Does anyone have any tips on meditation? I have only recently started meditating. Also, why do you meditate? Is it for a clear mind, relaxation, MA, what????

Hmm. I don't actually meditate, though I'd like to. But as for a reason...

 

It baisically incorporates all the things you listed. Of course it helps with your MA because you have a clear mind. It helps you seperate yourself from anger so that you can fight with a clear head and think before you act.

 

Yes also to relax, but pychologically rather than physically. Baisically having time away from stress.

 

I'm having difficulty articulating this, but also to have control over your senses, be more aware of yourself and not be ruled by emotions.

 

Hope that helped

many things can be accomplished with meditation, but i am no master at it, so i will refrain from saying anthing that may be wrong, it does relax you and relieve you of stress, you can deal with pain more, and try to raise to a higher spiritual level, try to learn things by developing a more open mind, learn to keep your calm and control yourbody, i have practiced alot but only on my own i have never had a teacher, so therefore i have no clue as to how well i am performing and what things to change and proper technique.

There are classically 2 schools of (Taoist) meditation (although one school invariably leads to the other ultimately). One is the "water" school which focuses on relaxing, feeling and not forcing anything. The meditation you do in this school would be akin to merely emptying your mind from the start by means of listening or feeling your breath as it enters your body and creeps down to your Tan Tien, then as it comes out. There is also a fire variant of meditation which tends to rely on more extreme methods to increase chi and reach "enlightenment" (which is not my goal as I am purely a martial artist). This school would be more inclined to visualize things happening to force them to happen rather than feeling.

 

Overall, the most important aspects of meditation are:

 

1. Keep relaxed, tension impedes the flow of chi.

 

2. Breathe slowly from your stomach; in and out through the nose and your tongue lightly touching the top of your mouth (but not your teeth).

 

3. Relax your mind and focus lightly on your breathing or a relaxing imagery. You could also visualize (forcefully) chi flowing through the meridians in your body to try to feel the sensation more.