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ScarletRose
10 July 2011, 01:53 AM
Hello all
Now on to what I'm talking about. I have a number of issues while meditating and performing japa, some from me and some from the outside world.

One problem is sometimes I'm unable to stay focused on the meditation and japa because I have a cat that always wants in my room, so while in the middle of this I get startled out of my peaceful state as the cat starts jumping on my door and meowing, I do love her though but she doesn't leave until you open the door and either let her in or tell her she can't come in. I already have to do meditation and japa at midnight here because we also have a puppy, and the two together (both awake) equals to chaos. This isn't one of the big issues, just wondering if anyone can relate to that and how you deal with it.

I'm also having problems with focusing too much on my body. feeling my hair tickling my skin, feeling my legs being strained, and feeling my back hurt from sitting up possibly too straight. This doesn't allow me to focus fully on what I'm trying to do, and I tend to squirm around trying to relieve the discomfort. Does anyone have advice, especially for working with the muscle pain from sitting up straight so long? (this is what I get for slouching my whole life I guess lol) Maybe a better position I might not know about?

These are my main problems, I hope someone can help a little.

Best to all,

ScarletRose

kallol
11 July 2011, 04:32 AM
What for are you meditating ?

What are you meditating on ?

Read a lot, hear a lot on Sanatana Dharma - again and again. Till the message sinks in.

Ask your questions, till the answers satisfy you.

Meditate on those questions and seek the revalidation of the answers.

To meditate on nothing is to try to calm down the mind. Keep the door open. Let the pets play. You focus on yourself - initially 5 mins and gradully increase to whatever is possible.

The knowledge itself will clam down your mind. So more the knowledge sinks in more calm is your mind.

Love and best wishes

devotee
11 July 2011, 06:28 AM
Namaste Scarlet,

1. Keep your pets closed in another room while you are meditating unless you are pretending to meditate but from inside want to play with them.

2. Physical discomfort :

This is a real problem and can be overcome with Yogasanas and with practice. It may be that your posture is wrong. You may like to correct it. If your body is erect then you will have less discomfort as there won't be undue strain on any specific part of your body. Another good idea is to ignore your bearable discomfort ... just ignore it. The more focussed you are to the discomfort the more the discomfort would increase. Your focus would strengthen it.

OM


Hello all
Now on to what I'm talking about. I have a number of issues while meditating and performing japa, some from me and some from the outside world.

One problem is sometimes I'm unable to stay focused on the meditation and japa because I have a cat that always wants in my room, so while in the middle of this I get startled out of my peaceful state as the cat starts jumping on my door and meowing, I do love her though but she doesn't leave until you open the door and either let her in or tell her she can't come in. I already have to do meditation and japa at midnight here because we also have a puppy, and the two together (both awake) equals to chaos. This isn't one of the big issues, just wondering if anyone can relate to that and how you deal with it.

I'm also having problems with focusing too much on my body. feeling my hair tickling my skin, feeling my legs being strained, and feeling my back hurt from sitting up possibly too straight. This doesn't allow me to focus fully on what I'm trying to do, and I tend to squirm around trying to relieve the discomfort. Does anyone have advice, especially for working with the muscle pain from sitting up straight so long? (this is what I get for slouching my whole life I guess lol) Maybe a better position I might not know about?

These are my main problems, I hope someone can help a little.

Best to all,

ScarletRose

NayaSurya
11 July 2011, 06:59 AM
When I began meditating many years ago I had same things happen. Exchange your cat and dog for 8 children and you have the idea.:p

The suggestions above are very wonderful and I hope to add to this with what limited things I have experienced.

The best position to start with is one you are completely comfortable with...I started sitting on a big pillow with my legs in the four position.

(One foot planted firmly to the side of my knee on my other leg...in a four) This is a position I have always sat in or stood in since I was born...like a crane. So for me this was the one that caused the least screaming by this vehicle(vessel). These vessels are noisy...they like to scream about pain, hunger...fatigue. Like the spoiled child. The less you allow this behaviour, the more it will begin to understand who is in charge.

You drive the car...do not allow the car to drive you (or you might crash:p ).

Wait for animals to be eating or taking a nap...if you can not still them with any other way. This is how I began also. But as you proceed...even a kitchen fire may not disturb you...so these measures you have to use in the begining will only be temporary. Once you start training your meditation muscles, you will begin to grow stronger and things wont affect you so greatly.

Keep trying, you are doing just fine<3

Eastern Mind
11 July 2011, 07:39 AM
Vannakkam Scarlet Rose: You are not alone. Each beginning meditator faces all that. The phone rings, the body tingles, thoughts disrupt. That's just the way it is. Personally, I do not put really high expectations on myself. Failure causes frustration. Not everyone is ready for deep meditation, and that's okay. its okay of course if you are as well. There are other religious practices I'm more ready for and am totally capable of doing. I actually believe true meditation is rare. Not impossible, but rare. For many, 5 seconds is an achievement. I do a lot of temple worship and service to temple ... things I find much easier. The point is to do something.

Aum Namasivaya

lotus1
11 July 2011, 09:05 AM
Try putting the animals in a couple of rooms away from you with both doors closed. That way if they act up, you won't hear them for the time you are focusing on the Gods, doing japa.

