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| I have wanted to learn how to meditate for quite some time, but I can never clear my mind for any length of time. Also, I tend to get really fidgety or itchy when I am trying to concentrate on meditating. Is there any way to calm my mind so that I can meditate? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks. |
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| Hi Wolf spirit,
Are you learning with a teacher or teaching yourself?
Jonathon
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| I'm learning by myself. Taking classes at this point really isn't an option.  |
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| Hi Wolf,
Although I am a beginner like you myself, but maybe what I say will help you. One way to take away your involvement with the incessant chattering within the mind is to put your focus on something else, something that is simple yet not too monotonous. So when you are beginning to meditate, start by paying attention to the parts of your body. Start from the toe of your left foot. See how it feels. Without moving it, try to locate it in space, how it is curved, how it is pressed by or how it presses another part of your body with which it has contact. Do this with the other parts of your feet and gradually move up until you hips, and then go down the right leg. Do the same to your torso and eventually your hands, shoulders, neck and head. Of course, while you are doing it you'll find your attention drifting to thoughts. That's normal. When you realise that, gently go back to what you were doing.
You can also put your focus on breath, by paying attention to the tip of your nose, how the air comes in and goes out. You can count, from one to five in the beginning, and then increasing your counts as you get better at keeping your concentration focussed.
Without fail, this will be accompanied by itching and discomfort. Do not give in to them. If you move your efforts will be lost, so resist them as hard as you can. In my opinion the best way to get rid of them is to become involved with the sensation itself. Suppose your ears are itching, try to feel the part where it itches, try to pinpoint the exact location of the itch. You'll find that when you put your full attention to it, it'll move to another place. Same with discomfort or back pains.
Of course, you shouldnt go to extremes resisting back pains. That'll harm you. Hold your position as long as you can, and eventually you'll get better and better at it, and after some time whenever you feel an urge to itch or to move, you can just concentrate on it and it'll go away.
Again, this is a beginner's point of view. The experts here can help you in better ways.
I hope that helps.
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| Try sitting quietly and don't think about clearing your mind or the itches or whether you are meditating or not. Just sit quietly and observe. When thoughts appear, don't try to suppress them or hold on to them, simply let them appear and then dissappear like the bubbles in a glass of champagne or soda; appearing at the bottom and dissappearing at the top of the glass. Quietly observe whatever happens without attachment, judgement or comment. |
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| If you can clear your mind, then you do not need meditation. If your mind is already calm, then you do not need to meditate. Meditation is for making the mind calm and clear. But, the method for meditation has to be determined, and if you can not determine on your own, you have to learn if from somewhere.
wolf spirit - 2007-08-05 11:11 AM
I have wanted to learn how to meditate for quite some time, but I can never clear my mind for any length of time. Also, I tend to get really fidgety or itchy when I am trying to concentrate on meditating. Is there any way to calm my mind so that I can meditate? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks. |
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| Well i think you have taken the first step. The fact that you realise that you cannot clear your mind for any length of time is an insight. You've just become aware about a characteristic of the mind. So Yipee!! So next time just sit with it. Ideally a starter 10 day retreat should be a good introduction. Look around where you live, maybe there are meditation centres which have retreats. It'll get you started.
If thats not an option, then there are loads of resources on the internet, research, read, explore.
Here's a link, to some basic instructions on breath meditation http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/breathmed.html.
If you're wish to meditate is strong enough then you'll be able to practise  Good luck. By the way if you are thinking of blissing out, you might look to other methods than meditation
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| Hi
Just try this yourself.
http://www.meditationthai.org/docs/en/meditation.html#Meditation_for_Beginners
you can find the meditaiton center where there are guru of Dhammakaya meditation by this page.
http://www.dhammakaya.or.th/centremain.php
I hope you will success in meditation. good luck |
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| Instead of thinking you need to calm your mind to meditate, think of meditation as a way to calm your mind. Try putting aside that you need to have a clear mind in order for meditation to be successful. A clear mind comes with time and practice. When thoughts come into your mind, do not judge them and simply let them go, bring your focus back to whatever it is you were focusing on in the first place.
