“TO MEDITATE”
..focus the mind for a time for relaxation or spiritual purposes/think carefully about…
As I suspect you already know, this is easier said than done. However, once you get the hang of it, it will be an amazing hobby and will certainly continue to be a worthy activity. It is with this in mind that I have decided to create this meditation course, which will show you step by step how to meditate and with the help of some exercises and aids.
To this end, you will also find that this course has been developed to allow beginners (and advanced as a refresher/and perhaps a slightly different perspective) without much effort to almost instantly start enjoying the benefits of meditation, which could be numerous, including:
- better physical health
- Better mental health and abilities.
- less stress
- Better sleep habits
- And of course it could also include personal spiritual growth, even if it’s not philosophically associated.
- And many more not mentioned here….
Step 1
So to begin with, I would suggest that we begin with a rather important aspect of meditation. An aspect that will have an impact on your meditations in the future:
SEATING ARRANGEMENTS
While most teachers insist that you assume a lotus position, I have found that there is very little limitation to the possible positions that are suitable for meditation at this level. Essentially three things to consider:
- It should be a position in which you can sit (or stand) for at least 5-10 minutes and in reasonable comfort, making sure to minimize discomfort and restlessness.
- It should be in a place where you will not be disturbed for the duration of your meditation. {There are few things as unpleasant as being rudely awakened in the middle of a meditation session.}
- It must be a comfortable position, but one that does not favor sleep. eg Trying to meditate lying on your bed is the easiest way to fall asleep instead of meditating.
For the sake of comfort, I’ve found that simply sitting fairly upright in a regular chair is quite adequate. It’s okay for the chair to have armrests and soft padding, as this will probably increase the comfort level enough to keep you going. If the chair doesn’t have armrests, of course, you could just rest your hands on your lap.
You can of course try a lotus position, as it will likely prove to be a suitable position eventually, however I have found that not only is this a difficult position for normal people to take, but unless you are an experienced meditator, you are likely to find that you have distracting pains in places that will force you to move
To avoid this, I have found that a partial lotus (just crossing one foot over the leg and one under it, or one foot crossed and the other not fully under it) with back support is a comfortable position for most meditations.
Again, I must say that it is not important whether or not you can sit in this position or not, and at this stage I would suggest you forego perfection for comfort, as this will have very little (if any) impact. in the success of your meditations…
Oh… and don’t be afraid to stop reading to try to find a comfortable position right now…
Step 2
The next step is at least as important as the first. Fortunately, this is not a difficult step, and with a little help, I think you’ll be able to master it very quickly:
PREPARING TO MEDITATE
While there are many techniques to do this, I have found that for me there is only one way. TAKE A BREAK
If this is applied correctly, you will find that within seconds your body will relax and you will be in a position to begin your meditation. In fact, I would go so far as to say that I use this technique in preparation for every meditation I attempt, and with perfect success every time.
Another useful benefit of applying this correctly is the fact that it immediately begins to focus and relax your mind, making it much easier to get into your meditation without distractions. And no matter how long or short your meditation is, starting with this will get you there quickly and painlessly.
“How do I apply this correctly?…
Taking setup breaths is pretty easy and just requires you to be able to count (and feel free to practice this as you read):
- Taking a deep breath. Do this for a count of 4. (about 1 second apart, or however comfortable you are, trying to get as close as possible to 1 second per count). Also, as you breathe, imagine that you are breathing in calm, relaxing, healing energy with the air.
- Then hold your breath for 16 seconds.
- Then empty your lungs slowly for 8 counts. And as you exhale, imagine that you are expelling stress, illness, and discomfort with the air that you are exhaling.
- Repeat this at least three times, after which you should be quite ready to start your meditation. However, if he feels that his mind is still racing and he is not yet relaxed, he can do this as many times as he feels the need to. Keep in mind that while this form of breathing exercise poses no real danger to you, if you feel dizzy, it’s best to stop and try again later.
Step 3
Now is where you really start to meditate. Your body and mind are ready to start the meditation, (and yet your mind keeps wandering…).
Essentially, now is the time for you to start “thinking through something…”.
Unfortunately, this is where most students fail, and the main reason for this is simply that the question always comes up. “WHAT DO I HAVE TO MEDITATE?…”. “WHAT DO I DO NOW”.
