Favorite Techniques

What techniques have you found that are good for your meditations? Do you have a favorite technique or preparation? It would be great to compare and see what we can learn.

My personal favorite technique, so far, is what is called the meditation on the neutral zone. I have seen it described under different names in several different texts. I have modified it slightly from the original technique. At the end of a good session, I feel completely relaxed, to the point that, even though I can move, it's just too much trouble and I want to just sit and enjoy the peace and calm.

Here is the basic steps:

Preparation

1. Prepare a small bowl of sweet fruit. Seedless grapes, apples, oranges, kiwi. (Avoid sour fruit like lemons or limes) Rinse the fruit with water and place in the bowl.
   
2. Wash your hands and face with water and dry with a clean towel.
   
3. Prepare the meditation area by arranging your seating and placing the fruit on a clean cloth in front of where you will sit.
   
4. Prepare music, if you like, something calm, meditative, and without words.
   
5. Say a small prayer of thanks and blessing for the fruit that represents to good things in your life.
   
6. Sit legs crossed (Lotus if you can), place your hands in either Dhyana mudra or Gyan mudra (Info Here).
   
7. Just relax for a moment
   

The Meditation

1. Begin by making a conscious effort to remember that the your identity is just an illusion, that your physical life and body are dust and temporary. Consciously try to let go of this illusion.
   
2. Close your eyes and take 4 or 5 slow, deep breaths.
   
3. Begin to be fully aware of and mentally count your incoming breaths. Count and be aware of only the incoming breath. Just ignore your outgoing breath. Do this for a count of 20 incoming breaths.
   
   If you lose count, just resume from the last number you remember and continue. If your mind wonders to the events of the past day, simply catch yourself and say quietly, "That is past, I am here now." If you start thinking about what you are going to do after this session, just quietly say to yourself, "That is for later, I am here now." Resume your counting and keep your mind focused on your breath and counting.
   
4. Begin now to count and be aware of only your outgoing breath. Ignore the incoming breath. Just slowly count your outgoing breaths for a count of 20. Again, stay focused and bring yourself back to the present when your mind wanders. You will know this has happened because you will have lost count.
   
5. Begin to be aware and count the turning of your breath from in to out. Consciously, hold your breath in for a second, or so, so that you feel what it is like. Relax, feel the stored energy that is in your chest and body. Be fully aware of the neutral space. Again, count 20 of these turns.
   
6. Next, begin to be aware and count both the in-out and out-in turns. Breath in - one - breath out - two - breath in - three - breath out - four ... and so on to about 40. Again, stay focused but feel the energy coming in an being held in you during the up side and the tension and energy slowly relaxing as you exhale. Feel the peace and calm of the bottom part of your breath cycle. Feel yourself completely relaxed through both of the turns. Both of these neutral spaces.
   
7. Now just relax and sit quietly for about 5 minutes. Do not create any thoughts. Do not destroy any thoughts. Do not extend any thoughts. Just keep your mind on the here and now. Use the same technique as before after any thought to simply not continue the thought. Just relax and enjoy the peace and calm.
   
8. Next, if you have a favorite prayer of thanks, mantra or poem of devotion, begin chanting or thinking it to yourself now. (Repeat for about 4-5 minutes)
   
9. Next, just relax for as long as you wish. You are finished with the meditation. Just relax and enjoy the last few minutes until you feel the need to end the session. You may receive insights and ideas during this time, just accept them with peace and tranquility.
   

Finish

1. Say a small prayer of thanks and blessing for the fruit in front of you.
   
2. Begin to eat the fruit being mindful of the fruit.
   
   Look at it deeply. See the truth of the fruit. See the earth and sun that nourished it. See the clouds that brought it rain. See your reflection in the fruit. See that the fruit is part of the cosmos and you are part of the cosmos. See yourself bringing the cosmos inside your self, even as your reflection is part of the fruit. Feel one with the God and the Cosmos.