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Your meditation practice

JuliaJulia
edited April 2011 in Meditation
Hi! I´m a new member of this site. I am curious, I would like to know what meditation practice you practice and what tradition or teacher you follow. It would also be interesting to hear why you are attracted to that special practice and tradition.

I can start with myself. I am meditating concentration on breathing and vipassana "choiceless awareness". I don´t follow a special tradition or teacher. I find them all very inspiring, but I would like to land in one tradition when it feels right.


Comments

  • TakuanTakuan Veteran
    I mostly study Japanese and Vietnamese Zen (Thich Nhat Hanh). I also use insight meditation techniques from Mahasi Sayadaw's books. Although all schools of thought interest me, I lean towards Zen.
  • Floating_AbuFloating_Abu Veteran
    I practice in the Rinzai Zen tradition because I'm lucky :)
  • zidanguszidangus Veteran
    I change my meditation practice from time to time, at the moment I am using this meditation on the formless mind.

    http://kwelos.tripod.com/formlessmind.htm


    Metta to all sentient beings
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    Don't all the traditions start with following the breath? At the beginning stage, you don't need to choose a tradition. Get a book or DVD, or find video instruction on UTube. Doesn't have to be a big deal.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    edited April 2011
    I practice walking meditation where you let go of conceptual thinking about what comes into your field of awareness. And just take in senses.

    Occasionally I practice sitting where you do no practice on the inbreath symbolizing the non-doing in the path, and on the outbreath you let go into the space of experience also could be phrased as let 'it' be. With part of your awareness on the breath to pull you back from simply daydreaming.
  • fedaalisfedaalis
    I just follow the breath/count breaths at the moment, and try to adhere to the rules for posture given in the Zen tradition :) Why, because it's simple and seems to fit me
  • JuliaJulia
    It is interesting to hear about others practices. I have tried different methods like Goenka style vipassana, Tibetan Lam rim meditations and deity yoga, but I always return to my simple practice (breathing and choiceless awareness). I guess they fits me best.
  • pineblossompineblossom Veteran
    I follow my own practice which is 'non practice'. Getting caught up in rules and procedures is not meditation. Meditation is self-awareness - aware of what is really happening.
  • JuliaJulia
    I follow my own practice which is 'non practice'. Getting caught up in rules and procedures is not meditation. Meditation is self-awareness - aware of what is really happening.
    Do you follow zen tradition?

  • pineblossompineblossom Veteran
    No. I follow my own practice - which is to practice non-practice.
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    How do you practice non-practice?
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    It takes a lotta practice
  • NOTaGangstaNOTaGangsta
    Sitting meditation from the Ch'an school. Also meditation by prostrations to every single letter of the Heart Sutra.

    Still pretty much just doing breath counting with the sitting meditation.
  • SabreSabre Veteran
    edited April 2011
    Hi! I´m a new member of this site. I am curious, I would like to know what meditation practice you practice and what tradition or teacher you follow. It would also be interesting to hear why you are attracted to that special practice and tradition.

    I can start with myself. I am meditating concentration on breathing and vipassana "choiceless awareness". I don´t follow a special tradition or teacher. I find them all very inspiring, but I would like to land in one tradition when it feels right.


    Hi Julia,

    Good question. It is a question that arises in us all at a certain point: What is the right meditation? Am I doing the right thing? What is my tradition?

    These are good videos (although a lot of use of pali, haha :D ) explaining samadhi (concentration) and vipassana (insight) are not separate. Based on your posts I think this is a style of practice that might suit you:




    If you are interested over here you can find a free book on meditation by this teacher.

    I found he is right and that all types of meditation support each other. Meditation on the body is a great way to start when your mind is not sharp, then after a few minutes you can focus on the breath better. Also metta meditation (loving kindness) helps very much to purify yourself. I also like to practice walking meditation.

    This combination of different types of meditation is taught in some types of Theravada Buddhism (like the Thai school) but I found Thich Nhat Hanh Zen teaches in a similar way. So although the Buddha remains my main teacher, those are the two traditions I follow most.

    With metta,
    Sabre
  • SabreSabre Veteran
    It takes a lotta practice
    :D:D
  • andyZandyZ
    If anyone is serious about practice, they have to find a "live" teacher at some point. The sooner the better, if you ask me :) If you're lucky enough to live where you have access to different schools of Buddhism, try them all, see what resonates with you.
  • robbrobb
    Great discussion. I am very interested in Buddhism but the many different flavors are somewhat confusing.
    I mostly just sit and focus on my breath when I meditate.
  • fivebellsfivebells Veteran
    It's so dope when I focus on my breath
    'cause I floss all the time and I chew Big Red!
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