Of course, there are many answers to this question, however, I have found that few of them will be of real use to you, so I will offer you a little of my experience:
What most teachers will fail to teach, or tell you, is that objectively, to get the best benefit from your meditation, you must first discover what you consider to be worth the effort, and then meditate on that.
That, of course, does not mean that you cannot go to meditation to clear your mind where you do not think about anything. However, you will find this quite difficult, and most experienced meditators struggle with it.
So, to start meditating, I would prefer to find a theme or topic to meditate on {think}. These could include things like:
- Relaxing and de-stressing
- just for fun
- Your Health
- In preparation for a difficult task (for example, interview for a new job, first date…)
- some problem in your life
- some problem at work
- some spiritual quest
- Things like astral projection
- And many many more….
This probably still has you a bit stumped. “HOW I MEDITATE TO RELAX AND DE-STRESS MYSELF”. Well, I can assure you that sitting there and thinking “I have to relax and de-stress” over and over again will not work. Instead of concentrating on trying to relax, think of the place where you feel safe and calm and go there in your mind. Going there will also keep you active for a while, allowing you to stay in this meditative state for a while. Now, if you want to stay in this place a little longer, start concentrating on the details of this place in your mind (for example, if your place is a meadow, take a closer look at the flowers that grow there, or look at the bird flying, and pay attention, look at the sky, and try to identify images in cloud formations, etc…).
Following this will probably allow you to stay in meditation longer, and by the time you wake up from your meditation, you will probably feel very relaxed.
Another example of a fun meditation would be the elevator meditation. Essentially, all you have to do is after completing your meditation preparation, mentally enter an elevator. Select any button and feel the elevator start to move, watch the counter move, and when the elevator doors open, look outside to see if there is anything. If there is nothing, go back to the elevator and select another floor. Do this until you get to a place where you feel comfortable getting off the elevator and where there is something to see. Once you’re there, check out the details. Feel them, smell them, listen to them, look at them, taste them… You will probably find this experience very pleasant. When you’re done and want to stop, go back to the elevator and go back to where you started. After that wake up slowly and comfortably. You will most likely feel that the experiences of meditation linger. An incredible feeling…
Go ahead, make one….
Step 4
MAKING IT A LITTLE EASIER
As suggested before, one of the most difficult aspects of meditation, and especially for beginners, is the ability to focus the mind for a long enough period to really benefit from meditation.
And while there are many reasons for this, the most common would be a wandering mind, coupled with an inability to focus on a thought long enough to gain significant benefit from it.
Fortunately, practice will make perfect, and as you begin and progress on your meditation journey, you will find that your abilities increase and your results with it. However, I suspect you’re looking for an easier way to do this than just trying to focus. And I am happily pleased to say that there is a way:
DEVIATION
Essentially, giving your mind something to focus on that is external to you and doesn’t require any major effort on your part to control. And while this is really just a trick, it works well and with almost instant benefit to you as a meditator. And before you know it, you’ll be able to focus your mind for long periods of time, without any help.
Of course there is nothing to stop you from trying to do this on your own and without help, however you will likely find it difficult at best as being human and living a normal life will probably make it very easy. for your mind. wander.
So, to take my mind off things, I have found the use of guided meditations (distracting your mind) to be incredibly valuable and for many reasons. The most important of which includes the simple fact that instead of trying to focus your mind (and curb those wandering thoughts) you should simply follow the meditation, which is guaranteed to give you a better and faster result, simply because you won’t. you are probably tempted by other thoughts that do not follow the meditation.
Sadly, this is another place for meditation students to get stuck. “What meditation do I use?…”, “I don’t want any philosophy shoved down my throat with meditation…” and I suspect you could find a few more reasons why this is usually not acceptable. The thing to remember is that despite any difficulties you may have with this form of meditation, the technique is fantastic, even if meditation isn’t right for you.
So, to keep things simple, you can write and record your own meditations, which will be tailored exactly to your needs. It is easier than you think…
Simply follow the formats of some of the meditations, already cited in this article, as well as the basic suggestions, and there is little you can really do wrong…
So go ahead and try it… (That’s how I started)