What position do you meditate in? I "learned" meditation when I was ~10 years old, and always done it while laying down. I was a classic computer kid, very little exercise, no flexibility, and I'm tall, so my joints and shit are naturally fucked. I wasn't even able to sit in most of sitting positions, and in the most simple ones (crossed legs, pillow under but), I still couldn't stay with my back straight, it was painful and really uncomfortable.
Fast forward ten years later, my flexibility and shit is a little bit better, but sitting positions are still terribly uncomfortable, after like three minutes I want to die. While laying down, I can get to state where I don't feel my body in like 3 minutes.
Can it get better by forcing myself sitting in the position? Should I care if the laying position works for me? Should I just improve my flexibility and strength and it will come naturally? Thanks if you read through all this shit.
I usually sit cross-legged on my bed with my back to the wall, it's quite comfy.
As for your flexibility problem I'm not sure there's any real benefit to doing it in certain positions. It seems to me to be linked to more esoteric ideas than I like, eg in tibetan book of the dead Rinpoche talks about energy flows and such, not really something I'm game for.
I would recommend doing exercises and stretches to improve your flexibility generally though - if you can barely sit down now, how do you think you will be in 10/20/30/40 years?
Lucas Evans
Excuse me, tibetan book of living and dying.
Levi Gray
Whatever is comfortable, sitting doesn't matter so much as the reflection does. It's all in the mind. Google it, normie tier will get you started, if your interested after this introductory phase, you'll know where to fine information.
t. Buddhist
Benjamin Carter
I can just do it laying down, then.
I'd say the Headspace app would be a good starting point for >current year.
Otherwise I'd say any source is good, there's really nothing that hard about it. You can grasp basics from 5 minute youtube video. Just use critical thinking to filter out the bullshit.
Yeah, back on the wall feels kinda good. I believe in science, but I still suppose there's something to "traditional poses" with no back support. When people do something for thousands of years for a reason, there is usually a scientific backing, even though they themselves don't know about it. Gonna read up on it more.
I've started stretching regularly and stopped lifting crazy heavy weights for my body. I'm in my mid twenties, starting to think about my long term health. Even started mixing my own multivitamin, with at least 100% RDA of Vitamin A, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, H (biotin), K1, phosphorus, magnesium, iodine, folic acid, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, calcium, zinc, iron, potassium, sodium, copper, selenium, manganese, chromium, MSM, glucosamine, chondroitin, and collagen.
That's what I'm thinking, that whatever works is good, but I wanted another opinion. Thanks.
Jeremiah Hughes
Been meditating seriously for around 4 weeks now, 15 min every night and I'm finally reaching a point where I'm feeling the loss of self. So absorbed in the breath. Doing zazen and sitting Burmese style btw
Jacob Rivera
what you described is called resting.
Adrian White
Damn, really makes me think...
Benjamin Brown
Sitting only in courses or group sittings, lying on yoga mat while home
Ayden King
Yeah, don't fall for the eastern meme. Unless you are doing Yoga then any asana (position) you are comfortable in will do, this includes chairs.
Just clear you mind and observe your own thought.
For more advanced meditation don't observe thoughts and empty your mind.
For most advanced meditation astral project/lucid dream
>he doesn't meditate before bed giving him restful sleep and awesome dreams
NEVER GONNA MAKE IT
Caleb Gonzalez
This basically. Lotus is an Asian meme, made for people who spent their lives sitting cross legged on the floor. Just be comfortable, it will hurt anyway once you reach + 15minutes.
Robert Thomas
>I can just do it laying down, then. No, retard. Your head has to be held up by your fucking neck and aligned with your spine.
Justin Hill
Why? Sources please.
Ethan Ross
As long as you don't fall asleep, it doesn't matter.
Julian Reyes
>sitting doesn't matter so much as the reflection does. It's all in the mind.
Sitting does matter, the right position is everything. Reflection and thoughts during meditation don't really matter.
He is still sitting in a awful position.
Adrian Allen
Fond the Zenfag. This isn't Soto 101, but a general introduction.
Brandon Morales
Actually Rinzai, but if you are not doing it right you are wasting your time.
Matthew Sullivan
>Meditation is a mental exercise >"sitting position is more important"
Mason Hughes
Define "right". Some are looking for enlightenment, others are looking for anxiety relieving exercise, concentration or else. There are many roads, imposing one in an introduction thread isn't helping imo.
Adam Edwards
>your head has to be held up by your fucking neck and aligned with your spine
This is pseudo science. Next you'll tell me that it's because muh chakras
The reason that erect posture was such an important part of meditation in the East was because sitting with a slouched back would cause pain.
Westerners do not sit cross legged on the floor. If you are used to sitting in your computer chair and can do so without fidgeting for an hour than you can easily use this as your posture/position to meditate.
The entire purpose of assuming an asana is to elimate your body as a factor of consciousness. No moving. No itching. No aching (which is why yoga has you hold painful poses for extended periods of time, to make the practice of meditation seem comfortable in retrospect)
As soon as the body is out of the equation you are lift with one bodily movement which is the breath. You can focus on the breath which will distract the mind.
