Meditation Secrets Revealed

We have all experienced stress and tension at one point or another in our lives. It is the feeling of our thoughts racing a thousand miles a minute that keeps us up at night. It follows us no matter where we go. And just when that stress becomes unbearable, as we prepare to break – a magical epiphany appears. A resolution to the tension becomes clear. This stress and tension is actually part of the resolution, it is the motivator and the force behind the need to change.

Tension can also form around the unknown future, leading to anxiety and stress. In the grips of fear, the road ahead seems dark and long, yet in this darkness we may find our greatest motivation. The law of tension and resolution will work in creating this tension and inevitably manifest the energy and drive necessary to change, grow, and progress.

Frequently, people see these situations as unpleasant, frightening, and anxiety provoking. We run, we hide. Avoiding even the mundane uncomfortable moments of uncertainty we miss the lessons and opportunities to grow and learn. Instead, we can look ahead and embrace these experiences as a necessary step towards personal growth. Embracing our fears, we become resilient and strong, both mentally and emotionally.

Take a rubber band for example, while it is still and laying on a table it is a plain and static object. But, put to use, this rubber band can be stretched and tightened to perform amazing feats of agility. It can propel objects, spring across rooms, and create momentum energy where there was non before.

Look at your life and find the places where there is tension and stress, and ask yourself, “how can I creatively utilize these moments? Where can I propel my future? Am I avoiding this situation for the wrong reasons?” As a catalyst for growth and change, moments of high tension and uncertainty are most important and even necessary. Treasure them for they are gateways to the future you!

In the science and philosophy of yoga it is said that, “whether pain or pleasure, both are the product of the mind.”  A friend related his sad and inspirational story bringing this axiom to life. He is going through a tough time in his relationship, experiencing much pain and anguish. As I listened and comforted him in his pain, I realized that he is looking at the situation as a means to remain motivated and focused on his life goals.

In Kriya Yoga there is a notion of tapas which literally means to burn or purify. While it is easy to to run away from pain, and the mind tries to do so constantly, what would happen if we were to accept it and learn from it? Performing tapas means to see that pain as a burning fire, consuming our inner impurities and weaknesses, purifying our spirit and making the mind stronger. In doing so, we can practice acceptance welcome these “negative” emotions with open arms and the warm embrace of a long lost friend. Tapas provide us the means to practice mental discipline and self-restrain in situations where that choice is the hardest and most challenging.

Sometimes, a thing can be pleasurable but eventually lead to something painful, however in this practice, we are taking something painful and turning it into something positive and good. This form of yoga can only be achieved in the active state, in our daily lives and through our interactions with the outside world. May we all strive to see the deeper lessons and practice a little yoga in our lives.

While siting at a workshop last week, I noticed that several people around me were having trouble paying attention and sitting still. The topic was interesting, the presenter was being extremely engaging and yet here they were, fidgeting. As part of an exercise in non-judgment and listening, attendants were asked to pair up and take turns give advice on problem areas in their partner’s lives. I was not surprised to see that patience was one of the top resources that people frequently wish they had more of, but just don’t know how to get. In the past, I have frequently found myself becoming extremely impatient which quickly lead to frustration and anger. While I can’t say that I no longer experience impatience, I now have many tools at my side to deal in a quick and healthy manner. Here are a few meditation techniques for doing exactly that.

Chinese Man: See an old Chinese man standing with his hands clasped behind his back. He has a relaxed, calm, and slight smile on his face. As you see him standing there, begin to move closer and end up looking at his face. As you zoom even closer, move behind and step into him. Feel the patience, calm, and peace washing over you.

Clasped Hands: When experiencing a moment of patience, clasping your hands behind you, begin to lean back and take a deep breath. When you need more patience, repeat the patient stance and follow the breath – deeply settle into the experience.

Breath Sip: Take a long slow deep breath in, hold for a count of five, and then slowly release. As you do this, pay attention to how the breath is coming into your lungs, filling them up, and leaving. This is one sip. Repeat several times as necessary.

My grandfather is one of the happiest men I know. He is 87 year old with failing hearing, loss of eyesight, no teeth, frequent migraine headaches, and yet, he is always there, greeting me with a grin and a smile. I wonder, what it is that makes him enjoy life so much while others at his age, and even much younger, are completely depressed, somber, bitter, and so on. I know that when I hear that slow rhythmic soldier shuffle of a walk, I can count on him being in a good mood, ready to hear about my life and eager to tell me about his own. Positive thinking perhaps? Maybe he is the type of person that always sees the glass half full.

