[Devil Theory]

I've recently been trying to break into the world of meditation and self-control, specifically centered around the mind, and I've been having trouble finding some reliable and decent books or authors on the subject.

I don't want to get caught up in anything loopy, but would like to really delve into some of the more interesting and meaningful/effective practices around removing stress and becoming a more balanced individual with an increased focus on the world around me, minimizing negativity.

I'd sincerely appreciate any books or consistent sources around this subject, or even stories about a process you went through to obtain a certain result or lifestyle/happiness.

[umop_3pisdn]

Mindfulness in Plain English, easily (for Buddhist meditation at least). There are lots of other books that are good, but if I had to pick one this would definitely be it.

edit: There are a lot of things you can do to ensure successful practice, but one thing that has had the most effect for me is applying mindfulness to aversion towards practice. For meditative practice to be successful, expect it to be a steady and gradual process, which calls for consistency... but you're not always going to want to do it, so for me just recognizing my aversion by steadily applying mindfulness (to first notice it when it arises or is present, and then to see through it or loosen the grip) is often enough to sit through the harder periods. Or say if you experience pain from sitting relatively motionlessly for longer than you usually do, being able to mindfully observe the pain to work through it (as long as it isn't excruciating) is often enough to move past the habit of impulsively giving in to it. This is a skill that develops with time, but I've found it to be some of the biggest help both in meditation and in my daily life.

Also recommitting to your reason for meditating each time is a big help, too. For me I pursue meditation because I'm a Buddhist, so I remind myself of how much more content I am when craving is not present. This usually gets rid of craving enough that if I think I feel like doing something else, I find that I don't anymore. Or you could remind yourself of how much your experience of life improves on the days that you meditate, to give yourself an extra push when it seems like an uphill battle.

Like acquiring any skill, starting off is always the hardest. Don't expect huge changes right away or burn yourself out by taking on too much, and pretty soon it will become a real pleasure in and of itself.

[Xisiqomelir]

Can't beat the classics:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/yogasutr.htm

[Cubsfan23]

I like binaural beat meditations. There's tons of free ones on youtube.

[Devil Theory]

edit: There are a lot of things you can do to ensure successful practice, but one thing that has had the most effect for me is applying mindfulness to aversion towards practice. For meditative practice to be successful, expect it to be a steady and gradual process, which calls for consistency... but you're not always going to want to do it, so for me just recognizing my aversion by steadily applying mindfulness (to first notice it when it arises or is present, and then to see through it or loosen the grip) is often enough to sit through the harder periods. Or say if you experience pain from sitting relatively motionlessly for longer than you usually do, being able to mindfully observe the pain to work through it (as long as it isn't excruciating) is often enough to move past the habit of impulsively giving in to it. This is a skill that develops with time, but I've found it to be some of the biggest help both in meditation and in my daily life.

Perhaps an overly basic question surrounding the actual practice but, where typically do you practice so you can escape almost all distractions, whether human or electronic? Or is being around a moderately populated area a positive thing because you're attempting to train yourself to block everything out mentally?

[MrOogieBoogie]

Check out the bestsellers list on Amazon.

[umop_3pisdn]

Perhaps an overly basic question surrounding the actual practice but, where typically do you practice so you can escape almost all distractions, whether human or electronic? Or is being around a moderately populated area a positive thing because you're attempting to train yourself to block everything out mentally?

I do sitting practice at home. I set a corner of my room aside specifically for meditation as then being in that space creates a sort of mental association that I find to be conducive. But you don't need to get rid of all distractions, only certain ones (speech and music, for example) present a kind of obstacle that's probably better to just avoid, because you'll probably find that your mind is drawn towards these things in a rather uncontrollable way. Other sounds and distractions you can expect to learn to 'tune out' pretty quickly from practicing, but these two things will probably take quite a while longer.

Otherwise if you experience distractions or boredom, just watch them, and maybe remind yourself of impermanence (everything passes), just by watching them impartially (a patient, investigative attitude is an asset) they'll likely pass much, much sooner. In Buddhist meditation at least, a lot of why you're doing this is to come to a direct awareness of experiential phenomenon, so 'obstacles' aren't really obstacles (we just are conditioned to see them that way), really it's all just more 'stuff' to understand. So if you are dealing with something challenging, that's good, because you're then essentially dealing with the difficulties posed by the human condition, something you probably aim to improve through your practice.

[bengraven]

I have a question for practitioners who might be drawn to this thread:

Have you heard of any form of meditation being helpful for people with ADD? I would think that ADD would counter-act and prevent proper meditation, but I also think that with time it could help control it.

Um...for a friend of course...

[Popstar]

The "counter-culture" writing is probably a bit dated, but Undoing Yourself with Energized Meditation is worth a look. The actual exercises are clearly described.

[BocoDragon]

Mindfulness in Plain English, easily (for Buddhist meditation at least). There are lots of other books that are good, but if I had to pick one this would definitely be it. edit: There are a lot of things you can do to ensure successful practice, but one thing that has had the most effect for me is applying mindfulness to aversion towards practice. For meditative practice to be successful, expect it to be a steady and gradual process, which calls for consistency... but you're not always going to want to do it, so for me just recognizing my aversion by steadily applying mindfulness (to first notice it when it arises or is present, and then to see through it or loosen the grip) is often enough to sit through the harder periods. Or say if you experience pain from sitting relatively motionlessly for longer than you usually do, being able to mindfully observe the pain to work through it (as long as it isn't excruciating) is often enough to move past the habit of impulsively giving in to it. This is a skill that develops with time, but I've found it to be some of the biggest help both in meditation and in my daily life. Also recommitting to your reason for meditating each time is a big help, too. For me I pursue meditation because I'm a Buddhist, so I remind myself of how much more content I am when craving is not present. This usually gets rid of craving enough that if I think I feel like doing something else, I find that I don't anymore. Or you could remind yourself of how much your experience of life improves on the days that you meditate, to give yourself an extra push when it seems like an uphill battle. Like acquiring any skill, starting off is always the hardest. Don't expect huge changes right away or burn yourself out by taking on too much, and pretty soon it will become a real pleasure in and of itself.

co-signed. I used this when I first started out many years ago.

