Meditation is rightly considered an excellent practice for
spiritual and personal growth. It is easy to begin, and yet there
is endless scope for the accomplished practitioner to go ever
deeper. Hence, a meditation practice suited to your personal
needs is highly recommended.
There is a vast scope within the world of meditation. At one end
of the range is the simple focusing of attention upon the flow of
the breath. At the other end are the highly complex
visualizations of entire mandalas complete with highly ornate
Buddhas and guardian beings, performed by advanced Tibetan
Buddhist adepts. Between these boundaries, we have a rich range
of practices suitable for all, at every stage of the path.
Whether it be a visualized pathworking derived from myth or
dream, or a shamanistic inner quest under the guidance of your
totem animal, or simply following the rise and fall of your own
thoughts, there is a practice just right for you right now.
On a purely physical level, meditation is tremendously
beneficial. Studies indicate that long-term meditators can slow
down, and even reverse, some of the traditional biological
markers of aging. The physical age of some meditators can be as
much as 10-20 years behind their chronological age.
Regular meditators also experience a sense of enhanced peace and
tranquility in life. They enjoy an increased ability to cope
with external pressures. A brief meditation period before the day
begins is an excellent way to prepare for everything that lies
ahead. By doing so, you set the tone, and create the inner
atmosphere, that you take with you throughout the day.
However, the physical planes in which we habitually live are only
the grossest levels of existence. There is a vast continuum of
consciousness, and other levels to the universe, of which we
remain largely unaware in the course of our daily lives. The only
way to become aware of these other levels of reality is to turn
inwards. This is what the shamans around the world have been
doing for countless millennia. Hence, meditation may be described
as a doorway that leads past the illusion of material reality to
the truth of all existence.
Meditation also helps to unlock your inner genius. We all have
buried within us abilities and wisdom that we never use. It is
only through a process of relaxing and going within that we can
start to contact these vast inner resources. This is one of the
key secrets of every great achiever in every field of life.
If you have never meditated before, and are unsure where to
begin, here are a few simple pointers. You are recommended to
consult more detailed books, or a live meditation teacher, as
soon as you are able.
To start with, you should establish a definite place and time.
Developing a regular time is important. You want to build this
practice into a regular habit, and not leave it as a once in a
while diversion, when you have “nothing better to do”. Make an
appointment with yourself to do this EVERY day, at least once a
day. It does not have to be very long: even fifteen minutes is
quite adequate when you are getting started.
As regards place, it is good if you can reserve a space in your
home for this work. A separate room would be perfect. However, if
you cannot do this, then at least try to reserve an small area of
one room for this purpose. You could even go outside if
necessary. Wherever possible, try to select a place where you are
unlikely to be disturbed, and which is quiet. Highly experienced
meditators can practice in the middle of a busy street. However,
when you are starting out, some peace and quiet is essential.
When you seat yourself, try to make comfort balanced with
alertness the priority. You want to find a position you can
remain in for some time without excessive fidgeting. It doesn’t
have to be a lotus posture, unless this work for you. Simply
sitting on the floor cross-legged, or even sitting upright in a
chair, works fine. Avoid lying on your back, as you are likely to
drift off to sleep. Your eyes should either be closed, or else
only slightly open, with heavy eyelids.
Here are two simple processes that you can commence with, but
which can stay with you for the rest of your life. Do not be
deceived by their apparent simplicity. They are deep, powerful
and highly purifying to the mind.
The first is to simply follow your breathing. This is a technique
recommended by the Buddha himself, and by countless teachers
after him. With eyes closed, you focus your attention ever more
carefully on the rising and falling of your breath. Throughout
this process, you should be breathing from your abdomen, which
rises and falls with every inhalation and exhalation. One
variation is to follow the breath in through your nostrils, then
down into your lungs, being aware of them filling up, and then
out through your mouth as your lungs deflate. Hence, you follow
the path of your breath through your body. Another variation is
to focus solely on your nose, and actually feel the passage of
your breath through it alone. If you do, you will feel your
nostrils cool slightly as you inhale, and warm slightly as you
exhale.
The other process you can work with is to just be aware of the
passage of your thoughts. You will find that thoughts will
intrude anyway during your meditation periods. So why not make
some positive use of them? In this practice, the purity of your
consciousness is like the clear blue sky across which your
thoughts, like clouds, arise and disappear. As you work with this
process, you will come to realize that it is not really YOU who
is thinking. Rather, thoughts seem to arise by themselves within
the mind, from a wholly different source.
In this latter practice, it is important to not get caught up
with the train of thought and get carried away. Rather, you are
playing the part of the detached observer, watching your
thoughts, rather as you might watch the motion of waves upon the
ocean.
What happens if, during either the breathing meditation, or the
observation of your thoughts, you happen to get carried away with
daydreaming? That is fine. As soon as you become aware of it,
simply return to the meditation.
As you continue, you will find your practice improving. You will
be able to meditate for longer. Your mind will become more
focused, and ever less distracted and carried away with thinking.
You will find yourself more tranquil and calm in your sessions,
and throughout the day.
By engaging in either, or both, of these meditation exercises
regularly, you will experience tremendous mental, physical, and
spiritual benefits. Indeed, you will carry this happy mental
state out of the formal session and into your life. Meditation is
the foundation upon which you can build a happy and spiritually
enriched existence. Try it for yourself and see.
Copyright 2002, Asoka Selvarajah. All Rights Reserved.
Asoka Selvarajah is a writer on personal growth and spirituality, and the author of “The 7 Golden Secrets To Knowing Your Higher Self”. His work helps people achieve their full potential, deepen their understanding of mystical truth, and discover their soul’s purpose. You can subscribe to his FREE ezine, and get his FREE ebook “Inner Light Outer Wealth” at:
http://www.aksworld.com/AspireToWisdom.htm?imk=Blog
You have permission to reproduce this article in your ezine, website or offline publication as long as you do so in its entirety, and include both the copyright notice and the resource box at the bottom.
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