This is not a race, it's a journey. Enjoy. |
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| Fantastic. Thank you Sir.
Spirittap - 2007-12-05 8:20 PM
Instead of thinking you need to calm your mind to meditate, think of meditation as a way to calm your mind. Try putting aside that you need to have a clear mind in order for meditation to be successful. A clear mind comes with time and practice. When thoughts come into your mind, do not judge them and simply let them go, bring your focus back to whatever it is you were focusing on in the first place.
This is not a race, it's a journey. Enjoy. |
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| Hi Wolf Spirit,
It's very common to have those when you first started. Make sure you sit in a very comfortable position with your spine straight (but relaxed). Forget crossing your legs etc. I myself sit on a chair when meditating. Affirming to be in Pure Unconditional Love and ask assistance from The Source, Light Masters always helps. enjoy it  |
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| Spirittap gave some great advice. your expectations for mediaton should be put to the side. Make it one of the only activities where you dont have any expectations. Close your eyes and just be aware. Dont give in to your minor discomforts or agitations of your mind. Your mind may struggle with wanting to meditate because all of our untrained minds want drama and excitment.
Once you get past this first layer you will start discovering the joys of what is within you. Think of your mind as a bird on a string sitting on a pole. It keeps wanting to fly away. Keep bringing it back to the pole. Eventually it will just sit on the pole. |
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| kulkarnn - 2007-08-05 10:46 PM
If you can clear your mind, then you do not need meditation. If your mind is already calm, then you do not need to meditate. Meditation is for making the mind calm and clear. But, the method for meditation has to be determined, and if you can not determine on your own, you have to learn if from somewhere.
wolf spirit - 2007-08-05 11:11 AM
I have wanted to learn how to meditate for quite some time, but I can never clear my mind for any length of time. Also, I tend to get really fidgety or itchy when I am trying to concentrate on meditating. Is there any way to calm my mind so that I can meditate? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Meditation is capable of doing much more than just clearing the mind. that is like the opening salvo. It is the means by which we can communicate wioth our souls and build the rainbow bridge between our lower concret mind and its higher abstract counterpart.
It can be harmful to clamp the mind down and shut it off. We need to be gentile with ourselves. It is better to learn to focus it.
A very effetcive technique for the problem of intruding thoughts is to take a deep breath and as you exhale blowing through the mouth visualize geometric shapes being blown out of the viscinity of your body. Thought forms, when seen clairvoyantly appear as these complex shapes. When you visualize them being blown away you will be in fact clearing them from the mental and astral aura surrounding your physical body.
I hope this helps |
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| Phaedrus - 2008-02-27 6:28 PM
kulkarnn - 2007-08-05 10:46 PM
If you can clear your mind, then you do not need meditation. If your mind is already calm, then you do not need to meditate. Meditation is for making the mind calm and clear. But, the method for meditation has to be determined, and if you can not determine on your own, you have to learn if from somewhere.
wolf spirit - 2007-08-05 11:11 AM
I have wanted to learn how to meditate for quite some time, but I can never clear my mind for any length of time. Also, I tend to get really fidgety or itchy when I am trying to concentrate on meditating. Is there any way to calm my mind so that I can meditate? Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks.
Meditation is capable of doing much more than just clearing the mind. that is like the opening salvo. It is the means by which we can communicate wioth our souls and build the rainbow bridge between our lower concret mind and its higher abstract counterpart.
It can be harmful to clamp the mind down and shut it off. We need to be gentile with ourselves. It is better to learn to focus it.
meditation needs a clear mind. That is the only thing blocking you from accessing your consciousness. I think that what kulkram was getting at. People who have purified their minds are one with conciousness. It's the ulitmate goal of our mediation practise. As for the colours, and "exciting" things you see in mediation, those are fine but like Swami Mutkananda has said if you want excitment and colours etc. go to the circus. Its not the goal of meditation.
As for "clamping the mind down and shutting it off". Good luck. I doubt very much anybody could be successful taking that approach. |
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Problems with meditation
