Meditation Beginner. Any Tips?

To put it bluntly, you are not meditating if you are relying on electronics (music, app, etc). These are simply distractions.

Don't get me wrong, certain ambient sounds and tracks are extremely relaxing, but it is still just music.

True meditation involves letting the mind explore on its own. It is not easy, but that is what makes is so rewarding. The challenge of true meditation filters out all but the most committed as well.

Turn off all electronics, and start practicing man. It takes time to develop this skill, but it is worth it.

 

I kind of agree about ditching the electronics, but I do sometimes have music turned super low when I meditate, so, can't be a hypocrite lol.. I would ditch the app though & start focusing on your thoughts only (or non-thoughts).

What are you looking to get out of the meditation? I ask because there are different meditations for what one is wanting to do.

I started with mindfulness meditation & body scan meditation. Both were super awesome & easy to do. Now I do chakra & Vedic meditations. These are harder & can take more time, but well worth it

 

Sit down, stare at one point or close your eyes and focus just on your breath. Try to avoid thinking.
Start with let's say 5 minutes. Then when you feel comfortable enough you can increase the time you're meditating.
You need to make a habit out of it.

 

I’m a fan of the Insight Timer meditation app. It’s free. So many options on it. I personally benefit fro guided meditation so these apps prove helpful to me. Do what works for you. Peace.

 

Rule # 1: Never touch your genitals for anything other than to urinate or bathe.​

Concepts of Faith ministry. The teacher's name is Charles Capps. You can listen to his teachings at tunein. Type in Charles Capps on the Search line. He has been one of my favorite Christian teachers, and his work has pointed me to an increased understanding of hope, faith, and love. Prayer is covering you that you learn this too. Continue to question how to meditate. There is a right way and there is a dangerous way.

The Dangers of Opening Chakras and Kundalini Activation - by Pamela Sheppard​

Those who have practiced meditation, yoga and who have submitted themselves to various chakra initiations within Eastern belief systems have unknowingly opened themselves to scores of demons. If you are a practicing Christian and you are experiencing various energy pulls, shifts, sensations of heaviness, heat and cold, if you find yourself frequently out of control of various body parts, bodily functions and/or other manifestations, you are experiencing the outward signs that suggest that you need to be delivered "inside" your spiritual body. Here is why. You have made an invitation to Hindu gods, aka, evil spirits aka demons and fallen angels. Here is a summary of "what has happened."

The 7 demonic gateways or doorways: There are seven psychic gates in the human body that occultists call chakras: The crown of the head, the forehead between the eyes called the 3rd eye, the throat, the heart, the navel, the sex organs and the anus. In his testimony, former grandmaster occultist, "Eric" revealed that these 7 openings are sealed by God and opened by man through sin. When they are opened, spirits are able to pass through these gates or doorways, several at a time.

About 8 years ago, the author, an ordained minister and a licensed therapist counseled a very religious man, an Asian who had been dedicated as a child to Hindu gods, converted as an adult to Christianity, studying to be a minister in seminary and a member of a 7th day Adventist church. He came to me because he was hearing condemning, accusatory voices throughout each day. In counseling we discovered that "Peter" was not saved. Peter has been a long time practitioner of yoga, a spiritual discipline whose goals are to "open the 7 gateways." James's gateways were wide open. The Lord gave James a dream, showing him that over each chakra, sat a Hindu deity, aka a demon--as follows:

7. The crown---Shiva 6. The Third Eye---Hakini 5. the Throat---Savashiva

4. The Heart---Isha 3. the Navel---Vahni 2. The sex organs Vishnu and Rakini,

1. The Anus---Brahma.

During the session, Peter discerned that scores of demons were running in and out of each of his gates. So to stop this, the author had to close the gates by casting out each of the 7 deities. The author also presents a successful case of deliverance from open chakras and kundalini activation, the case of Kareena.

This was a unique deliverance. I had never heard of any such thing before or since. However, after reading what Eric had to say, I will certainly perform this ritual with others. James was not only delivered of the torment, but all of his religiosity completely disappeared.

Eric reports in his book that he has projected himself into the bodies of weak pastors through the first gateway, the anus. When "inside", he would evaluate the pastor's spiritual power through his aura, a feat that Eric accomplished in two minutes. If the aura is a certain color, then Eric knows the person is weak in faith. In most cases, the power of the pastor was weak because of fornication. In his own words, "There are many men, women, boys and girls who are ravening wolves or agents of different demons, operating in different churches all over the world. Women and girls are more in this connection then men. The presence of such agents in Christian churches will always guide astral spirits on how to advance their manipulations against Christians."

According to Eric, the sins that open the 7 gates are:

1. sexual intercourse with a demon in a dream or sex with a prostitute

2. drugs

3. visiting a fortune-teller

4. receiving healing through occult powers

5. reading occult books.

6. Anger. (By anger, demons transmit certain diseases or sicknesses. Demons will manipulate people to seek solutions from witches and occultist---a psychic healer--who himself is an agent of demons in disguise.

