Meditation Secrets Revealed

One possible definition of meditation is the systematic training of the mind to focus inward thereby bringing it under our conscious control. For many beginners, meditation can be frustrating and difficult causing undue stress as opposed to relaxation. The mind is active, constantly seeking to understand, examine, and discuss. This becomes all the more apparent when we try to sit still for some time. There is a common misconception that we do meditation in order to silence the mind, however this is actually a byproduct of meditation, not the goal. To use force on the mind to silence the mind using the mind is a contradiction and generally leads to frustration and discontent. A friendlier way of approaching meditation is to think of our time on the cushion as a practice of observing the mind. With less ambition and more determination we are cultivating curiosity and awareness rather than force.

If one wishes to learn to ski, we do not start by going straight to the most difficult obstacle course and trail, instead we focus on our technique. We practice basic maneuvers on the “bunny slopes” and then gradually make our way to the more difficult trails. Similar in meditation, one must develop the groundwork and maneuvers in order to progress and learn. Here are a few simple meditation techniques that provide training for the mind, allowing us to relax and enjoy meditation. Try one, or several of these techniques and once you find one that works, practice it consistently and frequently – results will come.

Single Object Meditation: Start with something simple and not overly graphic, like a candle or a pen. Begin to gently gaze at this object and think about the object, the structure, the shape, color, size, anything that is related to the object. As you do this, feel yourself becoming physically and emotionally entangled with the object. After a comfortable time gazing, close your eyes and see the object in your mind’s eye. Hold it there for as long as you can until it begins to get fuzzy or starts to fade. Once you have determined that it has faded, or is significantly altered so that you have to imagine or recall from memory the object, open your eyes and repeat the process again. I find that very visual people are able to do this easily and find this exercise to be fun and non-visual people have a very difficult time holding the object for even five seconds. If you are one of those people who have a very difficult time with this, keep practicing on a regular basis and you will improve dramatically. This is a preliminary exercise and can be beneficial to practice for a few weeks before trying the other three techniques.

Develop the Watcher: Take a small part of your attention and assign this part the task of watching everything that flutters through the mind – without judgment or criticism. Imagine this part as a video camera that records everything, to be stored and analyzed almost immediately after it occurs. As you begin to develop this ability, you can notice thoughts, stories, narratives, emotions, reactions, and many other processes going on in your mind. This form of meditation, sometimes referred to as mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and anytime. It is essential that we do not criticise or condemn what we see, imply observe and grow in awareness and depth. With clear awareness, comes insight, understanding, and the power to change.

Mantras: A powerful and easy technique to conquer internal dialogue is to repeat a words or phrases over and over again. By concentrating the mind on these specific words, all other thoughts are cast aside. There are many sacred mantras that exist in the world but the most important factor in choosing a mantra is that we cultivate an attitude of deep reverence for the words – as if they are sacred. In some traditions, mantras are whispered into students ears and the students is to keep this mantra secret and never speak it out loud.

With time and practice, the mind will begin to quiet down and only the breath and the mantra will be heard. Once this state is achieved, there is no more need to for the mantra because all intruding thoughts have been cast out. Over time, just a few conscious breaths and the thought of the mantra should be enough to clear the mind. Clearing the mind is of course not the end goal of meditation, rather, it is the state that enables you to begin meditation; this is where deep self-exploration begins.

Breath Awareness: Once a comfortable and steady upright posture is established, bring the attention to the belly. Notice how it rises and falls. In the beginning, one or both palms can be placed on the abdomen to bring awareness to the sensations there. Focus the mind on the breath as it moves in and out, and as soon as the mind becomes distracted, without judgment or distress bring it back to the belly and the breath. This is probably the simplest and one of the most commonly used meditation techniques in the world. Breath awareness and mantra repetition can be combined to further train and focus the mind. One example would be to say “In” on the in-breath and “Out” on the out-breath.

Hi everyone, I just completed an extensive FAQ the responds to common concerns raised by people interested in learning more about meditation and those that have just begun to meditate. In this meditation guide, I cover burning questions such as: What is mediation, what are the benefits, different types, do I need a guru, how do I know I am doing well, how long should I meditation for, and much more. Not to mention some really cool pix!

If someone you know is interested or could benefit from this information, feel free to pass the link along. You can navigate there by clicking the Meditation FAQ tab above, next to About Me.

