Does anyone do it? Im thinking about trying it. Got pointers?
Ive done yoga a ton and meditated in that respect but Im not very good at sitting alone in silence for any length of time.

I do it. I go to this thing in NYC called "Dharma Punx" and meditate with a group of people in a building by the street where we hear all the street noises while meditating but it's still relaxing.

I mostly like guided meditations though because I have a hard time doing it by myself. On itunes radio under talk/spoken word there is a station called "enlightenment radio" that runs meditations and relaxing music all day.

Thanks Anne. I found that station under "religious"

Ive checked out the Shambala center here and they have a group meditation class. class?

I like to watch the people do Tai Chi

I met some Tai Chi enthusiasts.  Very good bunch of people.  Also, it's not really religious.  Doing it regularly increases the flexibility in your joints significantly. 

I've tried to meditate but am unable to stop the internal dialogue that goes on in my brain constantly.  While trying to concentrate on breathing I still have thoughts. 

I do it- though not nearly enough as I should. There are all types of CD's out there that can help you through it- probably the best way to start.

You make it sound like a chore. Like, "I'm changing the bung ring on my toilet. I have instructions to help me through it."

I guess it depends whaat kind of meditation you are looking for. The Buddhist practice is a little difficult to maintain without constant work- it can be a bit of a chore- which is the reason I don't practice as much as I should. It's very hard to use a CD for that. I like it best of all the mediation techniques I have used- but you really need time and focus (and a quiet place to do work in).

There is the Hindu/New Age tradition(s), which has more chakra work- a CD is really helpful for you to work through it. Then you have visualization which you really need a guide for-

I think I'd be useless at meditation.

My inner dialogue never seems to shut down.

I once went for some relaxation techniques and 'Mindfulness' training which involves centreing on the immediate whether you are eating, working or meditating.

It's all I could do from giggling when this very whimsical/spiritual/galactic teacher had us all put a raisin in our mouth and 'react' to it, with our eyes closed

feeeeeeeel the raisin
-man that chick is odd, how long til lunch-
move the raisin around
-I bet I am the only one with my eyes closed-
*concentrate on the shape, the size, the feeeeeeeeel*
-inner dialogue tells me this she is clearly mental and I peek at others-
now chew the raisin ever so sloooooooooooooowly
taste the sweeeeetness
-I resist the urge to giggle, I hate raisins, when will this end-
*don't swallow the raisin, just savour it and think about the raisin like you never have*
-need to laugh out loud becomes excruciating, kill me now!-

I was a bad student.

In the Buddhist tradition, you are supposed to sit silently and focus on your breath. Any thought that comes into your mind, you are supposed to look at and then let go and go back to your breathing. An average sitting at the local temple is 1-2 hours like that- with some walking meditation for 10 minutes every 45. They have retreats where you do nothing but sit and meditate for 6 hours. There is NO WAY I could do that.

The benefits are that you get pretty blissed out. The down side is that is tough to keep up and deal with people and things in the real world when you are all blissed out...LOL!

LOL Jo. That's what she said. I wouldve probably spurted out an inappropriate laugh.

seriously.

I've gone one eye open checking everyone out thinking good god there has to be someone likeminded who's giggly eyerolly just like me, buy nay...

There all becoming one with the raisin. Having some emotional-sexual-spiritual connection that I cannot semm to or want to find.

Just can't have a boner over a friggin' raisin sorry folks, just ain't gonna happen.

Raisin FAIL.

Lea, light a candle, sit down in a quiet comfortable spot and just try relaxing, turning off all the noise in your head and concentrate on just breathing in and out slowly.

If you can get into doing that, then investigate meditation more. I never could get into meditation cd's, I needed just silence. The one thing I have used and enjoyed is a set of meditation cards that DJ sent me one year. You just pick a card and then meditate on what the card suggest. I usually hate that sort of thing but these cards were different.


John always wants to know what I am thinking, when I tell him nothing he never believes me but I've learned to shut my mind down when I have too. I was really sick when I first got into meditation and it got me through some very tough spots, to me it really did help keep me alive.

If I was in Jo's class, I'd be the one other person looking around to see what everyone else was doing and probably doing a lot of eye-rolling.
My mind usually has too many things going on to totally shut down. I'm definitely not going to shut down over a raisin. I can relax during a full body massage. That's about it.

I'm going to guess a lot of it had to do with it being 'a class'.

I can totally relax and I know how to chill but the whole forced chilling thing just isn't going to happen for me. I am too aware of others, the time, my growling stomach, if I have to pee, when lunch is....

Freecell seems to be my meditation technique.

I recommend this book because Pema takes the pressure off the whole meditation thing.

Awakening Loving-Kindness, Pema Chodron.

I take meditation in a class. I started it right around a really tough breakup and the class did all kinds of hiking trips and retreats together so it was really great for me. I found a group and a type of meditation that really clicks for me and that I really enjoy. I didn't use to be able to sit still and meditate on my own and nowadays I can. When I'm going through a hard time like lately I can use help with music or a taped spoken meditation. But that's what I do. Good luck on your journey to finding something that works for you.

If you do yoga, then you've ended it in Savasana? For me its the best part of yoga and a great place to start meditation.