how to meditate

When we listen good music, natural scene like sun set or sun rise one feels good as it takes us to a  relax state of mind. However meditation goes beyond simple state of relaxation, it brings a complete thought less relaxed mind. Music, reading or visualization is not suggested in meditation as it  can bring some amount of thoughts.

We know that thoughts and emotions are like violent water waves over the surface of pond. when it occurs we can not see bottom of pond, but when  these waves are silent one can see the bottom of pond clearly. In a similar way thought less relaxed mind is like a pond water with no waves. Salient but alert mind is not a easy task. bcause alert mind is always surrounded with some kind of thought and emotion generated by conscious and subconscious mind.
But if some way such silence is achieved, it  helps meeting your super conscious hidden deep in our mind...whenever such event occurs one  may experience it like meeting a god. it will not happen in just one day..but if one practice regularly, it is most likely to meet your god one day.

To start meditation choose time and place where you can have your privacy and no external disturbance like mobile and TV for the time meditation is done. Choose a place where you can perform this repeatedly over a long period of time. Do some breathing and starching exercise as it help distress your self and prepare mood for meditation. It is not mandatory but it is desirable as one can train mind easily if it done repeatedly the same way and at same place. It means as soon as u will enter in the room and do exercise mind will understand that its time to meditate. It is similar to the events like when we see toilet and feel like going toilet. Whenever we see kitchen we salivate for eating something…whenever we see tv we search remote. And whenever we see deities picture our hands lift and eyes closes for prayer.

follow following sequence for practicing meditation:

1. Sit at one place with closed eyes and doing nothing, not a easy task to start with, as sudden itching sensation..pains will start appearing in different part of body which will keep on distracting or disturb your mind. Your mind will compel you to move …and provoking thought one after another will try to overcome you. to prove that whatever you are doing is a  bull shit. Don't listen to it after few session this will disappear. As you feel comfortable increase time
2. Posture is not very important. But I prefer sitting on chair and hands on my lapse spine erect or otherwise sitting on ground with crossed legs hands resting on ankle with palms up and keeping spine erect and straight.
3. If successful then start noticing emotion, thought, words appearing in mind from next time onwards. But don’t give attention to it and don’t start any dialogue with it. with time these emotions, thoughts and words start reducing in quantity and intensity and you will slowly start drifting towards heaviness and feel sleepy. Certainly a good sign.  micro sleep are normal but avoid long duration of sleep.
4. If you are really feeling too sleepy,  it only means that your body need rest…so allow it to sleep but remember when you are awake continue meditating at least for 5 minutes before leaving place. Believe me it will give an wonderful feeling.
5. Otherwise one can overcome uncontrolled sleepiness by doing meditation with half open eyes.Doing with sitting posture while keeping spine erect and straight will also help avoiding sleepiness. This is considered to be difficult stage one has to be persistence. soon you will be able to do it effortlessly.
6. After some time, mind and body will learn to stay calm and awake without doing anything and mind without indulging internal and external dialogue.
7.  After few days practice you may experience one or all of this with no particular order during meditation 
1. A color full patterns start at centre of the eyes. Or a bright light or a certain color remains 
2. You may start seeing glimpse of picture or short dream about known or unknown
3. Picture of your deity or guru may appear
4.  You may experience sudden numbness in certain body part or feeling pains and fatigue
5. You may hear noise, music or unexplained sound
6. You may experience vibrations at different part of body. Some time feeling as if whole body expanding and contracting in rhythm.
7. Some time feeling like floating in air.
8. Some times your nose may fill with smell…bad or good
9. Some time your old memories may become alive as dream.
10.  Some time you see a new place meet new people in dream like situation
11.  Not aware of your body and time, as if you were  unconscious

I m also at step 7 and experiencing (a) to (k) at different times of meditation. so can not comment more then that on meditation, it is not that important , what you feel during meditation. more important how you feel after meditation.
one thing for sure that after effects of meditation are wonderful.  As I am progressing my mind body relationship getting better day by day. My quality of life is improving. nagging, anxiety, anger reduced to great extent. No prolong state of anger or fear. experiencing full of energy, good quality sleep in less hours.... means more time to devote for my hobbies and interest. World around me looks more friendly.

Mediation experience can't be explained, it can only be felt by an individual, regualr practice of it creates an extra ordinary state of mind and body. It gives us something extra ordinary. Something beyond the approach of our logical active mind. On a scale of 0 to 10 one can have varying degree of meditation even having meditation at level of 2-3 when one feel like state of relaxation can create wonders to us. So when ever possible have it, experience it and enjoy it. just keep practice and ripe the fruit of true joy and happiness. 
Meaning full solution to the issue are result of concentration and contemplation on the issue which is effectively achieved through meditation. its a cycle as below 

Relax>>Meditation>>Contemplation>>Concentration>>Relax 

Before meditation clearly define issue and then carry out above cycle on it during meditation let idea from your subconscious mind flow towards conscious zone. most of the itme those idea will be in raw form which need further contemplation and concentration refine the idea and carry out this cycle with new information few times till you get clear and complete solution 

durwesh