Meditation times places and conditions

[Jitendra Hydonus]

i'm a novice when it comes to meditation and have only on rare occasion been able to still my thoughts.
but i find a lot of spiritual activity for me happens at night and in the dark, when the activity from the majority of people in my town have slowed down.
spirit will inspire me. usually i lay there unable to sleep and left to face my thoughts which can be a scary thing if you don't do it often. the past few nights was good as i was able to visualize deeper desires and articulate/construct the appropriate path to retaining awareness. i don't know if you'd consider this meditation though because that chatter for me doesn't seem to turn off- just slow down. i'm in no rush to achieve the deeper aspects of meditation though

Sometimes when we are unable to sleep it is almost like spirit is asking us to communicate with it.... so we get up and meditate and communicate with spirit.  This often happens early in the morning which is one of the best times to meditate...right before dawn. There are very few cars, people are asleep, and our thoughts are more subdued because of evening slumber sleep often leaves us refreshed and calmer than usual. We can get up and l light up our relationship with spirit and enter that relationship with God that we are seeking.

Yes mostly the chatter does not turn off but just slows down as u say but as we withdraw our attention into the spine and the breath and as all our senses shut down, there is less attention given to the ends of perception and the sensory outlets which can continue to vie for out attention. There is more and more attention given to the inner realms and we are withdrawn more and more into the spirit and the mind. We are allowed to be aware more more of the inner world instead of the outer one. This is especially possible when the outer world is very still which is something that happens in the dead of nite.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

i have found one challenge with waking in the middle of the nite though. That is the body still may not be sufficiently rested and so you may fall asleep during the meditation or the body starts stiffening and u may have to change positions or actually meditate again after some rest. But there often still remains a period rite upon awakening that is good for meditation.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

steve, sounds beautiful.
like ascending energies, what a nice way to commune with nature and be uplifted.

It's summer now Eric and imagine it gets quite warm in Texas where u live. Occasionally we have cool nites in the summer here in Michigan. There is nothing like meditation with a summer breeze.

[guest88]

Hi Steve. We have high humidity here. I remember thinking the altitude in Colorado was something but when I told our Uber driver we were from Texas he said he's been there and couldn't handle the humidity. On occasion I like to sweat and when the sun rises or sets I like to gaze in a semi meditative state. I look to the Sun for vitality.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

I have found that there is nothing quite like waking up to meditation. Because the mind is not so active and has just come out of the subconscious from sleep, rest and relaxation. Therefore the consciousness is more receptive to the peace, often long sought for, that comes from meditation practice. It can be more difficult to settle the mind during the day; once it has been activated to solve the challenges of daily living. If we live with others it is very helpful to meditate with them. However if they do not and we can wake up before them and meditate we will easily recognize the mixed feelings in others that comes from waking and the restlessness of indulging in food immediately upon awakening.

If we connect with the inner peace of rest from the previous nite we can carry it over into the days activities.
We may find ourselves still absorbed in that inner tranquility after meditation as well and find it a good time for reflection and perhaps spiritual reading. In this meditative state we just have come out of we can often see clearer to challenges we face and can respond to others from an understanding that may not be possible when the mind is churned up by activity.

Over the years I have noticed places, times and conditions conducive to meditation for me.

1. Natural places the ocean, bodies of water, the mountains, sand dunes, streams, rivers and forests are very helpful for calming us and enhance the meditation process.

2. Meditating at spiritual places is very helpful... where masters or saints are buried, where Masters or saints meditated or inhabited especially in their presence.

3. Meditating with others especially spiritually elevated humans.

4. Keeping company with other spiritual aspirants that meditate.

5. Meditating at the golden hour; twilight before the Sun rises or before it sets.

I have much to add to this thread. Hope some of you participate. Next I intend to include conditions favorable and unfavorable for meditation.

