I have found what works for me is only ONE specific technique that is pretty much guaranteed to work and insure you have a deep and energizing meditation each and every time. That method is using guided audio meditations with binaural beats. If you are not sure what that is, more information can be found at http://learnhowtomeditatedeeply.mysweetnewlife.com as well as some free samples and explanations as to why it works so well.

Try out the free sample and come back and tell me how you feel. I can pretty much tell you right now you have never experienced anything like it.

The sounds just seem to take you to such a refreshing and wonderful place almost in minutes. I find that after using them for just a few minutes a day, I can find solutions to anything that I may have been asking, like when I have a tough decision to make or if I need more confidence with a situation. Meditation is always my “Go-To” method!

Hope this helps

1. Shamatha or resting meditation – where emphasis is on being able to place the mind on objects of choice, whether non-religious, for example a “pebble”, ones “breath”, or “no-object at all” or religious, for example the body (a picture or statue), speech (a “mantra”), or mind (a pure light or emptiness) of the Buddha. Here one learns to discipline the fluctuations and wandering of the mind and establishes its basic calmness.

2. Vipashyana or insight meditation – where emphasis is on seeing the true nature of mind, thoughts, and experience. Here one cultivates recognition of the reality of our condition and establishes the stability of this recognition, ultimately integrating this recognition with all activity, including sitting, reclining, eating, talking, dreaming, and sleeping.

At first, meditation does take quite some effort. Eventually you will observe progress and how easy it is to return to this state. Besides finding that one’s mind becomes more at peace, practitioners who persist in this meditation develop a degree of suppleness such that they are very at ease and flexible in different conditions. A state of complete delight emerges but it does require perseverance. Higher degree of awareness to what is going on in and around one may also result. At the outset, frequent, short sessions are recommended rather than longer sessions. Keep the awareness fresh. One should stop one’s practice while still in a vivid state of calm abiding, so that one resumes the practice with enthusiasm and one’s practice doesn’t deteriorate. Try these two shamatha methods and see how they compare.

(1) JOYFUL RESTING

Body: Sit comfortably in a stable and pleasant position, with the back reasonably straight. The posture should promote neither restlessness nor sleepiness. Place your hands (a) on your knees with the palms up or down or (b) on your lap with the palms up. The eyes should be open and look gently slightly down past the tip of your nose and in a relaxed manner. Establish a base physical posture for meditation which suits you. This will be referred as your base posture.

Breath: Breathe through your nose. Let the rate and depth of your breath be just as it is. Don’t interfere with it.

Mind: Begin your meditation with a joyous attitude. Feel fortunate that you are taking some time to explore yourself and care for yourself. Then just let the mind ‘rest in its own nature’, however that may seem to be for you.
· Now don’t follow thoughts about the future. Let go of them when you find yourself caught up in them.
· Don’t follow thoughts about the past. Let go of them when you find yourself caught up in them.
· Don’t follow thoughts about the present. Don’t analyze the present.
· Don’t meditate. Relax a bit about the whole thing. Just sit and relax in your own clarity.
· Just enjoy the flavor of sitting and relaxing your mind with the presence of alertness.

Comments
1. The seven-fold posture of Vairochana is recommended with (1) legs crossed (or feet flat on ground if in chair), (2) spine straight (relaxed), (3) hands in lap palms up, (4) chin tilted slightly downwards, (5) eyes half-open, looking slightly downward, (6) tongue and lips relaxed (tongue may touch upper palate), (7) elbows out to the sides, shoulders level.
2. These are meditation instructions and not the way one should remain in post-meditation. In daily life, from time-to-time, one has to consider the future and the past.
3. If you are able to rest your mind calmly and clearly in the first practice, just continue with it. Otherwise, continue on with practice (2).

(2) ATTENDING TO VISUAL APPEARANCES

Body: As practice (1)
Breath: As practice (1)

Mind: Attend to a visual object of choice. Pick a marble, or a stone, or a piece of wood and place the object on the ground or table about three feet in front of you. Just look at, attend to the perception of the object.
· Whenever you notice that your attention is wandering, just return gently to the object.
· Whenever you see the object fading or becoming distorted, just return gently to the object. See the object clearly.
· Don’t analyze the object. That is contemplation not meditation.
· Don’t be concerned if there are slight variations to your perception. Just continue with the meditation without losing the object.
· Don’t be concerned if your mind wanders a lot. Just maintain the practice. Just keep returning gently to the object.

Comments
1. Would you characterize your mind as calm or busy? It is said that just as sunlight exposes all the dust floating in your room, meditation exposes all the activities of your mind. The first thing to note may be how busy your mind is.
2. How does use of an object compare to having no object in the previous meditation? Is it like a token of memory by which you can more precisely observe your wandering? If this is helpful, continue with it.

I got to get my boots on it’s gettin deep
You in Psych 101?