Thanks, Hal--this helps; the closest I came to good meditation experience was staring into the flame of a lavender scented candle [NT]

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: : In response to Jasper's question about meditation: : : : Hal, in past posts you have mentioned a meditation experience as having made you feel better about yourself, life, everything. A private school for kids that teaches adult education classes will be offering an intro. to meditation next February/March (just a one night thing, but I know from other one-shot-deal classes, the teachers always give out their cards, and tell you how to indulge on an on-going basis). I'd like to give it a whirl. I've recently tried massage, yoga and flotation tank experience, but I have yet to try meditation in a classroom setting. I Did buy an audio tape and try to follow the directions on the tape--yoga position, breathing, etc. but I did not know what I was supposed to be getting out of the experience, to know if I was meditating properly. Do you always have to be sitting up when you do this or can you lay down on a sofa? : : : Please enlighten on the "meditation experience." Thanks. : : : P.S. Glad you made a new, off board friend in Karen. : : I can say quite a bit about meditation, though I'm not sure how much of it will be helpful. :-) Meditation is a very personal thing in the sense that there are as many techniques as there are people doing it. I can tell you a lot about what I've experienced and what works for me, and recommendations I've read, but I actually have very little information on what works for friends of mine or what they've gotten out of it. So with all those disclaimers in place, here goes... : : As for the logistics, no, meditation does not always have to be done sitting; any position that is comfortable for you is good. Yoga and many martial arts are forms of meditation, and they are done in various positions, often involving movement. Many people sit on the floor or on a cushion on the floor to meditate. I'm generally uncomfortable sitting on the floor, so I sit on my sofa. Lying down works fine too, though some people have a tendency to fall asleep, depending on how tired they are and what time of day it is. The most important thing is probably to find a quiet place where you don't have to worry about being disturbed. It is also often helpful to meditate at the same time and place every day--even though you normally do it with your eyes closed, having comfortable and consistent surroundings can be very helpful. : : It's very difficult to say what you are supposed to do or get out of meditation. The doing often involves just sitting there; the commong instructions are to focus on your breathing or a mantra. It can be seen as focusing on just one thought, emptying your mind of thoughts, quieting your mind, centering yourself, or many other things. I personally never felt that I got much out of just focusing on breathing, and many others I've talked to say the same thing. Over the past couple of years, my meditation has evolved to become very visual--I see many vivid images in meditation. I see myself in different places with different people doing different things--is that vague enough? :-) This is where the personal part comes in--the images are all related to things I'm struggling with in my life. They are often in the form of metaphors, and the meaning is not immediately apparent. The most important thing I've found is to try to let go and see where the meditation takes me, rather than trying to figure out where it should go and direct it there. It took a lot of practice to get to this point, and it's still a struggle sometimes. : : What you get out of meditation probably depends on what you're looking to get out of it. For some people (or at some times in your life) it can simply be a feeling of peace, relaxation, contentment, centeredness, etc. There have been times in my life when meditation was the only source of comfort I had, and the only thing that helped get me through the day. It can also be a time and place to look at feelings or situations you're struggling with, most often not to actively try to "solve" them, but just to sit with them and notice them. A big part of meditation for anyone is being more mindful and aware, and being fully present in the moment while you do it. That's really the purpose or practicing things like focusing on breathing or a mantra--to be fully present just in the moment, and not think about all the things you have to get done in the day ahead. I've found that this awareness eventually leaks over into my everyday life, and makes me more aware and mindful throughout the day, not only in meditation. : : More than anything, this is all a process, and requires patience and faith. Results do not come instantly, so it can be several weeks before you feel like it's doing anything. A recommendation I've read is to stick with a particular meditation tecnique for at least one month before deciding that it's not working for you. I would compare meditation to exercise in that it takes time to see results, and at first it often seems to be just painful, with no reward. It also goes in cycles, with some periods of fast and furious growth, and some quieter periods that can feel very stagnant. Just knowing this helps me to stick with it through the slow times, even when I'm desperate for answers and growth and don't seem to be getting any. The persistence has really paid off for me. : : I'm not sure what else to say about this, so I welcome everyone's reactions and questions to see if I'm going at all in the right direction with what I've said here. : : - Hal -

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