Does anyone know of any good books that teach you how to meditate?

I am reading "Getting the Love You Want" by Harville Hendricks (great book!) and some of the things he asks us to do requires deep thought and concertration. I can't calm my mind enough to do those tasks, so I was thinking that maybe meditation might help me to calm my mind.

Any thoughts?

Thanks
STTSI

STSI,
There are so many books on meditation, you might want to try a listening tape first until you become relaxed enough to mentally control your thoughts for your own meditaions. William Hewitt is fantastic. I will try to get a list of some for you. Again, I would try listening to a meditational guided tape, so you can relax the conscious mind and retrain it to let go.

STTSI:
Here are some quick on-line resources for you to start with:

Meditation Resources

On-Line Book - Still the Mind by Alan Watts:
http://spoerlein.iwarp.com/mind1.html

Meditation in The Himalayan Tradition:
http://www.swamij.com/index.htm

The Simplest Meditation & On-Line Meditation Guides (start here):
http://www.swamij.com/simplestmeditation.htm

Raja-Yoga (King Yoga):
http://www.iloveulove.com/rajayoga.htm

Guided Meditation CDs:
http://www.swamij.com/YogaMeditationCDs.htm

Another Good Meditation tape:
“The ‘Satori’ Grounding Meditation"
http://www.radicalforgiveness.com/orderproducts.asp

I would highly recommend reading about Hinduism & related areas as a background, it helps to have the "philosophy" internalized as you begin to meditate, and the Hindu is probably the most extensive and easily accessible. There are many others, but like the "man" says: "Truth is one, sages call It by different names".

This is probably overkill (I'm kinda' known for that... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> ) but if you'd like more, feel free to email me.
Hope this helps!

All my love,
SC

Yea....what Space said!!!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Neesha and Spacecase-

Thanks for the input I will check out those links and see what I can find. My problem is I over-analize everything in my life. I am one of those people that can't fall asleep at night because my mind is always racing.

Thanks
STTSI

Have you ever gone to a yoga class? My W and I went once a week last winter before everything went to pot. I found that is a good way to learn how to concentrate.

Luki-

No I have not. I have never really accepted that kind of "weird" stuff before. I am wlaking in a whole new world by asking for this type of info and for trying it out.

Since I am searching for a deeper knowledge and understandin of myself I will look into some classes for yoga. Anything in particular to look for when searching for a class? If you are in MN maybe you could suggest a place to go?

Anyway I am reading the links that Spacecase gave me and have been learning a lot!

Thanks
STTSI

STTSI,
That is why I think a guided meditation can help, you keep your mind going because that is how you trained it, and it is not normal for you to lose that control of the thinking part.... It is hard to let our conscious relax so we may open up a bigger arena to let other things come in, we feel like we are not in control of out bodies then.

I do not know where you live, but there are places that have miditation classes , they are fun and you learn to do this around people which helps you in the future if you had to calm your mind down in a highly stressful situation possibly at work, or some traumatic situation just to name a few things....when I taught classes it was fun watching the highly controlled lawyers, doctors, (you name it) take one of the classes, to watch them start experiencing some of the benefits was amazing , a total transformation even on the way they carried themselves. It can be applied to every day situations as it can apply to being on a stressful interstate at rush hour and not gettting sucked into that negative, aggressive energy..... Good Luck...have fun..

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> If you are in MN maybe you could suggest a place to go? </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Are you some kind of psychic or was that a lucky guess? Yes I am in MN. I went to the YMCA with my W. We would do an 1 hour spinning class then do 45-1hr of yoga. This was particularly good since the spinning got the muscles warmed up. As a bonus I was the only guy in there most of the time. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

I first thought it was weird but I enjoyed and always came out of there relaxed. I should pick it up again sometime.

Was there something in the air in MN around August and November. Your Ws A , D-Day were synched within a day of mine. I also heard all the same cr** that you have. Blow it off and keep in Plan A.

Neesha- I live in Minnesota. Luki suggested the YMCA, if you live in MN do you know of any other places? I always like to research things (one of the tings my W complains about).

