I conclude my yoga practice with meditation.
I use both Buddhist and Yogic(?) methods; breath concentration, Tratak, focal points, etc.
My mind tends to wander. I have heard that patience and practice are the only solution to this.
What are your thoughts?
Azalia,
In my opinion, what you’ve heard is accurate.
It sounds like you’re experimenting with a number of approaches, and I think that’s good as well. When I first started I tried literally dozens of approaches and techniques before finding one that suited me. Something else that helped me quite a bit was committing to a sitting time and making it non-negotiable. I sit for at least an hour every day. In the beginning, understanding that I was going to sit regardless of outcome for 60 minutes allowed me block some of the paths my mind had a tendency to wander down, i.e., ‘nothing’s happening,’ ‘how long has it been,’ ‘just give up,’ etc.
Also, my meditation tends to be a little more yang in that the approach is less about ‘trying’ and ‘doing’ and more about ‘settling’ and ‘surrendering.’ I don’t engage in meditation as much as I release tension and expectation in order to become aware of meditation.
Do you remember ‘Magic Eye’ images? Geometric designs that produced an almost 3-Dimenshional image? Well, I had a similar experience with those types of images years ago. I looked, no I searched those images every chance I could get, frustrated that I couldn’t ‘do’ it, squinting my eyes in different ways, crossing them, stepping closer, moving further away…it wasn’t until I let go of the expectation of seeing the image, that the image finally appeared. First out of the corner of my eye, and eventually as I looked directly at the image.
Even after seeing my first Magic Eye image, it took a bit of practice to be able to see them at will…or more accurately, gain the ability to relax my perception at will which inturn allowed the images to appear.
It’s always a little strange to discuss meditation. I think the experiences tend to be so personal that often the best you can hope for is a sort of vague familiarity with the descriptions offered. And, of course, at worst, it ends up sounding like hooey.
Keep trying, relax, release and surrender.
Namaste,
BrianClt
Thank you very much for your thorough and helpful reply. I can relate to the picture analogy. Your ideas on settling instead of trying seem much more effective. I plan on meditating this evening. 
Dear Azalea,
Are you practicing meditation under the guidance of an experienced teacher? The yoga sutras provide many valuable insights and guidance regarding meditation practice. The mind’s tendency is to wander, and to become distracted. It is important to consider the object of focus so that is calming to the mind, rather than disruptive.
I would recommend that less is more. The boredom and agitation which arise are a normal part of the cleansing process of meditation and are to be treated with the same dispassion with which one observes the contents of the mind, rising to the surface and dissipating after some time.
I would recommend that you have a look at Desikachar’s book The Heart of Yoga, which gives much practical advise regarding building one’s own yoga practice, as well as the methods, goals and stumbling blocks in a meditation practice. His style of teaching provides an easy introduction to the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
Namaste,
Chandra
Chandra, Thank you very much for your reply!
I’ll look those books up on Amazon…
From a Taoist (different) perspective, I would say give up trying to empty your mind of all thoughts, complete emptiness is attained as the highest goal and final attainment in classic taoist meditation. Some argue that its impossible to achieve since abstaining from thought is thought itself. For a beginner simply focus on your breath.
Other tips:
Do not eat prior to meditation
Yang energy is at its highest point between 11 pm and 1 am
Direct sunlight should be avoided
Plants in the room are good for thier oxygen
Namaskar Yogis!
This be my first post here.
So, who here has had success with the third Pada?
Hi folks. Have any of you found that certain more than othersareas even within a particular space yeild better results for meditation?. In terms of not drifting, I remember being curious about meditation during childhood but I was too restless and impatient during meditation. Years later I am at it trying to be more steady along with yoga and find that I need to learn to get passed being ansy nearing 10 mins. There was a time that I used to meditate and had some very strange and interesting experiences to the point I had to journal them. I like the idea of focusing on breath… especially Ujjaji (spelling?) style. I used to have a better “third eye” focus or connection…read somewhere that you should look upward between the eyes/brows rather than straight forward but as I relax my eyes seem to just drift down and I start towards sleep if I don’t catch myself.
