24 Jan 2008 —
Question
Q39: Meditation schedule?
Question 39:
“How often and for how long do you usually meditate? What stops you from meditating more?”
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I usually try to meditate as often as I can, even when doing other activities, always keeping Amma and God in mind. As for actual sit-down meditation, usually only for a few minutes each day. Primarily it is my spina bifida that makes sitting cross-legged on the floor (even with a meditation wedge) difficult for longer periods of time.
The most important meditation is the post meditation.
I never understood this till Blessed Amma opened my eyes.
To Answer the question, I meditate all day long as often as possible.
Life is a meditation.
As long as we hold God first we are in a meditation.
usually two hours // having to go to work & family responsibilities prevent further meditation
I meditate for about five to ten minutes before I go to bed. What stops me from meditating is not feeling the urge to pray. A lot of the time I get distracted and try to hurry my praying time.
Only during Karthika Celebration in Ashram I get a chance to do meditation. Time is the main constraint that prevents me from meditating more. Even if I sits for meditation I am unable to get concentration.
If we meditate according to a schedule than that will not be called meditation because we will think about it as a work which we have to do. According to the teachings of our AMMA we should always chant our mantra during day and night and there will come a time that this chanting will go on even when we are asleep. With the blessings of AMMA I get up at 4 a.m. in the morning chant Lalitashasrnam and Amma’s 108 Names, and then Aarti. After that my day starts and I do not think that there is any moment I do not remember my AMMA. Remembering AMMA is also meditation.
I do practice I AM Tech on daily basis, except on Friday [weekly holiday], early in the morning @ 4 AM for 40 to 45 minutes. There were times when I meditate I forget everything and sit for long hours, totally black out state; often miss my bus and reach office late. Swamiji suggested to stop for sometime and later started practicing I AM Tech.
AMMA’s advice is to transform every action into meditation. Usually I try to meditate for a max. of 30 minutes…
The major disturbances are caused by carelessness of daily activities which will be of course corrected by AMMA’s compassionate guidance…
for me, sitting to meditate is a difficult task…..after chanting lalita sahasranama i usually am able to concentrate for some time ..but soon i turn restless and my mind drifts off to the external world……so i always try to follow amma’s advice, to convert all our actions into meditation….. instead of meditation i chant my mantra, dedicating the work to ammachi……
when i sit near AMMA, that is the only time i could clear my mind and be aware. i dont know whether that’s meditation. but anyway that’s my kind of meditation.
other than that i just forget about “meditation”. because my mind never stops… Only AMMA s presence stops it.
good..
I don’t usually have time to meditate after I chant Krishna’s 108 Names. My schedule doesn’t permit more then 15 minutes. : (
I will attempt to rearrange things so I have at least 1 hour to meditate (especially in the summer when I meditate outside!!).
I can meditate up to 15 minutes, the biggest hindrance for me is not the mind, but the feeling of ants crawling all over the legs in 12-15 minutes of sitting cross-legged, even though the legs are very loosely interlaced. I have to get up immediately once this sensation starts, else it gets worse very quickly. I also don’t feel comfortable sitting on a chair with my legs lowered for meditation.
Does any one have a suggestion for this problem?
Never. It is too hard to visualize a form or light or location in the body, and without enough discipline to do japa regularly I couldn’t take initiation either.
I am understanding meditation as first concentration on mantra or amma’s form. Deep concnetration doesnt happen, as i am still struggling to get atleast a starter level of concentration.
The irritation and restleness of the body is one factor. Other is that it becomes very late when realised that i have been sitting and thinking of some other stuff 🙂
Ila ji According to AMMA you can chant lalita sharhrnam while standing also. Meditation means surrendering to GOD,, chanting your mantra all the time. If your are not able to sit for a long time that should not be the problem. God will also understand the poblem.
Renuji you’re right. To chant the mantra constantly remembering Amma will culminate into deep devotion, concentration and meditation. Bhagavad Gita says to do all actions remembering God is the noblest. Thanks for the tip.
I will try to shift my focus more on chanting the mantra within. I like both IAM and Ma-Om meditations, and I have fitted them within my 15 minutes of sitting. I always wanted to sit longer in meditation as I can calm my mind down in few minutes, which always feels so good and want to sit longer. I feel so very blessed to have Amma in my life.
An uninterrupted continuous thought flow towards God is Meditation…. and I think I am doing it most of the time… even when my ‘active mind’ is engaged in office duty or any other work, I think my ‘subconcious mind’ is having a thought flow towards God… and I dont know whether this could be called as Meditation….. Conventionally, I do IAM technique early in the morning daily…. Chant Lalitha Sahasra Naamam & Amma’s Ashtothara in the evenings daily….. It is Amma who is making me do everything what I do… I am just a puppet on the String controlled by Amma… Koti Pranaams to Amma’s Lotus feet…..
Yes…. chanting mantra – i feel would take care of the rest and bring us in line…there is no need to observe any time frame for this.. chant as much possible… substitute every stray thought by the thought to chant mantra…and even ones own un-wanted habits may tend to become weakened..just go on chant mantra…blessed ones who got a mantra from AMMA can chant that…other wise OM NAMAH SHIVAYA..is more than enough…..let us not look in the outcome….let us develop an affection to chant mantra….let us become the mantra itself….every deed from such a soul, by AMMA’s grace would become good for whole world…
Well, i meditate when i’m alone at home. so, i take 10 to 15 minutes for the actual sit-down meditation. sometimes about 20 minutes.
i try to remember Amma and my loving Lord in mind during the day, and chanting my Mantra or chanting bhajans.
I also see everything positive in what I do, so work goes easier and I stay calm.
Also I try to be calmer with some situations in life that may “offend” me.
I always remember that patience is the key to reach a lot of things!
meditate 30 mn morning and 30 mn evening
the goal is to be meditating all day while doing all other activities.
Actually i wish to keep my sadhna secret. Of course every day morning before starting any household activities i meditate for a while, feeling Amma at the center of my heart.
Om Namasivaya! If the thought towards God(our Beloved Amma) can be called as Meditation, I do it whenever I am awake. I do IAM Tech, chant Lalithasahasranaam & Ashtothara, sing bhajans daily in the morning. I do ‘Japa’ in the afternoon & evenings. I’m asking Amma to hold my hand always….
For me thought of amma and chanting mantra always is meditation.I never sit for meditation becoz of chornic pain.but my regular morning prayer chanting Lalithasahasranaam & Ashtotharastill continues. I’m asking Amma to hold my hand always and give me more strenth to do her service.