Meditation

Lately, things have been somewhat crazy for me, and I've not had the time to meditate like I would normally.  This sadens me, and I will have to remedy the situation. I don't have the candles that I usually use for meditation, but I still have my stones, of which I will be doing a post for later (if I can managed to remember) complete with pictures.

I love meditating, it allows me to center myself, and actually get ready to face my day and not have to worry about this stress or that stress.  It gets me in the right frame of mind to focus on my day to day activities.

There are a couple of ways that I meditate, and it all depends on what my focus is. If I'm starting the day, or if it is the middle of the day, or if it is in the evening.  It also depends on what has been going on that has been stressing me, what has been going on that could potentially be a major cause of stress for me in the near future, and things of that nature. 

But, my process usually remains the same, just the focus changes during each meditation. 

I usually meditate for about 30-45 minutes (that is my -ideal- meditation time), but it is often less than that depending again on what is going on.

I usually find a quiet place (or relatively quite place if I'm at home) that I can settle myself, either sitting up or laying down (which ever is comfortable for that particular length of time).  I usually have the following things, depending on what I am using as the focal point of my meditation:

1. Music - Classical, New Age, Nature Sounds, Gregorian Chants.  The music you use is all preference, and as my musical tastes vary, my meditation music tends to vary as well.
2. Focal Point - Problem written on a slip of paper, Bible Verse written on a slip of paper, Particular stone

Normally, I would light a candle, or incense if I could  (unfortunately I usually can't) but I usually will add a little bit of my favorite lotion to give me a scent to focus on, because that usually helps me to focus a bit and keep my mind on what I'm doing.

Lately, I've used headphones and my mp3 player or a play list I've got stored on Pandora that has some of my favorite meditation tracks on it.

What are some of your favorite meditation techniques? Music?