Heal Your-Self with Meditation
We all know that regular, moderate exercise is good for us. But
imagine what it would be like if all you did was exercise: if you ran, walked,
jumped, or lifted . After only a very short while, exercise actually wouldn't
be that good for you because without rest, exercise becomes counterproductive
and even risky and so it is with your mind. We spend all day (and sometimes all
night, too!) in a whirlwind of thought. When there isn't something particular
to think about (what to eat for breakfast, the tasks of the day, or what you're
going to say in an upcoming meeting), we search restlessly for something to
fill the gap-worries, hopes, television, and so on. We never allow our minds to
rest. And without this precious self-healing time, our minds become exhausted
and thoughts less trustworthy. Just as we need to stop moving our bodies every
once in a while, we also need to stop moving our minds. But how? The idea can
actually seem terrifying, not to mention impossible.
But it is quite possible. The practice of self-healing
meditation is just this: resting the mind in silence and space, allowing it
time to recover and rejuvenate. Meditation does not mean sitting in a perfect
state of peace while having no thoughts. Big misconception! Instead, meditation
is about establishing a different relationship with your thoughts, just for a
little while. Instead of attention being drawn off by whatever thought happens
to present itself, in meditation, you watch your thoughts from a different,
more stabilized perspective. You're training yourself to place your attention
where and when you want. This is very powerful. It gives you the ability to
direct your thoughts (and mood) in more productive and peaceful directions.
And, as has been demonstrated in the last few years, this ability has profound
self-healing implications for physical and mental health.
Simple Tips on How to Meditate:
1. Posture
Whether you sit on a chair or cross-legged on the floor, make
sure that your spine is upright with head up. If you are slumped your mind will
drift. Mind and body are intertwined. If your body is well-balanced, your mind
will also be in balance. To straighten up, imagine that your head is touching
the sky.
2. Eyes
Try and keep you eyes open. Open eyes allow you to be more
present. Just lower your eyes and let your gaze be soft. If you close your eyes
you will be more likely to drift away on thoughts and stories. However, it’s
important to do what is comfortable for you. Some people find closing their
eyes much more effective. It’s good to experiment and see what feels best for
you.
2. Focus
In ordinary consciousness we are hardly ever present. For
example, sometimes we drive the car on autopilot while being preoccupied with
thoughts. Suddenly we arrive at our destination and don’t remember anything
about the drive!
So, meditation is a wonderful way of waking up to our life. Otherwise
we miss most of our experiences because we are somewhere else in our mind!
Let’s take a look at what focus is. In ordinary life, we tend to equate focus
with concentration. That’s like using the mind like a concentrated beam of
light. But in meditation, that kind of mind isn’t helpful. It’s too sharp and
edgy. To focus in meditation means to pay soft attention to whatever you place
in the centre of awareness. I suggest using the breath as a focus. It’s like a
natural door that connects ‘inside’ and ‘outside’. Zen Master Toni Packer says:
Attention comes from nowhere. It has no cause. It belongs to no
one
3. The breath
Paying attention to the breath is a great way to anchor yourself
in the present moment.
Notice your breath streaming in and out. There’s no need to
regulate the breath – just let it be natural.
4. Counting you breath
If you are having difficulties settling, you can try counting
the breath – which is an ancient meditation practice. On your outbreath,
silently count “one”, then “two”, and up to “four”. Then return to “one”.
Whenever you notice your thoughts have strayed far away or you find yourself
counting“thirtythree”, simply return to “one”. In this way, “one” is like
coming home to the present moment. It’s good to return without a backward
glance.
5. Thoughts
When you notice thoughts, gently let them go by returning yous
focus to the breath. Don’t try and stop thoughts; this will just make you feel
agitated. Imagine that they are unwelcome visitors at your door: acknowledge
their presence and politely ask them to leave. Then shine the soft light of
your attention on your breath.
6. Emotions
It’s difficult to settle into meditation if you are struggling
with strong emotions. This is because some emotions tend to breed stories in
the mind. Especially anger, shame and fear create stories that repeat over and
over in the mind. Anger and shame make us keep looking at past events of the
past. Fear looks at the future with stories that start with, “What if…”
The way to deal with strong emotions in meditation is to focus
on the body feelings that accompany the emotion. For example, this could be the
tight band of fear around the chest or the hot roiling of anger in the belly.
Let go of the stories and refocus on your body. In this way you are honouring
your emotions but not becoming entangled in stories.
7. Silence
Silence is healing. I know that there are is a lot of
‘meditation music’ around, but nothing beats simple silence. Otherwise the music
or sounds on the tape just drown out the chatter in your mind. When we sit in
silence we actually get to experience what our mind is doing. There is
steadiness and calmness that comes from sitting in silence. In time outer and
inner silence meet and you come to rest in the moment.
8. Length
Start with 10 minutes and only sit longer if you feel that that
is too short. Don’t force yourself to meditate longer if you are not ready to
do that. In time you might like to extend your meditation to 25 minutes. That’s
a length that allows you to settle your mind without causing too much stress on
your body. Most importantly, shrug off any ‘shoulds’. Some people enjoy sitting
for an hour at a time. Others find that they can’t sit longer than 10 minutes.
Do what feels right for you!
9. Place
It’s lovely to create a special place to sit. You can even make
a shrine or an altar that you can face when you sit in meditation. You might
like to place a candle on your altar and objects that have meaning to you. It’s
lovely to find objects for your altar as you walk. Maybe you find stones, or
seashells, or flowers that speak to you.
10. Enjoyment
Most of all it’s important to enjoy meditation. You might like
to try sitting with a hint of a smile. Be kind to yourself. Start sitting just
a little each day. It’s helpful to establish a daily habit.
Choose a home base—a primary anchor or subject of meditation.
It is helpful to select a home base (or several anchors) that
allow you to quiet and collect the mind, and to deepen embodied presence.
Useful anchors are:
•The breath as it enters and leaves the nostrils.
•Other physical changes during breathing, e.g., the rise and
fall of the chest.
•Other physical sensations as they arise, e.g. the sensations in
the hands, or through the whole body.
•Sounds as they are experienced within or around you.
•Listening to and feeling one’s entire experience, (i.e.,
receiving sounds and sensations in awareness).
Meditation sounds like hocus pocus to me. Does it really work?
"Do not take meditation too seriously or to think of it as
something really "out there". It's just a chance to reconnect with
yourself and let your body rest, the same way sleeping does. I wish I had known
earlier how simple it is it what a vast improvement it would make in my overall
temperament." ~ Anonymous
There's a form of meditation out there for everyone and yes, it
really works.
I'm bad at meditation. What can I do?
"In real life when you try [meditation] and you're not used
to it, it feels very weird. My brain started jumping from one thought to
another without any control like a wild horse. After a good week of doing it
only 10 minutes per day things settled down and I could start feeling the
difference it makes to my days." ~ Loic LeMeur
Most people think that they're bad at meditation when they first
try it. You're not. You feel uncomfortable because you're learning a new skill.
Your confidence will increase with practice.
Where can I meet other people who meditate?
Meditation Groups on Meetup.com, yelp.com, and do a quick google
search for meditations in your area. You can also find It helps to talk to
others about the new feelings and experiences you're having, so ask a friend to
do meditate with you or talk to other people .
For meditation retreats, ask a local center or meditation coach
for their recommendation.
Meditate and heal your Self!
Posts
