Beginner Meditation (advice)

PeaceOfMe

as a new comer to the practice of Buddhism, I was wondering how often I should meditate & for how long? I was thinking daily for at least 5minutes for the first few weeks & then later push myself to 10minutes for the next couple of months and build up from there. Opinions? also I tend to get distracted easier when I try to meditate in silence or rather focus on a certain element. I seem to focus more if I am listening to meditation music but even then get thrown off concentration a few times, is this ok? & any suggestions on how to over come this?? any other advice/input is welcome also :]

mfranzdorf

Five minutes is a good starting point. You will go from forcing yourself for five minutes to thinking twenty went by too fast.
As far as the distractions go, that just kinda comes with being a human. Amazon, or whatever online bookstore you have access to has several free books on the basics of meditation. There are others on here with more experience than me. I'm sure they will be along shortly

PhaseSeven

I've started and trying for at least 10 minutes each time myself. Speaking for myself I don't think 5 is enough, because it takes me about 5 minutes to sit down and relax myself in the first place!!!

PeaceOfMe

I have looked up tons of books on amazon now I just need money to buy them! lol I've def been meaning to & will as soon as I get the chance, also yes maybe 5mins is a little less then needed,I will try 10 & see how that goes..much thanks to you both!

DairyLama

PeaceOfMe said:

as a new comer to the practice of Buddhism, I was wondering how often I should meditate & for how long?

Yes, building up gradually is a good approach. Also try to build it in to your daily routine, if necessary making some minor adjustments - regularity of practice is very beneficial.

PeaceOfMe

Great idea, I start college in January an would love to fit it into my routine before then.
I plan on making this part of my daily routine starting today :]

seeker242

also I tend to get distracted easier when I try to meditate in silence or rather focus on a certain element. I seem to focus more if I am listening to meditation music but even then get thrown off concentration a few times, is this ok? & any suggestions on how to over come this?

You overcome it by accepting the fact that it's completely natural to become distracted and that "distractions" are not something bad or something to be avoided. In other words, you stop labeling things that arise as "distractions" to begin with. The benefits of meditation come from returning from distractions, not in blocking them out. A lot of beginners in meditation become frustrated in meditation because they think that you are supposed to be blocking out distractions and when they fail in blocking them out, they become frustrated. Which makes even more distractions than were there originally! But the point is not to stop yourself from being thrown off concentration but simply to return back to it, over and over. Even people who have been doing meditation for 40 years, are still thrown off concentration. But this is not considered a problem because they recognize that it's just a normal thing that happens.

Takuan

With concern to buying meditation books, don't buy too many. I went through a phaze in which i bought every meditation book I could find. I read most of them, but all of the info made meditating harder. Find a simple technique and stick with it. I suggest "The Miracle of Mindfulness" by Thich Nhat Hanh. It offers a simple mindfulness of breathing technique that was very beneficial to me when I first started. In fact, most of Thich Nhat Hanh's works are very good for beginning meditators.

As far as concentration goes, for now, do what YOU thinks helps out best. Honestly, getting distracted is normal, even to advanced meditators. Two things have helped me with my concentration. The first is a mantra: "Bud" breathing in and "dho" breathing out. The second is being mindful the amount of air I breath in and out.

"Breathing in a short breath, I am aware that I'm breathing in a short breathing. Breathing in a long breath, I am aware that I am breathing in a long breath" - Thich Nhat Hanh, "Miracle of Mindfulness"


If you are close to a meditation center, Buddhist sangha , or even a Yoga studio, I would suggest visiting and asking for formal instruction. My meditation practice became much smoother once I took a few classes.

I hope this helps you out.

footiam

Get a teacher.

lobster

Chill.
Most people can not or would not meditate.

They can however chill out.
What about chilling out whilst looking at an inspirational picture, flower, candle
or bowl of water . . . As you look, the mind wanders. Just gently bring it back to the object.
This is simpler than vipassana. :thumbsup:

Jason

PeaceOfMe said:

as a new comer to the practice of Buddhism, I was wondering how often I should meditate & for how long? I was thinking daily for at least 5minutes for the first few weeks & then later push myself to 10minutes for the next couple of months and build up from there. Opinions? also I tend to get distracted easier when I try to meditate in silence or rather focus on a certain element. I seem to focus more if I am listening to meditation music but even then get thrown off concentration a few times, is this ok? & any suggestions on how to over come this?? any other advice/input is welcome also :]

As others have already mentioned, consistency is a key element of a successful meditation practice, so having a daily routine would certainly be helpful, especially when it comes to strengthening mindfulness. Our minds aren't really conditioned to focus on a single object for long periods of time and are easily distracted, which is something all meditators struggle with at some point or another. The amount of time isn't as important as the consistency of effort, in my opinion, but it'd be good to shoot for at least 20-30mins if possible.