You are welcome and invited to visit Personal Journal for: Stands To Reason where I explain how I am living in NoFap® triumph. Meditate truthfully and safely.

Joshua 1:8 King James Version (KJV)
8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Wishing you gladness. Congratulations on your previous victories with NoFap.

In deed and truth,

STR

 

I would look into guided meditaiton apps. The one I use is Waking up with Sam Harris app. It makes it much easier as a beginner when someone is guiding you through it. Otherwise I get super distracted and have a hard time making a consistent daily practice.

 

Don't worry about fancy techniques that someone is trying to sell you to make money. Don't chase constant novelty. Find a simple practice, and persist in it.

The following is a copy and paste of a couple of messages I sent to a friend, which cover some basics of meditation:


'

Breath Based Meditation:



Most everyone agrees that simple breath counting is the best for beginners. A lot of this stuff developed within the Buddhist tradition, these links will reflect that but that's irrelevant, it doesn't matter what you think of Buddhism. A completely secular instructor would instruct the same methods. These links are just the most simple, straight into it guides I've seen.



Scroll down to 'how to meditate' here - https://buddhaimonia.com/blog/how-to-meditate-for-beginners



DON'T SIT IN LOTUS / HALF LOTUS...this can fuck up your knees and back in serious ways, especially for us westerners with limited mobility cos of being used to chairs etc. Just try to find a firm seat that is flat (shitloads of western chairs slant backwards which is fucking retarded for your back but that's another story), and sit upright. '

That is enough to get started. The rest of the message has info on...some breathing techniques for more short term relief from anxiety / rage etc, some more links taking you a bit deeper into the journey of breath based meditation, an alternative starting to point to the breath based method, and some notes on what to expect / how to respond to stuff.



If / when you want me to send the whole thing over, just let me know.



safe


-


This first video doesn't cover the kind of meditation I was recommending,, but it shows a couple of techniques which can have a more immediate effect in terms of relaxation. The trick is remembering to use them when in tense moments, raging, or whatever...





Obviously you'll wanna use common sense in deciding how and when using these works best for you. Don't worry about the app he's using in the second technique- I just use a downloadable metronome, or youtube metronome video, set on 60 BPM...or you can count on a clock if its not too distracting...whatever works for you. When you're doing it, expect your thoughts to be all over the place, but when you notice that, try to bring your attention back to the breathing. Don't worry if your mind spins off again in seconds, just keep bringing it back.



- - - - -



Now into the meat of real meditation, the stuff that has all sorts of positive effects over a longer term.



- - - - -

Breath Based Meditation:

Most everyone agrees that simple breath counting is the best for beginners. A lot of this stuff developed within the Buddhist tradition, these links will reflect that but that's irrelevant, it doesn't matter what you think of Buddhism. A completely secular instructor would instruct the same methods. These links are just the most simple, straight into it guides I've seen.

Scroll down to 'how to meditate' here - https://buddhaimonia.com/blog/how-to-meditate-for-beginners

DON'T SIT IN LOTUS / HALF LOTUS...this can fuck up your knees and back in serious ways, especially for us westerners with limited mobility cos of being used to chairs etc. Just try to find a firm seat that is flat (shitloads of western chairs slant backwards which is fucking retarded for your back but that's another story), and sit upright.

When you're ready for more detail, and to understand how to meditate a bit better, these links are excellent...just ignore all the corny stuff about chanting and altars and what have you, the 1-2 videos in each which cover basic practice method are all you need...


http://zenwest.ca/site/orientation-to-zen-week-one/

http://zenwest.ca/site/orientation-to-zen-week-two/

http://zenwest.ca/site/orientation-to-zen-week-three/

http://zenwest.ca/site/orientation-to-zen-week-four/



- - - -



An alternative starting point:

If you're not feeling the breath focus, or you're completely lost with it and need something a bit 'bigger' to focus on, Def Jam head honcho Russell Simmons introduces a different way for beginners here: skip to 53 minutes in - (The whole talk is good btw. And he did end up introducing it to Chicago schoolkids- the violence level plummeted through the floor)


Some notes:



Expect for you mind to wander like a mothefucker nearly constantly at first. This can feel frustrating but it's a part of it.

You can't stop thoughts arising in your mind through some act of will- like in some Bruce Lee movie 'clear your mind.' The majority of therapists etc agree on this. You can, however, change how you RESPOND to the thoughts. In the case of meditation, noticing that you're thinking about what's for dinner or blowjobs or how much you hate that guy you were talking too earlier, and gently bringing your focus back to the breath. Over and over and over again.

Don't expect it to be some easy hippy shit where you're just blissed out, it can be the opposite. You're not keeping occupied all the time, so nasty emotions can come up- this is part of it. Or you might just be bored shitless- deal with it.



'

 

True.

Practice for some period with help of App. learn to sit steadily for 45mins at least, Then attend a meditation retreat with noble silence, with minimum disturbances. And don't expect anything soon. It's a process and it will take some months of practice to see the benefits.