Meditation

Well THAT'S AN ORIGINAL QUESTION!;) Just joking. Allow me to explain:

Meditation is a deep concentration technique that focuses the mind and centers the soul--in other words, it brings you to peace.

OK, great, but how is it done?
There are literaly hundreds of meditations out there that other people have come up with. Search the web, you'll find what I mean. Once you get the hang of some of them, try making your own meditations. I have found that the meditations I create are by far the most effective for me, and who would argue with the logic there? You're mind is the best thing to figure out how to relax and center itself, and will normally do so with flying colors.

Here's a few guidelines, none of these MUST be followed, but it may be a good idea to get you started:

Sit with your back reasonably straight. (You can lie down if you encounter a lot of pain, but lieing down may warm the spine and cause you to fall asleep--not what we're shooting for although it happens to all beginners.)
Close your eyes
Breath in your nose, out your mouth.
Focus on your breathing. Don't try to control it, just observe it for a few moments, you may find it becoming deeper and more "rhythmic".
Next, focus your attention on your toes, and relax each of the tiny muscles that are located there. Move up to your foot and relax it, move up to your ankle, your calves, and so on untill you reach the top of your head. This is to calm you, to relax you (and put most beginners to sleep, unfortunately!;)) Be aware of this new found peace, then proceed with the meditation of your choice.

Some things to remember:
Anything you encounter during meditation is OK. Nothing you find is there to frighten you, hurt you, or anything else like this, so don't wory if you experiance something out of the ordinary. Chances are, it is a spiritual break-through!

They say not to meditate some time after eating, the reason for this is when you digest food, a great deal of blood is pulled down there to nurish the organs doing the job. Hence, taking some away from a very important "organ" needed to meditate: the brain. That's why a lot of people are a little drowsy after a big meal, the are using the blood that was at the brain to digest the food.

If your mind wanders (and believe me, it will) just bring yourself back to your meditation. A Buddhist technique offers the meditator to imagine the center of your chest (the heart chakra) as the sun, and all of the random thoughts you encounter as gental, drifting, non-threatening clouds. The idea is to focus more attention on something other than the wandering thought, and not get frustrated. Sooner or later, the clouds will just fly away and be forgotten. This takes practice, so if your're meditating and you have a hard time staying focused or find that you have fallen asleep, eh, oh well, it's ok, really.

Also, don't have the mindset of: "Oh crap, I'm not breathing right--wait, now I'm starting to slouch, better pick myself up--ahg! Damn itch! I gotta stay focused!" This is bad. :) Have an itch? Scratch it. Back hurting? Go ahead, lie down. With all these distractions just acknowlage them, deal with them in one way or another, then forget about it. Comfort is important. Again, this might take practice.

In short, stay care free and "agenda" free.
What I mean by "agenda" is not only should you not practice meditation on a time schedual, but you should not enter meditation expecting something to happen. This is to say that you're willing to donate 30 minutes of your time to be bored. Yes, meditation is a wonderful thing, but yes, it can be boring. Don't let it bother you, it happens.

Which brings me to this: for best results, take about a half hour a day to meditate. A class I when to was trying to get the people to go much longer than that, several times a day--and we did (so don't even complain to me about bordom!;)). But for the begginer, try 15 min. then work your way up.

Also, keep an eye out for any meditation workshops in town. Yes yes, most of the people who go to those are the creepy nature/heath nut types, but I think you'll find it to be worth it--if it's free. Seriously, the cheeper the entry cost is, chances are the more creditable the teacher will be. I have only gone to one and it was free, and very beneficial. Just something to keep in mind.

I think that about covers it. Go ahead and post any questions you might have, and remember to stay care-free and enjoy yourself.