Meditation
Guidelines
 Meditation
is a deliberate suspension of the stream of
consciousness that usually occupies the mind. Its
primary goal is to induce mental tranquility, physical
relaxation and connection to your higher self. There are
many different types of meditation, the one definition
that fits almost all types is Consciously directing your
attention to alter your state of consciousness. There
are also many different approaches to meditation, each
with its own specialized techniques. However, all have a
few requirements in common:
-
A quiet environment where you won’t be disturbed.
- A comfortable position.
- A point of focus for your mind.
There is no limit to the things you can direct your
attention toward... symbols, sounds, colors, breath,
uplifting thoughts, spiritual realms, etc. Meditation is
simply about attention... where you direct it, and how
it alters your consciousness.
Most people take lessons in meditation, but it’s
possible to teach yourself, using books or videos and
applying some basic principles. At the outset, whatever
the form of meditation, you need to wear comfortable
clothes and assume a sitting position. Most people
choose to sit in a straight-backed chair, although some
find it comfortable to sit in the classic meditating
position, cross-legged on the floor. Either way, the
spine should be vertical. Slow, rhythmic breathing is a
necessity in all forms of meditation, although each
approach has a different way of achieving this. As you
sit quietly and breathe rhythmically, you must focus on
something--it may be your own breathing; or an image
such as a religious symbol, a flower, or a candle; or a
word or phrase repeated rhythmically. This word or
phrase is called a mantra.
Many people prefer to keep their eyes closed during
meditation, to avoid visual distractions and enhance
concentration. Some people use soothing music. Stay as
still as possible throughout the meditation period and
let your attention, as much as possible, be passive. If
you catch your mind wandering, focus on the image or
mantra you’re using. Most people find that, as they gain
practice, their random thoughts diminish, and the
meditative state becomes more natural and instinctive.
General Guidelines for Meditation
-
Put your expectations aside, and don’t worry about
doing it right. There are infinite possibilities and no
fixed criterion for determining right meditation. There
are, however, a few things to avoid. They are...
- Trying to force something to happen.
- Over-analyzing the meditation.
- Trying to make your mind blank or chase thoughts away.
- Putting too much emphasis on doing it right.
- It’s not necessary to meditate on a completely empty
stomach. If you’re hungry, eat a little something.
- Find a quiet, comfortable place to meditate. You can
sit in a comfortable chair, on the bed, on the floor,
anywhere that’s comfortable.
- Eliminate as much noise and as many potential
distractions as possible. Don’t worry about those things
that you cannot control.
- When you sit to meditate, sit comfortably, with your
spine reasonably straight. This allows the spiritual
energy to flow freely up the spine, which is an
important aspect of meditation. Leaning against a chair
back, a wall, headboard, etc. is perfectly all right.
If, for physical reasons, you can’t sit up, lay flat on
your back.
- Place your hands in any position that is comfortable.
- If it does not go against your beliefs, call on a
“higher source” for assistance in your meditation. Any
form is all right. This can be quite helpful, but is not
absolutely necessary.
 Types of Meditation
Transcendental Meditation. (TM). This is the most common
form of meditation in the western world. It involves
mental repetition of a mantra, usually a Sanskrit sound
provided by the instructor. TM practitioners sit upright
in a straight-backed chair with their eyes closed, and
meditation for 10 to 15 minutes, twice a day, morning
and evening.
Mindfulness Meditation. An outgrowth of a Buddhist
tradition called Vipassana, this form of meditation
focuses on the present moment. A favored technique in
mindfulness meditation (shared with other forms) is the
body scan, in which you move your focus through the
body, from the tips of the toes to the top of the head,
paying particular attention to any areas that cause pain
or suffer from a medical problem (for example, the lungs
for asthma, the pancreas for diabetes, the heart for
heart disease). The body scan is usually done while
lying down.
Breath Meditation. This techniques calls for
concentration on respiration, the process of inhaling
and exhaling. In other respects it is similar to TM and
other forms of meditation.
Guided Meditation. Where a leader is directing your
thoughts to achieve a desired purpose, i.e. connection
to higher self. Can be used for purposes of
visualization. Visualizing a specific objective or goal.
Mudra Meditation The use of hand gestures, colors and
mantras in combination, to bring about physical and
emotional changes
What Treatment Hopes to Accomplish
By relaxing the body and calming the mind, meditation
seeks to alleviate the harmful effects of
tension and stress--factors that are known to aggravate
a number of medical conditions. Although meditation has
its roots in Eastern religious practices, traditionally
meditation was (and still is) used for spiritual growth,
i.e. becoming more conscious; unfolding our inner Light,
Love and Wisdom, becoming more aware of the guiding
Presence of our lives, accelerating our journey home to
our True Self, our Spirit. More recently, meditation has
become a valuable tool for finding a peaceful oasis of
relaxation and stress relief in a demanding, fast paced
world. It’s health benefits are independent of its
spiritual aspects. Each practitioner brings his or her
own beliefs and world view into the meditative
experience.
Other uses include:
· Healing
· Emotional cleansing and balancing
· Deepening concentration and insight
· Manifesting change
· Developing intuition
· Unlocking creativity
· Exploring higher realities
· Finding inner guidance
Meditation has measurable effects on the pattern of
electrical impulses flowing through the brain. Studies
with an electroencephalograph (EEG) show that it boosts
the intensity of the alpha waves associated with quiet,
receptive state to levels not even seen during sleep.
