I Find It So Difficult To Meditate

I have been practising "mindfulness meditation" for over ten years now. It is very helpful and effective for relaxation, physical and mental, and for getting relieved of the stresses. Yes, this is meditation with eyes shut, and focusing your mind on physical and mental sensations as they appear. Have you heard about about the meditation teacher "Sayagyi Goenka". You can take a look at his website : dhamma.org He has meditation centers all over the world. There may be one where you are too. You can join there and follow the teachings. May you have peace of mind !

I have a friend who suffers from severe insomnia as well.. I find him restless, always stressed. I am really concerned with my friend, so I invite him to places full of trees, grassy and only hear is birds chirping. Until such time he felt asleep. The best place to meditate is a place where you can not hear unwanted noises. Noises can distract your meditation to relax.

it is not good to meditate at all the way i think you are going it. it is very stressing and need to do a lot of mind control. you can meditate without stressing yourself. when i do meditate , i don't need to keep repeating the words or keep thinking the words. i do once or twice then relax and just try to breathe some air and think of the reality of that words i meditate in my case , a bible verse. like i meditate "the Lord says: i am with you, i will never leave you nor forsake you:" after thinking that i will say to myself , just accept that fact whether you feel it or not, then just leave up to GOd that i did my part in believing his words. and just think it again after 5 minutes. but in between meditation i think of the good things in my life or things i should do to make life more positive. although i still suffer from problem but at least during those times of meditation i get some relief. we dont' meditate to make like our thoughst like robots or computers. that is not the right way to meditate. meditate to fill your thoughts with truth that would bring you lightness in your heart and in your mind as well.

i tried meditating long time ago. I was alone. I just followed the instruction that I read from a yoga article. Well I can't remember what happened at that time. But I found it hard to do it.

hai bostonphil have you heard about Sri Sri RAVISANKAR in his camp he trained us to meditate with eyes closed. i think you will find out his camp if it is near your residents you can select and quickly recover from your insomnia problem. i have got one migraine headache after practicing his meditation class i recovered from this diseases thoroughly. i will pray for you also for speedy recovery.

The thing about meditation is that you really can use whatever style feels most comfortable to you. It doesn't have to follow any really strict guidelines, and you don't even need to do it in a group unless you want someone to help guide you into it. I close my eyes when I meditate because it helps me focus more and blocks out any visual distractions, but I absolutely have to be sitting straight up or I'll probably end up falling asleep after a while (it's really, really easy to fall asleep once I really get into the groove). I sit however feels most comfortable, usually with my legs uncrossed so they don't fall asleep. Most people can't comfortably meditate with their eyes even slightly open until they become more used to doing it with their eyes closed. Some people can even do it in a crowded area, oddly enough.

You sound exactly like me, I would love to be able to meditate but I mind is way to active, I will be very interested in any responses on this topic...

I think you could start a new group that meditates with eyes shut. You can even be the President. I am not an expert on meditation, but I don't think meditation is about the eyes. Focus on your inner self. Your situation is difficult because of the insomnia, which only causes you more stress. If you are awake during the middle of the night, good chance your surroundings are quiet. Now you just need to get the storm within settled.

Hi... Meditation requires a lot of concentration... That is the thing, that has kept me away from it. I can't concentrate on myself or my breathing... That is how the instructions are, you need to concentrate on your breathing to meditate... And that is so awful tough.. Eyes must be closed!!! Also, it is not just for sleep... Meditation is good for a lot of things...

I'm so sorry to hear about your insomnia. I have never tried to meditate. I know I wouldn't be at peace but in Plot mode. Can't you just do the same things they do with eyes open with your eyes closed?

yea you are right i also find it so difficult to have meditate some time i cannot concentrate on it