Hey Ya’all i dont like to admit it but i have trouble meditating at times :oops: even though i am a teacher i find myself looking at some of my students at times especially the male students they are usally very fit and have nice abs and buttocks, but that besides the point u must learn to focus i do to i will never b perfect but i will try my best to make the best of my meditational skills and stop looking at my students in the wrong ways PEACE LOVE AND SEX
Thank You,
Fellow Flexmaster
I?ve always had a problem with just emptying my mind. I like to focus on something, such as the inhalation and exhalation of breath. That?s a favourite.
Other things you could try are sounds or mantras, om is nice; colours; focus on a scene/picture; a moving meditation. Heck even washing the dishes can lead one to a meditative state.
The idea is to not fight with the elimination of your thoughts, but to simply allow that they exist and let them slide into the background as background ?noise? if you will. This allows your mind to?expand. Wonderful.
Dear Azalea:
I think that before embarking ourselves in meditation we should start by building mental stamina and concentration. It is similar to training ourselves for running a 10K race, first we should start by walking, then jogging and eventually running for short distances and the, when properly trained, longer ones.
When you meditate is not distance what is involved but time and you are training both the body to be still and the mind to be focus.
I respectfuly suggest that you start by doing concentration drills in short spans of time. For example start the first day by counting down from 10 to 1 with each exalation, if your mind wanders of go back to 10. The second day try starting from 15 and so on. Eventually, after some days you will be able to count from 100 to 1 without your mind wandering off… then you will be ready to start meditating.
While doing so treat yourself with tender loving care and patience and JOY! We forget to be happy. By the way if at some point in time you feel like crying, go ahead, open the faucets and then… laugh about it…
When you have achievable goals eventhough they are for short spans of time you start building up your conficence and saying goodby to your frustration.
To me meditation is a training to be aware for what is going on, in and around me, for the rest of the day.
I hope this helps you.
Atmo Deepak
Dear brother,
Namaskar
without asanas and tandav the medititation is very slow.
u have to keep the mind and body equally.
u are doing medititation for mind and not for your body.
for proper hormone secretion u should do the asanas and tandav.
thanks.
Where you are is where you are supposed to be.
Hola Azalea
The foods you usually eat are also important. Avoid rajastic (meat, fish, eggs, onion and garlick…) and tamasic foods, eat just satvic ones (fruits, vegetables, legumes, milk…).
Observing Yamas and Niyamas also help.
I supose you already practice pranayama. If you don’t, you should, as it tames mind.
And finally, i would recommend you using a mantra in your meditation. The mantra is a mystic power in a sound structure. When spelt correctly and well concentrated it’s divine power can flow to you and provide you an outstanding meditation experience. The mantra must be given by a master, if no master can be found, use the universal mantra OM.
Good luck!
Dear Azalea:
What can anyone say. It IS very tough to do. The easiest method is when you get experience from guru’s presence. There does not seem be much substitute for hard lonely work of doing meditation, concentrating and having the mind run out thousands and thousands of times … but eventually it DOES pay off…big time. One day you find you are on the other side of the door, and cannot explain it any more than you could “get” it before.
The best key is devotion. No method brings fruit without it. A sincere desire and devotion will move mountains and bring understanding to you…and soon. Work on working this up…it is so powerful.
Many techniques can give you temporary lift, but those all seem to have the drawbacks of being yo-yo, up and down methods…the attention does not want to stay in, and the progress reverts because the long hard work to achiever fundamental transformations are not underlying.
Still a break from the coal mines is nice. Kundalini yoga gives fast (but yo-yo) results. Here is are two I like for charging up the system for good experience.
