Meditation

Fallingman

So, this interests me.

I've had a couple of "guided meditation" or "light hypnosis" sessions recently and have found them very enjoyable and relaxing. This is something I'd like to learn to do myself. My question is this:

Do you meditate? how do you do it? what do you get out of it?
- Feel free to link any good books, tapes, sites etc that you think might be relevant.

A little background.
Recently, as I've entered my late 20's, I've begun experiencing anxiety attacks. So after living with it for too long and trying to deny that it was getting the better of me - I sought help. This helped me cope and got me over a hump. I remember how I felt after these sessions - and feel that practicing controling my body in this way will allow me to regain some of the control I've lost.

The closest thing I come to this elsewhere is practicing Martial Arts. There's something about the complete concentration and focus on the physical that leads me afterwards to a state where I feel perfectly calm and in control (please do not confuse this with "amped" after a fight. I've felt that too and it's not what I'm talking about - if you'll excuse the term, I've heard it explained to others as feeling "Zen").

Googling this topic leads me down a rabit hole of self-improvement websites trying to help me better myself for a fee. I should also mention that personally, I'm not interested in quitting smoking, forgiving someone, becoming more assertive or unleashing any hidden power that lurks inside me.

I'm also up for a D&D type discussion if people are that way inclined - but as I'm also doing this for my own benefit... it felt more appropriate to do this here.

ihmmy

while I haven't had much success with meditation, I've found that yoga really helped me during my mild to moderate panic attacks. I just use videos to help guide me with those, specifically ones by Rodney Yee (I can't stand most of the yoga video instructors, they tend to come off as completely fake hippie yuppie freaks. This guy at least has a soothing voice and seems semi-authentic). I have one for strength that's distracting enough to help with the whole panic attack thing. I can't find the tape I'm thinking off on amazon offhand, but the dude I like does do some relaxation/meditation stuff as well by the looks of it so http://www.amazon.ca/Relaxation-Breathing-DVD-Rodney-Yee/dp/B000094J6K/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1214227957&sr=8-7 might be good for ya

Willeth

I would love a bit of meditation advice that I can do at my desk right about now. I'm absolutely livid about something I'm posting a thread on soon.

Aldo

I like to sit still and think of nothing, then I try to form a cylinder or other simple 3D form in my mind. Just like when you try to remember how someone looked, but then with a simple form.

It feels relaxing to me, at least. YMMV

RocketSauce

It's all about relaxation and emptying your mind of anything that's bothering you. It's kind of like conscious sleep, I suppose. Your body is completely relaxed, and you aren't thinking about anything. Even if it's just for 5 or 10 minutes, you feel refreshed and ready for whatever. Sometimes I listen to music, sometimes I don't. It's all about removing negative thoughts, worries, stress.

Reckless

When I meditate, I focus only on my breathing, and imagine the air going through my body as a waterfall. Once I can get my mind to concentrate on that and only that, I suddenly feel calm to a point I never feel any other time.

Fallingman

One I try is closing your eyes and breathing deeply. Imagine that your fingers are like tubes and you're bringing the air in through your fingers, then out through your toes - visualising it going through you. Do this 5 times. Then reverse it, in through the toes, out through the fingers... this helps me sometimes.