Luki- If I were a psychic I don't think I would be where I am today. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> I don't know what was in the air around that time!

I wish I could still plan A but my WW has pushed me into a plan B before I was ready. I have not spoken to her since before Christmas. I have attempted several times to talk to her about things besides our relationship but she ignores my calls (only once) and doesn't reply to my emails (two of those). The last time I spoke to her she said she has not filed for Dv because she has not had time.

I have seen other posts of yours but do not know your whole story, do you have a link to it?

STTSI

I have a link to a pretty good summary in my signature line.

Luki-

Silly me, I saw your link after I posted with the question. I have been busy elsewhere reading meditation stuff, but I will look at your story soon.

How do you do links like that?

STTSI

Here ya go!

http://www.marriagebuilders.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=ubb_code_page

Luki-

OK it is sad that I need step-by-step instructions on UBB code. I read the link you sent me but my question is if I put the link to my story in my sig line how do I name it what I want (i.e. my story)?

It is furstrating that I don't know this because I am somewhat of a self-taught computer guru, although I don't deal with code ever.

STTSI

My Bad.

This is the part with the web address:

[url=http://www.infopop.com]

And this is the part with the name of your link:

infopop.com[/url}

I replaced the square bracket
w/ a curley one so it would
show up. Always use square
brackets.

Let me know if this works for you.

Luki I am like an old dog with new tricks. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> But I can be taught.

So the first part I would change infopop to the address I want to link to?
[url=http://www.infopop.com]

And this is the part with the name of your link:

infopop.com[/url}
And this part I would change infopop to the name I want others to see?

God, I feel like such a retard!

Thanks for your help
STTSI

Here is a test to se if I have this thing figured out yet.

I am a pretty matter of fact person. Don't go for a lot of "new-agey, touchy-feely" stuff.. my philosphy has always been.. get a grip! So, this whole divorce thing has thrown me for a loop. I'm just not the sitting around crying type.. at least, I wasn't! I have a very strong religious belief, but was still looking for something else.. something to help me focus and calm my mind.

I have started to meditate, do yoga, and have signed up for a "mindfullness" class. Basically, its all about living in the moment. It teaches you to notice what is going on in your life at this moment.. and not to judge it.. just accept it

It's hard for me, because its a real change from my normal way of life. But, my "normal" way of life had become SO full of stress that I was falling apart.

My son calls me or e-mails me and says.. "Breathe, mom.. just breathe". Its good advice.

-almost 50

almost50-

I am going to look into classes and see what I can do. My problem is I have always felt that stuff is too "out there" for me and have never believed in it before. This is a huge change for me to even consider this let alone to try it out. But what the heck, it was my closed-minded view that got me where I am today, so I figure what do I have to lose?

Do you live in MN, if so I would love to know what places you have found that you like, Luki said he went to a class at the YMCA.

I am learning not to respond when I am too emotional and to take some time to breathe and relax before tackling something. That is a huge hurdle for me, my W and I would get into a discussion and it would soon turn into an argument because she would want to walk away for awhile and I would think she is avoind the situation. I am learning to walk away and think first.

Thanks
STTSI

STTSI;
One can't be much more un-religious or un-new-agey than me...I mean I'm a techie; about as grounded as they come, I smoke, I never was into "spiritual stuff" after we all did it in the 70s...about as far from any of this as one can get.
And yet, life throws us for a loop like this, and we begin to question things...and there are answers. The problem is we think the answers lie outside of us, and that becomes a futile quest pretty quickly.
Nobody believes the changes in me and my life. Myself least of all...give yourself a chance to explore these things that seem so "weird"; I did and they are neither weird, nor elusive. They were there all along, all we need is the "guidance" to finding them. It matters not which route you use to finding them.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> "Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this divinity within by controlling nature; external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or psychic control, or philosophy-by one, or more, or all of these-and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temples, or forms, are but secondary details."- Vivekananda
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

<small>[ January 15, 2003, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Spacecase ]</small>