First One is a strong pranayama that goes like this…come onto all fours (hands and knees/legs/tops of feet on floor. Now lift the right leg back straight and do breath of fire for 1-2 minutes (find a comfortable time period for you and use the same period in the next ones too, but do challenge yourself a bit). At the end of the breath of fire, inhale, pull up on bhandas, hold a few seconds, then exhale, and relax down to child’s pose. Let the energy circulate right side, and rest for a minute or two. Repeat the above on the left side.
Next come again onto all fours, but this time raise right leg back straight and lift the left arm straight forward shile balancing on right hand and left leg. This pose is called flying cow. Do breath of fire in this pose for 1-2 minutes. At end of the 1-2 minute period immediately inhale, hold with bhandas, then exhale and relax into child’s pose…rest. Repeat with left
leg back, right arm extended.
The next practice is to sit easy cross legged, then hold right hand on the heart. The left hand is closed except the index finger points upward. Place the left hand at about chin level, and about 8 inches from the chin. The idea is to close the eyes about 90% and just be able to see the finger tip. Now do slow deep breathing…Inhale for a count of 7, hold for two, exhale for count of 7, hold one, and repeat…inhale 7, etc. Do this for 25 rounds … you should experience the attention drifting to the eye center with some concentration, but not the eyes. We often confuse eyes at eye center with the concentration which is the only thing that must gather at the eye center. This helps.
Hope you like my suggestions.
Russell
[QUOTE=Questor;1462]I?ve always had a problem with just emptying my mind. I like to focus on something, such as the inhalation and exhalation of breath. That?s a favourite.
Other things you could try are sounds or mantras, om is nice; colours; focus on a scene/picture; a moving meditation. Heck even washing the dishes can lead one to a meditative state.
The idea is to not fight with the elimination of your thoughts, but to simply allow that they exist and let them slide into the background as background ?noise? if you will. This allows your mind to?expand. Wonderful.[/QUOTE]
Vipassana meditation is a popular method. Vipassana means “witnessing.”
You can concentrate on the tip of your nose, following the inhalation and cool air coming in and the hot air coming out.
There are other methods of Vipasana too. One attributed to Lord Buddha
consists in imaging yourself travelling in a forest and experiencing the sensations. It takes hours.
[quote=Azalea;942]I conclude my yoga practice with meditation.
I use both Buddhist and Yogic(?) methods; breath concentration, Tratak, focal points, etc.
My mind tends to wander. I have heard that patience and practice are the only solution to this.
What are your thoughts?[/quote]
Do not do the tehnique for the tehnique’s sake.
Find something you can give yourself fully to. Love the exercise. Chances are that you are doing it to meet you higher self … imagine it like your bride or groom, someone you accept and love thoroughly. (not an actual person, but the ideal you might see in some of them)
Find some inspiring thoughts to dwell on. If you don’t feel the need, or you have other thoughts, it just shows that you have other things to take care of first. Accept the immediate challenges, not artificial ones.
What is your aim, anyway ?
Just a reminder to check out the date of the original post folks. I haven’t seen this particular poster in a while. Don’t be disappointed if there is no response to this later.
I won’t be. I just come and make my supposedly smart or wise post, than I never check back. I am always right, why would I need to get feedback ? I am Mr Knowitall. 
But I admit the occasional response is a gift.
[QUOTE=Azalea;942]I conclude my yoga practice with meditation.
I use both Buddhist and Yogic(?) methods; breath concentration, Tratak, focal points, etc.
My mind tends to wander. I have heard that patience and practice are the only solution to this.
What are your thoughts?[/QUOTE]
There are many other ways to use meditation besides traditional sitting meditation. There is also working mediation and walking mediation practices, so don’t forget these.
Some days go better than others with med. I just look for direction and forget perfection.
The best theory I’ve encountered on the “hows and whys” of meditation is : a constantly busy mind cannot heal itself. I once heard a lecture by Alan Watts where he quoted Anton Van Leeuwenhoek ( The father of the microscope) regarding this subject as; “The mystery of life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced.”
So, it goes with meditation - just realize the benefits. You need to work “blind” so to speak. You do the footwork of meditation and release the results without developing expectations. This blindness leads to light.