Meditation

[Oily Dragon]

When do you meditate? I was thinking about doing it in the morning after I exercise and practice, but would it be best in the evening before bed?

How long do you typically meditate for?

Thanks!

Every moment of every day is an opportunity for meditation. Doesn't really matter what you're doing. You could be driving.

Next time you take a deep breath and your mind goes silent for a moment, remember that feeling.

It's like waking up after a long nightmare and realizing none of it was real, that little moment of joy.

A lot of people try to sell meditation systems, but I just gave you the secret for free, enjoy!

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

It can be very bad for people, true, especially overstressed people with high blood pressure.

Any cross leg sitting, really.

The way that I look at this is one day when you are 100 years old and have to sit on the wheelchair, you will have all the time that you need for your sitting meditation. So if you are still young, what's the rush?

Sometime I don't understand, why a 20 years old want to grow beard? Why don't you grow beard when you are old?

 

[hoshin1600]

People have sat on the ground for a million years. Monks have sat in meditation for over a thousand years. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad for ya.
I have done traditional Rinzai Zen. Moving meditation is easier, so for some people it's better to start with, but to achieve a deep state of "whatever you wanna call it" sitting can get you there.

If you want to incorporate your spirituality, you could try meditation as listening. Ask a question you really want the answer to, and listen, wait, the answer may come.
Or you could try a repetitive prayer.

 

[Oily Dragon]

The way that I look at this is one day when you are 100 years old and have to sit on the wheelchair, you will have all the time that you need for your sitting meditation. So if you are still young, what's the rush?

100 years?

I've got a great WWII British squadron commander to tell you about, Douglas Bader....no legs, became a fighter ace anyway. Spent every year of his life seated without choice, still shot down, got back up and became a hero for disabled kids.

Learned this on Facebook of all places. Every now and then...

 

[Oily Dragon]

People have sat on the ground for a million years. Monks have sat in meditation for over a thousand years. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad for ya.
I have done traditional Rinzai Zen. Moving meditation is easier, so for some people it's better to start with, but to achieve a deep state of "whatever you wanna call it" sitting can get you there.

If you want to incorporate your spirituality, you could try meditation as listening. Ask a question you really want the answer to, and listen, wait, the answer may come.
Or you could try a repetitive prayer.

Sitting cross legged has been shown by medical studies to be a bad idea for people with high blood pressure, and we have a few people here like that.

It's counter intuitive, but people with high stress and cardio issues need to move around as much as possible. Even if they don't have legs.

Meditation is ultimately an exercise of the brain, but consider how important gut health is. Ever tried to meditate while hungry?

 

[Martlet]

Sitting cross legged has been shown by medical studies to be a bad idea for people with high blood pressure, and we have a few people here like that.

It's counter intuitive, but people with high stress and cardio issues need to move around as much as possible. Even if they don't have legs.

Meditation is ultimately an exercise of the brain, but consider how important gut health is. Ever tried to meditate while hungry?

I don't have blood pressure or cardio issues.

 

[hoshin1600]

Meditation is ultimately an exercise of the brain, but consider how important gut health is. Ever tried to meditate while hungry?

Actually being hungry is par for the course when at a Zen temple. They do it on purpose. The first thing I did when I left the temple was to go to McDonald's at the airport and chow down.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

but to achieve a deep state of "whatever you wanna call it" sitting can get you there.

Allow me to ask this question.

If a cancer patient only has 6 months to live. Will you recommand him to do sitting meditation, or will you recommand him to explore the beautiful world for the next 6 months?

Also, for the sake of the spiritual discussion, will it be better to let your soul to be integrated among the natural instead of to be isolated by yourself?

When I were young, going into the woods for 3 weeks was my way of meditation. To be closer to the nature is the key. Sitting meditation is the opposite.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Meditation is like MA in that there are many styles and systems all having the same goal. I think most all will agree that goal is attaining a state of mental and spiritual calmness, harmony, and physical relaxation. Most styles will stress breathing while quietly seated as the main path, whether in a cyclic journey (as in the previously mentioned Golden Flower) or simply in and out of the belly. Others incorporate movement. Some include chanting and still others utilize external things such as music, gongs, incense, and who knows what else like enduring physical pain.

There are Taoist, Zen, Christian, Zoroastern, Yogi and several other philosophical approaches, including the no-special philosophical approach. I follow the last one. When I started MA, we sat, and years later, stood, for one or two minutes, getting rid of outside thoughts and events. This was a mini meditation to basically reset one's mind to better absorb the upcoming lesson. For a full meditative (non) experience, twenty minutes seems to be a common length of time. But some serious disciples may go for a couple of hours.

I think, like MA, the particular style of meditation that's best, is the one that feels right for you in achieving the main goal. A couple shots of Tequila may work, too.

 

[Oily Dragon]

I don't have blood pressure or cardio issues.

That's awesome.

To prevent them try not to sit too long, and try to keep moving.

I think the current advice is don't sit for more than 30m. Goes for both monks and laypeople.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Actually being hungry is par for the course when at a Zen temple. They do it on purpose. The first thing I did when I left the temple was to go to McDonald's at the airport and chow down.