[hukasmokincaterpillar]

The Miracle of Mindfullness by Thich Nhat Han- engaging, concise and lucid intro to the mindfulness tradition. Anything Han writes has those qualities, but it's one of his more popular works. Teaches anapanasati (mindfulness of the breath) and branches out from there.

www.natural-meditation.org is a secular adaption of Transcendental Meditation. Online course is free. This is a mantra based approach to meditation and has some very different qualities, but also many similarities to the Zen/Mindfulness traditions. Both continue to inform my practice.

www.treeleaf.org- online Sangha teaching shikantaza (Just Sitting). Another form of mindfulness/zen. An 'objectless' approach. Wonderful resource. Jundo is one dope dude.

It seems to be generally recommended to find one technique and stick with it, but I don't know if that works for everyone. My first year of practice I wound up training all of the above meditations (about four months a piece) and ended up learning valuable lessons on meditation as a whole. There are many different approaches. My advice is to experiment and see what works for you.

edit: There are a lot of things you can do to ensure successful practice, but one thing that has had the most effect for me is applying mindfulness to aversion towards practice. ...

Indispensable advice here. I'm going through some of this at the very moment in fact. It helps to remember in meditation that we are always beginners.

Another tip I have found invaluable to my practice (and it relates to what umop said)- No matter what your object of meditation is, you're going to find yourself distracted at some point, and then returning to the object of meditation. This is a key moment in any practice. Return to the object with a gentle heart. A loss of attention isn't a failure. Distraction isn't a failure. No matter how much or little experience you have. Considering it a failure would be the only failure. Simply returning to the object of meditation, to yourself, is the root of your practice. It is when we learn about being ourselves. It doesn't require any extra effort or 'focus'. Focus may actually be a misleading word to associate with meditation. Some days you may find yourself very dispersed, very distracted. The more I've learned to let go and 'be' with those moments, the deeper and more fulfilling the practice has become.

fake edit-
Here's a far more eloquent way to explain what I'm trying to get at here.

Take it away Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche...

In the practice of Mahamudra tranquilty meditation . . we treat all thoughts as the same in order to gain sufficient distance and detachment from our current mental state, which will allow us to ease naturally into a state of tranquility without effort or contrivance... In order for the mind to settle, we need to suspend the value judgments that we impose on our mental activities... it is essential that we not try to create a state of tranquility but allow the mind to enter into tranquility naturally. This is an important notion in the Mahamudra tradition, that of nondoing. We do not do tranquility mediation, we allow tranquility to arise of its own accord, and it will do so only if we stop thinking of the meditative state as a thing that we need to do actively... In a manner of speaking, catching yourself in the act of distraction is the true test of tranquility meditation, for what counts is not the ability to prevent thoughts or emotions from arising but the ability to catch ourselves in a particular mental or emotional state. This is the very essence of tranquility meditation [in the context of Mahāmudrā]. . . The Mahamudra style of meditation does not encourage us toward the different levels of meditative concentration traditionally described in the exoteric mediation manuals. . . From the Mahamudra point of view, we should not desire meditative equipoise nor have an aversion to discursive thoughts and conflicting emotions but view both of these states with equanimity. Again, the significant point is not whether meditative equipoise is present but whether we are able to maintain awareness of our mental states. If disturbing thoughts do arise, as they certainly will, we should simply recognize these thoughts and emotions as transient phenomena

[shira]

I've recently been trying to break into the world of meditation and self-control, specifically centered around the mind, and I've been having trouble finding some reliable and decent books or authors on the subject. I don't want to get caught up in anything loopy, but would like to really delve into some of the more interesting and meaningful/effective practices around removing stress and becoming a more balanced individual with an increased focus on the world around me, minimizing negativity. I'd sincerely appreciate any books or consistent sources around this subject, or even stories about a process you went through to obtain a certain result or lifestyle/happiness.

The reason is that you need someone to show you. Books and videos are useless.

If you do find an enlightened soul they will also not charge you for their services. That's one of the main ways to know. You are going down the right path

Perhaps an overly basic question surrounding the actual practice but, where typically do you practice so you can escape almost all distractions, whether human or electronic? Or is being around a moderately populated area a positive thing because you're attempting to train yourself to block everything out mentally?

I spent a few days blindfolded to really work on finding my pulses with all 5 fingers and my toes. That's a pretty good exercise for a beginner. You have your apical, pedal, carotid, femoral, popliteal, brachial.

If that sounds too hard you are just kidding yourself.

[Ermac]

I recommend anything by thich nhat hanh, his books are great starters. Check out Peace is Every Step

[twofold]

I think the best books have been covered already. 'Mindfulness in plain English' is a great place to start. Just try not to overcomplicate things.

The book 'You are not your brain' by Jeffrey Schwartz is a great read. It's essentially a western psychiatrists take on meditation and the teachings of eastern philosophy but told in a way that makes it really easy for folks in the west to truly "get it". If you ever struggled with books like 'The power of now', definitely pick it up.

[Flynn]

I put my email in the big TM website to see if there was a place to take classes in my area and the email I got said that the closest person was like 70 miles. And that's in Southern California. :(

[tearsofash]

Aleister Crowley: Book IV. The first part.