[Jitendra Hydonus]

I Always enjoyed meditating in the Woods or in the mountains, I agree that's conducive to a good meditation, providing there are not many bugs around. I remember I was meditating in a wood, cross-legged against a tree trunk, I was not meditating deeply so some commotion made me open my eyes and I saw a wild boar running right against me. I stood up alarmed and it deviated its course, probably saw me just then.
I think those who meditated in the Woods have some funny story to tell. Another time I remember it was so relaxing in this mountain meadow that I just fell asleep. I also meditated in caves, in the deepest darkness and that's pretty nice as well. Meditating on the snow with freezing temperatures is also great.

Yes we do have funny stories to tell. Once I was meditating under a big tree and didn’t notice I was sitting on a home of red ants. They let me know with no hesitation that their home was not to be disturbed 😳. On the the other hand…. Dusk and Dawn… the time of day between dark and light when we can capture spirit active and consoling, is a wonderful time to meditate.

[weboflife]

When I started on the path I lived down the coast in the country. There were cliffs across from my house steeped over the ocean and a lovely little nook amongst some trees which hid my view from anyone who may be out walking on the track. I spent many sunset down there meditating and practicing the sun gazing technique. Wonderful times. Except I do remember the marsh flies. Very large and they had a nasty habit of biting off significant portions of flesh whenever they landed on you. I do exaggerate though the sensation of their bites made it feel like big chunks, very sharp and painful.

[mccoy]

When I started on the path I lived down the coast in the country. There were cliffs across from my house steeped over the ocean and a lovely little nook amongst some trees which hid my view from anyone who may be out walking on the track. I spent many sunset down there meditating and practicing the sun gazing technique. Wonderful times. Except I do remember the marsh flies. Very large and they had a nasty habit of biting off significant portions of flesh whenever they landed on you. I do exaggerate though the sensation of their bites made it feel like big chunks, very sharp and painful.

In that predicament, it's pretty difficult to remain unperturbed and even avatars fail if not in a state of full Samadhi. Is it in the autobiography where Sri Yukteswar scolds Yogananda for killing a mosquito while meditating?

[weboflife]

Yes Sri Yukteswar says to Master, "it's because you have mosquito consciousness" in reply to Master's observation that the mozzies left Sri Yukteswar alone whilst ganging up on Master. 

I never squashed the marsh flies, it would have made a terrible mess as they are large. I try to avoid killing any insect, I catch them at home when the wife complains about some bug or another. I refuse to spray them though the wife will if she feels its necessary.

In a bit of a coincidence I was down at my old area yesterday for the first time in 11 years and I walked the dog past where I used to meditate. The area has changed quite a bit, a lot of houses built along the area adjacent to the walking track, maybe a row of about 2 kilometers of new housing where there was natural vegetation when I lived there. And new estates getting ready to be built with big areas of land having been cleared. It's spoilt the serenity quite a bit but that's progress!

[mccoy]

I wouldn't like to live in those new houses with the marsh flies as neighbors.

[weboflife]

I do actually kill insects I realised yesterday. I do hatha yoga out the back in sunshine, about a 30 minute session most days and I like to do it on the ground to connect with Mother Earth. Ants sometimes crawl over me at times and I tend to ignore them when possible. But the other week an ant got under my arm into the armpit and bit me hard. I can usually ignore the bites but oh boy in the armpit is very sensitive. I let it go once, twice, three times as  I continued to stretch but it was beginning to do my head in being very painful. On the sixth bite I'd had enough...this was no virgin ant but nonetheless he had to be sacrificed!

[mccoy]

I understand, one time I was tolerant with the mice populating my countryside house (mainly the outside area, with a porch), but when I started to find droppings and pee on my glasses and glove and on the table where also my young son might put stuff, then I had to exterminate them. I sure sowed some bad karma, but the karma would have been worse had I neglected my duties toward my health and the health of the family members.

[weboflife]

We do sometimes have to choose the lesser of two evils, as your choice to send the mice back to the wheel shows. There is no death only transition so the mice will get a new opportunity in a higher incarnation hopefully and your family have been spared dangerous bacteria and other nasties.

[mccoy]

Yes, Sri Yukteswar speaks about this karmic dualism in the Autobiography. The surprising thing is that sometimes we do sow some negative karma even when doing the right thing. This is the imperfect nature of the material world.