Other studies show increased synchronization of brain
waves between the two hemispheres of the brain during
meditation, lower levels of stress hormones, and
improved circulation. Levels of lactic acid, a potential
by product of tension and anxiety, drop after
meditation. When practiced for an extended period of
time, meditation has also been found to reduce the need
for oxygen consumption, slow the heart rate, and bring
down blood pressure.
Devotees of meditation often claim that it improves
their memory and other mental abilities, protects them
from disease, and reduces their use of alcohol and
drugs. Some studies have found that long standing
practitioners (those who’ve been meditating for several
years or more) tend to make fewer doctor visits than
non-meditators. Other studies have found that meditation
can reduce or reverse cardiovascular disease, improve
the ability to cope with chronic illness, reduce
anxiety, panic, and fear of open spaces, and relieve
mild depression, insomnia, tension headache, irritable
bowel syndrome, and premenstrual syndrome. One study of
mindful meditation found that it reduced relapse in
those with emotional disorders. Meditation has even been
found to increase the longevity of healthy older adults.
Pain relief is another of meditation’s more successful
applications. While it can’t completely eliminate
discomfort, it does help people cope by reducing their
tension and anxiety. For instance, the deep breathing
exercises taught in childbirth classes are a form of
meditation that helps women cope with the pain of labor
and delivery.
The calming mental exercises of meditation are a proven
antidote for stress, tension, anxiety, and panic.
Meditation is also a scientifically verified way to
reduce high blood pressure and relieve chronic pain.
Many people find it helpful for headaches and
respiratory problems such as emphysema and asthma.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I meditate?
Optimum results come from daily practice - once or twice
daily. However, you may chose to meditate on an as
needed bases.
How long should my meditations be?
If you are just beginning meditation and wish to
practice regularly, it’s best to start meditation 10 to
15 minutes once a day. After a while, you may want to
increase that to 20 minutes once a day, or 10 minutes
twice a day.
More meditation is not necessarily better. Why is this?
More meditation taps into some very powerful inner
energies. These energies are very healing and uplifting,
but it takes some time to acclimate to their higher
frequency, and is best done gradually. These higher
energies tend to catalyze some degree of emotional and
physical detoxification... a release of stored negative
energies. This may be particularly noticeable when you
are first beginning to meditate (during or outside of
meditation). If this initial detoxification is
accomplished gently, you are more likely to continue the
practice of meditation. Generally the experiences when
one begins to meditate are quite enjoyable. People often
report feeling more peaceful, positive, loving and
centered in daily life. Many experience new insights and
greater clarity.
How do I know when my meditation time is up?
When you think that your designated time is up, open one
eye and peek at the clock. This won’t bring you all the
way out of meditation. If there is still time left,
close your eye and continue. You can also set a watch
alarm or musical alarm, or place a wind-up kitchen timer
under a pillow.
What time of day is best to meditate?
Any time of day is good. It is best to have a specific
time that is your meditation time. At first, though, you
may find it helpful to experiment with various times to
see if one particular time of day consistently produces
more enjoyable meditations. If you are having trouble
finding time to meditate, do it first thing in the
morning.
What should I be experiencing when I meditate?
The possible experiences when meditating are unlimited.
They can range from extraordinary to ordinary, from
blissful to boring, from peaceful to turmoil, from
astounding insight to incredible nonsense. There may be
periods of no thought and periods of myriad thoughts,
you may feel
energy flowing or energy blocked, you may feel tired and
foggy or quite alert. All of these experiences are all
right and perfectly normal. The point is; accept
whatever occurs in meditation.
Meditation experiences tend to be based on cycles of
“clearing” and “clarity.” During periods of clearing,
when we are releasing accumulated psychic toxins,
experiences tend to be more thought filled and not seem
very deep. At times when there is less clearing, there
tends to be more clarity and depth, and fewer thoughts.
It is important to remember that both poles of this
cycle are necessary and valuable parts of a larger
process of profound growth and transformation.
At times in meditation I experience a state that feels a
lot like sleep, but it’s not exactly sleep. What is it?
This state of consciousness has been called “Yogi
Blackout” or Yoga Nidra.” You have slipped into a deep
state of awareness, but your inner senses are not alert
enough at that time to experience this clearly. With
continued meditation you will gain more clarity at this
level of consciousness.
Some Misconceptions about Meditation
1. Meditation is turning off your thoughts or making
your mind blank.
Not True Inner quietness is experienced in meditation,
but not by willfully turning off thoughts. Quieting the
mind results naturally from, the effectiveness of the
method used and a force beyond our own efforts.
2. Meditation is difficult and takes tremendous
discipline.
Not True Meditation can be easily learned, and can be
quite enjoyable. Meditation is only difficult if one
tries to do it perfectly, which is not really possible.
3. Meditation is not successful unless we see
interesting things in our mind.
Not True Although some meditations are specifically for
visualizing, many are not. In those meditations, seeing
things may be entertaining, but is not essential. Even
visualization does not necessarily require seeing. Some
people sense or feel things inwardly, and that’s all
right
4. Meditation is not working unless I am feeling
peaceful and calm while meditating.
Not True Even though one can and may experience feelings
of peace and centeredness, during meditation the purpose
of meditation is to allow the mind and the body to do
what it wants and needs to do so that we bring a state
of peacefulness and centeredness into our everyday life. |
|