When we are kids, our mind is in its early stages of development, extremely pliable and relatively unconditioned. For many it is their happiest time. Not because there is a lack of responsibilities, but because the mind has not yet taken control of us. Have you ever observed kids playing? One falls or hits the other, “ouch that hurt.” They cry, and they cry, and soon they get distracted by a fluttering butterfly or a rolling ball and they are off, happy as a bird, completely forgetting that they were crying and upset just a moment ago. That is the power of the mind, or should I say the lack of control of the mind over us at that tender age.

Now let’s go forward in time to a similar situation. We are hurt, we are in pain, a loved one said something hurtful or painful to us and we cry. No ball or butterfly will bring us out of this state. What has changed? We may think to ourselves at this point, “Aha, we are adults now, our lives are much more complicated and we have so many responsibilities. Life is not so simple anymore!” The truth of the matter is that although we do have more responsibilities as adults, this does not mean that life has gotten more complicated. Rather, we have allowed our mind to steering us, and now it says, “I want all emotions: negative, positive, hurtful, and joyful. It does not matter. Give me anything and I will cling to it.” That is the current state for many people. If only we could get that pesky mind to stop for just a moment, how wonderful would that be! How peaceful would we feel!

As we grow up, we begin to identify ourselves with the mind deluding ourselves into thinking that we are our minds. Through meditation and constant self observation we can reach the realization that we are not our mind. We are something different. In yoga it is called the seer. We are the seer and the mind is a pool of water which reflects that seer. Through some blunder we have associated ourselves with the reflection instead of the original image. It is like staring at yourself in the mirror and thinking that the image in the mirror is the real you.

See also: Meditation Techniques: How to Master Your Mind

Meditation is like a vast unexplored continent, the further you travel the more splendor and beauty you will see. To begin the great adventure, one must prepare for the journey and bring appropriate equipment, clothing and fuel. A well equipped expedition will ensure minimal setbacks and determine the success of the journey. Here is an inventory list of some “equipment” you will need on your meditation journey in order to establishing and maintaining a successful meditation practice.

1. Set the intention: Be clear and realistic with your expectations. Ask yourself, what are you willing to sacrifice in order to set aside the time necessary to meditate?

2. Creating the atmosphere: Dedicate a little corner, mat, or chair for meditation, use it only for this purpose. Put on some music, make some tea, develop a meditation ritual. This does not mean you must be sitting there on a cushion, with lit candles and an incense stick, but it does mean that there should be a special place where you go only for meditation.

3. Set aside a time: This may be obvious to some, but have a specific time of day when you know you will be alone and in relative quiet. Be selfish in maintaining your inner peace and don’t let anyone disturb you.

4. Unplug: Turn off your phone, the computer, and the T.V. Without these distractions, you know you can have some peace and quiet to dedicate to your meditation.

5. Stay Consistent: Consistency is the major stumbling block for any practice and developing a good habit is crucial. How do you develop a habit? It takes three weeks of doing the same thing over and over again for your body and mind to adjust and then it becomes easy and natural.

6. Keep a journal: After every meditation session, take a few minutes to write down your experiences, thoughts, mental imagery, or bodily sensations. You can look back and check on your progress and its a great way to share your experiences with friends. Keep a record of the date, time of day, and duration of the meditation.

7. Experiment: There are many different types of meditations and you never know which one will work best for until you try them. Amongst the many types, the most common are: guided visualizations, music, no music, sitting, walking, slow repetitive movements, mantras, and watching the breath.

I am frequently asked by people for advice regarding their personal and professional lives and I usually start with questions such as, “What happens in your mind? What do you see, hear, feel, and think?” It is shocking how few people are able to answer these relatively straightforward questions, yet the answers are the key to overcoming many people’s challenges. The good news is that it is fairly easy to develop this self awareness.

A simple, yet powerful, meditation technique is to create a silent watcher over your own mind. Its a simple practice that you can begin to develop into a daily habit. Take a small part of your attention and assign this part the task of watching everything that flutters through your mind. Imagine this part as a video camera that records everything, to be stored and analyzed almost immediately after it occurs. Stop reading for a few brief moments, and try this RIGHT NOW! As you begin to develop this ability, you can notice thoughts, stories, narratives, emotions, reactions, and many other processes going on in your mind. By watching and then analyzing yourself at all times, in all situations, you can discover what kinds of thoughts are going through your mind, which will quickly bring realizations and epiphanies about your own beliefs, motivations, actions, and reactions.

