Hi All.
I’ve recently been asked by a few people how meditation works, how it benefits you and how exactly to do it. So this blog aims to help those with little or no experience with the practice of meditation. For the more experienced meditators, perhaps this can further your understanding or motivation to meditate on a daily basis.
The simplest way to describe meditation is that it is a focusing of the mind. Often, people who are new to meditation will try to empty their minds or to stop their thoughts. The mind is designed to think, that’s what it does, so do not resist it. Rather direct your thoughts and give them a point of focus.
This focus point could be external such as a candle flame, a sunset, or an image of a great master such as the Buddha, Christ, or Krishna. Or it could be an internal point of focus such as your breath or heartbeat. You could also chant a mantra (either out aloud or quietly in your head), focusing only on the sound and meaning of that particular mantra. Instead of directing your thoughts on something specific, your point of focus may be your thoughts themselves, allowing yourself to observe how you think, patterns in your thoughts, and perhaps how your body and emotions respond to them. Generally you will start your meditation with a specific intention, whether it is to relax, bring peace, let go of anger etc. The benefits you gain from practicing meditation will at the very least be in alignment with your intentions, and have a significant positive impact on your entire four-body system (physical, emotion, mental, and spiritual) with regular, long term practice.
The main reason for most people getting involved with practices such as yoga or meditation is for better physical health. Practices such as these help to release stress and tension, allowing for a better flow of energy throughout the body. Simply focusing on your breath in meditation helps to lower blood pressure. However, the physical body is not separate from one’s emotional and mental bodies. What is able to benefit the physical can also aid mental and emotional well being. And likewise that which helps to develop and heal the mind, helps one on the emotional and physical level as well. So when meditating with the intention of acquiring better health, know that often it also requires a certain restructuring of how you think and how you respond emotionally to your environment and various people or situations to properly maintain that state of physical well being.
Meditating with the intention of balancing one’s emotions is another common reason for many getting involved in this practice. With most people having very stressful home and working environments, with all their worries, it’s easy for one’s emotions to get the better of them. We tend to have very short tempers when under a lot of pressure, and outbursts of anger due to this only make situations tenser and they get handled irrationally. Frequent meditation will find you being a much calmer person. That is not to say you become more passive than assertive, but rather you are able to handle Life’s ups and downs with a much clearer mind and in a calmer manner. This also means your emotions will remain balanced. With most physical dis-ease having an underlying emotional cause, balanced emotions also means a healthier body. Observe how your body reacts when you are scared, or when you don’t express yourself when you need to. These often manifest as pain or discomfort in the stomach and throat areas respectively.
For those who desire a much greater purpose for meditation, it is a tool for Self-realization. Meditation is key in understanding who you really are, beyond mere physical appearance and personality traits. It is a means of knowing, and uniting with Divine Consciousness. One cannot truly understand their religion or know their God, without the practice of meditation. It is a means of going beyond what we are able to perceive with our physical senses, to the creative power that lies behind it all. Meditating with this intention will not only help in the reconnection with the Divine, but it will also heal you on all denser levels as well. This can be understood in the following way: When you are focused on God/ Buddha/ Source (whatever it is you wish to call it), when your aim is to be one with this Greater Power, that energy pours into your entire four-body system, attuning you to it. As your connection with God grows, and as you begin to realize your One-ness with All That Is, so things that are not of God begin to leave your system. Sometimes this can be a rather uncomfortable release, while at other times can be quite pleasant and exciting. Ultimately it is an empowering process you go through.
So there are a number of different reasons and benefits for why one begins meditating, and so there are also a number of different methods to suit all types of people. If you are meditating at home, I suggest that before you start, light a candle somewhere in the room, and perhaps burn a little incense as well. If you have some really soft ambient music or meditation cds, you may like to play some of that too. These ‘set the mood’ so to speak, and have their own particular relaxing effects on the body and mind. You may choose not to stimulate your senses so much, in which case the music and incense are not necessary. With fewer things to stimulate your physical senses, you may find it easier to focus your attention within. Ideally, wear clothing that is loose and comfortable. You may want to also state your intention in your mind for that particular meditation.
Find a nice comfortable spot to either sit or lie down. If you choose to sit, I suggest that you sit on a pillow so that just your bum is raised slightly higher off the surface you are sitting on. Cross your legs in such a way that your right leg is on top of the left with your right foot resting either on you left thigh or calf. This is the half lotus posture. This has a particular effect on your breathing that is ideal for meditation and creative thinking. You could also choose to rather sit on a chair with back support. In this case make sure you are sitting upright and not slouching. As you begin your meditation, put your entire focus on taking at least 3 slow, deep breaths. From here you can move on to your chosen method or meditation technique.
If you like the idea of using your imagination and visualizing during meditation, do so in such a way that your meditation is a journey. For example, if you would like to let go of certain emotions, you may want to picture yourself walking through a forest to a waterfall (keeping in mind that our emotions respond to flowing water and that it reminds us that change is a part of Life). You lie in a pool of water allowing it to wash over you, taking with it any emotions that no longer serve you.
Observing a sunset, even in your own mind, draws in a beautiful energy that relaxes you and can aid in lifting one out of depression and low moods.
Focusing just on your breath while consciously relaxing each area of your body, working from you toes all the way to the top of your head, is ideal to do just before you go to bed, especially if you have trouble sleeping.
The use of affirmations and repeating mantras are also very powerful tools to use. I have discussed the use of a mantra in a previous blog already, but I will very briefly discuss it here again. Mantras are words, often in Sanskrit, that when chanted or repeated in the mind, affect the body in certain ways and attune your body and mind to the energy of that mantra. One I have particularly enjoyed using is “Baba Nam Kevelam”, which translates to “God is all there is” or “Only the name of my Beloved.”
Affirmations can be used either in meditation, at the start of your day, or before going in to challenging situations. Simply affirming that you are happy, or enjoying an abundant Life, can transmute negative emotions and thoughts into positive ones. Affirming that whatever is bothering you no longer serves you, and that you are now stronger without it, will also find you enjoying your day with profound confidence.
You may enjoy the idea of working with Angels or Ascended beings. I then suggest that you invoke their presence at the beginning of your meditation, simply by asking or intending them to be there. At the end of your meditation, thank them for their time with you and for their guidance. A glass of water after your meditation is also a good idea.
So that covers the basics of meditation. With serious dedication and sincerity, your experiences will become more profound and more wonderful. Your Life will literally begin to change in the most pleasant of ways. While I do recommend frequent meditation on your own, I would also suggest that you get involved with a group of people who often get together for group meditations. The energy created within a group is that much stronger, and the group acts like a support system, so when you have questions or are going through a difficult time, they are there to help you. If you would like to get involved with a group or get one started, feel free to give me a shout. I would be happy to assist you with this in any way that I can. And if you have any questions about meditation, or experiences you would like to share, I am always available to help.
I hope that this helps you to get started in practicing meditation. I urge you to keep it up once you start. There really is so much you can gain from it, and so much you can do for others through it. Again, I am always available if you would like to know more.
May Love and Compassion guide you always,
Your brother in Light, Love, and Service,
Ryan
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