It's not an easy discipline.

It's kind of like the Mediterranean diet. Red meat is OK, but it needs to be lean, to reduce bad cholesterol levels.

Now I cook nothing but filet mignon.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

By repeating the Taiji form ending move "close Taiji" is one of the best moving meditation. When you

- open your arms, you inhale.
- close your arms, you exhale.
- raise your arms, you inhale.
- drop your arms, you exhale.

Old teachers would tell you that you can "accumulate Qi" in your belly by doing this.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Crossed Legs While Sitting: Is it bad for you?

Is crossing your legs really as dangerous as some myths claim? Learn the facts about the effects of crossing your legs on blood pressure, varicose veins, and pregnancy.

www.healthline.com

 

[_Simon_]

Thank you for the feedback. I love hearing about the different styles and suggestions. The more the merrier, because everything someone says that I don't know about sends me on a string of research so I learn more.

I'm trying to build a little routine that encompasses areas I want to improve, so it's a case of trial and error to see where they fit into my lifestyle. I'm currently adding scheduled daily scripture study, reading, yoga, and meditation to my current daily exercise and Kenpo (Kenpo is recent). Today was the first day for attempting to set a schedule, and I now realize I can't do them all in the morning unless I get up MUCH earlier than I already do. Reading and Kenpo can be moved to evening, but I'd like to keep the rest in the morning. Meditation was the one I wasn't sure about in terms of getting the best benefit.

I did the Peloton meditation app today and it was "OK". I enjoyed the background music, but I may try it without the guidance.

Sounds like a wonderful routine . Yeah for sure it will be about finding what works for you, your lifestyle, what practices you connect with etc. And making sure to not have too much on as it can all then feel like a chore and just "stuff" you have to tick off a box. But they all sound really lovely, best of luck with it!

 

[_Simon_]

One day my teacher told me that one of his friends had spent so much time on sitting meditation, his friend got paralyzed from the waist down.

You can meditate when moving around such as doing Taiji. You don't need to do sitting meditation. The sitting meditation is what I won't suggest.

View attachment 28872

So that's a sample size of one person. Not really something to base all that on... meditation has very much been incredibly helpful for a huge amount of people.

Oh for sure, and I always recommend forms of moving meditation too, definitely. But seated allows certain things that moving won't. A different emphasis, but ultimately blurring them together is very helpful in the end. But again. It is not black and white.

 

[_Simon_]

When you move aroud, your mind and body can be unified as one unit. Your blood circulate will be good.

Sitting meditation is bad for blood circulation.

It can be very bad for people, true, especially overstressed people with high blood pressure.

Any cross leg sitting, really.

Okay well this needs to be thoroughly clarified or else people will be misled. Meditation does not raise your blood pressure. Sitting cross-legged possibly may be not ideal for those with high blood pressure.

You do not have to be cross legged to meditate. I very rarely if ever do, it is not necessary at all in the slightest.

 

[_Simon_]

Actually being hungry is par for the course when at a Zen temple. They do it on purpose. The first thing I did when I left the temple was to go to McDonald's at the airport and chow down.

Hahahaha yyyyyep I think I did that after a retreat once haha. Although the food was amazing and more than enough at the retreats!

 

[_Simon_]

If a cancer patient only has 6 months to live. Will you recommand him to do sitting meditation, or will you recommand him to explore the beautiful world for the next 6 months?

Depends on the person, huh? Many people turn to meditation in those stages of life and it has been beyond transformative what they gain. Many have also turned to exploring the world, and equally transformative.

Also, for the sake of the spiritual discussion, will it be better to let your soul to be integrated among the natural instead of to be isolated by yourself?

Depends on the person, huh? Spirituality is not a black and white one size fits all issue.

When I were young, going into the woods for 3 weeks was my way of meditation. To be closer to the nature is the key. Sitting meditation is the opposite.

No that's not true at all.

 

[Oily Dragon]

Okay well this needs to be thoroughly clarified or else people will be misled. Meditation does not raise your blood pressure. Sitting cross-legged possibly may be not ideal for those with high blood pressure.

You do not have to be cross legged to meditate. I very rarely if ever do, it is not necessary at all in the slightest.

Agree.

Modern medicine recommends not sitting for more than about 30m regardless of your health, which is kind of contrary to many Buddhist/Tantric/Jainist sitting meditation methods, which teach sitting for hours.
A lot of people with health issues like BP and flexibility get into Yoga and Qigong without considering the risks.

Lotus position in particular not only raises blood pressure noticeably but is well know to cause injury (for this reason, I only sit in half lotus myself)

"Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series"

Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series - PMC

While yoga is gaining increased popularity in North America and Europe, its safety has been questioned in the lay press. The aim of this systematic review was to assess published case reports and case series on adverse events associated with yoga. ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

In Shaolin Da Jaw seated meditation, funny enough, seated meditation is only done for a short while (measured in breaths usually multiples of 9, a set of 12 = 108 for you Buddhist math nuts). Then there are all sorts of seated stretching exercises you do before and after, which mixes things up. Then you stand up and do your business.

 

[mograph]

"Meditation" means different things to different people.

Your, and our, mileage may vary.