Summary of "A Million Thoughts": All types of Meditation Explained-

[LSD-Rumi]

Just finished reading "A Million Thoughts" by Om Swami. The book is good in general but The first parts are weak sauce, it becomes better in the second part.

These are the concentration meditation techniques explained by him in the book:

• Breath meditation: the most common one, you concentrate on your breath, inhaling and exhaling, very calming.
• Mantra meditation: My personal favorite. you repeat a certain mantra internally. Very enjoyable. I personally use " Thank you God" ,"Allah" or "Imagination!
• Formless meditation: I like this one too. you focus on The formless consciousness at the point between the eyes or at the tip of the nose.
• Expansion meditation: focus on making your sense of self expand and merge with your surroundings.
• Form meditation: This was the main type of meditation practiced by Om Swami. visually materialize a certain form while the eyes are closed. Keep the form vivid for as long as you can. Reestablish the form, whenever it fades away.

Neti Neti meditation and I Am meditation: while sitting in Satsang, You engage in denying what you are not, "I am not the physical body, I am not made of atoms, I am not on earth,,,etc." and acknowledging what you are, "I am pure consciousness, I am infinite love, I am the vast universe, I am imagining everything,,,etc."

mindfulness meditation: This is a meditation that you engage in all the time. It is basically being aware of what is happening in your direct experience. You notice the sounds, the colors, the objects, the feelings, the tastes,,,etc. It creates mental sharpness and a beautiful kind of peace and it makes your experiences much more concentrated and "there".

Observer meditation: Be an observer, don't react in any way, positive or negative, to what arises in your experience, including thoughts, feelings and daily life events. This is practiced while engaging in life. For example, someone curses at you while passing by your car, just allow it to happen, don't react, just watch it happening.

You will face two main obstacles while meditating, restlessness and dullness. The mind is restless and want to think about life, about life events, about fights, about food, about everything. On the other hand, you may lose your mental sharpness and enter a state of semi-sleep and dullness. This state offers zero benefits and you may think you are meditating but you are not.

 

 

[LSD-Rumi]

This is a good post, don't let it die out like this