I think it is more than that. He tells many stories and they frequently highlight just how lucky his life has been. When he thinks back on his life, he dwells on the challenges he overcame, on the creative solutions, on the relationships he has built and the amazing people he has met. As we sit in the backyard and gaze out over the lush suburban landscape, I hear him say, “Isn’t this wonderful, look at how beautiful this is.” In those moments, he emits a pure feeling of gratitude and appreciation for what he has. It is completely out of his control, he accepts it, and is grateful. He is always present in the moment, still sharp of mind, and quick of wit. I love, admire, and respect my grandfather, he has mastered the art of joy.

For those of you that earn for bullet points here are the take-away lessons from Grandpa:

1. Be present in the moment

2. Appreciate what you have, even if its outside of your control

3. When dwelling on the past, think about your accomplishments, not the failures.

The first change was in my emotional states. I became much more calm, centered, and at peace with myself and the outside world. Small things that had previously annoyed or given me great anxiety became inconsequential. Instead, of responding with anger or annoyance, I would notice my feelings and be able to examine them before reacting. In this way, I was able to save myself a lot of inner turmoil and pain. Along with the feelings of calm and inner peace, I also began to experience prolonged periods of inner joy and happiness. Simple things like a person saying hello, or a pretty picture, would bring immense pleasure and satisfaction. I believe this is due, in part, to the meditation practice of eliminating stray thoughts along with the ability to stay present. Along the way, two books have been instrumental in my self discovery: The Ptanjali Yoga Sutras and the Toa Te Ching have been my beacons and continue to guide my life, adding their ancient yet profoundly useful wisdom and guidance.

For more information about the Yoga Sutras, see my post Best Books About Meditation and Yoga

With so many books being published on the topics of yoga and meditation, it can be difficult, confusing, and frustrating to know exactly which book to pick, who to believe and which path to follow.

One of my favorite books on the subject is The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: by Sri Swami Satchidananda. Sutra in Sanskrit means strand and the book is a compilation of ancient strands of text that are woven together to form the foundation of yoga philosophy. With over four thousand years of recorded history, yoga is surprisingly scientific and logical in its approach to enlightenment and the achieving of Samadhi – the ultimate meditative state. Unlike many watered-down new age books out there, this is the real deal and I can honestly say that reading and following the wisdom in this book has dramatically transformed my life. I check in with the book from time to time to find out where I am at and how far I have come in my understanding of the sutras. I would encourage anybody interested in yoga, meditation, awareness, stress relief, and inner peace to get this book. There are many meditation practices out there and you can find numerous techniques on this website but ultimately it’s not so much about the road you take, rather it’s your level of dedication and consistent practice that will make the difference. Ultimately, all roads lead to the same place.

I have been interested in Yoga for almost as long as I can remember, for me this was not a question of why, but rather a question of where do I learn and which path do I follow. My own path has lead to a complete transformation of my entire person. There are many benefits to taking up yoga- the obvious ones being  improved health,  flexibility in the body, and relaxation. This is a no-brainer since almost everyone has seen flexible women and men doing interesting and sometimes strange poses – showing off their flexibility, balance and strength. What most people do not realize is the intense concentration, focus, and mental control that is necessary to correctly perform these poses.

However, this is just the tip of the iceberg because the all the other major benefits are under the surface and cannot be seen as easily. By conducting interviews with average people on the street, I am learning that the predominant belief is that meditation and yoga helps relax and calm. While this is true, the same can be said about going for a walk or riding a bicycle. The vast difference between these recreational activities and yoga is that the latter is a complex, ancient, and highly developed system that has been scientifically designed to raise one’s consciousness and completely transform one’s life in every aspect. This is only true if the person doing yoga is willing to immerse in the study of all the different elements, as opposed to just doing the stretches in class and then forgetting about it once the class is over. The transformative power of yoga is tremendous if it is embraced completely.

As part of my research for this blog, I have begun to interview people on the streets in order to gain a better understand of what people think of meditation. In asking these three simple questions, I want to determine the common beliefs, depth of knowledge, and values of the average person.

