Meditation Help Please

[On_A_Spiritual_Mission]

I started doing a daily meditation about a week ago. Years ago I was quite good at it but lack of practice and I lost it. I have been doing a grounding meditation as I figured that was a good place to start. Sadly though I can only seem to hold a meditation for a few minutes. Everyday life starts creeping in. I have tried taking the thoughts that appear and kind of turning them over in my head trying to figure out the meaning of why that thought is coming up. Sadly I am finding it hard to focus once this starts happening and I totally loose the meditation. I am hoping for some book suggestions, guided CD suggestions or just any suggestions at all to help me clear away daily life and become one with Ki. I start all my meditations the same way. Breathe in deeply and hold for 2, exhale for 4. Once my mind wanders even this breathing doesn't work. My attunement starts on Monday and I am afraid that the set back in meditation will affect the attnement. I did just go on line with our public library and ordered some books on meditation, meditation music cd's and 1 video. I am sure that some of you have already gone though this though and will have some good advice for me.

Namasté

Jennifer

[em]

Hi Jenifer, I often have trouble with this but stick with it, there was a suggestion made on here by a member who said to ask the thought to come back to you after you have meditated,and then to definatley think about it afterwards or your mind may start to mistrust you.
I found this helped me,hope this helps you too also have a look on you tube some interesting video meditations there.
In Love and Light Emmaxx

[Tim]

Hey Jennifer,

There are many different types and ways of meditating. Can I suggest that if the tide of thoughts is not yeilding to you best effort then take a different tack.

If you were to think of these thoughts as your children. When they come forward in your mind looking for attention they will go away happy if you give them a loving glance, but I you ignore them then they will start to kick and scream.

Tim.

[Che Guebuddha]

Hi Jennifer  and welcome to the Meditation Board!

I am like you my friend, thoughts running wild most of the time and that is just showing me my mental state, that is all.
There is nothing wrong with it. Actually this kind of state is very welcome because it is you now who is becoming aware of the thoughts going on in your mind 

You see once we realise that our Mind is a train station with many trains (thoughts/emotions) running around all the time and our true essence standing with the ultimate power to decide weather to jump or not onto those trains and trip into that culturally conditioned frantic fiasco, we can call it a successful meditation session    In the beginning of meditations we all experience the busy Mind terminal and the first task is to stay aware of the fact that those thoughts are trains rushing in all directions and that we reserve the power to go onto them and get out of them when ever we want to 
So, if you catch your self jumping on the train (particular thought scenario) just realise that and get off at the next stop and refocus on your Lower Tanden and go back to your breathing.
You see the truth is, in reality (in the NOW reality) you are very calm and sitting in silence realising that this mental inner world is only an illusion ... breath in .... and breath out .... breath in .... and breath our .... 

Meditation is a life style of observing things as they are without attaching one self to them    acknowledge the thoughts/emotions and let go of them by bringing your focus back to the breathing and your lower tanden (Seka) ... over and over again ... I do the same and with time one starts to feel better because we feel clearly that thoughts are still there but our detachment becomes evident  how beautiful is that 

The only important thing is perseverance. Discipline your self to do the 10-15 minutes Ki breathing meditation every day at the sime time and same spot. After 2-3 month start prolonging the time to 20 mintes and month after that to 25-30 minutes. Meditation is like drinking water. we can not drink water just once or twice in our life and feel good. The same applies to meditation and sleeping. We need it daily to feel in balance with the Universal Ki.

More on Ki breathing http://unofficial.ki-society.org/Breath.html

Lots of Love to you, RQ

[On_A_Spiritual_Mission]

Thank you Emma, Tim and Rose Quartz! You all have given me many different things to try to help with my meditations. Do any of you find that meditation music played low helps? I have a couple of CD's coming from the library and along with your suggestions I hope to make a breakthough. If they help me I will purchase a couple. Being that music in general is so calming to me I hope that I can release the thoughts on the wave of the music.

I do try and meditate at the same time everyday but having a 1 yr old son comes in the way more times then not. I generally do my meditations once he's gone down for a nap so the house is quiet and I have no immediate concerns. I do find though that both my cats are drawn to me when I am meditating. They want to paw me or cuddle me once I have started. I thought about locking them away as it's a big distraction but it's even worse then because they start to howl! I believe cats are masters of meditation and in their way they are trying to help.

Could the nerves from my upcoming attunement be getting in the way by throwing random thoughts in my path?

Thanks again

Namasté

Jennifer

[Che Guebuddha]

Could the nerves from my upcoming attunement be getting in the way by throwing random thoughts in my path?

Everything is possible. Know one thing though  attunent is grand but just the beginning in the system of Reiki the beginning in learning how to use and work the energy which you are a part of all the time already. Attunment is more like a blessing from a Master/Teacher not the energy it self 
Do not get fulled like me and many others  believing that the attunment actually connects you to the Universal Ki energy which is already in every single thing.
Attunment is only a blessing and a welcome for the practitioner into the System of Reiki that is all.
Yes you also get a super energy cleansing at that day.

Many get fulled that the attunment doesn't work or this or that, but the fact is we are to work on our selves to be able to feel the flow of the Universal and for that we have all the techniques like Hatsurei Ho for example 

I do find though that both my cats are drawn to me when I am meditating.

My cats also did that in the beginning but now they don't bother me since I would always ignore them or simply push them aside. You know  my time is my time 

And yes music can help in getting you started. I did listen to some music in the beginning but later on it is best to sit in silence.

Love to you, RQ