MEDITATION – The Gateway Into Inner Peace And Tranquility MEDITATION
Meditation is a key component of religious faiths and philosophies from Buddhism to Zen, and has won widespread recognition in the Western medical community for the complex of physical, mental and emotional benefits it confers. There is a great deal of confusion about what meditation is and is not, largely because so much real information has been mixed in with media misinformation and outright silliness regarding this practice. A common misconception is that meditation reuires a robed, robed, bearded guru sitting in the lotus position and chanting mantras, words or phrases in the middle of a cluster of followers. While this is certainly one !ersion of meditation, it is by no means the only one, nor is it anywhere close to the most popular. popular. Most Westerners who practice meditation do so alone or in small groups, and they may or may not say anything at all. What is meditation?
The simplest definition of meditation is the act of clearing one"s conscious mind out of the way and seeking direct communion with one"s subconscious, higher faculties or #owers beyond yourself. yourself. A great deal of how meditation is defined depends upon the intended usage and outcome. A Western doctor may describe meditation differently than a yogi from $ndia, who might ha!e a different idea than a Zen monk. $f you ha!e e!er taken a long road trip, you may ha!e noticed that you had periods of time where you were not conscious of the road, e!en though you ad%usted your speed and direction to a!oid obstacles and possible ha&ards and can recall mo!ing around them, but not precisely when. 'ou may e!en ha!e carried on simple con!ersations and later had only a !ague or no memory at a t all of them. (owe!er (owe!er,, you can remember !i!idly your thoughts and feelings during this time. $f you ha!e experienced this, you ha!e experienced a meditati!e trance. Meditation is different from what psychologists call a fugue state because you retain some le!el of awareness of your actions and the world around you while meditating. By contrast, a person in a fugue is completely disconnected with the world and remembers nothing of what they ha!e done when the fugue state retreats. Meditation is a conscious working to lull the higher higher,,
more talkati!e mind, while in a fugue a person"s higher cogniti!e functions switch off altogether. What are the different kinds of meditation? Meditation may be broadly classed according to the intended outcome. We are most familiar with the spiritual aspects of meditation, because of religions and philosophies such as Zen and Buddhism, which ha!e been gi!en widely sensationali&ed co!erage. (owe!er, this co!erage largely neglects the mental, emotional and physical aspects and benefits of meditation, %ust as physician)recommended meditation may ignore spiritual and emotional aspects in fa!or of the physical and psychologist)prescribed meditation o!erlooks the physical and spiritual. $n all cases, this works basically the same from a purely mechanical standpoint. The main difference is in the intended outcome of the meditation. #hysical meditation is intended to bring you into harmony and awareness with your body. The intense, specific physical focus is the starting point for other forms, emphasi&ing respiration, heartbeat and noticing physical sensation. The commonly lampooned *+hm sound that many proponents of 'ogic meditation use is actually the first part of a two)part sound- +hm)ah. Breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth. /o this se!eral times and listen carefully to what you hear. 'ou may notice that +hm)ah is actually the world"s oldest mantra, the sound of your own breathing. This type of meditation alle!iates high blood pressure and reduces or halts the production of cortisol, also known as the *stress hormone. $n turn, this reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, and may actually stimulate your metabolism, which leads to weight loss, which reduces heart attack and stroke risks e!en further. The next step is to eliminate your awareness of your physical body and turn your attention inward, toward your own emotions. Thus, you ha!e now entered emotional meditation. $n this stage, the goal is to examine all your feelings at a gi!en moment and then dismiss them, one by one, until all that is left is perfect clarity of mind. This does not mean you should seek to be completely emotionless, like a tar Trek 0ulcan1 2ather, the goal is to temporarily remo!e emotion from your higher thought processes and awareness to allow more clarity. 3motion is an essential part of humanity, and you try to eliminate it entirely from your being at your own peril. 'ou should stri!e for control and mastery, not outright eradication. This type, phase or stage of meditation helps reduce anxiety and emotional stress, which further amplifies the physical benefits listed abo!e. +nce you ha!e successfully dealt with your emotions and set them aside, you are already engaged in mental meditation. This is freuently the hardest stage for Westerners to feel they ha!e done successfully, because our society demands constant stimulation and engagement. The ob%ecti!e here is to reach a state where you are not consciously thinking of anything at all. 2ather, as thoughts come into your mind you recogni&e them, process them without %udgment or trying to hold onto them, and let them go as they will. 3!entually, your mind will be perfectly blank. This is a difficult state to describe, because it is not the same as daydreaming, which e!eryone does, or as a fugue state, which is a danger sign of an unbalanced psyche and may reuire medical or psychiatric inter!ention. Many people try to force this state and think, *There. My mind is uiet. +nce conscious thought intrudes, you are no longer in the mental meditati!e state. The final aspect is the spiritual. 4ow that you ha!e shut out all external and internal stimulus, and ha!e only the stillness of your mind, you may *commune with your subconscious, attain *The 5nowledge and 6on!ersation of 'our 7uardian Angel, *merge with /i!inity, *experience
/harma or *find Zen. (ow this will present or what you can expect to see depends on your innate beliefs, what your subconscious or the #owers that be feel you need to know and why you ha!e sought out this state. Many people who achie!e this state report episodes of out)of) body experiences or astral pro%ection, and come back to themsel!es in a few minutes to a few hours refreshed, calm and peaceful.