When asked, “what does meditation mean to you?”  people’s responses typicaly follow a predictable script about relaxation, sitting with eyes closed, cross legged, and so on. Having studied yoga scriptures and practiced meditation for many years I can say that most people have a very narrow and mistaken view of meditation.

Meditation, for me, is a skill and a state of mind where a person’s concentration is focused on an object of contemplation.The object can be a place, thing, emotion, or thought. This of course is a very broad definition and there are many traditions and paths from all over the world that have found different ways of interpreting, ritualizing, and training this state of mind and skill without imposing strict rules of posture, length of time, location, and other attributes typically associated with this overused word. As you read, I invite you to begin to explore and imagine all possibilities and opportunities for bringing meditation into your life.

Related Links:

Russells Ashtanga – Meditation and 8 Limbs

National Center for Contemplative & Alternative Medicine: Meditation

Children are supposed to play, adults are not. As an adult, we are conditioned to behave and conform to the standards of society; they tell us to walk without running, keep our voice controlled, don’t disrupt, don’t climb, don’t jump, don’t shout, and the list goes on and on. Most people actually believe this is what qualifies a person to be an adult and a proper, socialized citizen. By upholding this belief, the majority of adults become rigid, unyielding- cutting play and imagination almost completely out of their lives. Yet play is the ultimate new behavior generator. It is a boundless resource for creativity and experimentation. If I am talking to somebody and ask them sincerely to try something they may feel uncomfortable or fearful of performing that activity, or answering the questions. As soon as I rephrase the request and say, “Imagine or pretend to know the answer…” By putting the word, imagine, in front of the question, I am inviting a mental shift and encouraging play and imagination to take place, thereby changing the emotional state of that person. Now, that person feels free to explore without self doubts and fears holding them back. This is the power of play.

I frequently run into people that say, “Oh, I can’t learn that, I’m too old.” Another comment that I frequently hear is, “Children learn much faster then adults, the adult brain just isn’t capable of soaking up information the way a kid’s brain is.” Well, if you believe that, then it certainly is true for you, but I don’t. In fact, people frequently tell me that I learn extremely quickly and my response is, “I learn faster, better, and smarter now than I ever did before. “ In part this is due to my personal philosophy and attitude towards learning and the relationship between play and learning.

Play allows me to experiment, be creative, lighthearted and carefree. I was teaching my boss, a serious man of 60 years of age, how to use his new laptop. He was listening to me and cautiously moving the mouse around the screen, following my instructions. The entire process of teaching him the basics of a program were excruciatingly slow because he was unable to get past his fear of ruining or screwing something up. Caution overtook curiosity and excitement, and the result was a very difficult and tedious learning process. If I was to put a playful adult in his stead, yes such a species does exist, that person would be jumping all over the menus, pushing all the buttons and rapidly exploring the new computer options. If you have forgotten how, it’s never too late to re-learn how to play, it’s easy, it’s natural, and scientists are starting to learn that is necessary for development. Learn to cultivate a playful and curious attitude towards new and familiar things; it’s the best recipe for staying young, active, and smart.

Here are a few links to great TED talks and news stories about play:

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital.html

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/tim_brown_on_creativity_and_play.html

http://www.aap.org/pressroom/play-public.htm

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=19212514

Quite often, our thoughts and memories play tricks on us. When we think of a situation that has occurred, it is generally the same no matter how many times we run through it in our mind. Now, try taking a walk in a familiar place. One of the things you will notice is that it is not the same as you remember it. The world has changed, and it is constantly changing. Being present in the moment forces awareness of your surroundings and the ever-changing world. It is a well known fact from neuro-science that your eyes only capture a partial impression of the external reality. The rest of what you perceive to be reality is actually filled in by your mind. To have a fresh perspective and to see without assuming and expecting is the goal of being present in the moment.

Take notice of these changes and become aware of the liquidity of life. This new awareness can inspire you to become more flexible and pliable in all aspects of your life. Born, we are soft and supple, dead we are hard and stiff. Movement and change is the way of life, rigidity and stiffness is the way of death. To be present, truly present, is a joy that is beyond words. Once you become aware that you are living a real moment, a unique moment given specifically to you, no matter what it is, you can appreciate it and be grateful for being alive. Be grateful that you are having this breath, having this food, having this ache, because it’s the only one like it that you will ever have.