When the mind is focused on the breath, you can slowly automate the breaths and leave your mind in a state of absolute zen and emptiness.
If anyone is new to meditation then it will take you a really long time to get the sensation that I am describing. When it does happen you will be freaked the fuck out when you open your eyes and it has been 2 1/2 hours and you feel like it's been minutes.
This is what ego death feels like.
Ayden Campbell
That's a big problem, meditation is a generic term used for many techniques with different outcomes.
I know that this is an introductory thread, but I still consider that the examples about the posture are not optimal.
Luke Martin
meditation isn't about being in a state of absolute emptiness though. you're supposed to be concentrating on something (eg the breath)
Dylan Hall
where my Vipassana niggas at??
Andrew Adams
at one point you realise that your breath does not exist.
at another, that it exists but it is impossible to observe.
Concentration is a great tool, but at some point it can merge with awareness. Budha practised the middle way, meaning not the exclusive study of concentration or the exclusive study of awareness like other schools teach.
Mason Sullivan
Sit in a chair with both feet flat on the ground and a straight spine. Hold your right hand in your left.
Nathan Taylor
I also meditate laying down. the only downside I see is falling asleep. and to beginers I would say try the headspace app.the best YouTube vids on this topic imho are tic Nat hon's , sp , Google talk. Namaste my niggas
Nicholas Ortiz
There is a difference between meditation and contemplation. Focusing on the breath itself won't get you anywhere. You realize it's there and you realize why you are breathing. The magic happens when you use your rhythmic breathing to enter into a trance.
Meditation begins when you enter this trance and focus drifts away from breathing and from your ego altogether
Adam Ramirez
What kind of meditation are you talking about, because I'm pretty sure it isn't buddhist.
Chase Walker
Everything I know about meditation is from the Western occult traditions. A few notable teachers are Samael Aun Weor, Aleister Crowley and Helena Blavatsky
They all borrow the foundations from Buddhism/Hindu tradition but it strays from tradition and focuses on pragmatics.
Achieving "zen" a "trance" or "gnosis" as crowley calls it is the foundation to build upon. Being able to maintain focus is one benefit but there are numerous
>being this thick your sitting position can't be uncomfortable or you'll be distracted
Nathaniel Powell
>Vipassana
Luis Garcia
I'm surprised you haven't gotten into yoga alongside meditation. After a year or so of regular practice you should find it manageable to sit straight backed on a bolster for relatively long durations. Definitely worth doing the two in tandem. I find meditation without accompanying exercise to be slightly easier to stray from the path with
Carter Kelly
was does it feel like when you're meditating? I think I might of done it by mistake a few weeks ago when laying down, sounds retarded but I ended up being able to channel energy down and gave myself a rockhard boner
Kevin Cox
I meditate shitloads well it's more visualizing lifts and self empowering type stuff. Probably placebo but honestly the confidence boost is relevant from 1-2 weeks after starting it when first squatted 180kg it didnt feel like it's a new weight for me because of visualizing.
Benjamin Reed
That's actually what Buddha was all about. Raging boners any time he wanted.
Gabriel Smith
Well, kind of. You were definitely focused on something, which is the point, but it's pretty stupid using yer cock as the object since you're just gonna give up and jerk.
Julian Brown
idk what else to focus on, I was 4 days into nofap
Ethan Miller
Pray the rosary you heathen
Jason Wright
also I was trying to see if I could cum with my mind because technically it's not fapping
Tyler Bailey
Tbh I've tried this as well. Just focus on breathing like everyone else.
Cooper Jenkins
You can't meditate whilst lying down.
You've spent your entire lifetime training your brain to fall asleep when you lie down, and you're genetically evolved to do so.
To meditate lying down would require years of meditation (I mean on a serious level), discipline, and cultivated mental willpower.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not meaning to disparage you in any way, I'm just humbly suggesting that you try meditating in a position where your body has to support your head (i.e., where sleep isn't 'natural') - you might benefit more! A hardback chair is a perfectly good method! Ignore any crazy lotus positions!
All the best
Hudson Richardson
Appreciate the help senpai, I'll just try all the sitting poses and work on my flexibility.
Andrew White
Alright you absolute niggers. Tell me how to meditate and what should it feel like when I get it right? Sure I can just sit still for an hour but I feel more bored than anything
Evan Morales
...
Jaxson Wood
If this is true, why wouldn't everyone just lie down rather than sit?
Jason Nguyen
I like Alan Watts approach that you should do meditations simply if you enjoy it.
Zachary Hughes
shud I eat ass if I enjoy it?
Brandon White
Yea why not
Tyler Jackson
Forgot I wasn't on Veeky Forums for a second.
Nicholas Clark
Just shut the fuck up /thread
Aiden Johnson
You roasted him hard bro.
Wyatt Jenkins
>implying my post is wrong That's literally all it takes to meditate.