Many beginners start with directed !isuali&ations, such as completely focusing on a particular number, symbol or image. These !isuali&ations are intended to gi!e the no!ice something to concentrate on, but this is only a starting point. The real ob%ect is to reach a point where the no!ice can focus on this image to such an extent that when the image is remo!ed from the mind, all that remains is the thoughtless experiential state in which the person"s subconscious may speak freely. What meditation is not This is a slippery uestion, because while we typically think of the lotus position and the guru, nearly anything may be a meditati!e act if it is entered into with the proper mindset. While we ha!e largely focused on the better)known concepts and usages of meditation to this point, ufi mystics, Wiccans and others ha!e continually disco!ered and redisco!ered ways to meditate that do not rely on absolute silence and stillness. 8or example, many shamanic , 'ogic and 4ew Age practices ha!e been known to incorporate alcoholic be!erages, psychoacti!e drugs, chanting, intense dancing or other physical exercise and sexual techniues to attain the mental stillness that allows for the more intense spiritual connection. 'ou can do this yourself while walking, doing repetiti!e physical tasks such as mo!ing papers around your desk at work or e!en making lo!e to your partner. Therefore, we can say that it is not what you are doing that determines whether a gi!en acti!ity is a meditati!e act, but how and why you are doing it. The combination of intent and outcome determines whether it is meditati!e or not. What is the best way to meditate? 9ike the pre!ious uestion, this depends on the indi!idual. Most people find they are most comfortable in uiet, peaceful surroundings such as a park or in one"s bedroom, but a metal concert or in the middle of a busy mall may work %ust as well. Try different methods and places and see what works best for you and your personality. ome people reuire guidance to achie!e the proper focus for meditation, while others can do this naturally and intuiti!ely. $f you can reach this state on your own, then by all means do so. $f you need guidance, it doesn"t make you bad, wrong, weak, stupid or incompetent. $t simply means you need a little more assistance. Always begin with your breathing. 6lose your eyes and concentrate on breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth until you ha!e set a steady, smooth pace. tarting with the crown of your head, feel each muscle and muscle group indi!idually. 2elax the areas that are tight as you work your way down to the soles of your feet. This may initially take a long time, but as you become more proficient you will learn how to identify trouble spots and relax them !ery uickly. 4ext, focus on your heartbeat while keeping your breathing steady and e!en. 'ou will feel it begin to slow down, and this is perfectly normal. Take this as a sign you are doing it right. 'ou should feel physically relaxed comfortable at this point. +nce this has happened, it is time to deal with your emotions. This may take the longest, depending on how intense your
emotions are. 9et them flow as they will until they are no longer a focal point. #hysical relaxation may help with this, but much depends on what emotions you are feeling and how intensely. At this point, you are free to work on your mind. The idea is not necessarily not to think, but to not pursue thoughts as they come to you. As with the emotions, let them come as they will and go when they choose, without attempting to detain them or try to make sense of them. They are simply a part of your mental landscape and when they go away, you should be fully in the now, in the calm peace of the *no)mind state without cares or worries. What happens next: That is up to you. 'ou may wish to attempt astral pro%ection, or simply stay in the meditati!e state for a while. 'our subconscious, or another source, may try to gi!e you information. $f this happens, do not dismiss what you see, hear or feel lightly. 'ou may find the solutions to !ery difficult problems are re!ealed to you, or the answers to resol!ing a conflict in your personal life or with your family. $t is generally a good idea to keep a notebook close, so you can write down any strong impressions or feelings you recei!e. A beginners guide for Meditation
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The term meditation suggests different types of practices that include methods that are designed to foster relaxation, increase internal energy, de!elop compassion, generosity, patience, forgi!eness and lo!e. Moreo!er, a specific type of meditation aims to sustain single) pointed concentration to enable practitioners to en%oy lasting sense of wellbeing in any life acti!ity. Meditation is basically a method use to train the mind and stimulate the consciousness to attain specific benefits. The process of meditation is easier said than done howe!er; once you master the techniues it will become one of your fa!orite pastime and all will be worth it. There are se!eral benefits that you can get when you practice regular mediation and these are the following$mpro!ed physical health $mpro!ed mental strength and abilities $mpro!ed sleeping habit 2educed stress 3nhance spiritual growth, etc. Below are some meditation guidelines for beginners to start en%oying the abo!e)mentioned benefits. tep <- eating position = While most of the instructors suggest that you start in lotus position, it is e!en better if you choose a position that will allow you to sit or stand comfortably for at least fi!e to ten minutes. Also, make sure to be in a relaxing and peaceful place away from any disturbances. tep >- #repare to meditate = There are se!eral techniues to prepare yourself to meditate but the simplest yet the most effecti!e way is to apply proper breathing. While doing so, you ha!e to relax both your body and mind then prepare to enter in the state of meditation. tep ?- tart to meditate = At this point, your mind and body must be prepared to start meditating. As a beginner, start by thinking carefully on something you think worth the effort and meditate on that. easoned meditators can shift from one significant thought to nothing at all. They can effecti!ely clear their minds in order to stay in meditati!e state longer.
At first, you will find it hard to meditate because we normally ha!e a wandering mind, but if you focus on your progress and not on the results you will definitely see some impro!ements on your meditation skills; hence good results will soon follow. 5eep things simple at first, record your meditation experiences if you need to and follow the basic techniues mentioned abo!e. 'ou"re good to go. Concusion Meditation can be whate!er you choose it to be. Whether you seek harmony with the /i!ine, peace within yourself or the ability to drift beyond the confines of your own body and learn more about your world, meditation can be a powerful key that opens many doors. $f you enter into the meditati!e state with a positi!e outlook and neutral expectations, you will find it works more uickly and easily than if you try to force it. Try this powerful techniue for yourself. 'ou will find you feel better, calmer and more content with yourself and the world around you.