Regarding position of the body, when I started meditation and chanting, it was in bed at night and only using my fingers to count 108. It would be while I was laying in the dark in bed and my chants were internal, sometimes aloud. I just used mental pulse on my fingers to keep count. Then after a week of peaceful sleeping and more clear mind during the day, I bought prayer beads and started doing chants while sitting comfortably on my couch. - It is the state of mind that I disciplined first. As time went by, I was able to tweak my posture and it was easy because I was mentally strong to conform the body to the mind. Now I am able to sit in upright posture and hardly notice my body at all when meditating on the Gods. My advice to you is to sit in the most comfortable position possible for you at first. As your mind goes deeper to the soul to the Gods over time in your meditation, I believe you will easily start aligning your spine to more upright correct position with chakras opening. You will be like a flower growing upright to the sun.

Jainarayan
11 July 2011, 10:03 AM
I am experiencing the same thing. I'm finding what helps is that I'm amassing a small collection of bhajans and mantras in a Youtube playlist. Then I convert and download them to iTunes to play on my iPod. The point is that by listening to them I become familiar with their rhythm and can focus. For example, I will hear these in my head, and continue for the deity I am doing japa for. It is almost hypnotic and takes me "away":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjGBXlsX_X8

Om Gam Ganapataye Namah
Jaya Ganesha Jaya Jaya Gananatha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDnamSM3Z3s&feature=view_all&list=PLB3BE02027997A81B&index=19

Especially these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ep4Y16cWeg&feature=view_all&list=PLB3BE02027997A81B&index=10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zu5cFgfK8M&feature=view_all&list=PLB3BE02027997A81B&index=7

These give me goosebumps and almost bring tears to my eyes. In fact they will pop into my head all of a sudden.

Yesterday as I did japa on OM Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya and OM Sri Krishnaya namaha I fell into the exact rhythm of the bhajans.

brahman
13 July 2011, 03:40 AM
Hello all
Now on to what I'm talking about. I have a number of issues while meditating and performing japa, some from me and some from the outside world.

One problem is sometimes I'm unable to stay focused on the meditation and japa because I have a cat that always wants in my room, so while in the middle of this I get startled out of my peaceful state as the cat starts jumping on my door and meowing, I do love her though but she doesn't leave until you open the door and either let her in or tell her she can't come in. I already have to do meditation and japa at midnight here because we also have a puppy, and the two together (both awake) equals to chaos. This isn't one of the big issues, just wondering if anyone can relate to that and how you deal with it.

I'm also having problems with focusing too much on my body. feeling my hair tickling my skin, feeling my legs being strained, and feeling my back hurt from sitting up possibly too straight. This doesn't allow me to focus fully on what I'm trying to do, and I tend to squirm around trying to relieve the discomfort.
Does anyone have advice, especially for working with the muscle pain from sitting up straight so long? (this is what I get for slouching my whole life I guess lol) Maybe a better position I might not know about?

These are my main problems, I hope someone can help a little.

Best to all,

ScarletRose





Dear SR,


Basically, we need to be responsible guardian for the pets, as they love us more than we do.
So, be sure not to leave them alone or locked up in a room, when we meditate. Instead, we would feed them half an hour before our meditation starts, for they will develop a tendency to sleep, while we meditate.

We can be inside a mosquito net to meditate, so that the pets see us what we are doing. Gradually train them to co-operate with the scenario, as they are sure to learn from instincts (only instincts).

Now, for the feelings on body parts. It’s a common feeling in everyone because meditation makes the body parts very sensitive. That makes us easily feel every small happening of the body. Gradually, with steadfast practices, we learn to forget the body and get used to the thoughts alone.

About the muscle pain, we may channelize this ‘discomfort’ towards a particular chakra we are comfortable concentrating in.

Lying down for meditation is a good idea, provided the mediation does not last for more than half an hour, or else we may fall asleep.

Love :)

Friend from the West
17 July 2011, 12:22 AM
ScarletRose,
I laughed so much at your post. Not at you. Goodness, I remember what you are experiencing so well. I remember so much frustration, doubt, is it worth it, etc. I am laughing at my own thoughts and experiences. From a SD perspective, my meditation practices in past have helped so much to enrich worship which did not have anything to worship before. I will not say anything to you from SD perspective because in last day looking over some of my previous posts I regret what I posted because of something new taught to me. As far as mediation goes I will say:
The time is so very much worth investing
Have little expectation
Keep doing it
Be so very patient with yourself
Start simple, simple, simple, count your breaths and maybe after a week or two add following your breath through your body. I can remember so well with another laugh, that as EM said, 5 seconds being something of a success. Now, if time permits, I can go hours. Other times now, that 5 seconds that EM mentioned sounds good. Patience again and a sense of humor. With time, a kitten, hair, honking horns, telephone ringing, cramped body parts, etc.. will all fall into place.
It is worth the effort.
Take care,
Rich

ScarletRose
18 July 2011, 12:54 AM
Thank you all for your advice and such, now I have a little bit more to go on and some useful insight, hopefully I can overcome the issues :)

Best to all,

ScarletRose