The only way a fish can understand water is by getting onto the shore, and looking back down into the water. You are the fish and the water represents your thoughts. In order to understand, analyze, and ultimately steer your mind, you first need to watch yourself from the outside, as a passive observer. At first, this may seem to be strange, or daunting as the self now how has to pay attention to the self, but it quickly becomes second nature. I want to make it very clear that the watcher or observer must not participate or be in any way involved in what is going on in the mind. This means that it should not make comments or judgments on what is seen, but simply observe passively and report, similar to a surveillance camera.

Be patient and do not become discouraged if you forget or become distracted, this is completely natural. Keep with it, and in time you will develop the ability to keep mental track of the chaotic landscape of the mind without becoming distracted from daily activities. If I could recommend any one meditation technique in the world, this would be it. It is crucial key to opening the door to self awareness, personal growth, stress management, mental clarity, and peace of mind.

The only way a fish can understand water is by getting onto the shore, and looking back down into the water. We are the fish and the water represents our thoughts. In order to understand, analyze, and ultimately steer our mind, we first need to watch ourselves from the outside, as a passive observer. At first, this may seem to be strange, or daunting as the self now how has to pay attention to the self. Be patient and keep with it, in only a short time it is possible to develop the ability to keep mental track of the chaotic landscape of the mind without becoming distracted from daily activities.

The watcher or observer must not participate or be in any way involved in what is going on in the mind. This means that it should not make comments or judgments on what is seen, but simply observe passively and report, similar to a surveillance camera.

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

There is a wiser part in all of us that speaks very softly. When our busy minds are full of thoughts, hearing that wiser part is like trying to hear a soft whisper in the middle of a deafening and rowdy football game. A busy mind full of thoughts is said to have mind chatter. As we begin to quiet the mind, through various meditation techniques, we can  learn to listen really closely and catch the whisper of this inner voice. It is always there. It can manifest itself in many ways and the experience is different for everyone. This inner voice is sometimes called intuition. One example would be while driving, to suddenly feel that we must change lanes, only to realize that by doing so we have avoided an accident. Or, maybe while walking down the street we get pulled into a particular store or place to discover something wonderful or special there that we have been seeking. Intuition is not to be confused with instinct. The latter is more closely associated with our bodies and often expressed in our unconscious urges, while the former is a type of channeling of universal wisdom. This is but one of many ways of looking, thinking about, or referring to intuition.

My favorite and most frequent way of showing appreciation is during meals. At every meal, I take a moment to reflect on the food that I are about to eat as well as the state of mind that I am in. Whatever is going through the mind at that moment disappears and all that is left is the thought and feeling of appreciation. A slow, deep breath combined with a deep sense of gratitude for the meal goes a long way to restoring peace of mind. As I catch my thoughts drifting, I can make a conscious effort to bring them back to the meal at hand. When I do this, I find myself appreciating the food more and as a result my enjoyment, taste, and overall experience of the meal are dramatically enhanced. It also encourages me to feel compassion for all the people in the world who do not have such wonderful food. They may have only eaten once this day, or maybe not at all. With but a wave of the appreciation wand, this change in perspective can turn even the most simple and meager meal into a feast. Routines such as, eating, waking up, going to sleep, brushing teeth, or going to the bathroom, and the many other activities that are commonly performed throughout the day are perfect for this type of practice. I have found that by practicing this daily, I have created a permanent shift in my attitude and perspective on daily routines, re-invigorating and enlightening the mundane.

It can be hard to forgive others for wrongs that have been inflicted on us. Frequently, it is even harder to forgive ourselves. Self-blame and judgments can be cancerous, devouring us from the inside. Often, people hold onto a memory or event so tightly that they become stuck, and are unable to move beyond to grow and build on that experience. It’s no easy feat, but forgiveness allows us to let go of the past, thereby freeing up the present and the future for infinite possibilities. We can start with self-forgiveness by thinking of anything that we may still be holding on to from our past and allowing that to come to mind. Looking at it with a fresh perspective, we can realize that nothing is worth clinging to. Developing the ability to forgiveness is the fruit of the labor of become self-aware and practicing not-clinging. Sometimes just a simple action, word or gesture can free us of these past burdens. In doing so, we can make our life simple and lighter, opening new doors to joy and happiness.