done meditation without yoga, and the most comfortable position i can find is laying down. I just can't seem to keep from reacting to my body when it resists! Is it bad to lie down for meditation? Or I thought sitting with my back against a wall...

Hi Gemini, the posture is not important. Some postures are meant to be not too comfortable, but this is only to prevent you from falling asleep during meditation. This is the body's natural response to the deep relaxation that occurs with meditation, especially when just starting with meditation.

Other than that,you can meditate upside down for all I care

, the real deal is what is happening in your mind, not your body.

I have meditated lying down for some time, and never had any better or worse results then with the half lotus position that I tried before that.

So, find a position that keeps you alert, but not uncomfortable, and you are good to go

Gemini · March 14th, 2011, 06:59

Thanks Edwin - that makes me feel better. I am going to work really hard on sitting - maybe with my back against the wall. I know during the relaxation time after yoga, I can go into a meditative state - kind of a euphoric feeling - I am concious but feel like I am completely in another realm...and I am laying down then. It is a really cool experience, but unfortunately I can't seem to get into that state every time. Sometimes I just can't get my mind to cooperate. Trying too hard maybe????

Karmoh · March 14th, 2011, 12:57

Originally Posted by Gemini

Thanks Edwin - that makes me feel better. I am going to work really hard on sitting - maybe with my back against the wall. I know during the relaxation time after yoga, I can go into a meditative state - kind of a euphoric feeling - I am concious but feel like I am completely in another realm...and I am laying down then. It is a really cool experience, but unfortunately I can't seem to get into that state every time. Sometimes I just can't get my mind to cooperate. Trying too hard maybe????

Hi Gemini,

Great advice from Edwin,

Please don’t try too hard, this probably the hardest thing to accept, Let go, go with the flow of your thoughts. Every time we meditate our experiences will be different, depending on our physical and emotional states. There is no right or wrong way to feel. Meditation is about “letting go” and trusting the natural flow of life. It is important to remember that the goal of meditation is not to have special experiences, but to become more at ease with whatever arises. By meditating regularly and following these pointers below, ease in meditation will grow and this will translate into greater ease in living — the ability to flow with whatever life brings.

Don’t expect anything… Do not expect results to happen quickly. As more time is spent at this you will begin to grasp reality as it really exists.
Don’t strain… calm and steady effort will do much more than trying to go about this aggressively.
Don’t rush… Sit (or lay down

)like time doesn’t matter.
Don’t cling, don’t reject… Observe everything mindfully whether they are good or bad images. Stay comfortable with whatever comes to your mind.
Accept everything that arises… Accept all feelings as they come and go, the good and the bad.
Be gentle with yourself – Once you accept who you are, you can begin the process of who you will become.

Peace

Hazelkay · March 14th, 2011, 17:50

"A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your
mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does
self-awareness affect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and
steady self-awareness, inner energies wake up and work miracles
without any effort on your part."

Nisargadatta Maharaj

Just had this posted by the leader of our mediation group - so thought I'd share

Gemini · March 19th, 2011, 06:06

Thank you so much everyone. I am so glad I found this site! I know that my meditation journey will be successful...I just need patience, and i do need to learn to just let go. I have visited that euphoric state that meditation brings, and I love that feeling, and feel at such peace there. I know that I have found some wonderful people on this site, and that I was brought here for a reason. I am very grateful

Panthau · March 19th, 2011, 21:54

Recently ive been reminded about how things work in evolution... you learn something, you forget about it, you remember it and do better, you forget about it and get into the same trap again, you remember... again it gets better then before. It always gets to a little better version then before it seems, so dont worry if things go up or down... in the end, theres evolution

MetaCognition · March 20th, 2011, 21:22

Originally Posted by Panthau

Recently ive been reminded about how things work in evolution... you learn something, you forget about it, you remember it and do better, you forget about it and get into the same trap again, you remember... again it gets better then before. It always gets to a little better version then before it seems, so dont worry if things go up or down... in the end, theres evolution

This basically sums up the experience. There will be moments, days, maybe even a string of days where it seems like you are "not growing" or are not getting "what you want out of it", but as time progresses, it becomes clear that moments of "non-growth" were actually growth in disguise.

I'm reminded of The Matrix, in which Morpheus offers Neo the red or blue pill. Once you take the red pill, there is no turning back, and I'd say everyone on this website has already swallowed theirs. Some are just feeling the effects more than others