Advice on yoga, meditation, buddhism...?

ive recently started practicing yoga and have always been interested in buddhism. i want to achieve what most of the followers of this religion achieve...the art of meditation is very appealing to me but i dont really know if there are any guidelines or a "way" of doing it? i just want to start a new healthy lifestyle and this kind has always intrigued me.
any advice?

i have started reading siddartha and all his questions and beliefs remind me of myself. his logic, his grace. i want that! lol

Meditation is not easy. It takes practice, dedication, great vigor and patience. To "achieve" and grow in meditation, you must practice to perfect your concentration. The whole point of meditation is to tame the mind's wild ways and thoughts.... bring an end to the mad mind.

Our mad mind is constantly scattered and out of control. We can't control our thoughts because we're busy thinking about our pleasures, indulgence, tastes, flavors, desires, etc. So when we try to sit in meditation, we can't sit still because we're so busy with everything! After a minute, we're suddenly worried about tomorrow's lunch, the next show on tv, the person that upsetted you at work, etc.

So meditation is the practice of conquering the mad mind. And by conquering that mad mind, we conquer pain so that pain does not tell us what to do and how we should feel. We conquer the entire mind and take control of our destiny.

Meditation is not independent from our daily lives. What I mean by this is that you may try to sit still for 1 hour a day, but the other 23 hours has to aid in that 1 hour of sitting. If you spend 1 hour trying to sit still and calm and be free from nonsense thoughts and daydreaming, and 23 hours is devoted to sinful pleasures... then what you're really doing is practicing pleasure and desire, not meditation.

Sitting in meditation is to sit still with a still mind. Thusly, it's a practice of bringing desires to a stop in your mind. It brings your mad thoughts to an end in your mind. So how can you really practice this "stopping" of the mad mind, when you're nurturing the habits from ideas brought out by your mad-mind 23 hours a day? That is why, to really get achievement and accomplishment from meditation, one must practice a change in lifestyle as well.

If you would rather indulge and nurture your mad mind, then what's the point of trying to tame the mad mind when you obviously don't want to? To get a better understanding, read the book in the below link. It discusses all of meditation in detail: fundamentals, principles, guidelines, lifestyle, obstacles, mind obstacles, obstructions, patience, technique, concentration, etc.
http://gbm-online.com/dharma/the_chan_ha...

I practice Tao Fo Jiao Yujia Gong, which is a yogic practice that includesTao as a personal cultivation path and the intrinsic Buddha-nature as the attainment.

The practice includes unity skills, energy cultivation, transformation and redirection methods; internal cleansing, fasting, ultimate nutrition; the art of sleep, rest, relaxation and serene reflection; mind centring and dynamic, active and passive methods of meditation.

Practicing these empowerments creates a body that is a powerful, sensitive, responsive instrument, awakens primal energy, internal force, concentrated mental power and intuitive faculties that align with unconditioned intelligence.

There is a group that has been set up for people who are into Taoist and Buddhist Yujia Gong, check out Tao Fo Jiao Yujia Gong in Yahoo groups. This group will only suit people who want to enquire into inner-mystical practises to attain the ultimate convergence in oneself as a way of living. It will not suit people who are seeking a hobby, or leisure activity. It is ideal for people who are interested in inner mystical practises to perfect oneself and reach the deepest levels of attainment possible.
Nirvana

Start at the bookstore. There are a dozen kinds of Buddhism and at least that many kinds of meditation. This will help you narrow down what you're interested in and you can explore it further either with a book or coming back to the internet with some key words to search. Since I don't know what you'd like to achieve by meditating, I can't guide you further than that. _()_

buddhism isn't a religion because there are no gods (which is what really makes a religion).

anyways, there are several ways to meditate. what i do is put on some music to drown out outside noise (like the train that passes every couple hours or my cats). the music itself doesn't matter. the only reason i don't use fast music is because it makes me want to get up and move, which defeats the purpose of meditation. anyways, i sit comfortably in my meditation chair (i love it. it's so comfortable) until my alarm goes off.

anyways, as a beginner you should start small. just sit or lie comfortably. then let your mind wander. don't concentrate on any specific thought. just let it pass. if it's important it will come back when you're done meditating. stay in that position for only a few minutes. after about a week, add another minute. after another week and yet another. keep this up until you get to the time you feel is right for you.

good luck!

buddhism is not something to take lightly...you can meditate and adapt that lifestyle, but you don't have to convert to buddhism. But if that is something you are interested in...i suggest you read read read....read and study for at least a year or two. really immerse yourself in it and make educated decisions. buddhism is a very disciplined way of life. you rely upon yourself for happiness...follow the middle ground. read Siddhartha.

Hello. The best thing you said in your question was, "I want that!" That being said, you know that what you must do is seek it out, as it will not come to you. Travel around, go on retreats, find centers, find teachers, and most importantly, find a sangha. The journey is never easy for any practitioner, as often we must travel far and wide to receive teachings and such. However, the strenuous trek is always worth while at the end.

I hope this helped in motivating you to seek a sangha.

Take care.

there is nothing wrong on practicing meditation or buddhism or yoga.. I am not religious.. but a priest told me there is nothing wrong.. if there is something to woshirp like to say a mantram against the christian faith then is not allowed.. as well there is christian meditation.. find on the net.. the rosary or the Bible.. Buddhishm is more about meditation.. their teachings are close to christ..

There is free exercise video available for download in self learning for the meditation in the URL listed below. If you need help, you can contact the local practitioners for free mediation instructions. The local practitioners can point you the right direction to the correct "way".

Falun Gong is a unique Buddhist School, an ancient practice for the body, mind, and spirit based upon the universal principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance. Falun Gong consists of five sets of powerful exercises.

Falun Gong, Tibetans, other Buddhists, and Christians have been persecuted in China. The most offensive human right violation is the organ harvesting from the Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Can you kindly sign a petition to stop persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China ahead of the Beijing Olympics, please ?
http://cipfg.org/en/news/731.html

My advice is to forget all other religions and accept Jesus Christ as your personal saviour.
Christianity is an EXclusive religion - whereas all other religions are INclusive.

Buddhism does not necessarily have to be taken as a religion.

Try this site. It's called Beliefnet. I like it a lot, hope you do too!
http://www.beliefnet.com/?WT.mc_id=NL44

RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE ASKING QUESTIONS IS A GREAT WAY TO START . SEEK TRUTH , SELF AWARENESS , INTEGRITY AND PURPOSE ...

lovingkindness meditation

Google it.