Meditation.

[Halna LeGavilk]

Alright. I need some help. I want to try and focus my mind more, and have a more powerful will. This might be stereotypical, but I've always heard that meditation helps with that.

I've already looked up some stuff, and some of it is impractical for me, because I'd have to do it in my small-ish, kinda dirty room.

Anyone have any meditation techniques, or advice, or anything like that to help me?

[Trog]

Here's what works for me:

Get a comfortable pillow to sit on that supports you. Find a quiet area of your house. Light a candle to stare at. Place it on the floor in front of you. Close your eyes, relax, and concentrate solely on your breathing. At first just the in and out of your breathing. Get an even measure. When I start to concentrate on my breathing I find it is difficult at first to breathe normally. So it takes a bit to relax and get back in a normal cadence. Feel the passage of air as it enters and leaves your nostrils.

While you are doing so it is natural for the mind to try and do other things as well. Remember conversations you had, sing a song you heard earlier, jump from thing to thing. Acknowledge each of these things as they occur then set them aside. This is normal, but not the desired state in meditation. You want to clear your mind of all this usual background thought static that we live with every day. Concentrating on breathing will help you give something for the mind to focus on. I find staring at the candle helps as well. You may find otherwise.

It takes a lot of practice to get comfortable with it so don't feel bad if you only manage to obtain a clear mind for a very short period of time during your meditation time. Practice will make this easier.

Hope that helps some. :smallsmile:

[Halna LeGavilk]

Thanks. Now, I just need to buy a candle...

[Brickwall]

Lie down.

Force yourself to totally relax. Tell each individual part of you to relax. Mentally, of course.

When you're totally relaxed, do nothing for as long as you can.

You are now meditating.

[Vuzzmop]

If you want to learn to focus on one thing, this is what I do.

Sit in a comfortable place, and close your eyes. Imagine you are at the bed of a river, underwater, you can breathe like a fish. Everytime you have a stray thought, let it form into a bubble at the tip of your forehead, and float away from you to the surface. Allow the thoughts to happen, but do not humour them, rather allowong them to drift away. when you have a thought about what you are attempting to focus on, let it form a large stone by your feet. Allow these thoughts to build up, and concentrate on them. Continue this for as long is it takes, and the pile of rocks breaches out of the water. Begin to climb the pile of rocks in your mind, thinking only about your focus. When you reach the top, breathe in the air, and slowly open your eyes.

You should feel a lot more focussed and calm.

[Cobra_Ikari]

...definitely read this as "Levitation."

...'scuse me while I haze myself.

[Studoku]

Light a candle to stare at.

Would a lava lamp work?

[landadmiral]

I have a handful of techniques that I use/have used:

this first technique i did in college, usually when i had girl problems. i'd turn out all the lights except a black light.
put on Dave Matthews Band "under the table and dreaming", set the disc to the last song and let it play out...there is a hidden instrumental song at the end of the disc and would put that song on repeat
lie on the floor with my feet propped up on the sofa - this keeps blood flow in the brain and actually can relieve mild headaches - then focus on interactions that occurred throughout the day, my reactions, and what actions i should have taken, how will i act differently to produce a better result next time, etc
*important note: a lot of us react instead of act, we don't think before we jump. Action, not reaction, is key in being focused and in control. control does not exist without self-control.

second technique would be to pray extensively, meaning to have an actual conversation (out loud or in your mind) about what happened that day. if your athiest, just have a conversation with yourself in a secluded area.

third technique i use is to have a quiet, focused hobby. I'll paint D&D mini's. or do several sudoku puzzles. something that requires intense focus.