Black Spirituality Religion : How Do You Meditate?

[river]

i'm having a lot of chatter and random thoughts zooming through my head.
i'm also feeling very impatient and wanting something "big" to happen. it's hard for me to settle down and relax.
I'll keep working at it but right now i'm very anxious when i do it.

James if you have read through chapter 12 and 13 then you know the thing to do about the chatter is to ignore it. Maybe that is easier said than done. But then it's easier to lay in bed in the morning and just say "I need to get up" than it is to actually do it.

Based on the book there's a lot more to this than the mantras and what not. There is the harmonizing the time and content of our diet with the cycles to strenghten the life force (see pages 200-2o1).

I think we have to read the whole book before we understand everything that needs to be done. After I finish reading it I'm going back and taking notes. I'm not looking for something "big" and quick to happen.

Haven't you read what he said about the dangers of doing this halfway or incorrectly? Insanity. Attack by evil deceased spirits and witchcraft. This I think is probably one reason westerners associate this with demons because in their left brain thinking they tried to isolate the parts that appealed to them, but the parts they rejected were the parts that would protect them and lead to true spiritual growth. Just determine in your mind that you will do what needs to be done and that you don't need everything to be quick and easy in order for you to deal with it. If it was quick and easy would it take two 400+ page volumes to explain?

Read my last post in the thread on the first chapter of the Metu Neter.

 

[ifasehun]

I will share some previously crafted tips on the subject:

Meditation Pt. 3: The Basics

1. Proper breathin occurs through the nose, not the mouth. The hairs in your nose clean the air. The mouth does not.
2. Your shoulders and upper body should not move when you are breathing, even when you are not meditating.
3. Straight spine = clear thinking. Crooked spine= poor thinking. Substitute Divine, Righteous, Quality and Powerful for Clear. Now substitute their opposites for "poor".
4. Take your time. There is nothing to catch up to. You can't get a "quick" meditation in. You start, and take every breath properly.
5. The exhale is always longer than the inhale.
6. Breathe form the diaphram, not the chest.
7. Learn to hold the perenium (that muscle that make it possible to "not go to the bathroom" on yourself). After each exhale, your going to hold that muscle for a few seconds. -- Men, this is the muscle control that prevents pre-ejaculation. If you can meditate and use this muscle properly, you can be a master lover to your mate.
8. Its not about tuning out. It is too difficult for the average contemporary to 'tune out'. Try to focus on something. Know who you sometimes 'bug out' - maybe you are looking off into the distance and you dont hear somebody talking to you in the background? Well, that is what you are trying to accomplish. Focus on a thought, or object. This is a good uncomplicated start.
9. Do not dabble in kundilini or "fire breathe" work without a teacher. Failure to complete or use properly can actually WORSEN your health and your CHARACTER (some people actually RAISE up and RELEASE their worst behaviors and characteristics through improper fire breath work.)

-Practice everyday for 15 minutes.
-Visualize a positive behavior that you wish to exhibit. DO NOT try to visualize negative traits.
-Try to keep your breathing smooth and steady all day. Especially when you're upset.
- its okay to sit in a chair as your primary meditation "posture" In Kemet we used chairs as well as other positions. For westerners chair help you focus on getting meditation down pat, instead of worrying about comfort or back strength. In time other postures will work out better. Esp if you do yoga later on.

 

[Sami_Ra_Maati]

i'm having a lot of chatter and random thoughts zooming through my head.
i'm also feeling very impatient and wanting something "big" to happen. it's hard for me to settle down and relax.
I'll keep working at it but right now i'm very anxious when i do it.

Don't worry about the chatter. I've been at this for the better part of the past 5 years and I still experience it. The thing to do is to continually refocus your attention on breathing and chanting the mantras the minute you Real Eyes (realize) that your mind is occupied with chatter. Do this nonjudgementally (i.e., don't panic and say "this is awful--I'm really messing up here" or "I CAN'T DO THIS" or "This is too hard"). What I have found is that the chatter ("I shoulda said this to him, I gotta run to the store, maybe I should call in sick today, so and so behaved like a real jerk this morning, etc.") becomes less and less interesting and less and less distracting the more I redirect my attention back to meditating and redouble my effort at breathing and chanting.

Be patient, relax and calm down. After all, you didn't learn to play the trumpet the first few times you picked it up, did you? This is no different--it's a skill that takes practice and persistence. Actually, learning to meditate is a lot easier than learning to play an instrument.

You need not wait for something "big" to happen. If something big happens, then fine. If nothing big happens, that's okay too. Concentrate on breathing and chanting and let the chips fall where they may. Above all, don't panic or get nervous or anxious.

One of the many advantages in learning to meditate is that it can be used as a powerful method of behavior modification. In other words, you can use it to break ANY bad habit, or to reprogram your mind in such a way as to enable you to accomplish anything you want, or to overcome negative emotions, doubts, fears, insecurities, etc. That's the subject matter of Metu Neter, vol 2. It is basically what Initiation is all about.

 

[jamesfrmphilly]

normally, I'm not anxious but when i approach the meditation i grow anxious. i am one of those types who like to always be precise and correct.
my first order of business that I'm working on now is to separate my self from that need to be correct.

thanks for the help.

 

[river]

Fighting Fire With Fire?

Sami_Ra_Maati

I am very interested in learning Tantric yoga as a means of redirecting strong preoccupations with sex. Could I be mistaking desire for energy or is desire the same as the energy used in tantric meditation?

How can I use this same energy/desire to fuel my efforts to control the fire?

Maybe the abilitty to use the energy while ignoring the accompanying thoughts will result in a stronger spirit because the battle will be stronger. What sayest thou, Sheqhem?