I can't meditate - Please Help Me!

[mysterium]

I wouldn't stress the meditation aspect too much. as much as possible don't FORCE yourself to meditate since that would put thus un-required stress on your mind and thus would not help you center yourself. Instead just focus on your breathing. Try to consciously breathe. Observe each inhalation and exhalation until you feel yourself feeling more and more at peace. Once you feel that way you can start more systematized meditations in seating positions.

(Note: It would thus be pointless to attempt to meditate in a position that is excruciatingly painful for you (if you find any of the basic positions like the full lotus painful) instead find a quite place and sit down.

Best of luck seeker

[dpa]

This post may be a little to late, but for anyone who finds it difficult to meditate consider joining a group. Their are many community centres that host meditation seminars. Last year I joined a meditation group that was quite fun. Many different meditation techniques were taught, philosophies were discussed, but I couldn't stay long because this particular group I was meditating with were part of a religious organization looking to convert people into their faith, and I didn't feel comfortable with it, so I decided to break away. Where I live their are numerous meditation groups advertised for free, I'm sure all around North America these disciplines are available for anyone who holds such an interest.

[dpa]

I would like to add to this little note as a add on to this thread, I'm currently reading a very good book titled How God Changes Your Brain by Andrew Newberg, & Mark Robert Waldman which seems to be a interesting read. What I really found interesting pertaining to meditation and how it effects the brains cognitive functioning is that the emotional circuits of our limbic brain have less plasticity than the frontal lobe, an example would be when we all get angry or frightened we activate the frontal lobe in our brain which is that part of the brain that uses logic and reason. When a individual lives in fear they are actually doing damage to the limbic area of the brain that uses emotion, feelings, and the ability to care for others, as well express them selves creatively through art, music, poetry, etc. When devoting your self to meditation with daily practises what a practitioner is doing is strengthening their limbic area of the brain, so when faced with decisions that evoke fear, logical thinking becomes more clear and behaving rational in tense situations demonstrates self control. As well when applying meditation along with academic pursuits student's are able to focus better and remember details that pertain to their subject of study, as well score better in tests so they can achieve their academic pursuits. The benifits from meditation enhances cognitive brain functioning as ell as inner peace and faith in God as well as one self.

He are some graphical images that detail of the limbic system, and frontal lobe areas of the brain.




Brain_limbicsystem.jpg BrainLobesLabelled.jpg

[Haruth]

Just linking to this thread, as it may be useful to anyone having difficulty getting started.

[dpa]

Meditation is the time we spend feeding our soul, it's the time we allocate for God.