In addition, you don't have to limit meditation to just sitting. You can also mix it up by doing walking meditation. One method is to mark a path about 50ft in length, and mindfully walk back and forth while focusing on the sensation of the feet as they rise, touch the ground, and so on. An alternate method is to focus on the breath instead, and try to walk at a pace that matches, such as take 3 steps with the in-breath and 3 with the out, which takes a bit more effort. I prefer to walk repeating a mantra while focusing on the sensation of my steps myself, breaking each word of the mantra in half, one for the right foot and one for the left: bud-dho, dham-mo, san-gho, par-ents, tea-chers.

PeaceOfMe said:

I have looked up tons of books on amazon now I just need money to buy them! lol I've def been meaning to & will as soon as I get the chance, also yes maybe 5mins is a little less then needed,I will try 10 & see how that goes..much thanks to you both!

Just for reference, there's an ample amount of free, quality resources online as well. A few books on meditation that I'd recommend, for example, are Frames of Reference (pdf) and Keeping the Breath in Mind (pdf) by Ajaan Lee Dhammadharo. I've also found Thanissaro Bhikkhus's series of talks on meditation helpful, as well, not to mention his recorded Dhamma talks that almost always focus on various aspects of meditation. I'm sure others can point you towards other quality resources too.

Geoff-Allen

Interesting thread!

Here's a video that may help-



Cheers

Jeffrey

Pema Chodron gives the method I use. You sit in a posture that is stable and good for the mind. Like long strong back. Head like you are looking out from a mountain. Shoulders held lightly not slumped or held tight.

Then when a thought comes you welcome it with kindness say 'thinking'. You feel your breath on the outbreath and on the inbreath there are no rules which signifies the part of awakening that happens on its own and that you don't need to control. Every once in awhile touch into your heart about your feeling and why you are meditating.

Her (pemas) five points of meditation are:

1. be a friend to yourself
2. see what is there in your meditation
3 sit with the most difficult feelings, thoughts, body, states etc
4. be in the present
5. no big deal; let every experience pass and come and go

PeaceOfMe

Wow I got a lot of great input! u guys are the bestes! Thanks!!!!!!!!!

Cinorjer

And as a postscript, remember it's not rocket science. You're basically sitting down and doing nothing. Now granted, you've spent your life trying to avoid doing that. But really, do what seems to work best for you. There's nobody judging if it's "correct" but you.

lobster

I recorded myself meditating for 3 minutes and created a transcript that can be used as a guided meditation . . .
You could say it to yourself or record yourself saying it.
Modify if that helps


I'm gonna start by . . . relaxing my body a bit
I am sitting
could be standing
could be lying
but I am sitting
I gotta . . . cushion under my buttocks
and . . .
. . . I am slowing down my breathing
mostly by breathing out . . .
there an in breath
and there an out breath . . .
and . . . I am gonna do that again . . .
I am gonna breath in
and . . . I am going to breath out
and one more
in
ahhh . . . and out . . .

My head's straight . . .
and I am going to continue . . .
sitting . . .
grounded!
I can feel my buttocks!
. . .can feel my feet
and my knees
. . . can feel my whole body
feel my head . . .
head straight
back straight
and I can feel . . .
. . . can feel my breathing . . .
. . . can feel my breathing . . .
. . . coming in . . .
and coming out . . .
very gentle . . .
very simple!

. . . and I am just sitting . . .

. . . am I waiting?
. . . am I expecting?
am I . . .
just sitting . . .
breathing in . . .
in and out again . . .

Where is . . . my . . . mind?
is it in my body?
Am I . . . feeling . . .

What am I feeling . . .?
agitated?
am I feeling calm?
. . .
am I feeling . . .
am I feeling anything?
am I just sitting?
breathing . . .

buddhajunkie

PeaceOfMe said:

I have looked up tons of books on amazon now I just need money to buy them! lol I've def been meaning to & will as soon as I get the chance, also yes maybe 5mins is a little less then needed,I will try 10 & see how that goes..much thanks to you both!

Save the money, there are plenty of free resources on the internet.

"Mindfulness in Plain English" is one of the best (free or otherwise), and it is highly recommended by me and many others. You can spend a lifetime following its simple and practical approach to meditation.

http://www.urbandharma.org/udharma4/mpe.html

Also, you don't want to get caught up in reading more than you are practicing.

jcuest

seeker242 said:

(...) benefits of meditation come from returning from distractions, not in blocking them out. (...) Even people who have been doing meditation for 40 years, are still thrown off concentration. But this is not considered a problem because they recognize that it's just a normal thing that happens.

Exactly! I have meditated for a long, but I've learned this amazing knowledge (don't blame yourself for being distracted) lately...and now my meditation is much better!