Learn to Meditate …..Simplified!

Preparing to Meditate

Before you begin to meditate, it is helpful to keep these things in mind to get the most from your meditation practice:

 Relax

Do this Tense and Relax exercise to help you relax:

• Inhale sharply through the nose, with 1 short and 1 long inhalation (double breath)
• Tense the whole body until it vibrates with energy
• Hold your breath and the tension for five seconds
• Exhale forcibly through the mouth, with one short and one long exhalation (double breath)
• As you do, throw the tension out
• Repeat several times

 Pray

Begin your meditation with a prayer. This will help you remember why you are meditating! You will also be inviting the Divine, or your Higher Self, to help you in your practice.

 Sit Still

Moving your body even slightly sends the energy into the muscles. The purpose of yoga is to withdraw that energy inward and upward, to the brain. Thus, any physical movement during meditation will counteract your meditative effort.

To keep yourself from fidgeting, try to think of your body as a rock — solid and unmoving. Refuse to move for the first five minutes of meditation, and you will find that your body will grow calm of its own accord.

Your physical and mental restlessness will subside the longer you sit still. A glass of muddy water will become clear in time if it’s undisturbed. The same is true for us!

Look Up

Your eyes should be closed and held steady, looking slightly upwards, as if looking at a point about an arm’s length away and level with the top of your head.

It is essential to keep your gaze gently raised to that point throughout your practice. This will magnetize your spiritual eye, and draw the energy to the highest spinal center, the seat of spiritual awakening in the body.

How Long to Meditate

It is entirely up to you. Make sure, however, to allow enough time after the technique to sit still and enjoy the calm meditative state. For beginners 5-15 minutes a day is plenty, but as you become more experienced and get into the habit, 30 minutes to an hour and a half will give you a much greater benefit. You can even do this twice a day if you like!

Where to Meditate

If possible, set aside an area that is used exclusively for meditation. In time it will become saturated with spiritual vibrations. A small room, a corner of your bedroom, or even closet can suffice, as long as it is well ventilated.

Keep it simple. All you really need is a chair or small cushion to sit on, and perhaps a small altar. Face East if possible, and place a wool or silk blanket on the floor to insulate your body from the subtle magnetic currents of the earth.

Proper Meditation Posture

In addition to sitting on a straight-backed chair, there are other ways of sitting that are appropriate for mediation. You can sit on the floor in any of the several poses: cross-legged, half-lotus pose, or full-lotus pose.

Two things, however, are essential: your spine must be straight, and you must be able to relax completely without slouching.

How to Meditate

The following is a very simple meditation technique you can learn in five minutes.

1. Breathe Evenly

Inhale slowly, counting to eight. Hold the breath for eight more counts, then exhale slowly to the same count. Without pausing, inhale again — hold — exhale, each to the count of eight.

This is called the Measured Breathing Exercise. Repeat it three to six times.

You can vary the count according to your lung capacity, but always keep it equal during inhalation, holding, and exhalation. Finish your practice by inhaling deeply, then exhaling completely.

2. Technique of Concentration

Now wait for the next breath to come in of its own accord. When it does, mentally say Hong (rhymes with song). This time, don’t hold the breath, but exhale naturally. As you do, mentally say Sau (rhymes with saw).

Hong-Sau is an ancient Sanskrit mantra (a mantra is a word, syllable, or group of syllables, which can convey spiritual power when pronounced correctly, often with repetition). It means “I am He” or “I am Spirit.” Make no attempt to control your breath. Simply observe it as it flows in and out naturally.

In the beginning you may be mostly aware of the physical manifestation of the breathing process as your diaphragm and chest expand and contract.

As your breath grows calmer, however, try to become aware of its flow in the nostrils, then gradually transfer your awareness higher and higher in the nasal passages.

With the eyes closed, turn your gaze upward to the point midway between the eyebrows within your forehead. Concentrate there. This is the seat of spiritual consciousness in the body.. In time, try to feel the flow of the breath near the spiritual eye within your forehead.

Keep your gaze steady at the point between the eyebrows throughout your practice. Don’t allow your eyes to follow the movement of the breath. If you find that your mind has wandered, gently bring it back to an awareness of the breath and the mantra.

3. Sit in the Stillness

Finish your practice of Hong-Sau by inhaling once through the nose, then exhaling three times through the mouth, and then forget the breath.

Concentrate deeply at the point between the eyebrows. Keep your mind focused and your energy internalized. Absorb yourself in the peace generated by your practice.

Continue for at least five minutes. Finish with a prayer to the Divine, offering yourself into the light of God.

Disclaimer: The information on this POST is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional advice. The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this article is for general information purposes / educational purposes only, and to ensue discussion or debate.

Thank you …Which meditation is right for me?

There is no "right" meditation technique for everybody.

Some techniques work better for certain people while other techniques work better for other people. The important thing is to find what works for you.

One of the types of meditation used by a lot of people is the chakra meditation. Chakra is derived from a Sanskrit word, which means “circle” or “vortex”.  

Chakras are energy centres or energy openings residing in our body that control the flow and distribution of energy. 

 It is said that an imbalance in one of the chakras may result to problems in an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being.  

Chakra meditation is helpful in that it focuses on maintaining and restoring balance to these energy centres inside the body.  

Want to add word or two? 

What are some meditation guidelines?

? There are a few recommended guidelines for meditation:

? It should be done every day, preferably at the same time

? It should preferably be done before a meal rather than after a meal

? A spot should be set aside for meditation, which should be a quiet place and used for nothing but meditation

One should sit with the spine straight and vertical (a chair is ok to use) 

Your comment ….? 

Is there any religious implication or affiliation with meditation? 

It’s a simple mental technique to go to the source of thought.

Meditation has been and still is a central practice in eastern religions, for contacting "God" or one's higher Self. Christianity also has semblances of meditation, such as the biblical statement "The kingdom of heaven is within you". Churches have a meditative atmosphere. 

Does meditation have any ethical implications?

In many traditions meditation practice is a means for reinforcing ethical qualities. In these traditions, calmness of mind, peacefulness and happiness are possible in meditation and in life generally only if they are accompanied by the observance of ethical norms of behaviour.

What is the best time of day to meditate? 

While meditation is beneficial at any time, most people who meditate agree that early morning is the best time to meditate.

Part of the reason is that it is said that in early morning the hustle-and-bustle of the world has not yet begun and so it is easier to establish a meditative atmosphere.

Having an early morning meditation also lets us carry some of the energy and peace of the meditation into our daily activities.